4 comments about John Wesley (Library of Protestant Thought).

1. Outler has a thorough knowledge of Wesley's life, teachings, and impact. He does more than present a summary of that, but he gives insight as well. One of the greatest is of Wesley's grasp of both Protestant and Catholic theologies, that creates something new (or old, i.e. in the 'primitive' church).



2. This is a good collection of Wesley passages into nice categories. The passages chosen are from a wide range of sources and of time periods in Wesley's life. However, the book is 98% Wesley. The editors let Wesley speak for himself on lots of issues. While this is nice to a certain extent, some direction following each passage would've been good. It's nice to have some analysis with this kind of work. At the end, there's a handy reference of the passages used, and at the end of every chapter (category), there's a list of supplementary resources if you're interested in reading more. I'd highly recommend this book. Some very interesting and worthwhile reading here.



3. This book is very readable and provides great insight into the life and thought of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The editor does an excellent job with introductions and footnotes. I thoroughly enjoyed it.



4. For those of us who follow in the footsteps of John Wesley in our theological heritage (mine being Arminian), I have grown to love the works of John Wesley. Sadly, much of what comes from the United Methodist Church here in the United States is liberal and very bias against John Wesley. Too often liberal Methodist try to either misrepresent the teachings of Wesley or they deny what he taught such as inerrancy.
   
   That is why you need this book. While this book is a collection of the writings and teachings of Wesley, the book itself is a very indepth analysis of Wesley's teachings. In the book you will not only see his evangelical teachings such as justification by faith but also his Arminian teachings as well against the Calvinist of his day. Wesley's arguments can still be used today against Calvinism.
   
   My only reason for not giving this a five star rating was that a short work such as this can-not cover John Wesley or his teachings. While this work tries to do so, it simply is not a full view of what Arminians, Wesleyans, or John Wesley himself truly believe. However, this is still a must read for every serious theological student.

4 comments about Spirits in Rebellion: The Rise and Development of New Thought.

1. This 1963 book provides an invaluable glimpse into the mid-nineteenth century origins, beginning with Phineas P. Quimby, of the New Thought movement in the United States. It describes the careers of the most influential teachers and writers in the various schools and movements, with the exception of the well-known Christian Science church.

   It is most successful in uncritically informing the reader of the roots of modern New-Age ideas, most of which were expressed more than a hundred years earlier. It is endlessly surprising to discover how little credit most spiritual leaders give to their ideological forbears and how, because of the lack of any coherent organization, a widespread unawareness of earlier discoveries persists.

   Although the author supplies an apparently comprehensive bibliography to the grateful student, the reader wishes that the text delineated more precisely the specific differences in philosophy among the several teachings, for it is those differences that produced the individual schools and distinct spiritual communities.




2. Braden's text is a MUST for any serious student of metaphysics. The work delves deeply into the roots of New Thought and chronicles many key churches and movements throughout the United States and abroad. Braden writes with scholarly insight and spirit-led intuition. You won't be dissappointed!



3. Braden gets points for the cool title alone! More importantly, he manages to make the material very interesting and readable. I read this book for a class and was surprised to find myself really into it.
   
   This is a great book for anyone interested in how "New Thought" came into being, and even anyone interested in religion in general.



4. We're using this book in Agape ministerial school - U.T.S.L.A. - for our "Emergence of New Thought/Ancient Wisdom" class. As we study these forefathers of New Thought in the book, we also research other information about them - on line, in the library, etc.
   I must say we don't find much of interest that this book has left out.
   Mr. Braden is not an especially engaging writer, but he gives you the info, and we're grateful to him for this book.

5 comments about Wesley and the People Called Methodists.

1. Heitzenrater's book is the best single-volume work on Wesley. He has, in an accessible prose, documented Wesley's life and the foundations of the Methodist Movement better than anyone before him. It utilizes the sources that are the foundation of the older biographies, such as Wesley's journal. More importantly, however, it effectively utilizes nontraditional sources for understanding his life. He creatively and effectively uses Wesley's theological writings, the writings of contemporaries, and conference minutes to more fully tell Wesley's story.

   Heitzenrater is the Albert C. Outler Chair of Wesleyan Studies at Duke Divinity School. He is widely recognized as the foremost expert on Wesley's life. He is also the current editor of the Works of Wesley; he has taken that role since Outler's death.




