United_Methodist_Church

Wesleyan theology stands at a unique cross-roads between evangelical and sacramental, between liturgical and charismatic, and between Anglo-Catholic and Reformed theology and practice. It has been characterized as Arminian theology with an emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit to bring holiness into the life of the participating believer. The United Methodist Church believes in prima scriptura, seeing the Holy Bible as the primary authority in the Church and using sacred tradition, reason, and experience to interpret it, with the aid of the Holy Spirit (see Wesleyan Quadrilateral). Therefore, according to The Book of Discipline, United Methodist theology is at once "catholic, evangelical, and reformed." Today, the UMC is generally considered one of the more moderate and tolerant denominations with respect to race, gender, and ideology, though the denomination itself actually includes a very wide spectrum of attitudes. Comparatively, the UMC stands to the right of liberal and progressive Protestant groups such as the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church on certain issues (especially regarding sexuality), but to the left of historically conservative evangelical traditions such as the Southern Baptists and Pentecostalism, in regard to theological matters such as social justice and Biblical interpretation. However, it should be noted that the UMC is made up of a broad diversity of thought, and so there are many clergy and laity within the UMC that hold differing viewpoints on such theological matters.

Question: Who may be more likely to have homosexual clergy?
Answer: United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church

Question: What is of utmost importance to the UMC?
Answer: prima scriptura

Question: Who does the UMC seek guidance from?
Answer: the Holy Spirit

Question: How do the diverse clergy and laity within the UMC take meaning from the Bible?
Answer: using sacred tradition, reason, and experience

Question: What denominations are less conservative than the UMC?
Answer: United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church

Question: What refers to the parishioners at the UMC?
Answer: laity

Question: What are the areas that UMC shows leniency?
Answer: race, gender, and ideology

Question: While the UMC is considered relatively tolerant of social issues like race and gender, it is considered less moderate on what social issue?
Answer: sexuality

Question: What faith tradition is less liberal than the UMC?
Answer: Pentecostalism

Question: The UMC is generally seen as being more conservative on some issues than what christian denominations?
Answer: the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church

Question: What denominations are less liberal than the UMC?
Answer: Southern Baptists

Question: Who would ultimately decide what individual UMC churches believe and practice in regards to things such as ideology and gender-related tolerance?
Answer: clergy and laity

Question: What methodology bases its teachings on four theological conclusions?
Answer: Wesleyan Quadrilateral

Question: Who may be more likely to have female clergy?
Answer: United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church

Question: The UMC is generally seen as being more liberal on some issues than what christian denominations?
Answer: Southern Baptists and Pentecostalism

Question: In general, Methodist churches are more liberal than evangelical churches when it comes to what issues?
Answer: social justice and Biblical interpretation