1 / 45

German Pietism

CHURCH HISTORY II Lesson 18. German Pietism. “The World begins to feel a Warmth from the Fire of God, which thus flames in the heart of Germany, beginning to extend into many Regions; the whole world will ere long be sensible of it.” – Cotton Mather. Agenda. Identity and Definitions

savannah
Download Presentation

German Pietism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. CHURCH HISTORY IILesson 18 German Pietism “The World begins to feel a Warmth from the Fire of God, which thus flames in the heart of Germany, beginning to extend into many Regions; the whole world will ere long be sensible of it.” – Cotton Mather

  2. Agenda • Identity and Definitions • Historical Overview • Lessons we can learn

  3. Identity and Definitions

  4. Who were the Pietists? German ministers and laymen who rose up in protest against the deadness and emptiness of 17th century Lutheran Orthodoxy to embrace a more vital, experiential, personal and morally earnest Christianity.

  5. German Puritans? Not really. Similar to Puritanism in emphasis on moral earnestness and experiential religion, but more quietistic, more mystical, more missions-minded, less Calvinistic, less theologically precise and less interested in the polity and ceremonies of the state church.

  6. What’s in a name? • “Pietist” = from Latin pietas, Greek eusebeia • Probably taken from the title of Spener’s book, Pia Desideria, or perhaps from the name of his societies collegia pietatis. • Given by Orthodox opponents as a term of mockery • Pietists generally did not use the term of themselves out of humility

  7. Modern Attitudes • “Pietism is still generally associated with anti-intellectualism, hyper-individualism, and holy-group separatism; untouched by the Reformation, it lived off the ‘Eroticism of medieval mysticism’ and the ‘Pharisaic irresponsibility’ of medieval monasticism.” ~ Albert Ritschl • “Better with the Church in hell than with pietists, of higher or lower type – in a heaven which does not exist.” – Karl Barth • “A pietist is a man who studies the word of God and, taking it for his rule of faith and conduct, leads an exemplary life.” – a 1st gen. pietist

  8. Where are they today? • Not a denomination, but a spiritual reform movement • Gave birth to new denominations • Moravians • Church of the Brethren • Significantly shaped future ones • Wesleyan / Methodist • Had a lasting reforming impact on existing ones • Lutherans • Mennonites

  9. Are you a Pietist? • No! Pietism properly refers to Lutherans from the late 17th to mid 18th centuries sympathetic to the ideas of Spener and Francke. • Yes! Pietism in a broader sense can also refer to any tradition that emphasizes personal religious experience and calls itself “evangelical”.

  10. 1600 1650 1700 1550 1750 England & America Puritanism (1555-1700) Evangelical Awakening (1735-1744) Dutch Second Reformation (1600-1750) Holland Germany & Scandinavia German Pietism (1670-1760) Protestant Catholic Jansenism (1640-1713) France Spain & Italy Quietism (1681-1697) “Pietistic” Movements We’re not looking for a “model” church, but streaks of divine life and revival wherever we can find it, interwoven as it will always be with many flaws no matter where we look. God has not seen fit to pour the full, unmixed glory of true Christianity into any one vessel, but has allowed different aspects of true Christianity to be grasped, emphasized and worked out in a variety of ways by different groups over the course of church history. We are Christians first, Protestant second and Reformed third. With varying degrees of healthy criticism and measured carefulness, we can and should draw encouragement and help from all over the Christian spectrum wherever Christ has been loved, the fruits of Christian graces increased, the Bible and prayer held in high esteem, and a missionary zeal present; for there, surely the Holy Spirit has been at work in that part of God’s vineyard, and who are we to despise it?

