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If John Wesley had merely ridden 250,000 miles through the English, Scottish, and Irish countryside, preaching 42,000 sermons along the way, his reputation as one of the most energetic Christians in history would be secure. Yet he somehow found time—rather, made time—to publish hundreds of books, tracts, pamphlets, and a periodical as well.

Wesley was convinced that Christians should be knowledgeable about their faith and the world in which they lived. Therefore, they must constantly read, just as he did. And he was happy to supply the material.

Approximately 500 titles are attributed to the two Wesley brothers, the large majority penned by John. They can be grouped in four main categories: apologetics, spiritual development, exhortation, and instruction.

The Methodists took constant criticism from people who believed false reports about their doctrines and practices. Wesley defended himself and his movement with the press, seeking both to dispel misunderstandings and to generate sympathy.

His pamphlet Modern Christianity: Exemplified at Wednesbury features chilling accounts, like this one from Mary Turner, of the persecution of Methodists in a small town in Staffordshire:

"On Shrove-Tuesday, after two large mobs were passed by, came four or five men to my next neighbor, Jonas Turner's house. I and another woman followed them, to see what they would do. They first broke the windows, then broke down the door, and went into the house. Soon after they were in, they flung out a box at the chamber window, and swore, if any touched it they would murder them. Soon after they flung out a Bible and one of them came out, and in great rage cut it into pieces with his axe."

An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion (1743) and A Farther Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion (1745) are classic examples of Wesley's attempt to explain his message and Methodism's place in English life. Wesley's published Journal, which covers the period from 1735 to 1790, describes his ideas and actions in forming the Methodist movement.

Other publications, such as The Character of a Methodist, The Principles of Methodism Farther Explained, and A Plain Account of the People Called Methodists, tell the story of Wesley's ministry and why it was necessary for the Methodist movement to be born.

Besides conversion, nothing was more important to Wesley than providing for believers' sanctification, which he called "holiness of heart and life." Consequently much of his writing aimed at nurturing Methodists in holy living.

Since Wesley was thoroughly persuaded that the Bible was the most important book Christians possessed, he published two major biblical commentaries. His Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament was published in 1755. It contained not only comments on almost every verse in the New Testament, but Wesley's own translation of the biblical text from Greek into English. His massive Explanatory Notes Upon the Old Testament followed in 1765-1766.

Between 1749 and 1755, Wesley edited and issued A Christian Library, a 50-volume series that included selections from early church fathers, such as Clement and Polycarp, to writers of his own time. He believed that Christians would be instructed, inspired, and encouraged by reading the selections he had chosen.

Methodists not only read theology, they also sang it, often repeating the words of their foremost hymnwriter, Charles Wesley. John's most ambitious hymnal, A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists, contained 525 hymns that fully reflected the theology of the two brothers.

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