What if Wesley Would Have Reproduced?

A few days after my eldest (Sam) was born, I ran into one of my college professors as I was getting some essentials for our newborn: diapers, formula, etc.

Upon sharing the jubilant news of the arrival of Sam into our home, my professor said, "I'll pass onto you what one of my mentors, Dr. Kinlaw, passed onto me when I had my first child: 'Now your theological education really begins'."

Not to say that you have to have children to enhance your theology, but the general truth to what he said can't be understated. It is a prime example of how much "experience" plays into the theological enterprise. I could go on and on about how much insight I've gained into the human condition since having children; and it all isn't just about observing the behavior of my kids...learning how to parent & discipline well has been a difficult and (often) painful process to undergo. On the other hand, experiencing the love of a father who would do anything for his children has been invaluable & helps me resonate (to at least some degree) with the benevolence our Father has toward us.

I wouldn't say that my theology has drastically changed in content, but I know the truth of how much I have grown in my understanding of God and humanity.

So given this statement uttered to me in a grocery store, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like had John Wesley had children. As you may know, Wesley was one of 19 children (though only seven lived into adulthood). His brother Charles had children, grandchildren, etc. And though John did marry, it is well documented both from his journals and letters that his marriage was filled with discontent, anger, jealousy, resentment, and a host of other qualities that leave a lot to be a desired. Given John's constant travelling adventures and the difficult relationship he had with his wife, it may be a good thing they didn't procreate. However, we might wonder if they would have conceived & given birth, would Wesley's itinerant tendencies have declined? Some have said that John was really married to the Methodist movement; others that his children were all the Methodists under his leadership. I understand those sentiments, but I'm curious if he would have felt differently had circumstances been different at home.

So of course, the historical impact comes into play with such a wondering...would he have viewed the itinerant system differently? Would his marriage have undergone a change for the better? But I also wonder about what impact, if any, having children would have had upon his theology. This raises the issue, in my mind, of Wesley's theology of infancy. Did Wesley exude consistency on his thoughts regarding infants throughout his theological journey? That's a question I'd like to tackle in the upcoming posts.