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Gregory S. Clapper

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.)

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What Does God Have to Do with Tragedy?
One of the most common reasons that people refuse to be a part of Christianity, or decide to leave it, is the reality of...
  • Conversations, Theology
  • October 22, 2018
  • Gregory S. Clapper
“Vocation” and the Core of the Gospel
The most common misunderstanding about Christianity is to think that it is all about “being good.” According to this view, Christianity is seen as...
  • Christian Formation and Discipleship, Conversations
  • September 24, 2018
  • Gregory S. Clapper
The Christian and War
The church has done a lot of thinking about Christians going to war. Although some Christians are pacifists, saying “no” to all violence or...
  • Conversations
  • August 13, 2018
  • Gregory S. Clapper
Looking “With” the Saints
In my last two Catalyst essays (see here, and here), I encouraged contemporary United Methodists to embrace the Christian language of “heart religion.” Wesley...
  • Conversations
  • July 23, 2018
  • Gregory S. Clapper
What Leads to Heartfelt Repentance?
In a previous essay, I encouraged contemporary United Methodists to unashamedly use Wesley’s—and the Bible’s!—language of “heart religion.” There I showed how the current...
  • Conversations, Wesley and the Methodists
  • June 4, 2018
  • Gregory S. Clapper
Is it Defensible to Preach “Heart Religion” Today?
When getting to know someone we often start by asking questions like: What kind of work do you do? Where do you live? What...
  • Conversations
  • September 11, 2017
  • Gregory S. Clapper

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