  11. Historical Overview

  12. Historical Overview 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 • Dead Orthodoxy (1580-1700) • Spener’s Reforms (1670-1705) • Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727) • Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729) • Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760)

  13. Dead OrthodoxySlide 1/3 Condition of Theology • Luther held almost infallible • Symbolic books (Augsburg Confession, Formula of Concord) • Spiritual authority and power vested permanently in the church’s offices without regard to how a minister lives. • Opus operatum view of sacraments • Theology was thought too high for the common people • Any talk of the Holy Spirit was treated as fanaticism “A de-Vaticanized Catholicism” “The symbolical books are, not only in facts and doctrines, but also in other matters, that Divine truth which was delivered to the Church, and which is in all points binding.” - Univ. of Wittenberg

  14. Dead OrthodoxySlide 2/3 Condition of the Clergy • Clergy were subservient to territorial princes • Seminaries taught polemics and Aristotelian logic, to the utter neglect of biblical exegesis • Much of the clergy was unconverted and morally bankrupt • Sermons were dry polemics in the language of the academy “[Most ministers] have no understanding of true Christianity and are worldly, carnal, self-serving and arrogant.” - Spener

  15. Dead OrthodoxySlide 3/3 Condition of the Laity • Rigid class distinctions • Rampant drunkenness • Morally licentious • Widespread belief in witchcraft, astrology, alchemy • Mandatory but inattentive church attendance

  16. Historical Overview 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 • Dead Orthodoxy (1580-1700) • Spener’s Reforms (1670-1705) • Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727) • Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729) • Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760)

  17. Spener’s ReformsSlide 1/5 Philipp Jakob Spener (1635-1705) • Shaping Influences • Johann Arndt • The Puritans (Bayly, Baxter) • Univ. of Strasbourg • Travel in Reformed areas • Jean Labadie • Pastor in Frankfort (1666-1686) • Church reforms • Extensive correspondence with the nobility • Founding of Collegia Pietatis (1670) • Pia Desideria (1675) • Spiritual Priesthood (1677) • Court Chaplain in Dresden (1686-1691) • Adiaphoristic controversy • Met August Hermann Francke • Superintendent in Berlin (1691-1705)

  18. Spener’s ReformsSlide 2/5 Collegia Pietatis • 1669 – suggests lay meetings from the pulpit • 1670-1682 – Holds meetings in his home • Met twice a week • Men and women in separate groups • Read and discussed the Bible with equal participation for all • Sacraments were forbidden • Sprung up all over Germany • 1682-1684 – Spener becomes disillusioned • Groups had become a church within a church • Groups became hyper-critical of the established church • Groups become separationist, one emigrates to Pennsylvania • Spener had to write in support of the unique role of ministers • Eventually gave up on the whole idea “…acted like a medicine which was more dangerous than the disease it was supposed to cure.” - Spener

  19. Spener’s ReformsSlide 3/5 Pia Desideria • 1675 – Spener is asked to write the preface for a new edition of Johann Arndt’s True Christianity • A set of practical, concrete proposals for reforming the seminaries, churches and Christian homes to facilitate the development of “an earnest, inner godliness.” • Soon published by itself as Pia Desideria, or “Pious Wishes” • Ignited extensive discussion on his proposals throughout Germany • Divided into three parts: • A Conspectus of Corrupt Conditions • The Possibility of Better Conditions • Proposals to Correct Conditions in the Church

  20. Spener’s ReformsSlide 4/5 Pia Desideria Possibility of Better Conditions • Rom. 11 – conversion of Israel • Rev. 18-19 – fall of Papal Rome • Biblical perfectionism • “we are not forbidden to seek perfection, but we are urged on toward it… we are under obligation to achieve some degree of perfection.” • “We do not understand the perfection which we demand of the church in such a way that not a single hypocrite is any longer to be found in it… but that the church should be free of manifest offenses, that nobody who is afflicted with such failings should be allowed to remain in the church without fitting reproof and ultimately exclusion, and that the true members of the church should be richly filled with many fruits of their faith.”

