Hassle-free piety? Jesus said: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19) . The apostle Paul wrote: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]” (Ephesians 5:11). Those people who were … Continue reading PIETISM
pietism
PIETY / PIETISM / PHARISAISM
There are two kinds of conservatism: a living one by which the faith is passed on intact and unchanged, always being kindled anew by the power of the Word and of the Holy Spirit; and a conservatism without life, that makes outward formalism the exclusive evidence of faith, with no reference to the condition of … Continue reading PIETY / PIETISM / PHARISAISM
Pietism
Oxford gives these definitions for pietism: 1 a a pious sentiment. b an exaggerated or affected piety. 2 (esp. as Pietism) a movement for the revival of piety in the Lutheran Church in the 17th c. Perhaps the best dictionary definition of what a pietist is is this one that I translated from le Petit … Continue reading Pietism
Are we still walking on the old paths?
“The believer, in his baptism, is baptized into the body of Christ, the church, 1 Cor. 12:13,27. And then he puts on Christ and unites himself to him to follow him truly and constantly, and bearing his cross after him. And should the believer be called on to suffer for the name of Christ and … Continue reading Are we still walking on the old paths?
The Principal Errors of Pietism
Pietism, with a capital P, refers to a movement that began within the Lutheran Church around the year 1600. The Pietists emphasized the new birth, the inward spiritual life of the heart and a pure moral life. There were earlier threads of pietism, but this was the beginning of a distinctive and dynamic movement. The … Continue reading The Principal Errors of Pietism
Be a Christian, not a chameleon
Some members of the early church wanted Gentile converts to be chameleons. They thought that circumcising Gentile Christians would make them appear to be converts to the Jewish religion. Some Jewish Christians thought this would spare them from persecution by other Jews for associating with Gentiles. Such people among the Jewish believers were the true chameleons, … Continue reading Be a Christian, not a chameleon
An answered prayer
We had talked over our situation that night, prayed for direction and believed we had been shown a direction that we should pursue. There still remained the question of whether Dennis would need or want my help. It didn't take long for the answer to come. The phone rang the next morning before we had … Continue reading An answered prayer
Pietists, Quietists & Anabaptists
I have been reading some of the writings of François Fénelon and find some moving passages. I plan to post some excerpts in coming days. Fénelon was a Quietist, that is a Roman Catholic who believed that salvation had to come through a personal relationship with God, rather than through the forms of liturgical worship. … Continue reading Pietists, Quietists & Anabaptists
Strange Gospel
Approximately 300 years ago there arose a line of thought in pietistic Protestantism that God’s reign would progressively manifest itself through human action cooperating with God’s action. The belief that the gospel will gradually Christianize the world, bringing a reign of peace and harmony preceding the return of Christ, is known as postmillenialism. In 19th … Continue reading Strange Gospel
A theology of suffering
Henry Funk, whom I’ve been quoting the past few days, was only a generation of two removed from the persecution of the Mennonites in Switzerland. The reality of the possibility of suffering for the faith was real to him, and he did not shrink from it. A few centuries have passed and Mennonites in North … Continue reading A theology of suffering
Flatlander Faith 