Episode 159 – Dr. Joseph Dongell on a Theology of Love

Today on The Techology Show:

Dr. Joseph Dongell - asburyseminary.edu

Joe was born into a pastor’s home near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1956. As a child of the Wesleyan-Holiness movement, he early became acquainted with revivals and camp meetings, along with the messages they urged. Joe remembers praying, as a young boy, to receive Jesus on a Sunday night in his bedroom with his parents beside him.

He serves as a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary within the Biblical Studies Department. He is an Ordained Minister in The Wesleyan Church. He currently serves on the boards of Southern Wesleyan University and The Francis Asbury Society. He is the author of John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, and Why I am not a Calvinist (co-authored with Jerry Walls).

Joe has been married to Regina Lane Dongell for over 30 years and together they are the parents of twins Jordan and Janna.

Anthony Casey - facebook.com/acasey64

Heath Mullikin - heathmullikin.com

Steve Stanley – [email protected]

Matthew Tietje - matthewtietje.com

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One Comment

I have listened to almost every one of the episodes of this show and I must say that this was the most personally meaningful to me.

For years, I have struggled with what I have read and been taught about holiness and sanctification. I believe I understood the message just fine (I got a 3.9 in Theology of Holiness in college). However, my understanding of entire sanctification and of myself led me to believe that this was an unattainable goal. It may be possible for the all-stars. The elite. The men who were able to go through adolescence and never give in to lust. The women who were always able to stay above reproach when it came to gossip or complaining. However, for those of us whose will to not sin has never had the endurance or strength that we thought it should, we were left with endless guilt and frustration.

I was faced with a choice. Either entire sanctification was not for me or my understanding of it was flawed or what I have been taught is wrong. Over the past few years, I have gradually began leaning toward the latter. I have been of the increasing opinion that the focus and goal of sinless perfection was like a beach house whose foundation had been gradually eroding and now needed support beams just to keep standing.

I had basically given up hope of being in alignment with Wesleyan doctrine on this important and distinctive issue. I no longer had the desire or ability to successfully defend it.

While listening to the episode with Dr. Dongell, I felt as though a weight began to lift as he described his findings and conclusions of his readings of Wesley. The thought that kept coming to mind throughout the episode was “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” While arriving at sinless perfection seems unattainable, growing in the love of God does not.

If Dr. Dongell is able to write on this and the denomination will engage his work, I can see a way forward for me to be in alignment with it. Theologically and doctrinally speaking, I may be able to come home again.

I sincerely hope that Dr. Dongell is able to write on this soon, as I believe our tribe desperately needs to hear what he has to say.

Thanks for having him on and for continuing to do what you do.

Sincerely,

Matt Rampey


Matt Rampey
June 24, 2012 at 6:32 pm

I have listened to almost every one of the episodes of this show and I must say that this was the most personally meaningful to me.

For years, I have struggled with what I have read and been taught about holiness and sanctification. I believe I understood the message just fine (I got a 3.9 in Theology of Holiness in college). However, my understanding of entire sanctification and of myself led me to believe that this was an unattainable goal. It may be possible for the all-stars. The elite. The men who were able to go through adolescence and never give in to lust. The women who were always able to stay above reproach when it came to gossip or complaining. However, for those of us whose will to not sin has never had the endurance or strength that we thought it should, we were left with endless guilt and frustration.

I was faced with a choice. Either entire sanctification was not for me or my understanding of it was flawed or what I have been taught is wrong. Over the past few years, I have gradually began leaning toward the latter. I have been of the increasing opinion that the focus and goal of sinless perfection was like a beach house whose foundation had been gradually eroding and now needed support beams just to keep standing.

I had basically given up hope of being in alignment with Wesleyan doctrine on this important and distinctive issue. I no longer had the desire or ability to successfully defend it.

While listening to the episode with Dr. Dongell, I felt as though a weight began to lift as he described his findings and conclusions of his readings of Wesley. The thought that kept coming to mind throughout the episode was “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” While arriving at sinless perfection seems unattainable, growing in the love of God does not.

If Dr. Dongell is able to write on this and the denomination will engage his work, I can see a way forward for me to be in alignment with it. Theologically and doctrinally speaking, I may be able to come home again.

I sincerely hope that Dr. Dongell is able to write on this soon, as I believe our tribe desperately needs to hear what he has to say.

Thanks for having him on and for continuing to do what you do.

Sincerely,

Matt Rampey