2. Dr. Heitzenrater has written one of the very best books on the life and ministry of John Wesley and the early Methodists. This book is simply a "MUST READ" for any United Methodist or anyone else, for that matter, who is interested in the teachings and ministry of Wesley and his world-shaking Christian reform movement. Few books are must reads ... this is one of them.



3. This book has to be on the list of the top twenty-five books on early Methodism and the lives of early Methodist's. However, the book has a particular dryness, and if one get past the dryness of the writing, this book is a must get for anyone wanting to explore the history of early Methodist's. Heitzenrater begins with John Wesley's impact on early Methodist's to the different rises of Methodism, the impact of Calvinism on early 18th century Methodist's, and how Methodism evolved through the development of different societies, classes, camp ground meetings and conferences which helped to secure Methodism into the social and religous fabric of British life. This book is great for anyone wishing to discover the roots of Methodism, becuase of it's rich historical details. Another great addition to the book, which helped to clear up the dryness of the reading, was the authors use of visual aids (great examples), and sidenotes of John Wesley's work. This book is a great historical door to the past, and a must read for anyone wishing to discover more about, "The people called Methodist."



4. Professor Richard Heitzenrater's "Wesley and the People Called Methodist" (1995) is destined to be come a Christian classic. This well-informed text (citing 100s of sources by the helpful "scientific notation" sourcing system) tells the story of 18th century Methodism. Throughout Heitzenrater fills-in many blanks not mentioned in other histories.
   
   Heitzenrater provides a multitude of black and white pictures, maps, graphs, and charts to make his careful and convincing points. Beginning his narrative just prior to John Wesley's birth, the author moves to the high points of Wesley's life. We hear about his Oxford University days, his failed mission to Georgia, his Aldersgate conversion experience, the origins of Wesley's field preaching, the organization of the Methodist societies in London and across England, Wesley's concern for the souls and bodies of his people, the establishment of Methodism's first health clinic and school, Wesley's opinion about the ordinations of 1784, recruiting Methodist ministers, and much more. This book offers much to the reader.
   
   The book also documents 18th century English living conditions, mortality rates, population wide ignorance, the English fear of a Franco-type revolution, Anglican unconcern for mass poverty and disease, and royal ignorance, pomp, and avarice. (Wesley remained loyal to his English king to the very end.) Heitzenrater presents the founder of Methodism from Wesley's own hand (he reviews many primary source documents penned by Mr. Wesley). From many of his sermons we learn Wesley's theologies of justification, sanctification and glorification. We are taught that, by the end, the senior English churchman rode over 100,000 miles on horseback through his long career. The book makes one feel as a witness to the English 18th century.
   
   Heitzenrater's novelistic style makes this informative text an easy read. Its six chapters (338 paperback pages) bring 18th century England alive. It is history at its best as Heitzenrater answers many questions about the period. This book is very recommendable. Order your copy soon.



5. This was a well-written book that I am priveledged to have been introduced to. It is easy to read and carries one smoothly through the life of John Wesley from the rise of Methodism to the stage set for it's continued success folllwing his death in 1891. For any seminary student it is a must read. For any Methodist it is foundational to who you are as such. To any Christian it will be a blessing.

4 comments about Yes Lord I Have Sinned but I Have Several Excellent Excuses: But I Have Several Excellent Excuses With Study Guide (Behind the Pages).

1. Moore offers scripture-based suggestions on how to redirect our reactions to others; to be more Christ-like in our responses.



2. My church just began a Class for new adults and we chose this book to start us off. We were not disappointed. It helped us realize the small things we do in our everyday life that lead us astray.



3. This item is typically $100. I had preordered at $12, thinking that it probably wasn't the planning kit that I was expecting; however, it was the full planning kit with the DVD, Pastor's Book, Leader's Book, and a Participant Book.



4. The book doesn't back up the title...With a catchy title such as this, one would expect content that would deal with some of our excuses for our shortcomings and failures...It does for the first chapter or so, but then falls into the routine of regular preaching from the parables.
   
   Had hoped for more out of this book, but, sadly, it doesn't deliver...
   
   Not bad, sometimes pretty good, but the title is very misleading.

5 comments about John Wesley's Sermons: An Anthology.