  21. Spener’s ReformsSlide 5/5 “They must become accustomed not to lose sight of any opportunity in which they can render their neighbor a service of love, and yet while performing it they must diligently search their hearts to discover whether they are acting in true love or out of other motives.” Pia Desideria Proposals to Correct Conditions in the Church • Recover the Spiritual Priesthood • More extensive use of the Word • Universal Bible ownership and daily reading • Consecutive reading instead of lectionary • Lay assemblies for mutual edification / Bible study • Use of personal accountability partners • Put a major pastoral emphasis on love • Preach the indispensible necessity of love and the danger of self-love • Be gracious toward those with whom we disagree • Rethink the role of seminaries • Teach the necessity of godliness and emulate it in the professors • Include courses in pastoral theology and practice into curricula • Have the students read also from the mystics, such as Tauler, Theologia Germanica and Arndt "While we should indicate to [unbelievers and heretics] that we take no pleasure in their unbelief or false belief or practice and propagation of these, but rather are vigorously opposed to them, yet in other things which pertain to human life we should demonstrate that we consider these people to be our neighbors… regard them as our brothers according to the right of common creation and the divine love that is extended to all." "Students of theology ought to lay this foundation, that during their early years of study they realize that they must die unto the world and live as individuals who are to become examples to the flock." "The divine means of Word and sacrament are concerned with the inner man. Hence it is not enough that we hear the Word with our outward ear, but we must let it penetrate to our heart, so that we may hear the Holy Spirit speak there, that is, with vibrant emotion and comfort feel the sealing of the Spirit and the power of the Word." “Every Christian is bound not only to offer himself and what he has, his prayer, thanksgiving, good works, alms, etc, but also industriously to study in the Word of the Lord, with the grace that is given him to teach others, especially those under his own root, to chastise, exhort, convert, and edify them, to observe their life, pray for all, and insofar as possible be concerned about their salvation.”

  22. Historical Overview 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 • Dead Orthodoxy (1580-1700) • Spener’s Reforms (1670-1705) • Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727) • Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729) • Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760)

  23. Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727)Slide 1/4 “Our mission as professors is to make students more learned and not more pious.” -A seminary professor at Leipzig August Hermann Francke (1663-1727) • Promising Hebrew student • 1684 – Entered University of Leipzig • 1686 – Founded Collegium Philobiblicum for Masters • 1687 – Penitential struggle & conversion • 1690 – Collegium banned, Francke driven out of Leipzig • 1691 – Invited by Spener to teach at the new University of Halle • 1691-1727 - Life’s ministry at Halle • Pastor of the town of Glaucha • Chair of Biblical Languages & Theology at Univ. of Halle • Founder of many charities and institutions

  24. Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727)Slide 2/4 Theological Distinctives • Necessity of penitential struggle / dated conversion experience • Strictness / severity of discipline • Condemnation of theater, dance • Highly restrictive of music in any form • Scriptural Rules for Living • Do not speak much • Avoid trifling jests and anecdotes • Avoid speaking of yourself • Avoid unnecessary mirth • Engage in no unprofitable use of time • Do not read trifling, useless books • Renewed Donatism • Efficacy of Word and sacrament depends on the instrument (minister) • Invisibility / non-institutionalism of the Church “I believe that the outward church of Christ, including all its gifts and sacraments, because of the breaking in and laying waste by Antichrist right after the death of the apostles, went up into heaven and lies concealed in the Spirit and in truth. I am thus quite certain that for fourteen hundred years now there has existed no gathered church nor any sacrament… the church is today a purely spiritual thing. “God gives and works his light, kindness, Holy Spirit, life, etc. only through similarly illumined, kind, living, spiritual people. The Holy Spirit will not grace anyone through the Devil, but will rather work like through like.”

  25. Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727)Slide 3/4 Halle Foundation • Began with an offering of $2.80 in a collection box, Easter 1695 • Founded a constellation of institutions • 3,200 people sheltered, educated or employed by the Institutions during Francke’s lifetime • Francke never asked for money, but depended solely on prayer “A splendid capital with which something of importance can be founded; I will begin a school for the poor with it”

  26. Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727)Slide 4/4 International Influence • Sent Bibles, tracts and hymnbooks to Swedish prisoners in Siberia • Heavy influence in Scandinavia • Danish-Halle Mission (1706-1845) • King Friedrich IV of Denmark • Ziegenbalg & Plutschau to India, 1706 • Taught Tamil, Portuguese; conferences with the Brahmans; opened schools; translated the Bible into Tamil; wrote a Tamil dictionary; established a seminary; began custom of sending regular missionary reports • Ziegenbalg left behind 355 converts • 60 missionaries sent in the 18th century • Produced internationally important church leaders • Muhlenberg -> Lutheranism in America • Zinzendorf -> Moravians world-wide

  27. Other Notable PietistsSlide 1/1 • Moderate Pietists: • John Albert Bengel • Father of Textual Criticism • Forerunner of German rationalism • Johann Freylinghausen & Gerhard Tersteegen • Prolific hymn-writers • Radical Pietists: • Gottfried Arnold • Impartial History of the Church and of Heretics • Eberhard Gruber • “Inspirationists”  Amana Colonies • Friedrich Oetinger • Nature mysticism

  28. Pietism in DeclineSlide 1/1 • Mid-Late 1700s – Lutheran Pietism as an identifiable movement disintegrates: • Halle slides into harsh legalism • Danish-Halle mission withers • Radical pietism discredits the whole movement • Rationalism begins to overtake the seminaries and puts an end to both Orthodoxy and Pietism at the same time.

