Digging Deeper – The Pietist Movement

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, there arose a movement in Western Europe known as Pietism. It was a renewal movement led by Lutheran clergy that aimed to further the progress of the Protestant Reformation. Whereas the Reformation had called for a return to sola scriptura (Scripture alone) and the abandonment of empty sacramentalism, the Pietist movement stressed the importance of the believer’s devotional life—a personal experience of God in daily living.

The founders of Pietism emphasized the importance of a conversion experience (being “born again”), reading the Scriptures for oneself, studying the Bible with other believers, accountability, and practical Christianity. The fact that these ideas seem so commonplace to us today is evidence of the profound influence the Pietist movement has had on modern Christianity. However, this was not the case for much of Christendom in the 1600s, after the original impulses of the Reformation had begun to dissipate.

In the generation following Martin Luther, Europe was embroiled in war and religious strife. Ironically, this conflict led to sweeping institutional changes that enforced religious uniformity through civic authority. The Pietist movement argued that affiliation with a state-sponsored orthodoxy is not the essence of true religion. As one historian put it, “Pietism reiterated the motif that the Reformation of doctrine, which had been initiated by Luther, must be consummated by a new Reformation of life.”

This week in Digging Deeper, we will examine the Pietist movement and, in particular, one of its defining characteristics: small groups. Today, we largely take small groups for granted, but before the Pietist movement of the seventeenth century, private house meetings were often regarded as schismatic—and, in some cases, even illegal—and were viewed as an affront to the established church in places like England and Scotland.

We will also discuss some of the key figures of the Pietist movement, such as Philipp Jakob Spener, who is recognized by church historians as the father of the modern small-group movement. My prayer is that, as we dig into this fascinating chapter of church history, we will gain a richer understanding of (1) the origins and value of these practices, (2) the guiding work of the Holy Spirit throughout church history, and (3) the central focus of it all—our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, lock in, because this week’s Digging Deeper will be a week-long study of small groups and the faithful men and women who sought to experience God more deeply through devoted Christian community.