Catalyst Publications
Publications by Category
I first stepped into a band meeting in 2002. I was a new seminary instructor, without tenure, in my first real teaching job. Having pastored in rural Iowa, I had come to take a position as instructor of evangelism. Teaching evangelism was g…
Apr/17/2019
Our work as theological educators, whether as professors in higher education, preachers in the pulpit, or leaders in Bible studies, band meetings, and youth ministries is ultimately about inspiring change and transformation. The transformat…
Apr/15/2019
Faith has a variety of definitions. It is common to refer to the essentials of Christian teaching as “the faith” and to describe our faith as believing those essentials. Wesley makes clear that a Christian does indeed affirm those essential…
Apr/10/2019
With the coming of spring and the anticipation of summer, many churches in the United States are preparing for the Short-Term Mission (STM) “season.” Churches frequently use a domestic or international STM trip as a standard part of regular…
Apr/08/2019
Culture is a particular way of life for a group of people. It is shared, learned, able to adjust, and all inclusive. It applies on the broadest level, as in American culture, and, as any new pastor can attest, it is also identifiable in a l…
Apr/03/2019
After a controversial final match at the US Open between tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, an Australian newspaper published a racist cartoon of Williams that is reminiscent of historical discriminatory images of people of color…
Mar/27/2019
Students come to seminary from a broad range of experiences with the Christian faith. Many come with experiences of God but little training in theology, church history, or the careful reading of Scripture. Others have had years of training …
Mar/20/2019
The Trinitarian formula “Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer” has been around for some time, but seems now to be gaining traction as an appropriate, liturgical form of prayer to the Triune God. One can understand and appreciate the motivation of t…
Mar/18/2019
The fallacy that women are inferior to men is one of the most obstinate and damaging delusions in Christian history. Multitudes of lives, institutions, and subcultures have been shaped by this misconception. Why is it that the majority of C…
Mar/11/2019
In the shifting landscape of ministry, one question has seemed to garner the most attention: How can we keep (young) people in our church? Pushing deeper, we wonder: How can we form a faith that keeps them sticking around? There is a sense …
Mar/06/2019
Most Christian churches would say that they base their beliefs on the Bible. Some even stress that they “teach the Bible and nothing but the Bible.” There are over 30,000 denominations today with scores of doctrinal disputes. How did Christ…
Mar/04/2019
One of the greatest challenges I faced as a seminarian and grad student in theology was the fearful prospect of having to make a skilled judgment about what I was reading. It was not uncommon for me to encounter a theological text and have …
Feb/27/2019
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News & Events
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A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE) John Wesley Fellowships have been awarded to three doctoral stud…
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Announcing that 2026 John Wesley Fellowship Scholarship Applications are now being accepted. Please see the at…
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JWF and Friends of AFTE, we look forward to you joining us Thursday-Sunday, January 15-18, 2026, for the AFTE …
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Twenty John Wesley Fellows, spouses, and friends were able to experience a trip of a lifetime. The travel itin…
"The John Wesley Fellowship provides not only financial support, it is an extraordinary community of Christian scholars — and friends."