Andy Miller III, D.Min (Southern Methodist University)

Title: ‘“More or Less”’ a Church: The Ecclesiology of General William Booth’ (NTC)

This research project analyses the contours of William Booth’s ecclesiology through the lens of the idiom ‘more or less.’ It is an idiom that expresses truth in a general way but also voices ambiguity. From a historical standpoint ‘more or less’ summarises the divergence in the way William Booth and others spoke of his ecclesiology. Sometime the Army was seen as ‘more than’ a church, at other points ‘less than’ a church. This study will provide a theological contextualisation of the revival movement Booth led while recognising that new religious movements often have difficulty fitting into existing models. The descriptive analysis of Booth’s understanding of his movement, in this project, will demonstrate that the Army ontologically functioned as a church.

Andy Miller III is the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Wesley Biblical Seminary. Prior to serving at WBS, Dr. Miller served as an officer in The Salvation Army for 15 years. He hosts a podcast called More to the Story, which shares weekly content from an orthodox Wesleyan perspective. You can find more information about Andy’s research and ministry at www.AndyMillerIII.com

Publications

Stay the Course: Challenges to Salvationists from the Book of Acts (The Salvation Army, 2016)

Holistic Hospitality: A Bridge to a Future Army (The Salvation Army, 2015)

"Refreshing Salvation Army Ecclesiology: An Analysis in Light of the Protestant Reformation's 500th Anniversary" Word & Deed 8:1 (2018), 35-47.

“Can we ‘save souls’ while ‘serving suffering humanity’?” The Power of One Army Transforming the World (London: The Salvation Army International Headquarters, 2014), 47-52.

“Suffering to and for Christ in William Booth’s Eschatological Ecclesiology.” Wesleyan Theological Journal 43:1 (2008), 104-129. Republished in Word & Deed 14:1 (2011), 19-37.

“Eschatological Ethics: The Army’s Hospitable Legacy.” Word & Deed 10:1 (2007), 39-60.

Supervisors: Dr Geordan Hammond and Dr James Pedlar