Bishop Scott J. Jones and his son Rev. Arthur Jones discuss their second book together:
Scripture and the Wesleyan Way: A Bible Study on Real Christianity
Bishop Scott J. Jones, bishop of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, and his son, Rev. Arthur Jones, a fifth generation Methodist minister and senior associate pastor at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, have co-authored their second book, Scripture & the Wesleyan Way: A Bible Study on Real Christianity. The community is invited to a discussion about the book at “A Night with the Authors: Wesleyan Way,” on Sunday, January 13, at 5:30 p.m. in Smith Worship Center, St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano. Admission is free.
“This book helps us to rediscover a way of following Jesus taught by 18th century English pastors John and Charles Wesley, which is itself a return to methods used by the earliest Christians after Jesus’ ascension,” said Bishop Scott Jones. “This way holds the key to unlocking a renewed and vibrant church, and is our best hope for healing the division in our culture today.”
The Bible was central to John Wesley’s faith and the Christian movement he founded. Scripture and the Wesleyan Way provides a Wesleyan approach to the Bible and the Christian life through a Bible study using Wesley’s own words. In this study, authors Scott and Arthur Jones use John Wesley’s sermons to illuminate the Bible passages at the heart of Wesley’s understanding of what it means to be a real Christian. Each chapter explores a key Scripture text and one of Wesley’s sermons on it. Bishop Jones and his son Arthur show how the teachings of Wesley address questions that many of us in the 21st century still struggle with today.
“John Wesley discovered a challenging yet hopeful message in the Bible, which profoundly shaped his personal life and the Methodist movement he founded,” added Rev. Arthur Jones. “As you study the Bible with John Wesley, you will hear his call to live a real Christian life and will be inspired to respond to this call with faith and boldness. We hope you can join us on January 13.”
Rev. Jones is a graduate of Duke Divinity School, and Bishop Jones previously served on the faculty at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University as well as pastor of three congregations in North Texas. Their first book together, published in 2015, was titled ASK – Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age. Bishop Jones is the author of several previous books including The Evangelistic Love of God & Neighbor, Staying at the Table, and Wesley and the Quadrilateral, also published by Abingdon Press.
Bishop Scott Jones stands in a line of Methodist ministers stretching back to his maternal great-grandfather. His father, Jameson Jones, was a national United Methodist leader and served as dean of Duke Divinity School, as would Bishop Jones’ younger brother, L. Gregory Jones. His son Arthur Jones joined the staff of St. Andrew UMC in 2010 as an associate pastor.
Following the discussion, there will be a Q&A session. Books will be available for purchase at the event.