REVIVAL TIMEChristianity in Shoes

Devotional TextJames 1:22-24 (1599 Geneva Bible) And be ye doers of the word, and not

hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any hear the word, and do it not, he

is like unto a man, that beholdeth his natural face in a glass.

For when he hath considered himself, he goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what manner of one he was.

Pietism Introduction - Pietism• Essentially a German movement• Result of Thirty Year War – many had lost

everything; their families and their possessions.

Desperately wanted support and hope. Dry formalism and dogmatic argumentation

held sway. Sermons more concerned with crushing an

absent controversialist than spiritually feeding the worshippers.

Pietism Keynote of Pietism• Orthodox Lutheranism taught salvation

was essentially an objective and external thing, a trust in a legal security, a forensic decision of God.

Too often that belief had fostered “a spiritual indolence,” a trust in a lifelong security because of one’s baptism.

Satisfied with what God had done for us.

Pietism • Rather than experiencing the

presence of God, people were constantly reminded of the wishes of the prince.

• Out of this spiritual drought Pietism was born.

Pietism Pietists wanted to discover what

God wants to do in us. Religion is for the whole person

and the whole life.

Pietism Theology of Pietism• Main difference between Pietism

and Reformation was a matter of emphasis rather than of dogma.

Reformation: placed doctrine at center of Christian life.

Pietism: placed Christian life at center of doctrine.

PietismImportant Pietists• J. Arndt – forerunner of Pietism.

• True Christianity. • Emphasized “effects of faith.” • Knowledge without experience is

meaningless or perhaps even harmful.

Pietism Pietist Spirituality• Scripture – had to be eaten individually • Small Groups – groups of people who had

freely chosen to seek the help of others for spirituality

• Concept of Conversion – clearly identifiable; decision to accept God’s grace manifested immediately in a new way of life.

• Social Involvement – clear social and missionary vision; became a major factor in social progress and evangelism.

• Irenic Spirit – shunned confessional intolerance.

Pietism Philip Spener – “father of Pietism.”

Created collegia pietatis, assemblies of people seeking practical piety and gathered for prayer and discussion.

Some withdrew from public worship – Lutheran clergy violently opposed.

1675, Pia Desideria, Pietism Manifesto. Necessity of personal study of Scripture

and duty of laymen to exercise spiritual priesthood.

Urged seminary professors to give spiritual dimension to education

Pietism “Doing the Word”

- never be satisfied with mere knowledge of Scripture; put it into practice.

Violent opposition-driven out of Dresden 1689 and found refuge at Berlin;

Devoted time to publishing

PietismAugust Francke Creator of a Pietist educational system Dramatic conversion experience, 1687,

Luneburg Discovered God as a Father and overwhelmed

by intense joy Experience marked his theology Attention given to what is involved in

conversion, the struggles, the break-through of faith

Gospel like a good seed that comes to life when it falls into human hearts and regenerates the person from within.

PietismLegacy of Pietism (proposals from

Spener): Urged restraint and charity in

religious controversies. Reform in the education of ministers

along with a need for training in piety and devotion

Renewal of “the spiritual priesthood,” the priesthood of all believers.

ministers to preach edifying sermons—understandable by the people

Pietism More extensive use of the Word

of God—The Bible must be the chief means for reforming something.”

Appeal for the reality of Christian practice; argued that Christianity is more than simple knowledge.

The peitists impacted later individuals such as John Wesley.

Wesley and the Methodists Members of the club met together for

prayer and Bible study. They also:

Visited the sick in the local townDid charity workVisited prisoners in the local prison

They were known for doing more than is “necessary” in order to help others.

Wesley and the Methodists John Wesley prepared for ministry in the

Church of England at Christ Church, Oxford.

While on a two year break back in his home town his brother, Charles, began a club to promote Christian holiness.

Upon his return John became one of the leading members of this “Holy Club.”

Wesley and the Methodists Sometime around 1724 Wesley read the

works of some Calvinists and Lutherans and concluded that they emphasized faith so much that they hid the other commandments.

In 1725 he began to read the works of pietists like Thomas a Kempis, Jeremy Taylor, William Law and William Beveridge.

Wesley and the Methodists In 1735 he set sail for America to do

missions among the native Americans. He had an uncomfortable time as he

tried to carry out “high church” principles with the expatriate population.

