After the Thirty Years’ War from 1618 to 1648, Germany saw the rise of a new movement, Pietism. Founded by Philip Jakob Spener and August Hermann Francke, Pietism was born from a Lutheran background. Spener “suggested that there be less emphasis on the differences between laity and clergy, and more on the common responsibilities of all Christians” (Gonzalez 260). He wanted Christians to be more devoted to their beliefs, so he formed “colleges of piety” which were small groups that studied scripture and religious practices in an intense manner. This is how Pietists practiced their religion, by coming together and studying. People were motivated about Pietism because of Spener’s ideas of focusing on a personal faith. Soon, many saw him as a “new Luther.” He had an intense dedication to God and how he spoke of “the need to return constantly to Scriptures and to read it with a spirit of devotion and piety” reminded people of how Luther was (Gonzalez 260).

Francke’s beliefs were very similar to Spener’s. Both believed in self-dedication to God and coming together in small groups to practice. They had a vision of a society filled with people constantly practicing and worshipping. Preachers wouldn’t focus on their own personal knowledge, but would “call believers to be obedient to the Word of God” (Gonzalez 260). After Spener passed away, Francke was asked by the king of Denmark to send missionaries to India. Francke sent two of his disciples, and the trip was such a success that he began training missionaries himself which helped lead the way to it’s common practice today.

Spener wrote Pia Desideria early on in his practice. In section one, he focuses mostly on how Scripture should be approached and studied appropriately. Not everyone is able to understand the Bible, many aren’t even capable of reading, and Spener believes that “all Scripture, without exception should be known by the congregation if [they] are all to receive the necessary benefit” (Spener 31). So, Spener suggested that all households keep a copy of the Bible, that Bible readings should happen often in specified places, and that the church should reintroduce group discussions about Scripture with a preacher leading the teaching. This last point is very different from previous Catholic beliefs where the priest’s word was the law of the land. For Spener, having an open conversation with a group about Scripture will enhance your knowledge to God, and therefore your connection to God. But for Medieval Catholics, giving authority to the audience is not Biblical; only priests have the power to translate the knowledge of God to the people. Protestants were very much for having an open conversation about God among others. Personal devotion was a large part of the Protestant religion, so Pietism is almost an extension of it.

By having these large groups come together to discuss Scripture, Spener believed that it would make people more devoted and motivated to practice on their own. People who really practice Scripture and who have a constant conversation of teaching and learning with a group could even transform their lives and the lives of those around them. Parents would spend more time teaching their children, neighbors would have open discussions, and everyone would have the self-devotion to God that is necessary to be spiritual.

“Pietism was a response to the dogmatism of the theologians and the rationalism of the philosophers,” (Gonzalez, 259) Although Pietism refers to only to the German movement led by Philip Jakob Spencer and August Hermann Francke, it had a great impact on many other Christian movements that happened around the same time. Pietism began when Spencer was a pastor in Frankfort. Unlike other pastors who thought their role was simply public preaching and performing sacraments, Spencer believed that he was obligated to help his parishioners foster a personal faith and devotional life. In Frankfort, he began Bible study groups called “colleges of piety”. Spencer believed less emphasis on the difference between laity and clergy and more emphasis on the “priesthood of all believers”. Therefore although believing the right doctrine is important, he believed simply believing the right thing was not sufficient to be a Christian. A Christian must a personal faith the being sanctified through holy living. The most significant impact that the Pietist had on the history of Christianity was the birth of Protestant missions. The previous reformers were so consumed with keeping Protestantism in tact that they devoted little time to the non-Christian world. In 1707 the first mission was established in India. In twenty years the Pietiest movement sent out more missionaries than by all the Protestant churches did since its inception two hundred years earlier.