1. For those interested in catching a glimpse of what John Wesley wanted his Methodists to believe, this is a good place to start. Most of these 50 sermons were included in his Works (an official collection of his writings put together by Wesley himself), and they were intended to help guide those in his movement in understanding the basic theological ideas that he considered important. This anthology adds to the official selections a few selected by Outler from among Wesley's uncompiled sermons. These also give us an interesting look into Wesley's heart and mind.

   One of the greatest strengths of this book is that each sermon is preceded by an excellent introduction. This sets the sermon in context and provides a clearer point from which to begin trying to understand what Wesley is saying. This is an excellent collection compiled by superb editors.




2. The book contains 50 of John Wesley's sermons, all reflecting a door into the mind and theology of John Wesley. The book is edited by one of the late great minds of Wesleyanism, Albert Outler. I found the book to be very rewarding, allowing me to experience and have a deeper appreciation for John Wesley's theology, which to a large degree has been debated because of Wesley's different stands on certain issue's through out his life.
   The sermons that Outler & Heitzenrater have selected for this book, allow the reader to know the heart of John Wesley, which Wesley expressed through out his life, and it allows the reader to have a grasp on John Wesley's theology as it grew through out his life time. The way that Outler and Heitzenrater do this, is by compiling the sermons of John Wesley in a chronological order allowing the reader to flow through one sermon to the next, and see John Wesley's theology unfold from a young man to a old man, kind of like unfolding a neatly rapped package with ribbon and bow. Finally near the end, in one of John Wesley's sermons entitled "On the Wedding Garment," we see Wesley restating his beliefs that he has held firm to since a young man, and this sermon is written a year before his death. I gave this book five stars, because of how the book of sermons was compiled and laid out, causing any Wesley reader or fan to desire the next sermon in order to see the evolution of Wesley's theology and his firm beliefs.



3. While Whitefield and Edwards were leading the Great Awakening the US John Wesley was having a far more profound and lasting effect on spiritual matters in England. Even Whitefield admitted to that. It was the formation of classes (Christian community) that made the difference. Whitfield's following was scattered during his lifetime while Wesley's preaching, printing and organization led to the formation of the British Methodist and the Methodist Episcopal churches.
   
   Reviewing these powerful sermons gives us pause to consider how much has been lost in mainline protestantism over the past 200 or so years. I'm still looking for a church where the preacher will boldly preach the Biblical messages that Wesley delivered. Not merely threats of hell, but God's promise of holiness in heart and in life. Methodists, mainline protestant denominations, and Baptists have largely fulfilled Wesley's fearful concerns that churches may eventually have the form but not the power of godliness.
   
   These sermons are the bulk of his best. There are 53 or so of his 140-odd sermons represented. It's time to take them seriously. Christians are growing too clever by half to follow CHrist instead of their own pride. Let Wesley help to wake you up to your faults and mine so that we may always strive for greater holiness. For those who love sermons and the pattern of Christianity among pious leaders during a period of great revival, this is easily worth a 5 star rating.



4. Product came very nice just as described and it was a smooth transaction all around!



5. For anyon who is serious about understanding the foundation or core of Methodism, reading John Wesley's sermons is a must. Outler and Heitzenrater provide brief background information to help the reader put the sermons into the context of Wesley's life.

No comments about At the End of the Day: How Will You Be Remembered?.

5 comments about Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials.

1. This is a well organized and factually based book on the Methodist doctrine. Being a Methodist for more than 35 years, I have never had a clear idea as to what Methodists really believe. This book has cleared up many misconceptions that I have had over the years and is strengthening my faith in the UMC. A good resource for both students and laypersons!



2. This book is small and isn't one inch thick! It is concise yet thorough. It is easy to read and has excellent explanations on Methodist doctrine. Highly Recommended!!



3. It would do this fine little volume an injustice to call it "The Book of Discipline Lite" but it does do a fine job of summarizing the big volume without forcing the uninterested party to plow through material about the United Methodist Church's administrative structure and procedures.
   
   Don't expect a profound philisophical discourse on the similarities between Wesley's concept of "sanctification" and the Eastern Orthodox concept of "Theosis" in this book. But DO expect a nice, clean, concise history of the Methodist denomination, a good explanation of its eccumenicalism, a summary of Wesley's values, and all the promised essentials about what role communion, baptism, and clerical orders play in the modern UMC. The end of the book has a tidy summation of Wesley's "rules" and the general principles of the UMC.
   
