The Wesleys: Founders of Methodism Issue 69 | 2001 Purchase this issue

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Any list of resources on the Wesley brothers is necessarily incomplete, because so much has been—and continues to be—written about them. A simple card-catalog search on the title "John Wesley" turns up books by Albert Outler, Vivian H.H. Green, John Pollock, and other experts from both sides of the Atlantic. Resources on Charles are less plentiful but by no means scarce.

Rather than attemping an exhaustive guide, the following list highlights several reliable texts, giving special emphasis to authors found in this issue.

Among the many biographies of John, Henry D. Rack's Reasonable Enthusiast (reprint, Epworth, 1989) stands out as a classic. It's not an easy book to find, but it provides a wealth of insights.

Another rare find, Elsie G. Harrison's Son to Susanna (R. West, 1937) offers a psychologically informed take on John's personality. Her ideas are not universally persuasive, but her perspective is unique and valuable.

Richard P. Heitzenrater, author of the lead article for this issue ("A Tale of Two Brothers"), contributes Wesley and the People Called Methodists (Abingdon, 1994) and The Elusive Mr. Wesley (Abingdon, 1984) to this category. Charles Yrigoyen, Jr., who wrote the article "Start the Presses," also wrote John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Mind (Abingdon, 1996).

Charles Wesley has received much less biographical attention than his brother, but several books will at least introduce you to his character. These include A Heart Set Free by Charles Dallimore (Crossway, 1988), Charles Wesley, Poet and Theologian by S. T. Kimbrough (Abingdon, 1991), and Charles Wesley: Man with the Dancing Heart by T. Crichton Mitchell (Beacon Hill, 1994).

Researching other aspects of the brothers' lives opens the door ...