Five years after experimenting with his “colleges of piety”, Spencer wrote his Pia desideria, which would become the the fundamental charter of Pietism. In the first section of this document, he outlines the importance of the Bible. He believes that it is not sufficient for people to meet together once a week and someone delivers a sermon. He believed that people needed to have their own personal devotional where they read the Bible by themselves. He also suggested that their service should look more like Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. In it, instead of one person preaching for an hour, one may get up and explain a passage. If someone else happens to disagree or have questions then they should then stand and pose their position. In this way, the service operates more like a discussion which will help the entire congregation have a deeper understanding of the Scriptures, which Spencer believes is the most important thing

Pietism was a German movement within Lutheranism that was led primarily by Philip Jakob Spener and August Hermann Francke. This movement continued to knock down the hierarchical system of the Roman Catholic church and give the laity (common people) more freedom to learn and worship for themselves. The Catholic church had been fighting to keep the Bible and understanding of it in the hands of the Papacy, but the church’s control could not last forever. Pietism was led by the belief that there was, “greater value in personal devotion and religious experience.” (Gonzalez, 259).
Philip Jakob Spener has been named the “Father of Pietism” as he took the concept of personal devotion and made it more of a reality for the people by founding “colleges of piety” and writing Pia Desideria. “Colleges of piety” were developed to convene Christians in an act of fellowship, and increase personal devotion. Spener challenged Christians by putting more responsibility on individual believers to be accountable for their own faith and understanding of the Bible’s teachings. By creating these groups, it would take some of the power away from church leaders/preachers as the congregation would no longer be blinded by the ignorance the papacy had tried to keep them under. This helped Spener and Francke move toward the goal of bringing the laity and clergy onto a more common ground of knowledge and power. Spener also made the notion that preachers should not speak for selfish reasons as in to demonstrate their own knowledge, “but rather to call believers to be obedient to the Word of God.” (Gonzalez 260). The pietist movement truly calls on the church leaders to humble themselves in order to better teach Christians.
Spener’s teachings in Pia Desideria give much more freedom to read and study the Bible, and in multiple social situations. Some of the ways scripture should be studied, according to Spener are: in traditional church services, gatherings of reading scripture out loud with little interpretation, study groups such as “colleges of piety,” and personal study (by yourself and with family). Spener highlights the importance of knowing Scriptures on a personal level in order to cultivate a deeper faith, as “Faith must be enkindled through the gospel.” (Spener, 31). Pia Desideria clearly states the importance of scripture to believers and says, “Scripture, without exception, should be known by the congregation if we are all to receive the necessary benefit.” (Spener, 31). It is then suggested that attending church and hearing sermon on scripture is minimal action in understanding the Word of God for yourself, therefore attending church should be accompanied by individual study as well. Spener also aims to have closer relationships between laity and clergy in the sense that laity would feel comfortable asking for clarification on passages of confusion. Encouraging more productive and trusting bonds not only helps the common people to learn more, but also lessens the power of the clergy and further moving away from the practices of the Catholic church. Spener continues to give more power to the people by stating that those who have adequate knowledge of the Bible should be allowed to give their input during services, when called to do so. This concept is modelled after the teachings of Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:26-40.
One benefit that Pia Desideria notes is the betterment of people’s’ abilities to teach the Gospel and guide their children and workers. Having a better understanding of the Bible and a deeper relationship with God will help all people live in a more godly manner. Pursuing spiritual growth aids in the “edification of all” (Spener, 32); edifying being the act of “teaching in a way that improves the mind or character” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). It is clear that the movement of Pietism was further separating Christians away from the rulings of the Roman Catholic church in hopes of instilling honorable morals into the people and a more thorough understanding of the scriptures they lived by.

Philip Jakob Spener is known as the “father of Pietism.” Spener was raised by devout protestants but he himself was more of a Calvinist than a Lutheran. He studied theology at some of the best Protestant universities and eventual earned a doctorate degree. He worked toward what Gonzalez describes as a completion of the protestant movement that had started in the sixteenth century but was interrupted by the doctrinal debates. Agreeing with Luther’s idea of justification through faith Spener emphasized a need for sanctity of the member. In response to the rationalism of philosophers and the dogmatic structure of the catholic church he encouraged religion to be practiced in small groups in which that tone wasn’t promoted. Instead preachers were encouraged to “set aside their polemical and academic tone” in order to foster a more intimate relationship with believers. This attracted a lot of people to “colleges of piety.”
One of the most significant contributions Piety made to the world of religion was the “birth of Protestant missions.” The first was in Tranquebar, India in 1707. Later, a school of missions was founded for training missionaries. Within twenty years more protestant missionaries had been sent out than in the two centuries earlier.
In Pia Desideria Spener writes about the significance of the scriptures. He says that they should be taught to the congregation in their entirety and that the masses need help understanding them. The average person isn’t getting enough out of just reading at home and in order to help them gain an understanding a specific time should be allotted at church when they are read in sequence. At this time members with more experience with a particular passage will be able to speak about their understanding of it. By having this private reading and interactive public study the average person will be able to come to a better understanding and convey that to their friends and family without putting an overwhelming burden on the priests and ministers. The congregation will be strengthened and will have more control over their relationship with God.

