Pietism, Good and Bad
Pietism was a reaction
against the dry, philosophical, and belligerent arguments of Calvinists against
Lutherans. This period of time is unfortunately called Orthodoxy, and its Lutheran
authors are called Orthodox Lutherans, a misleading term. The best of Biblical
theology took place during the Reformation – the German Reformation. The movements
in other countries were called reformations but they were secondary and often
at odds with the Reformation itself.
The Reformation included
Luther, Melanchthon, Andreae, Chemnitz, Chytraeus, Selnecker, and finally Gerhard,
who was late and yet worked with Chemnitz on the Harmonies. Afterwards,
the Lutheran authors became influenced to some degree by the non-Lutherans. Orthodoxy
became what Luther warned against, a return to elaborate dogmatic arguments using
Latin terminology, far removed from the Scriptures.
Spener caught the
spirit of the times by emphasizing individual piety, Biblical study, prayer,
and good works. His worst mistakes, which came from his ecumenical outlook,
were the promotion of the cell group and the demotion of doctrinal correction.
Spener was truly an ecumenical theologian, so popular that no one dared to criticize
him directly.
The Twin Monsters
The cell group, now
universally promoted by the LCMS-WELS-ELS, is the cow bird egg laid in the
Lutheran nest. As ornithologists know, the cow bird avoids the hard work of
nest-building. Instead, she lays her egg in another’s nest. The baby hatches
early and the other eggs are destroyed. The adoptive mother raises a cow bird,
not her own children. Thus we have the “conservative” Lutherans criticizing
Pietism at every opportunity while foolishly promoting Pietism in its cell
group programs, largely copied by the Calvinists teaching at Fuller Seminary.
Cell groups are also quite popular among the Pentecostals, charismatics, and
Roman Catholics.
Cell group members
consider themselves to be the Real Church. The congregation exists only to serve
as a host and gathering place for the cell groups.
The existence of a cell
group, especially one led by laity, is certainly going to be unLutheran and
anti-Lutheran. Cell group material is generated by cell group leaders, by many
denominations, and they are energized by a spirit of all faith confessions
being equal. One cell group promoting pastor – a conservative Lutheran - said
of his congregation, “I don’t care what they are studying, but they must be in
a cell group.” He was notorious for copying his sermons verbatim from other denominations
and posting them on the Net as his own.
When I warned one woman
against attending a “Lutheran” cell group, she became angry. I said, “Ask more
about infant faith and infant baptism,” which was being discussed. That
Lutheran cell group leader refused to let anyone discuss infant baptism, which
she opposed. She closed the discussion by saying, “I am in charge here.”
Walther Myth – Against Cell
Groups
CFW Walther and his
older brother were involved in cell groups from the beginning. In the
rationalistic church of their father, they felt a need for something closer to
the Bible. Their university training was largely rationalistic and Pietists
were called “mystics,” a derogatory term.
The Walther circle
consisted of men who gathered in a cell group and were led by two Pietistic gurus. The first one was very strict;
he moved away and died. They looked for another Pietistic leader and affiliated
with Pastor Martin Stephan, Dresden. The Stephanite escape to America makes no
sense apart from the unified sense they gained from their cell group
identification.
Being a Pietist in a
rationalistic state church gave them unity in being a minority, a persecuted
minority. They were refused divine calls and in some cases refused to accept
one.
