The following publication is a research project on the historical movement of Pietism, written in the Spring of 2019.
Introduction
It seems that there is always this inevitable disposition to any lesson in history; a dynamic which can prove to be a grave challenge to some students. Perhaps this disposition is even the most challenging aspect to the academic discipline; an attribute which results in eyes glazing over the pages of history books, ears becoming shut to lecturers, and history being forgotten until it repeats itself again and again. This dynamic is the annoying reality that no matter how hard one tries to place themselves into the historical account, in order to go inside of the pages they read to grasp an understanding of a snapshot of the past, it feels impossible to overcome the seemingly insurmountable conflict that arises when the snapshot looks more like fiction than an actual reality which used to exist on the same planet in which we currently dwell. No matter what it is in history, there continues to be this simple struggle to relate this gone by era, whose highest level of existence is in the form of ink on a page, to the reality in which we walk out our front doors to every day.
It doesn’t take one long to find that this dynamic, this struggle, is quite strong in the study of church history as well. There is no doubt that sitting in on a church service can be an experience steeped in tradition. However, when reading the texts of ancient reformers; or hearing the solemn music which used to echo through mineral walled sanctuaries and bounce off the ornamental stained glass windows in a church of a foreign land; or hearing accounts of brave Christian saints standing strong for their convictions even in the face of martyrdom; can we really say that we are going to the same kind of church? Or… has something changed? Has the historical gap between then and now put a permanent wedge between the apostolic church and the modern church, so that no matter how hard Christian churches try to be adherent to the ways of their old church fathers their efforts will forever be in vain?
Perhaps, the desire to return to the “pure” ways of the apostolic church is a denial of the modern church’s composition. A composition of a thousand reformations in theology, and a thousand movements to pair with those reformations. So, if that is the composition of modern church, then it follows that in order to understand the modern church we must first understand its history. In the following sections we will explore one of the largest movements, I believe, has affected the development of Christendom in America and the overall view of religion in our western world. That movement is called Pietism.
The Historical Foundation of Pietism
Before we can discuss Pietism in any depth, or even define what Pietism is, we must first give the historical background of what led up to the movement. This is because the Pietist Movement was, in a very real sense, not a theological epiphany to a divinely revealed fact of Scripture, but a social reaction to its previous historical era- the era of Reformation. So, in order to construct a proper historical framework, which will provide sufficient context for Pietism, I wind the clocks all the way back to the apostolic age- the early church.
Christianity is a religion which was born out of persecution. In fact, it is believed that all but one apostle, the apostle John, was executed for the profession and proselytizing of their faith (Except for Judas of course!). This was the time of martyrdom, which not only took the lives of the apostles, but thousands more professing Christians as well, in the most graphic ways imaginable. Christians were beheaded, crucified, burned, skinned, and boiled alive. It was an age marked by sheer brutality. This is largely because the Roman empire had essentially outlawed Christianity for the first three centuries.
Rome’s slaughter of these Christians continued until the miraculous conversion of one of their emperors, Constantine, in the year A.D. 312. And then, seemingly at once, there is a turning point in this age marked by martyrdom. The dynamic rapidly evolves as the Roman empire goes from being the number one enemy of Christ’s church to the capital city of Christianity, in Constantinople![1] Not only were Christians no longer to be persecuted by Rome, after Constantine’s conversion, but the church and the government became intertwined at once, so that the antithesis had been completely and utterly reversed. Sadly however, the story does not end there with “happily ever after.”
Because the government and the church were intertwined, persecution began to switch sides. A succeeding emperor to Constantine, named Theodosius, made Christianity a mandate and even enforced consequences on those who disobeyed.[2] Such theocracy in Rome, was the beginnings of what we think of today as the Roman Catholic Church. And, as the problem always is, when no separation exists between the church and state, over time, some major doctrinal issues began to arise. Eventually, these doctrinal issues would be challenged by the great reformer of Protestantism- Martin Luther. However, the Catholic church developed, grew, and reigned over Christendom for hundreds of years. The line of Pope’s, known as the papacy formed; devout scholars known as monks arose; the Catholic church fought crusades against the rising Islam. The history is rich in regards to Catholicism. It wasn’t until 1517 that the hundreds of years of development of the Catholic church, would be challenged by one of their own.
Martin Luther was one of those devout scholars known as monks. In fact, it is possible that he was one of the most devoted monks in the history of monasticism. Some accounts tell of Luther disciplining himself to the point of near death, in response to the Catholic idea that one ought to earn their salvation through a sanctification worthy of God’s grace. Either way, Luther, through his study of Scripture, began to uncover the great cracks which had taken to the Catholic church over its years of tradition. Among those doctrinal issues, as mentioned above, was a works-oriented view of salvation; an elevation of tradition and church to the equivalent level of authority as the Bible; a differentiating in the authority of clergy vs. laity, so as the laity were not even granted access to the reading of Scripture; and most egregious, in the eyes of Martin Luther, was the sale of indulgences- a fee payable to the church in order to have sins forgiven.
