from time to time in the course of the heritage of the church an outstanding gentle appears to be like, a prophet who calls the church again to its missional vocation. those reformers are fanatics of God, mystics whose lives are totally given to the divine imaginative and prescient. but as Jesus famous, a prophet is frequently with out honor between her personal humans. in terms of Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874), honor used to be misplaced posthumously, for inside of a number of many years after her dying her identify all yet disappeared. Palmer's sanctification theology was once separated from its apophatic non secular moorings, whilst her reminiscence used to be misplaced. all through lots of the 20th century her identify used to be nearly unknown between Methodists. To at the present time the mum of the Holiness stream nonetheless awaits her position of popularity as a Christian mystic equivalent to Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, or Thérèse of Lisieux.
This ebook locates Palmer's existence and proposal in the nice Christian mystical traditions, opting for her significance inside of Methodism and the church common. It additionally offers a Wesleyan theological framework for knowing and valuing Christian mysticism, whereas connecting it with the bigger mystical traditions in Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox communions.
While Palmer used to be a strong revivalist in her personal day, in lots of methods she may be the buyer saint for modern Methodists who're attracted to the hot monasticism and who lengthy for the renewal of the church. Saint Phoebe is exactly the person who will help Methodists envision new kinds of Christian group, project, and witness in a postmodern world.

"Through her perceptive and balanced retrieval of the Christian mystical culture, Elaine Heath demanding situations us all with a perfectly argued and persuasive presentation of Phoebe Palmer as a big mystical theologian in the Methodist and Wesleyan traditions, person who is a wealthy reward to the church catholic as a whole."
--William Thompson-Uberuaga, Duquesne University

"Heath's giftedness as a pupil and instructor of Christian religion and perform are transparent during this paintings. The restoration of Phoebe Palmer as mystic and prophet inside of a Wesleyan theological body deals an enormous contribution to either students inside of theological schooling and the church. this article is remarkably multi-faceted within the available means it complicates prior different types permitting the previous to notify trustworthy Christian witness within the twenty-first century."
--Laceye Warner, Duke collage Divinity School

"Elaine Heath herself says it most sensible: 'Saint Phoebe is strictly the person who can assist Methodists envision new varieties of Christian group, venture, and witness in a postmodern world.' certainly, Phoebe Palmer may also aid Methodists recuperate historical kinds of Christian neighborhood, challenge, and witness. This e-book is ready greater than Phoebe Palmer. Heath restores to us our apophatic and mystical theological foundations, carried through Palmer's theology, because the fertile soil for becoming new faith-forms which could endure a lot fruit."
--Amy G. Oden, Wesley Theological Seminary

Elaine A. Heath is Assistant Professor of Evangelism within the Perkins tuition of Theology at Southern Methodist college in Dallas, Texas. She is the writer of The Mystic means of Evangelism(2008).