Topics about the history and beliefs of The Salvation Army
Guest Post by Major (Dr) Michelle Wheeler (r) Why Does a Name Matter? Recently, I was talking to one of the older soldiers at my corps and, I’m not sure how we got onto the subject, but she said, “We should get rid of the name ‘The Salvation Army’. It’s not relevant today; nobody understands…
Mary Magdalene is one of my favourite people in the Bible. She is named more times than almost any other woman in the New Testament. Mary Magdalene was the apostle to the apostles, a survivor of trauma, and is a patron for all women in ministry. She is also one of the most consistently misrepresented…
The Salvation Army is a Christian Church and Charity. It’s members are called Salvationists. But what is Salvationism? What are the distinctives of Salvationist life, faith, and culture? Is there a difference between The Salvation Army and Salvationism? We can find some answers from the work of Shaw Clifton. Foundations of Identity and How the…
There is a long thread that winds through the history of Christian faith and practice. It is the recognition that creation is a common treasury for humanity. That salvation is more than dealing with individual guilt. Salvation is social salvation. This thread runs for 2,000 years, from the start of Christianity to The Salvation Army….
A Liberation-Theological Defense of The Salvation Army’s Non-Sacramental Witness The Salvation Army is not anti-sacramental. It could be argued that the Army is far more sacramental than churches that do sacramental worship. The Army should not start doing communion and baptism. It doesn’t need to. Salvationists need to remember the Sacrament of Liberation. This is…
There was a moment in William Booth’s life when he was still a young man. This moment defined the rest of his life. If William Booth had chosen differently then the world would have been a very different place. He had to decide between becoming a political activist, or becoming an evangelist. The young Booth…
‘Mission’ is one of those terms that can end up being reduced to something trotted out to justify a new activity or project, or used to either raise or reduce the perceived value of a church depending on whether it is being ‘missional’ or not. For the Army, this boils down to a simple phrase….
Why was William Booth scared of Brengle? This question reveals a culture of anti-education that existed win the Army for almost a hundred years. Samuel Logan Brengle is one of the most significant figures in Salvation Army theology. His writing inspired, and continues to inspire, Salvationist holiness theology around the world. He was famous as…
Yes, but only if it makes it happen. It will not happen naturally. If The Salvation Army is going to have gender equality it will need to choose to change things. The Salvation Army has a responsibility to do better with gender equality. Particularly for women in ministry. This is a theological imperative. The Army…
On the 14th of October 2025 General Lyndon Buckingham gave a call to action to the international Salvation Army. The link for it is directly below. I think we need to best understand this call as a call to sanctification. https://www.salvationarmy.org/news/general-lyndon-buckingham-speaks-heart-salvation-army-global-call-action?fbclid=IwT01FWANcr5dleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHsAP_SoJ99MjPOVM-sJb9jvIlTK36LF1BCHcDYXICej0W_h8iyvyNs8-LJYp_aem_xq3emrCI31baXPBu0vgWew The General is calling Salvationists to rediscover their personal excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment to…