This book takes an in-depth look at Pietism and its dominance over the Lutheran church in Germany in the late 1600s. Some pastors in the German Lutheran church were convinced that much was lacking in their churches. They were convinced that church members did not live good Christian lives, were indifferent to God’s Word, and that many pastors did not preach edifying sermons. These pastors yearned for a more active faith for themselves and for their members.
There was nothing wrong with that! But in the process they shifted the church’s emphasis away from preaching repentance and the gospel of God’s forgiveness in Christ. In turn, they emphasized morality at the expense of the gospel. They taught that a person must have a distinct conversion experience to be sure he or she was saved. This shift in emphasis led to bitter controversy within the Lutheran church.
The Spirit of Pietism is divided into three sections. The first section describes the events that contributed to the rise of Pietism. The second section describes the movement itself as it developed under Philip Jacob Spener and August Hermann Francke. The third section relates how the movement was evaluated under the last great orthodox Lutheran leader, Valentin Loescher.
The Pietist movement was not just a German Lutheran movement. It influenced the early leaders of major American denominations. This book offers a historical study of the movement, while drawing lessons that members of today’s churches can take to heart.
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