Recent Publications by the ACWR
“A Curious Machine”: Wesleyan Reflections on the Posthuman Future
(Wipf and Stock, 2023)
In his sermon "What Is Man?," John Wesley spoke of the human being as a "curious machine," reflecting the eighteenth-century view of the person as a set of complex mechanisms animated by the soul. The rapid rate of technological development in recent decades is opening toward a future in which the centrality and uniqueness of human beings is undergoing a shift. Developments in robotics, artificial intelligence, surveillance, autonomous weapons, human enhancement, and genetic modification raise an array of questions for the Christian tradition. The awareness of the negative impact of human activity on the natural environment is challenging the traditional view of humanity as having a uniquely privileged role at the heart of creation. This collection of essays addresses Wesleyan and broadly Christian voices that explore the theological, philosophical, biblical, ethical, and practical implications of emerging technologies, their impact upon different aspects of human life, and the possibilities that are opening up toward a posthuman future.
This collection of essays is the second edited and published book of the ACWR. The impetus for this book was the ACWR’s 2019 conference in Melbourne, Australia.
Available on Wipf and Stock, and Amazon.
Wesleyan Perspectives on Human Flourishing (Pickwick, 2021)
Human flourishing is an ever-expanding concept that crosses geographic, ethnic, cultural, and religious lines as persons, both individually and corporately, seek to find happiness, fulfillment, and purpose. This book brings together well-established and burgeoning Wesleyan scholars to consider not only John and Charles Wesley's understanding of human flourishing but the broader Wesleyan perspectives on contemporary issues such as calling, creation care, healthcare, education, technological enhancements, death and dying, and more. Throughout these chapters the complexities and challenges of life, both past and present, are explored and grappled with, and we are reminded over and again that God is the ultimate source of flourishing.
This collection of essays is the first edited and published book of the ACWR. The impetus for this book was the ACWR’s 2018 conference in Sydney, Australia, which featured keynote speaker, Dr Randy Maddox.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS BY MEMBERS OF THE ACWR
John Wesley’s Political World (Routledge, 2022)
This book employs a global history approach to John Wesley’s (1703–1791) political and social tracts. It stresses the personal element in Wesley’s political thought, focusing on the twin themes of ‘liberty and loyalty’. Wesley’s political writings reflect on the impact of global conflicts on Britain and provide insight into the political responses of the broader religious world of the eighteenth century.
They cover such topics as the nature and origin of political power, economy, taxes, trade, opposition to slavery and to smuggling, British rule in Ireland, relaxation of anti-Catholic Acts, and the American Revolution. Glen O’Brien argues that Wesley’s political foundations were less theological than they were social and personal. Political engagement was exercised as part of a social contract held together by a compact of trust.
The book contributes to eighteenth-century religious history, and to Wesley Studies in particular, through a fresh engagement with primary sources and recent secondary literature in order to place Wesley’s writings in their global political context.
Author, Professor Glen O’Brien, is a founding member of the ACWR and continues to serve on the ACWR Executive Committee.
Available on Amazon, Book Depository and Booktopia.