   For anyone thinking of joining a Methodist church, seeking information about Methodism, and for those Methodists who want a good, concise reference and explanation, this is THE book. Go hit that "add to my shopping cart" button if you fall into one of these categories!



4. Excellent, clear, well-written, comprehensive ... I've run out of adjectives attempting to describe this book. If you're looking for an excellent foundational book on Methodist Doctrine and Theology, go no further than Dr. Ted Campbell's fantastic book, "Methodist Doctrine." I've read a lot of books on the theological standards of the United Methodist Church, but this one really goes a long way toward answering almost any question in a way that is accessable to both pastor and lay person. Buy this book!



5. Campbell's discussion of Methodist Doctrine is clear and well presented. He uses non-theological language to teach what could be complicated points. He gives references to support his statements. These could easily used for further reading. This is a good introduction which would make further study much easier.

5 comments about Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony.

1. This book by Hauerwas and Willimon give a provocative treatment on what the church really is. Their view is that the church is a colony of believers in the midst of a world of sin, corruption, and destruction. I found this book to be quite interesting and thought provoking. It is not a book that appeals to Christians who like to have a "country club" view of the church where it is a place where one can fulfill one's selfish emotional and spiritual needs. I appreciate the view expounded by the authors that the church is a place where we are to be a light to the sin darkened world. Christians--evangelical or liberal--will find this view refreshing since it emphasizes the corporate aspect of the church and its theocentric rather than anthrocentric viewpoint. I also liked the authors' perspective on how their understanding of the church affects ministry. One idea that caught my attention is their view that if a pastor becomes very popular in a short period of time, then he has failed in his duty to the church (and how so true that is!). Overall, I liked the way the authors tried to push the truth that the church is there not for ourselves but for God and the world. Despite these positive points, there was a couple of negatives. Firstly, I found their view of the church highly politicized. It felt like I was reading some treatise on Christian politics many times. Though they do not side with conservatism or liberalism (politically or theologically) they do seem to push the idea that "pacifism" is the overarching theme in our ethics. However, as the writer of Ecclesiastes states, there is a time for war (3:8). (Though Hauerwas and Willimon do not promote this, it seems that modern pacifist "Christian" theologians`seem to give the "okay" to war against right-wing fascist countries that supports the rich but turn around and say it is "not okay" to wage war against communistic/socialist countries that support peasants and workers--a view which I find very hypocritical. Christians are to condemn ANY government that oppresses people--whether the victims are poor or rich.) Secondly, I found that the authors use very little Scripture to back up their points. And those few Scripture citations that they do give are just thrown out as prooftexts. Despite those problems, this book is an useful resource for those who want to understand what the church is about from a postliberal marginally evangelical viewpoint.



2. The theology outlined and the methods of pastoral care and response are stunning. If the church allows itsself to be faithful to its calling (as they insist that it must) the world would be changed!
   
   If you've never read anything by Hauerwas, I'd say that this is as good of a place as any to start. It mixes theology with pastoral care and allows you to process through what the authors are saying with case studies and examples that make a lot of sense. It's not necessarily the best resource for an advanced seminarian, but then again, it seems to be written primarily for a lay-level audiences and for pastors.



3. In Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon suggest the theory that "the church is a colony, an island of one culture in the middle of another." (p 12)
   
   Their thesis reflects the apostle Paul's second letter to the Corinthians when he paraphrases Isaiah 52:11, "`Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,' says the Lord. `And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.'" (2 Corinthians 6:17)
   
   In many ways Resident Aliens reads almost like two different books. The first half of the book is where the authors introduce their basic premise - of the church as a colony standing apart and independent from the world around it.
   
   As they propose the problems with the current Church, and explain how and why it should be a different Church, Hauerwas and Willimon can't be accused of subtlety in their arguments or of acknowledging the nuisances of the real world. (I recognize that Hauerwas and Willimon are critical of Church leaders who seemingly compromise their faith to accommodate the "real world," but in their general indictments, Hauerwas and Willimon fail to recognize or acknowledge the real exceptions to their rules.)
   
   Where they focus nearly exclusively on the Church as a body, they fail to see that the body is comprised of very different, independent parts.
   
