Vicki Tolar Burton argues that John Wesley wanted to make ordinary Methodist men and women readers, writers, and public speakers because he understood the powerful role of language for spiritual formation. His understanding came from his own family and education, from his personal spiritual practices and experiences, and from the evidence he saw in the lives of his followers. By examining the intersections of literacy, rhetoric, and spirituality as they occurred in early British Methodism-and by exploring the meaning of these practices for class and gender-the author provides a new understanding of the method of Methodism.
About the AuthorVicki Tolar Burton (Ph.D. Auburn University) is Associate Professor of English and Director, Writing Intensive Curriculum, Oregon State University.
ReviewsSpiritual Literacy illumines an underappreciated aspect of the Methodist movement--John Wesley's concern for the literary abilities of ordinary citizens. -Randy L. Maddox, Professor of Theology and Wesleyan Studies, Duke University Divinity School
Book InformationISBN 9781602580237
Author Vicki Tolar BurtonFormat Hardback
Page Count 408
Imprint Baylor University PressPublisher Baylor University Press