As If the Heart Mattered: A Wesleyan Spirituality

More of a devotional pamphlet than a fully articulated treatise on spirituality, Clapper's book relies on John Wesley's metaphorical description of the house of religion: repentance is the porch; faith is the door; holiness is the house itself. The metaphor has proven more than capable of standing on its own since Wesley articulated it, inspiring, as Clapper notes, a religion of the ""heart"" that addresses its practitioners in the midst of their everyday lives. Clapper offers pointers about prayer and devotional practice that encourage the development of a spirituality of the ""heart,"" but his book will appeal more to readers already at home in Wesley's house of religion than to newcomers looking for a tour of that house. (Dec.)