   Hauerwas and Willimon point accusing fingers at churches that support the government, so-called Constantinian churches, "we believe both the conservative and liberal church, the so-called private and public church, are basically accommodationist (that is, Constantinian) in their social ethic," they write. "Both assume wrongly that the American Church's primary social task is to underwrite American democracy." (p 31)
   While this may be true for their own diocese-driven denominations, with their hierarchies and lack of congregational independence, their argument, indeed their entire thesis, fails to recognize that the "Church" in the Unites States includes such a diverse cross section of Christians as to render their point dangerously close to mute.
   
   Their assumption that the U.S. Christian's assumption of the church's roll in American democracy would come as quit a shock to the 200,000 Amish in the United States, the tens of thousands of Religious Society of Friends, (Quakers), or even the 35,000 who attend celebrity minister Joel Osteen's independent Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, each weekend.
   
   According to the book cover, they call for a "radical new understanding of the church," but they completely and utterly fail to see that the logical step of their argument is the very Baptist idea of congregationalism, and the autonomy of each congregation.
   
   Hauerwas and Willimon look to the Church to be separate from society and independent from Government, to be "resident aliens," but completely ignore those Christians who already are. They ignore the more than a million American Christians in independent churches and denominations who are each small islands in the secular world without a human hierarchy telling them what Church is.
   
   Even the mega-churches like Osteen's Lakewood Church, have in many ways reached the sort of alien status advocated in the book - with biblical-based programs, missions and independent support seven days a week.
   The later chapters of Resident Aliens offer fewer generalities and more anecdotes and examples. But just as Hauerwas and Willimon offer no real distinction between the Church as a Christian body and individual congregations and denominations who already are living as resident aliens, they fail to recognize a difference between Pastors, Ministers, and Preachers, using the very different job titles interchangeably. A Church may have a good managing minister, for example, but they may need to hire a minister of visitation and membership who offers pastoral care.
   
   Ironically, with their "provocative Christian assessment of culture and ministry," (as the book cover proclaims), Hauerwas and Willimon are in their own way resident aliens in the Church. In their circles, the Church may need reform, but millions of Christians in the United States are already living the Christian life Hauerwas and Willimon propose. An American Amish family would certainly feel like "resident aliens," for example. And yet Hauerwas and Willimon manage to write an entire book about resident aliens, and never once mention the nation's best know resident alien Christians.
   
   Because Hauerwas and Willimon seem to only see their own community, they seemingly fail to see that there are others in their own communities. Where Hauerwas and Willimon see Constantinian Christians, those same Christians may see Hauerwas and Willimon as ersatz Christians in desperate need of a real believers' baptism.



4. I would include this in any list of books that all Western Christians should read. As a missionary in Nigeria, I can also say that the message is also urgently needed in African churches, still in an earlier stage of formation. I can understand and partly agree with some of the criticisms of other reviewers here, but the strength of the book is that it presents its radical message in a semi-popular, readable format. I was struck by its pithiness, with memorable and important sentences on nearly every page.
   
   One warning: I did find that the first chapter or two were rather dry compared to the rest, so don't give up if you're put off when you start. You could even skip the beginning and go back to it later without losing much.



5. A highly readable and important book on the way that Christians should interact with the surrounding culture. The post-liberal theology that drives the authors conclusions is interesting and relevant. This book gives a nice introduction to post-liberal thought without ever having to even mention the term. Having read it made reading Lindbeck's seminal work, the nature of doctrine, much easier.

5 comments about A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN.

1. McLaren takes aim mostly at the Evangelical culture and Lord knows we need to get smacked down, but what he fails to understand is how dogmatic, prideful and just plain wrong his spiritually enlightened comrades are on many counts. Case in point is his fawning over environmentalists while he takes hypocritical fundamentalists to task for using scare tactics. I've worked on an environmental issue for four years and daily witness unbelievable slander and misinformation being spread by the leading green groups who use junk science and emotion to lie. This is precisely what McLaren accuses overzealous evangelicals of doing and of course there's some truth to that charge. But the fact that he self righteously hails his environmentalist friends as noble and heroic exposes the weakness of this book, and McLaren's lack of credibility in general.



2. The one thing I most appreciate about this book is how clearly MacLaren shares his own ambivalence and his own internal struggle over theological issues. His candor is something not always seen in members of the clergy, much less in people who are publishing about their faith.
   