In Gonzalez’s discussion of the Pietist movement some of the major ideas that motivated Pietism were that Pietists wanted to cultivate a more intense and personal faith and piety. Pietism was part of the German movement which was led by Spener and Francke (Gonzalez, 174-175).

Pietism was a response to the stubborn and narrow-minded thinking of the theologians and the rationalism of the philosopher’s both of which it contrasted with the living faith that was the heart of Christianity and to the Thirty Years War (Gonzalez, 259). The result of the Thirty Years War was that many people held a greater value in personal devotion and religious experience (Gonzalez, 261).

The father of Pietism was known to be a preacher named Spener (Gonzalez, 259). He believed that religion should go further than the regular attendance of church and listing to the preacher’s sermon and public practices. He did not agree with congregations attending church and simply listening to the sermon because not everything gets heard. People only pick up on a few things in a sermon and most of what is preached from the Word of God goes unheard. To solve this problem, he started Bible study groups and devotion which he called “colleges of piety.” This was one of his experiments that after five years of observation published the Pia Desideria. The Pia Desideria was an outlined program for the development of piety (Gonzalez, 259-260).

Spener preached that there should be less emphasis on the differences of laity and clergy and more on the common responsibility of all Christians. This meant that there should be a more intense life of devotion and study among the laity. Spener believed that by having members be part of small Bible study groups just like the “colleges of piety”, it would make it easier to meet the goal of being a “True Christian.” This practice made it so members of the church could be examined by others and held accountable in their church groups and society that they are practicing their religion and are being “True Christians.” Spener believed that these study groups would help members gain and develop a more deep and personal faith with God (Stoeffler, 31-32).

Also, in the Pietist movement Spener asked of preachers to not speak in tones and use languages that brought attention to themselves. Spener did not want preachers to be put on a pedestal and make it seem as though they were more knowledgeable or higher up than of its members in the congregation. He believed that preaching should not be done to draw attention to your own knowledge and make members feel uncomfortable by usage of fancy words and talk that draws attention to how knowledgeable you are and make others feel not as knowledgeable or intelligent. Preachers should speak in a tone that would help make people understand and be obedient to the Word of God (Gonzalez, 260).

Spener stated that simply attending church does not help with the development of one’s personal faith. His teachings were different in that he did not put a great emphasis or importance on the manner of life of the believer but held more value to God and his grace. It was not personal sanctity that justifies but God’s grace that justifies. The Pietists insisted on the contrast between what society expects of its members and what God requires of the faithful (Gonzalez 260).

The Pietists understanding of the Bible represents a divergence from the Medieval Catholic views and a continuation of Protestant ideals in that not only ministers but all Christians are made priests by their Savior and are anointed by the holy spirit and are dedicated to do spiritual and priestly acts. It is not something for the Priest and Pastors but for all believers to follow. All spiritual functions are open to all Christians and there was no exception to this rule (Stoeffler, 34-35).

Luther and his spiritual priesthood believed all Christians can be involved with spiritual functions with no exemptions. The church attendances and public performances should be done by the ministers entrusted with that responsibility however; in case of emergency others can perform those acts. For teachings that are not related to public performance and public acts such as studying the Word of God, comforting neighbors, taking part in prayer, thanksgiving etc. all those acts should be done on a daily basis. Pietists were against spiritual functions to be assigned solely to the clergy because this created exclusions for Christians which led to clergy doing as they pleased. Clergy were able to do as they pleased because nobody dared to question or object them for fear of excommunication (Stoeffler, 35). Spener believed that his teachings would make it so Christians would take better care of themselves, have a stronger personal faith and apply to their own edification and of their fellow men in being “True Christians (Stoeffler, 33).”