John Wesley’s <i>Thoughts upon Slavery</i> and Wesleyan Pro-LGBTQ Social Ethics

Abstract This article explores how John Wesley’s theological arguments in Thoughts upon Slavery can be used as a pattern for developing a Wesleyan pro-LGBTQ social ethic. After exploring Wesley’s experiential and practical approach to social ethics in general and Wesley’s theological approach to slavery in particular, the article provides a detailed analysis of Wesley’s theological arguments in Thoughts upon Slavery . The article then demonstrates how similar theological approaches and arguments can be used as the basis of a pro-LBGTQ social ethic, focusing on pro-LGBTQ apologetics, Wesleyan queer theology, and pro-LGBTQ arguments in The United Methodist Church.