   If you don't like long, convoluted sentence structure (see Faulkner here), you'll likely have trouble taking much away from this book. I think it's unfortunate that his writing style does manage to make his ideas so much less accessible for some people.



3. Can a Catholic find meaning in Baptist traditions?
   Can one find meaning in Protestant or Calvinistic interpretations?
   Can Protestants learn something about God by the way Catholics do things?
   
   If you have every thought these thoughts, you probably need to look at this book. Even if you haven't, it's worth the read. I don't know if I agree with everything he says in this book, but it has also been my experience that one gains understanding about one's own beliefs when he looks at the beliefs of others and converses with believers of different denominations or even different religions. Even if you disagree with someone, it can also make you look at things a bit differently. Sometimes it can cement your belief in something.
   
   McLaren's journey into orthodoxy of many Christian denominations is such a conversation. Do any of these Christian denominations have the sole claim to absolute truth? Could we gain some insight into our relationship with God by looking how other look at God?
   
   Read the book and see what you think.....



4. I found this book purely by accident(maybe) while searching for another. The title caught my eye first and upon closer inspection I decided this would be an interesting "read" given the place I was at in my own spiritual search. I found this book very educational and it is written as if I were listening to him personally. Brian did a great job of giving me insight into different religious beliefs(dogmas) and practices. This in turn helped me immensely by validating many of my own feelings on the practical ways of "living" my beliefs. He spent a little too much time apologizing at the beginning of the book but after finishing it I could understand the reasoning.



5. I was highly disappointed by the title of this book. McLarin says a lot without saying anything. If you want to get on the fast track to universalism, grab a hold of this book. While none of the "conversational" emergents will outright deny core Christian doctrines (e.g.the substitutionary atonement of Christ), they don't outright say anything - if you follow their path of logic you will arrive at a place that is anything but Orthodox.

3 comments about Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living.

1. Excellent book...quick reading. Book arrived ahead of time. In new condition. Well protected.



2. This is a wonderful little hardcover volume which, if implemented, will revolutionize your life. John Wesley espoused three simple rules: Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love with God. Though these rules sound amazingly simple - and they are - yet to actually practice them may indeed be the hardest thing you've ever done. This small book shows how difficult the instructions of Jesus (and Wesley) can be in real life, and yet how rewarding they can also be both in this life and in the life to come, if we simply take them to heart.
   
   The main point is to stay in love with God. If we do this, the rest will follow. As Bishop Job says, "Holy living will not be discovered, achieved, continued, and sustained without staying in love with God. And while staying in love with God involves prayer worship, study, and the Lord's Supper, it also involves feeding the lambs, tending the sheep, and providing for the needs of others (John 21:15-16). Feeding the lambs and tending the sheep are the signs of love that we exchange with God. And they are signs of the love that the world can understand. Spiritual disciplines not only include practices that bind us to God every day but they also include actions that heal the pain, injustice, and inequality of our world. It is impossible to stay in love with God and not desire to see God's goodness and grace shared with the entire world." (p. 58).
   
   This inexpensive little volume, taken seriously by the Church of Jesus, could well ignite a holy reality that burns hot with the fire of God in our day.



3. Retired United Methodist Bishop Rueben Job's "Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living" (2007, 77-page pocket sized hardback) is a handy quick read commentary for John Wesley's General Rules. This small book suggests to believers the profound nature of boldly loving God. Indeed, the good bishop is determined that his readers return love for love, in Jesus Christ.
   
   Along with Wesley, Job begins with Deuteronomy 6:5 and Mark 12:29-31 as the biblical warrants for Christian love. We believers are to love God and others unconditionally! This book reminds that there are no other rules for Christians as important.
   
   In three chapters (on doing no harm, on doing good, and on loving God) and one appendix (litanies for the use of prayer in drawing oneself closer to God) pastor Job offers a daily guide that encourages and matures the Christian walk. This is a Wesleyan spiritualist's self-help.
   
   The downside of this great little book is its dearth of stories and illustrations for making the good bishop's points. One wishes for more narrative from Job's long and accomplished career as he speaks for Wesley's rules. A few stories would have barely increased the length of this book while broadened its scope (helping, perhaps, to make the General Rules more preachable and shareable). Narrative scarcity, here, prevents more stars.
   
   This book is recommended to all new to Wesley's General Rules, novice Christians, Christian spiritualists, seminarians, and Christians-in-training.