ABSTRACT
John Wesley was one of the most prolific authors of the eighteenth century, personally overseeing the production of hundreds of works of literature in a range of formats and genres, and instigating a sophisticated programme of reading, writing and publishing within his Methodist Societies. Wesleyan literature was not isolated from a mainstream or secular culture of eighteenth-century reading, but rather reflected central preoccupations from outside the evangelical sphere. Indeed Wesley's works explore the mechanics of literary efficacy in relation to the primary objective of the Methodist Societies – to spread and to cultivate 'vital' Christianity. Wesley's carefully managed use of the term evidences his often-fraught engagement with literature as a means for religious awakening. In positing Wesley as a defender of literature, in describing the evangelical poetics which governed his literary practices. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
