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Wesleyan

Wesleyan

7.5
Relating to the Christian teaching of John Wesley
  • adjective
  • /ˈwɛsliən/
translation icon : wesleyano
  • The Wesleyan tradition places great emphasis on personal holiness and social justice.

Examples

  • She studied the development of Wesleyan theology in nineteenth-century America.

  • Many Wesleyan churches offer outreach programs to help the local community.

  • Many churches in the area follow Wesleyan doctrine and practices.

  • The Wesleyan community is known for its strong emphasis on social justice.

  • Many churches in the area follow Wesleyan doctrine and practices.

  • The Wesleyan tradition emphasizes personal holiness and the importance of social justice.

  • She studied the impact of Wesleyan beliefs on modern Protestantism.

Synonyms

Methodist
vsWesleyan
16 3.3

Relating to the Methodist church and its beliefs

stresses identity with the church branch based on John Wesley rather than only teachings

Compounds

A Christian church group that follows John Wesley's teachings

People who follow the Christian teachings of John Wesley and belong to churches of his movement

Surface Forms

Wesleyan positive

Morphology

Wesleyan = Wesley (transparent) = Wesley + an

The adjective is formed by adding the productive suffix '-an' to the name 'Wesley', yielding 'relating to Wesley/Wesleyanism', a transparent derivation.

Etymology

Wesleyan comes from Wesley plus -an, meaning 'related to' Wesley. So when we call beliefs, churches, or practices Wesleyan, we mean they follow John Wesley's teaching and style, which explains the modern adjective meaning.