As a response to Luther’s discovery, he crafted a rival summary of his opposition to the church, titled “95 Theses,” which he subsequently nailed into the door of the local church in Wittenberg, Germany. This was an act which sparked a wildfire which an entire era would be named after- the Reformation. Many of you know the story well. Luther’s rebel followers soon became known as Protestants, because of their protesting against the established Roman Church. Luther’s fame soon spread and Protestantism grew.
Martin Luther overturned the much corrupt, but deeply rooted theology of Catholic antiquity. He reestablished the principle of salvation by grace through faith in the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ and, because of this, he established also the priesthood of all believers. This meant that the divide between the highly esteemed clergy and the common laity was abolished. The authority and reputation of the Catholic Church was embarrassed. Consequently, there came to pass an explosion of different theologies as people began to rediscover the teachings of the Bible by employing a literal hermeneutic as opposed to the Catholic’s highly allegorical interpretation.[3]
So, a rediscovery of Scripture and reimplementation of more literal hermeneutics is a great accomplishment in the history of the church, right? Yes and no! It was a great accomplishment indeed, in the sense that the protestant reformation was very much needed in order to reclaim Biblical authority and preserve pure Christian doctrine. This is why Martin Luther is hailed by protestant churches as a hero. However, the fact still remains that there was also a dark side to the reformation, which we are not so inclined to tell children in Sunday school about. As mentioned, there was an explosion in rediscovery, and as a result many separate groups formed including Lutherans; Calvinists, led by John Calvin; and anabaptists, just to name a few. These newly born religious movements, combined with the injured Catholic church fighting for its survival meant that the climate was ripe for warfare.
Because Catholicism had been fused together with governments for hundreds of years prior, it was only natural for the church to use their political persuasion as a weapon against the Protestant dissenters. Countless Protestants were burned at the stake as a result. Perhaps one of the most vivid examples was during the reign of Queen Mary Tudor, also known as “bloody Mary.” Over 300 Protestant Christians were sentenced to death by Mary during the “Marian martyrs” of 1555 and 1556.[4]
Unfortunately, Protestant hands were not clean from bloodshed either. On one occasion, John Calvin, an extremely influential protestant theologian, whose teachings are still highly regarded by reformed Christians to this day, had a man named Michael Servetus burned at the stake for denying the trinity. This is how Calvin came to earn the title “the man who burned Servetus.”[5]
The great divide between Protestants and Catholics finally came to a head in 1618. This was the year in which a long 30-year struggle began which would come to be known as the “Thirty Years War.” The executions which had taken place before this time, as mentioned above, were pale in comparison to the destruction and longevity of the war. It is said that half of Europe’s population was killed.[6] Phillip Schaff, author of the book Creeds of Christendom writes, “Emperor Ferdinand II. (1619–1637), a fanatical pupil of the Jesuits, fulfilled his terrible vow to exterminate heresy by all possible means, though he should have to reign over a desert,” [7] The war was a fitting conclusion to the era of Reformation, as it captured the theological and societal upheaval that began with the “95 theses” of a monk.
[1] Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1995), 95-96.
[2] Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language,96.
[3] Alan J. Hauser, “History of Biblical Interpretation,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, Ed. John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
[4] Nathan P. Feldmeth, Pocket Dictionary of Church History: Over 300 Terms Clearly and Concisely Defined, IVP Pocket Reference Series (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008), 94.
[5] Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language, 260.
[6] Alan J. Hauser, “History of Biblical Interpretation,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary.
[7] Phillip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical Notes: The History of Creeds, Vol. 1 (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1878), 576.
Pietism Emerges: Defining and Discussing
It may be curious to you by now why the first five pages of a study on Pietism would be the fast-forward version of church history from the apostolic age, through the Reformation. But, because Pietism was a reactionary movement born out of the Reformation, and the previous eras as well for that matter, then it follows that we have in a sense been talking about Pietism all along. That is indirectly, by explaining what it is that Pietism was reacting to, and defining its opposite. It is much easier now to turn to a more direct explanation.
