Moving Beyond “The Bible Says So”

A practical introduction to the theology tool that saved my faith

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism had figured out how to hold space for both thinking and believing.

You know that feeling when you're scrolling through social media at 12:30 AM, questioning everything you thought you believed, while simultaneously craving another episode of The Great British Baking Show? Yeah, that was me about five years ago. Except instead of thinking about pastry dough, I was having an existential crisis about Christianity.

I'd hit that wall where faith felt like a multiple-choice test with only two terrible options: A) Continue to quote bible verses that I wasn’t totally confident in, or B) Throw it all away and consider myself “spiritual but not religious.” I simply had too many questions and not enough answers.

To be honest, neither felt right. And both felt exhausting.

The Random Office Conversation That Changed Everything

I was the senior pastor of a non-denominational church in Iowa when it happened. Just a regular Monday or Tuesday afternoon in the office (I can’t remember), chatting with a co-worker about faith and theology…the kind of conversation that happens when you work in ministry.

"Have you ever heard of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral?" he asked casually.

"No," I said. "That sounds wild."

He pulled up an image on his computer and showed it to me. Four simple words arranged around a square: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience.

That moment literally changed my life and my faith. I’m not kidding.

I'd been struggling with that same tension I mentioned…feeling stuck between rigid fundamentalism and walking away entirely. I was tired of pretending I didn't have questions, tired of giving people answers that felt incomplete, tired of feeling like I had to choose between my brain and my faith.

But this simple diagram opened up a completely different way of thinking about God and theology. It was like someone had just handed me permission to be a whole person.

That conversation snowballed into something I never expected: I began to label myself as Wesleyan. Not because I wanted to switch denominations, but because I'd finally found a framework that made sense of how I actually experienced faith. I later came to identify as a Wesleyan Anabaptist Charismatic. (I have mentioned that before. We will get there, I promise)

Enter: The Most Boring-Sounding, Life-Changing Thing Ever

Back to The Wesleyan Quadrilateral. I know, I know…it sounds like something you'd need a protractor for. But stick with me, because this thing is basically an instruction manual for building a faith that doesn't fall apart every time someone asks you a hard question.

John Wesley…the founder of Methodism had figured out how to hold space for both thinking and believing. Revolutionary concept, right?

Here's the beautiful, simple genius of it: faith doesn't have to balance on one wobbly leg. It can rest on a sturdy table with four solid supports.

Leg One: Scripture (The Main Character, But Not the Only Character)

The Bible gets the starring role here…it's the foundation, the primary source. But here's what I love about this approach: Scripture doesn't have to carry the entire weight of every single question you've ever had about existence. Let that sink in for a moment. Truly. Think about the implications of that.

It's like when you're watching a really good TV show. The main character is crucial, but you also need the supporting cast, the setting, the cultural context. Take any of those away, and you miss half the story.

Wesley treated Scripture like a living, breathing witness to how God works in the world…not like a college textbook.

Leg Two: Tradition (The Wisdom of the Crowd)

Tradition is basically the Church's collective memory. It's two thousand years of people wrestling with the same questions you're wrestling with right now.

Think about it like walking into a bookstore and seeing a book with hundreds of five-star reviews versus one with three reviews. You don't have to buy the popular book, but you'd be foolish not to at least consider why so many people found it valuable. As someone who LOVES to read, I think this all the time.

Church tradition includes everything from ancient creeds to medieval hymns. From liturgy, to prayer, and to communion. Not all of it’s gold, but there are some serious gems in there if you know how to look.

Leg Three: Reason (Finally! Permission to Use Your Brain)

This might be my favorite part. Methodism basically says, "Hey, God gave you a brain…let’s use it!"

I can't tell you how refreshing this was after growing up in environments where asking questions felt like spiritual treason. Suddenly, I had permission to study science, explore philosophy, notice when things didn't quite add up, and still call myself a Christian.

Reason helps us distinguish between what the Bible meant to people living in ancient contexts versus what it might mean for people today. It's the bridge between ancient wisdom and modern understanding. This one is so important. Especially with how often people weaponize the scriptures.

Leg Four: Experience (The Part That Makes You Feel Something)

Experience is where theology stops being theoretical and starts being real. It's that moment during worship when you get chills, or when you're serving at a soup kitchen and suddenly understand what love actually looks like, or when you're going through something awful and somehow find peace you can't explain. It’s your real-life experiences.

Wesley talked about the "faith of a son" versus the "faith of a servant"…basically, the difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Like the difference between reading restaurant reviews and actually tasting the food.

Experience reminds us that faith isn't just an intellectual exercise. It's not a theology exam you pass or fail. It's a relationship you live. It is alive in the real world.

Why This Table Changed Everything for Me

Here's what hit me that random Monday or Tuesday in the office: I didn't have to choose between being smart and being faithful. I didn't have to pretend I'd never taken a biology class to love Jesus. I didn't have to throw out centuries of church history because some people had used it badly.

This four-legged table was sturdy enough to hold all of my questions, my doubts, my scientific curiosity, and my weird mystical experiences where I felt the presence of God while lying in bed sick with strep throat. (True story…I’m sure I will tell it sometime.)

It gave me permission to be a whole person who happened to be a Christian, instead of trying to cram myself into some pre-approved Christian person shape that never quite fit.

The Table Is Big Enough

Maybe you grew up in a church where only one leg mattered…where everything was either "the Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it" or "just follow your heart" or "the church fathers knew best" or "think your way to God."

Maybe you're tired of spiritual communities that ask you to check your brain in at the door. Maybe you're sick of feeling like you have to choose between your head and your heart, between ancient wisdom and modern knowledge, between personal experience and communal tradition.

If that's you, I want you to know: there's a table with room for all of it. All of you. Your questions, your doubts, your hopes, and your weird God-moments.

The table isn't perfect…no theological framework is. But it's strong enough to hold the weight of a real life lived in honest faith.

So, grab a chair. Bring your whole self. The coffee's always on, and there's always room for one more.

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Let’s keep building a faith that holds up to real life.