Historically, Wesley had **very little direct contact** with living Eastern Orthodoxy, but he engaged deeply with early Greek fathers (especially Macarius) and there is one much‑debated episode involving a supposed Greek bishop.[1][2][3][4][5]
## Direct contact (or lack thereof)
– Randy Maddox notes that Wesley had “little first‑hand contact with or knowledge of contemporaneous Eastern Orthodox traditions,” and that the relationship is mostly one of later **perceived convergence**, not actual 18th‑century dialogue.[1]
– Wesley’s explicit comments on the contemporary Eastern churches are generally sparse and often negative or dismissive, in line with much Western Protestant opinion of his time.[2][1]
## The Erasmus of Arcadia story
– The oft‑repeated claim that a Greek Orthodox bishop, Erasmus of Arcadia, consecrated Wesley as a bishop in 1763 appears in later Methodist and popular discussions and is cited in some secondary material on apostolic succession.[6]
– Maddox and others regard this episode as “perplexing” and historically uncertain; even if something occurred, Wesley never publicly relied on an Orthodox consecration, and it did not yield sustained institutional ties with Orthodoxy.[7][2][1]
## Patristic / “Eastern Father” influences
– Wesley saw “primitive Christianity” as a key norm and read widely among the Greek fathers, including Chrysostom, Basil, Ephrem the Syrian, and especially the Macarian Homilies, which he prized for their teaching on holiness.[3][4][5]
– He valued these sources as exemplars of early Christian holiness and incorporated translated extracts (e.g., Macarius) into his Christian Library, effectively channeling some Eastern ascetical and mystical themes into Methodism.[4][8][3]
## Later Methodist–Orthodox reflection
– Modern scholarship (e.g., Maddox’s “John Wesley and Eastern Orthodoxy: Influences, Convergences, and Differences”) emphasizes that Wesley functions more as a **point of convergence** than as a historical bridge, since there was no real two‑way conversation in his lifetime.[9][10][1]
– Contemporary Wesleyan and Orthodox theologians have used his patristic leanings and his “hybrid” soteriology as a constructive platform for dialogue, but this is a retrospective development rather than an 18th‑century interaction.[11][2][9][1]
If you want, I can outline which specific Macarian themes (e.g., heart, light, indwelling Spirit) map most closely onto Wesley’s doctrine of perfection for use in a seminar on “Wesley and Eastern asceticism.”
Sources
[1] [PDF] John Wesley and Eastern Orthodoxy – Duke Divinity School https://divinity.duke.edu/
[2] [PDF] Methodism in an Orthodox Context – Asbury Theological Seminary https://place.asburyseminary.
[3] [PDF] Wesley’s Use Of The Church Fathers https://place.asburyseminary.
[4] Primitive Christian Sources – wesleyscholar.com https://wesleyscholar.com/
[5] John Wesley and St.Macarius the Egyptian – New https://khwaterro7ya.blogspot.
[6] Greek Orthodox Bishop ordains Methodists ? | Christian Forums https://www.christianforums.
[7] For Christian Understanding, Ignorance is Not Bliss https://www.eastwestreport.
[8] [PDF] The Path to Perfection in Pseudo-Macarius and John Wesley https://evangelicalarminians.
[9] [PDF] Reassessing the Viability of Wesley as a Bridge in Orthodox … https://www.orthodox-theology.
[10] [PDF] Wesleyan Theological Journal – The Wesley Center Online https://wesley.nnu.edu/
[11] [PDF] A Historical Review of Wesleyan Theological Hybridity and i https://www.
[12] Is the Eastern Orthodox Church relevant to Wesley’s influences? https://www.facebook.com/
[13] Wesley’s Letters: 1761 https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-
[14] Theosis/Christian Perfection – Recent Philosophical Theology … https://www.reddit.com/r/
[15] John Wesley, Reluctant Mystic | Bible Q&A – WordPress.com https://biblequestion.