In 1675, Phillip Jakob Spener, published a work called Pia Desideria, the full English title being, Heartfelt Desire for a God-Pleasing Reform of the True Evangelical Church together with Several Simple Christian Proposals Looking Toward This End.[1] This book was to become recognized as the textbook for Pietism. It’s author, Spener, was a German Lutheran born in 1635, 13 years before the conclusion of the long Thirty Years War, and the end of the Age of Reformation. He was raised under religious influences and became a pastor upon reaching adulthood. Among his influencers was a man named Johann Arndt, who was a German mystic.[2] Phillip Spener’s Pia Desideria was a preface to a compilation of Johann Arndt’s sermons.[3] [4]
Arndt and Spener were both fueled by a desire to reform the reformation. This does not mean that they wished to counteract or unravel the Reformation, for Spener and Arndt were both protestants. However, they saw a serious void in Christianity- that is little attention given to intimate personal spiritual rebirth. Instead of Christianity being a lifestyle, it was viewed as an academic or intellectual pursuit deeply tied to a hierarchical social status. Bold emphasis was given to theology, of which the scholarly upper class would bicker. As Kenneth B. Mulholland writes,
“When the Thirty Years War ended…Europe was in shambles. The land was depopulated the people dehumanized, and morality dissolved. Rigid class distinction characterized society. Aristocrats would not allow their children to be baptized with the same water that was used in baptizing peasant children…Philosophers viewed the universe as an impersonal machine, and the church was primarily concerned about doctrinal purity. Emphasis on faith as intellectual assent to sound doctrine overshadowed the focus on faith as heartfelt trust in a living God.”[5]
It makes sense, in light of such overtones, that Calvin would have burned Servetus at the stake, Mary Tudor would have persecuted protestants, and the Thirty Years War happened in the first place! This view of religion was a product of the theological upheaval discussed in the history of the Catholic church and Protestant Reformation. So, Spener and Arndt wished to, as Mulholland puts it, “Complete the Reformation.”[6]
To do this, Spener deemphasizes theology and doctrine, and highlights personal spiritual growth and regeneration, which cultivates a Christian lifestyle; he teaches that sermons should be less about doctrine and more about the spiritual edification of the congregation; he blurs the distinction between laity and clergy by implementing small group Bible study and reestablishing the priesthood of all believers; And, once again, emphasizes the spiritual over the intellectual in the training of ministers.[7] In his own words Spener says, “dead faith comes from human power and reason.”[8] The evidence for God, he thought, ought to come from how Christians live and the good works they do for others.
Shortly after publishing Pia Desideria Spener started a University named the University of Halle, and joined forces with his friend and associate August Hermann Francke, and over time, through education and proselytizing, Pietism took off. This is largely because it struck people, who had been hardened by the times, in a different and emotional way; it played into the “antiwar sentiment” of the day.[9] Sources say the University of Halle graduated more than six thousand ministers.[10]
Another way Pietism grew was that it, for one of the first times in history, gave Protestants a reason to engage in missionary activity. Before, most protestants did not carry out their responsibility to take the Gospel all around the world, because fathers of Protestant theology believed that the great commission had been fulfilled through the apostles.[11] However, because of Pietisms soft heartedness and encouragement to do good works, it played an intricate roll in motivating people to share the Gospel to other nations. As such Pietism went all over the world, including America.
[1] Kenneth B. Mulholland, “From Luther to Carey: Pietism and the Modern Missionary Movement,” Bibliotheca Sacra 156, (1999): 91.
[2] Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language, 326.
[3] Dale W. Brown, Understanding Pietism, rev. ed. (Nappanee, IN: Evangel Publishing House, 1996), 13.
[4] Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language, 326-327.
[5] Kenneth B. Mulholland, “From Luther to Carey: Pietism and the Modern Missionary Movement,” 89-90.
[6] Kenneth B. Mulholland, “From Luther to Carey: Pietism and the Modern Missionary Movement,” 90.
[7] Kenneth B. Mulholland, “From Luther to Carey: Pietism and the Modern Missionary Movement,” 92.
[8] Phillip Jakob Spener, Freudigen Gewissens Frucht (Berlin: Verlegts Johann Michael Ruiger, 1695), 46.
[9] Dale W. Brown, Understanding Pietism, 19.
[10] Kenneth B. Mulholland, “From Luther to Carey: Pietism and the Modern Missionary Movement,” 93.
[11] Kenneth B. Mulholland, “From Luther to Carey: Pietism and the Modern Missionary Movement,” 86.
Conclusion: Pietism Today
Perhaps, in defining Pietism, you began to think, “This sounds familiar to modern churches.” That is true. Bruce L. Shelley writes, “(Pietism) set the experience of new life in Christ at the center of the Christian message…It is impossible to think about evangelical Christianity today without the imprint of Pietism.”[1] This is because Pietism was not the result of the discovery of a previously obscure theological truth found in the Bible by the employment of a new hermeneutic, but a whole new way of looking at religious conviction altogether. I believe that new way of looking at religion is both a blessing and a curse which continues to our modern day.
Pietism, no doubt, contributed a very valuable lesson to Christian scholars. It illuminated the error in the ways of those who treated Biblical education as a pedestal to put themselves above others. It showed us the importance of humility, being not wise in our own eyes as Proverbs 3:7 bids us. And, it showed us that knowledge and philosophy is in vain if not tempered with an earnest love for those whose hearts and minds have not been reached with the truth of the Gospel.
In its effort to save Christianity, however, I believe Pietism has swiftly become one of its biggest hinderances in our modern day. What was designed to conclude the reformation by bringing balance has tipped the scales so that the new way of looking at religious conviction is that it is more of a lifestyle than a truth claim. It is no mystery then why the priority of the local church has become ensuring conformity to that lifestyle, while little attention is given to the apologetical task of showing the world how we know the history, upon which the lifestyle is based, is really true. It is no mystery then that America continues to shrink into unbelief, as Christian doctrine is trampled, with few defenders of the faith to fight back. I believe knowledge is in vain apart from compassion; but compassion without knowledge is shallow. That is why there are three things given to every Christian by God- a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7).
[1] Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language, 329.
