Piety or Pieteism
P. Andrew Sandlin, from his new blog:
Pietism as used here includes two things. First, the limitation of piety to the personal or internal, often equated with the "spiritual." The "outer" world, the world of art and music and politics and science and education and technology and economics, is usually considered under Satanic control. In any case, to concern oneself with these matters in a distinctly Christian way is to divert attention from the truly "spiritual" issues of life.
Second, pietism usually involves substituting man's command for God's (see Mark 7). This is its most pernicious trait. Pietists are convinced the Bible's ethics are insufficient, so they must add their own list of regulations that they impose on others: prohibition of watching movies, smoking cigars, employing birth control, driving a Mercedes, drinking coffee, playing the ponies, and so on. "Courtship" is moral and dating is not; at-home moms are moral and working moms are not; dresses are moral and pantsuits are not; and on and on.
My guess (or hope) is that the great Pietist theologians did not endorse this "pietism" - especially the second part. If some find Sandlin's description objectionable, keep in mind that the word "puritan" has been abused to far greater degree.
Whatever the word we use, the traits Sandlin describes make for bad religion and worse ethics - yet "pietistic" Christianity is how most Americans conceive the faith. And this pietism accounts for nearly all of the insufferable and annoying traits of the American character. If there is to be reformation and revival in American Christianity, a lot of it would be a purging of these pietistic ideas.
Pietism as used here includes two things. First, the limitation of piety to the personal or internal, often equated with the "spiritual." The "outer" world, the world of art and music and politics and science and education and technology and economics, is usually considered under Satanic control. In any case, to concern oneself with these matters in a distinctly Christian way is to divert attention from the truly "spiritual" issues of life.
Second, pietism usually involves substituting man's command for God's (see Mark 7). This is its most pernicious trait. Pietists are convinced the Bible's ethics are insufficient, so they must add their own list of regulations that they impose on others: prohibition of watching movies, smoking cigars, employing birth control, driving a Mercedes, drinking coffee, playing the ponies, and so on. "Courtship" is moral and dating is not; at-home moms are moral and working moms are not; dresses are moral and pantsuits are not; and on and on.
My guess (or hope) is that the great Pietist theologians did not endorse this "pietism" - especially the second part. If some find Sandlin's description objectionable, keep in mind that the word "puritan" has been abused to far greater degree.
Whatever the word we use, the traits Sandlin describes make for bad religion and worse ethics - yet "pietistic" Christianity is how most Americans conceive the faith. And this pietism accounts for nearly all of the insufferable and annoying traits of the American character. If there is to be reformation and revival in American Christianity, a lot of it would be a purging of these pietistic ideas.
posted by Unknown at 7:08 PM
4 Comments:
Well this blog certainly is not about online guitars. What the heck! I guess the internet can play some tricks on us sometimes. I have been on-line for two hours
researching online guitars and came tumbling across your blog. I LOVE IT! I needed a break from online guitars anyways :-) If you don't mind I want to add your
blog to my favorites list so I can come back later on and read some more stuff. Well I guess I should get back to researching online guitars.
Even though my search is not on Piety or Pieteism I am glad I came across your blog. Keep blogging away!
Hey this blog is not about beatles guitar tabs. Silly internet bringing me here :-) Funny I have been doing hours of research on beatles guitar tabs and it brought me to your blog on Piety or Pieteism. The web plays funny games sometimes. Anyways, I was reading your blog James Leroy Wilson and I think it is really cool. Keep up the great work.
If you do not mind I may snag your blog and put it in my favorites. I read a ton of stuff that interested me. Keep blogging away :-)
Well I just got back from the gym and I am beat. I am currently doing some research on beginner guitars and stumbled across your blog. Which cracks me up really. The internet can certainly land you off base sometimes. Even though Piety or Pieteism is not completely related I think it is a cool blog. I have read back through the archives and lots of people make some very good points. Well I have been on-line forever it seems. I need to continue to plug away at beginner guitars. If you have the energy swing by beginner guitars. I try to update my site weekly and maybe you will see something you like. I already snagged your URL and put it in my favorites. If you do not mind I will be back again. Great job!
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