He returned to England in 1737—leaving under unfortunate circumstances.

Wesley and the Methodists During his time in the US he was heavily

influenced by the Moravians and their assurance of salvation.

May 24, 1738 he attended Methodist band meeting at Aldersgate St. London"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in

Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Wesley and the MethodistsTheology: Arminian soteriology God’s grace is free for all and free to all. He sees three categories of grace:

Prevenient grace: grace which goes before to wake up the will.

Justifying grace: grace of forgiveness of sin.Sanctifying grace: grace to move the

believer into a closer walk with God—evident by good works.

Wesley and the Methodists Due to original sin humans are incapable of

saving themselves. Salvation is by grace through faith alone. Genuine faith leads to inward and outward

holiness—the believer manifests the work of the Spirit in her/his life.

Justification and sanctification are distinct works of God’s grace.

Justification delivers from the guilt, but not condition of sin.

Wesley and the Methodists Four essential propositions:

all men need to be saved all men can be saved all men can know they are

saved all men can be saved to the

utmost

Wesley and the MethodistsChristian Perfection: Wesley’s Legacy For Wesley, Christian perfection, or entire

sanctification, is a possibility to all believers. “Christian perfection … is achievable in this

present life because it has to do with the affections. When, by the grace of God infused into the soul through the Holy Spirit, one’s love for God and others is made pure and complete, their lifestyle cannot help but increase in virtue, finding expression in loving, selfless actions.

Faith working outwardly through love was one of Wesley’s favorite biblical themes (Gal. 5:6).”

Wesley and the Methodists Christian perfection is not a ladder going

upwards, but a line going forward. This perfection is “perfecting perfection”

and not “perfected perfection.” There is always room for further growth. At the same time, the root of sin still

remains. Claiming perfection is a sign that one is

not perfect.

Wesley and the Methodists Even those who have experienced

Christian perfection can, and do still grow in grace—dynamic not static.

Christian perfection is maturity of character—increasing love for God and neighbor.

The reformers, such as Luther and Calvin, saw perfection as absolute performance.

However, Wesley did see Christian perfection as a state and a process.

Moravians Nicholas von Zinzendorf – 1700-1760 Called by a contemporary “the Prophet of

the Age.” Few people probably expressed better the

spiritual longings of his time; the shift in emphasis from the mind to the heart and from orthodoxy to love.

Raised by very learned and pious grandmother. “I had the happiness of knowing the Savior by experience from my youngest years”

Moravians I have carried a friendship with [Jesus] quite

in a childlike way, sometimes talking with him for whole hours, as we talk with a friend . . . . I have enjoyed this close personal intercourse with Jesus for fifty years and I feel the happiness of it more and more every day I live.”

Later when doubts assailed him, he reported, “My heart clung to Jesus.”

In 1721 he became one of the king’s councilors at the court of Saxony at Dresden.

Moravians Theology

Herzensreligion - religion of the heart – grounded on the personal experience of fellowship with the Lamb.

The Lamb – “in the necessity of the death of Jesus and in the word ‘ransom’ there was a special secret and a great depth that gave one an insight into the whole teaching of salvation.”

Sacrifice of Jesus became the Moravians central theological theme.

Moravians Invisible Church – taught a very characteristic ecumenical ecclesiology because he believed that when hearts are struck by the reality of the love of the lamb, there begins a universal religion, free from any theological debate

Visible Church – made up of many different groups which are willed by God. Basically there are as many religions as there are people.

There are as many tropus, schools of wisdom, each with its own jewels of truth, ritual or order.

Moravians Zinzendorf looked at his Moravians not as founders of a different denomination, but as servant-movement, a pilgrim congregation, willing to move where needed, to go from home to home and hold meetings for prayer.

In 1741 Zinzendorf went to Pennsylvania where no established religion existed to help in the birth of a true congregation of the Spirit.

He envisioned free intercommunion and exchange of ministers.

Moravians Christian Fellowship

Emphasized an intense sense of fellowship. “I acknowledge no Christianity without fellowship”

Social classes were forgotten at Herrnhut.

Fellowship is born spontaneously when Christ dwells in people.

Fellowship was fostered by the mutual washing of feet before communion and the kiss of peace.

Moravians also possessed a strong commitment to missions.