An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the Dawn of Modern Europe.
Nessan, Craig L.
An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the Dawn
of Modern Europe. By Douglas H. Shantz. Foreword by Peter C. Erb.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013. ISBN: 1-4214-0831-7.
xix and 490 pages. Paper. $35.00.
One of the lost and controversial treasures of the Protestant
churches is the legacy of Pietism. All too typically the standard
narrative of Protestant history leaps from the events of the sixteenth
century through the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) directly to the
influence of the Enlightenment on modern theology with special focus on
the nineteenth century after Schleiermacher. Such an approach deprives
attention to two of the most fascinating historical and theological
developments that continue to cast enormous influence on Christianity up
to the present: Protestant Orthodoxy (both Lutheran and Reformed) and
Pietism, with their colorful cast of characters and wide range of
commitments. This book makes a tremendous contribution to filling in
part of this gap, chronicling the streams and eddies of German Pietism
with special focus on 1670-1727.
Unlike some historians, Shantz casts a wide net in his definition
of what counts as pietism, incorporating in this treatment major figures
and movements from radicalism, spiritualism, and churchly expressions of
Pietism. "The genius of Pietism lay in the adjectives it employed:
true Christianity; heartfelt, living faith; a living knowledge of God;
the inward Christ and the inner Word. Another set of adjectives
expressed Pietist hopes for renewal of humanity and a better future for
the church: the new man, born-again Christianity, the coming
Philadelphian church. Born-again laypeople became agents of their own
spirituality, reading the Bible for themselves and teaching and
encouraging one another in non-church settings" (284). One of the
most impressive aspects of Pietism was the capacity to focus on a
personal, relational appropriation of the faith while at the same time
reaching out in social ministry to neighbors in need, both through local
initiatives and by international missions.
The major centers of Pietism included in this study are Frankfurt,
Leipzig, and Halle. In setting the stage for the main developments of
the period under study, Shantz gives attention to figures who prepared
the way for the emergence of Pietism (Paracelsus, Johann Arndt, Jakob
Bohme), major figures of Orthodoxy (Gerhard and Loscher , whose contrast
to Pietism should not be overdrawn), and other significant contributors
(Labadie, Undereyck, Tersteegen). The central focus, however, is
directed toward the leaders and achievements of Pietism at three centers
of gravity: Johann Jakob Schiitz and Philipp Jakob Spener in Frankfurt;
eight leaders in Leipzig (Anton, Francke, Friedel, Huffland, Lange,
Schade, Thieme, and Wartenburg); and August Hermann Francke with several
colleagues in Halle.
Separate chapters are devoted to particular topics of interest in
Pietism studies: radical Pietism; Pietism and gender; Pietism and the
Bible; world Christianity, including missions to South India and
Labrador; and the contributions of German Pietism to the modern world.
The volume concludes with a concise, masterful reflection on the
cultural and religious legacy of German Pietism.
Here is a book that challenges readers to reclaim constructive
contributions of Pietism for the life of the contemporary church, while
also learning from cautionary tales about its excesses. The book is
highly recommended as a resource for closing the breech in our
historical knowledge regarding Protestant history and theology.
