The Pietist Theologians: An Introduction to Theology in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

Pietism is the religious–theological movement which formed a bridge between the Reformations of the sixteenth century and the Enlightenment.

This introduction to the Pietist theologians demonstrates the influence that this movement had on the religious, cultural and social life of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and examines its lasting effects on modern culture and modern theology. Written by an international group of leading scholars, the book explores the transconfessional and transnational aspects of Pietism, considering the contribution of both Protestant and Catholic theologians in Puritan England, Pietist Europe and Colonial America. Each chapter focuses on a particular theologian, from Arndt to Wesley, and incorporates up–to–date research and commentary. Comprehensive yet accessible, this is the ideal introduction to the study of this core theological movement.

Acknowledgments.

Notes on Contributors.

List of Abbreviations.

Introduction: Carter Lindberg.

1. Johann Arndt (1555–1621): Johannes Wallmann (Ruhr–Universität).

2. William Perkins (1558–1602): Raymond Blacketer.

3. Lewis Bayly (?–1631) and Richard Baxter (1615–1691): Carl Trueman (Westminster Theological Seminary).

4. Paul Gerhardt (c. 1607–1676): Christian Bunners (Historischen Kommission zur Erforschung des Pietismus).

5. Philip Jakob Spener (1635–1705): K. James Stein (Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary).

6. August Hermann Francke (1663–1727): Markus Matthias (Martin–Luther–Universität Halle–Wittenberg).

7. Cotton Mather (1663–1728): Richard Lovelace (Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary).

8. Jane Ward Leade (1624–1704) and the Philadelphians: Donald Durnbaugh (Bethany Theological Seminary).

9. Johanna Eleonora Petersen (1644–1724): Martin H. Jung (University of Osnabrück).

10. Madame Guyon (1648–1717): Patricia A. Ward (Vanderbilt University).

11. Gottfried Arnold (1666–1714) : Peter C. Erb (Wilfrid Laurier University).

12. Gerhard Tersteegen (1697–1769): Hansgünter Ludewig.

13. Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700–1760) : Peter Vogt.

14. Johann Albrecht Bengel (1687–1752): Hermann Ehmer (University of Tübingen).

15. Friedrich Christoph Oetinger (1702–1782): Martin Weyer–Menkoff (Institut für Theologie und Religionspädagogik, Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd).

16. John Wesley (1703–1791): David Hempton (Boston University).

Glossary.

Index

Carter Lindberg is Professor of Church History Emeritus at Boston University School of Theology. He is the author or editor of numerous publications, including The Reformation Theologians (2001), The European Reformations Sourcebook (2000) and The European Reformations (1996), all published by Blackwell Publishing.

"A good introduction to a study of this period which is so rich in writings on Christian living." Reformed Theological Journal <!––end––>

"In all, this is a superb collection of essays that will become indispensable for teaching Pietism and Protestantism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is the best introduction to Pietism in English available today." Lutheran Quarterly

A most valuable resource for the study of Pietism, which brings out its international, cross–cultural and many–sided influence on Protestant Christianity. Theology