  29. Historical Overview 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 • Dead Orthodoxy (1580-1700) • Spener’s Reforms (1670-1705) • Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727) • Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729) • Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760)

  30. Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729)Slide 1/4 Ernst Christoph Hochmann (1670-1721) • Vocal in biting criticism of the Lutheran Church • 1693 - Expelled from Halle • 1697 - Radicalized by contact with Gottfried Arnold • 1700-1711 – Wonders around Germany for 12 years railing against the Church; often whipped and imprisoned • 1702 - Writes confession of faith in Castle Detmold • Believer’s baptism by trine immersion • Love feast / feet washing / holy kiss • Pacifism • Perfectionism • Universalism • Took refuge in Schwarzenau where he befriended Alexander Mack • Though never one of the Brethren, his confession provided the Brethren with their theology

  31. Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729)Slide 2/4 Alexander Mack (1679-1735) • Heavily influenced by Gottfried Arnold’s History and Hochmann’s theological and ecclesiastical ideas • Concluded that separation was necessary in order to practice biblical church discipline • Schwarzenau, 1708 – Baptizes seven followers in the river Eder by Trine immersion • Founds the Church of the Brethren • Also called German Baptists, New Baptists or Dunkers • No creeds but the Bible • No traditions but what Jesus and the apostles did • Love feasts, foot washing, trine immersion • For a short time also practiced community of goods and celibacy • Establishes four centers: Schwarzenau, Marienborn, Epstein and Creyfelt

  32. Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729)Slide 3/4 Emmigration to America • 1715 – Marienborn and Epstein congregations driven by persecution to Creyfelt • Marriage scandal at Creyfelt • 1719 – Peter Becker leads group to Germantown, PA. • Creyfelt church disintegrates • 1729 – Schwarzenau group emmigrates to Germantown, PA and Mack assumes leadership in America • In several waves, 100% of Brethren left Europe for America

  33. Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729)Slide 4/4 The Brethren in America • Settlements in Pennsylvania and New Jersey • Johann Conrad Beissel • Leader of the Conestoga area church • Withdrew from Brethren as not pure enough • Rebaptized his congregation once again • Adopted a 7th day Sabbath observance • Formed the famous Ephrata celibate community • Splits in the 19th and 20th centuries over opposition to: • Musical instruments • Sunday schools • Foreign missions • Revivalism • Telephones • Automobiles • Currently 8 functioning denominations descended from Mack’s group • Most prominent is the moderate Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches • Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, IN

  34. Historical Overview 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 • Dead Orthodoxy (1580-1700) • Spener’s Reforms (1670-1705) • Francke & U. of Halle (1687-1727) • Mack & the Brethren (1708-1729) • Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760)

  35. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Count Nicholas Lewis von Zinzendorf (1700-1760): Childhood • Aristocratic family • Raised by his godly grandmother Catherine von Gersdorf in a castle • Spener was his godfather in baptism • Began seeking God at 4 years old • Heart ablaze by age 6: • Spent hours in prayer daily • Soldiers incident • Preached sermons to his friends • Cast love letters to Jesus out of his castle window “If it were possible that there should be another God than Christ, I would rather be damned with Christ than happy with another.” “I have but one passion – ‘tis He, ‘tis only He.”

