Clapper, a John Wesley Fellow, is professor of religion and philosophy at the University of Indianapolis, and adjunct professor of United Methodist studies at Christian Theological Seminary. In his service with the Air Force, he had five voluntary overseas deployments and earned, among other wards, two Meritorious Service Medals and the Legion of Merit. He recently authored a chapter on John Wesley’s heart religion in the book The Spirit, the Affections and the Christian Tradition (University of Notre Dame Press, 2016). His exploration of "heart religion" is The Renewal of the Heart Is the Mission of the Church: Wesley’s Heart Religion in the Twenty-First Century (Cascade, 2010). In addition to his academic career, Clapper was a chaplain in the National Guard who dealt with many tragedies, including the crash of United Flight 232 in Iowa, where 122 were killed, and many dozens were injured. His book that came out of that experience is titled When the World Breaks Your Heart: Spiritual Ways of Living with Tragedy (Upper Room, 1999; reprint, Wipf and Stock, 2016.)