If I may interject a question here... (I had to look up Pietist) > what's wrong with Pietist ?
wikipedia.org › wiki › Pietism
Pietism (/ ˈ p aɪ. ɪ t ɪ z əm /), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy
Sure thing!
Pietism is a kind of umbrella term for various Lutheran movements mainly in Germany, Scandinavia, and America. They are marked by strong personal devotion and a desire to live holy lives in accordance with God's Word. Now, this could be said of all Christians, but there's some history and complexity to this:
Many Lutherans in our time, especially in America, are very negative to Pietism to the point where the term is used almost synonymously with "legalist" and "doctrinal minimalist". So typically when you hear the word "Pietist" from an English-speaking Lutheran, it has a negative meaning. Now, I think this is unfair and I don't think it's wise to group different movements together and dismiss them as mere "Pietists". My understanding of Pietism is much more neutral. I think they contributed with both good and bad things.
The bad: Not so much in its origin, but some later generations of Pietists did end up with legalistic and arbitrary beliefs and practices. And they blurred the lines between God's grace and God's command for us to live holy lives. So in doctrine, they, in a weird way, become a step closer to Roman Catholicism, but in appearance, closer to charismatic. Both of which are departures from Lutheran doctrine and practice. This shift was due to an overemphasis on sanctification, on holiness, and this is something that ultimately leads people into either despair or pride and away from a sure hope and joy in Jesus. This is what many Lutherans react towards, and rightly so. But to understand Pietism exclusively in these terms I believe is wrong and simple at best.
The good: Many preachers labelled Pietists rightly opposed dead orthodoxy, politics and rationalism, and brought life into the church. Especially in Scandinavia. They were able to create a strong culture of worship, prayer, catechesis and glad reception of God's Word. They produced some really rich devotional material. I think they also had an admirable focus on the family and community.
As I see it, the best Lutheran theologians have a good appreciation for both Lutheran orthodoxy and what we can call Pietism. For example, the first president of the LCMS, C. F. W. Walther, thought very highly of the original Pietists, even though he wrote firmly and extensively against their errors. And Johann Gerhard, one of our greatest orthodox theologians, was influenced by Johann Arndt, who we can think of as the father of Pietism. Gerhard went on to produce some outstanding books and devotional material. For a contemporary example, there's a retired professor in Australia, Rev. Dr. John Kleinig — he is a real heavy-weight theologian with a wealth of knowledge, and at the same time, he has inherited the same deep appreciation for strong devotions.
If you're interested in good books out of Pietism that I think can be appreciated by any Christian, I would recommend: True Christianity by Johann Arndt and Sacred Meditations by Johann Gerhard. You can find these online for free so you can skim through them. I'd also recommend Prayer by Ole Hallesby, which you can find for cheap.
God bless!
