Presents primary source material from the writings of early American Methodists (ca. 1770-1820), illustrating their lives and spirituality. Writings are from women and men, blacks and whites. Setting in context each of the readings, Ruth includes materials--sermon outlines, journal and diary entries, excerpts from correspondence, hymnody and poetry, theological reflections, and contemporaneous historical descriptions--from Francis Asbury, Thomas Coke, Peter Cartwright and others.