Taoism As A Conversation Partner (Breathe Easy, Wesleyan Christianity)

“...we find consistent and systematic emphasis on repetitive and daily practices throughout Wesley's life and teachings that have the potential to train the person to breathe.” - Chad MaxsonWhat might “breathing” (the physical act of bringing in & pushing out breath from our lungs) have to do with spirituality in general and Wesleyan Christianity in particular, and how does Taoism figure into the conversation (if, indeed, it does at all)?In this conversation, Dr Chad Maxson (longtime friend, first time podcast guest) walks us around his recent article hosted in the Wesley Theological Journal entitled Agency & the People of God: How Daoism Makes Christianity More Efficacious. It partially scratches a constant itch of mine, namely the interaction between God’s actions & our own human actions, so I was excited to have had the opportunity to chat with Chad all about it.(For a video version of this conversation, check out my YouTube channel here.)Chapters:02:00 - Exploring Literature and Recommendations02:32 - The Role of Education in Theology04:54 - Agency and Revelation in Christianity08:35 - Wesleyan Perspectives on Grace and Sanctification11:23 - Wesley's Journey and Spiritual Assurance14:21 - Empirical Expectations in Faith17:39 - Understanding Sin and Transformation20:33 - Theological Reflections on Paul and Wesley21:28 - The Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit23:28 - Wesley's Organizational Genius and Its Challenges25:04 - The Role of Poverty in Spiritual Transformation27:24 - Sanctification and Relationships30:21 - Eucharist as a Converting Ordinance32:12 - Monism vs. Dualism in Christian Thought37:08 - Daoism as a Wisdom Tradition41:59 - Breath and Spirituality in Christianity47:55 - The Nature of Grace and Human AgencyKeywords:Christianity, Agency, Wesleyanism, Holiness Movement, Daoism, Spirituality, Transformation, Grace, Empirical Expectations, Breath Get full access to Marc Jolicoeur (aka Jolly Thoughts) at marcjolicoeur.substack.com/subscribe