The Pietist Option
by Christopher Gehrz and Mark Pattie | Book Summary
|
Author: Christopher Gehrz and Mark Pattie
|
Pietism can be thought of as a leavening movement. Rather than thinking of Pietism as a denomination or institution, think of Pietism as "a timeless spirit, or ethos" (p. 4, emphases in original). This ethos can be summarized in several shared instincts:
These instincts can be traced back to Philipp Spener and his book Pia Desideria. Published in 1675, Pia Desideria "launched the German Pietist movement" (p. 10). The wisdom and suggestions Spener offered in 1675 are remarkably applicable to church life nowadays. Those who listen to Spener's proposals will find themselves being called back to Jesus. |
Christopher Gehrz teaches history at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also directs the Christianity and Western Culture program at Bethel. Gehrz received his PhD from Yale, and he received his BA from the College of William and Mary. In addition to The Pietist Option, Gehrz contributed to and helped edit The Pietist Impulse in Christianity and The Pietist Vision of Christian Higher Education. Gerhz has a blog called The Pietist Schoolman, and he is a regular contributor to The Anxious Bench at Patheos. Gehrz lives in Roseville, Minnesota with his wife and children.
Mark Pattie III is the senior pastor of Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton, Minnesota. Mark graduated from The University of Maryland and North Park Theological Seminary. He has served in churches all over the country, and he has also worked as a leadership consultant for pastors and corporate executives.
The Pietist Option
by Christopher Gehrz and Mark Pattie
[ Book Summary ]
| Author | Christopher Gehrz and Mark Pattie III |
| Publisher | IVP Academic |
| Date | 2017 |
| Pages | 148 |
Overview:
"Pietism calls people back to Jesus when and where it's most needed." (p. 4) It's true that Pietists have not produced lasting denominations, statements of faith, or religious institutions. In some ways, it is difficult to locate the lasting legacy of Pietism in the twenty-first century. Nevertheless, "Pietism has disappeared not because it failed, but because it succeeded" (p. 4, emphasis in original).
Pietism can be thought of as a leavening movement. Rather than thinking of Pietism as a denomination or institution, think of Pietism as "a timeless spirit, or ethos" (p. 4, emphases in original). This ethos can be summarized in several shared instincts:
- "We know God more through prepositions than propositions." (p. 6)
- "We're better together than apart." (p. 6)
- "Christianity is both less and more than we think." (p. 7)
- "We always have hope for better times." (p. 8)
These instincts can be traced back to Philipp Spener and his book Pia Desideria. Published in 1675, Pia Desideria "launched the German Pietist movement" (p. 10). The wisdom and suggestions Spener offered in 1675 are remarkably applicable to church life nowadays. Those who listen to Spener's proposals will find themselves being called back to Jesus.
Christopher Gehrz teaches history at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also directs the Christianity and Western Culture program at Bethel. Gehrz received his PhD from Yale, and he received his BA from the College of William and Mary. In addition to The Pietist Option, Gehrz contributed to and helped edit The Pietist Impulse in Christianity and The Pietist Vision of Christian Higher Education. Gerhz has a blog called The Pietist Schoolman, and he is a regular contributor to The Anxious Bench at Patheos. Gehrz lives in Roseville, Minnesota with his wife and children.
Mark Pattie III is the senior pastor of Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton, Minnesota. Mark graduated from The University of Maryland and North Park Theological Seminary. He has served in churches all over the country, and he has also worked as a leadership consultant for pastors and corporate executives.