  36. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Zinzendorf: Education • Sent to the classical school in Halle under Francke at age 10 • Bullied for being too religious • At age 14, founded the Sacred Order of the Mustard Seed • Love all men • Be true to Christ • Bring the gospel to the heathen • Founded six more societies while in his teens • Sent to Wittenberg to be made more worldly • Held prayer meetings, Bible study meeting • All night prayer vigils • Founded more societies • Chosen by the faculty as mediator between Wittenberg and Halle • Tour of Europe • Profoundly impacted by sight of painting of Christ in a Dusseldorf gallery • Testing at uncle’s house • Marriage • Purchased Berthelsdorf from grandmother

  37. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Christian David • Conversion from Catholicism • Taken in by the Pietists • Returned to Moravia preaching everywhere • Stirred up hidden remnants of the old Bohemian Brethren (Hussites) • Persecution drives Christian David to ask Zinzendorf for asylum at Berthelsdorf • 1722 – takes a dozen Hussites to Berthelsdorf and founds community of Herrnhut on a barren hilltop above the town

  38. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Herrnhut under Christian David (1722-1727) • At first, the Herrnhutters are excited and joyful • Successive immigrations makes Herrnhut a patchwork quilt of discontents of every stripe • Division, envy, strife develops • An fiery leader turns Herrnhut against Zinzendorf and the Berthelsdorf church • Zinzendorf called “the Beast” • Entire Protestant church is “Babylon” • Herrnhut and Berthelsdorf preachers rail against each other • Christian David rebuilds his house outside the Herrnhut compound

  39. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Zinzendorf Intervenes • May 1727 - Zinzendorf steps in and lays down the law • Theological disputes forbidden • All who sincerely seek holiness and love Jesus are to be accepted • Both communities repent and ask forgiveness • August 1727 - Joint communion service • Spiritual joy fills all who are present at once • Herrnhutters covenant to forever be a group known for their love

  40. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Herrnhut under Zinzendorf (1727-1736) Government • Discovered and implemented Unitas Fratrum ancient Order of Discipline • 12 elders, 4 super-elders, 1 chief elder chosen by lot • Everyone given an office / assigned duty • A list of converted people was maintained; others expelled • Engagement allowed only in the presence of the elders and decided by lot

  41. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Herrnhut under Zinzendorf (1727-1736) Community • Established a school • All inhabitants divided into “choirs” by age, gender & marital status that lived in common buildings • School-age children taken from their parents and raised communally in a separate building • Women wore simple dress with color-coded ribbons • Strict schedule: • 16 hours work • 5 hours sleep • 3 hours for meals and worship meetings

  42. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Herrnhut under Zinzendorf (1727-1736) Worship • Prayer & song meetings three times daily • Composed hymns impromptu during meetings • Zinzendorf himself wrote 2,000 hymns • Practiced foot washing, love feasts, kiss of peace and casting of lots • Assigned prayer rotations for unceasing 24-hour prayer • Continued unbroken for 100 years

  43. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Moravian Missions • Zinzendorf’s state visit to Copenhagen (1731) • Two eskimos from the failed Danish Greenland missino • Anthony the slave from the Caribbean • 18 missionaries in first 25 years – more than all other Protestants in 200 years • Dober / Nitschmann to St. Thomas (1732) • Stach / Boemish to Greenland • Spangenberg to Georgia • David Zeisberger to the American Indians (1734) • Georg Schmidt to the Hottentots of S. Africa • Others to mostly uncivilized peoples around the world • Campaigned against slavery, cruelty; built schools, translated the Bible, taught people to read, organized churches that emphasized holy living • Forbidden to work where other Christian groups were working • In the first 130 years: • 100,000 members • 41 missions • 1,199 missionaries A missionary “must be a man who felt within him an irresistible call; a man who loathed the lusts of the world, who burned with love to Christ, who was approved by all his Brethren, and whose face shone with the light of a Divine joy.”

  44. Zinzendorf & the Moravians (1722-1760) Slide 1/4 Later Years • 1736-1750 – Exile in Marienborn • 1737 – Zinzendorf consecrated as bishop • “Warrior Band” • 1743-1750 – “Sifting time” • 1750 – Given authorized recognition by the government as “Evangelical Moravian Unity of the Brethren” • Moravians in America • 1740 – Spangenberg founds Bethlehem, PA • Worked extensively throughout the colonies • Extensive Indian missions • Established four major settlements, one in Salem, NC • Do not grow much because of compound mentality • Impact on Wesley and the Evangelical Awakening • Today they have 825,000 members mostly in Germany, America and Tanzania and are still active in missionary work The Moravian Motto: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, charity"

More Related