Pietism and the Sacraments

Pietism was a movement that emerged in the 17^th century as a response to the perceived formalism and overemphasis on rationalism within Lutheranism and Calvinism at the time. In broad church historysurveys, Pietism is sometimes portrayed merely as a transitional movement, one that linked the Reformers to the evangelicalism of figures like George Whitefield and the Moravians, or to Friedrich Schleiermacher and early theological liberalism. Within this transitional view, August Hermann Francke often serves as a transitional figure: the pastor and theologian who inherited Pietism’s original theology and structures from Philipp Jakob Spener, subsequently developing and institutionalizing Spener’s vision before passing these Pietist institutions on to the modern world. In his book Pietism and the Sacraments: The Life and Theology of August Hermann Francke, Peter James Yoder challenges this narrow perspective by asserting that Francke is a theologian worthy of focused study in his own right. Through a close analysis of Francke’s sacramental theology, Yoder contends that Pietism’s emphases on conversion and salvation were “consistently communicated in the sacraments” (3). Yoder’s book shows that Pietism was more than a transitional movement. It offered substantive theological development for early modern Protestants. This compelling exploration of Francke’s theology will prove valuable to anyone studying the theology of this era.

Yoder begins by tracing Francke's development from a young lecturer in biblical languages to a prominent Pietist pastor and theologian. Francke's personal conversion and subsequent theological positions led to accusations that he was undermining established church authority and potentially promoting unorthodox theology. Although Francke was cleared of charges, the experience reinforced his conviction that many of the self-professed faithful within the churches failed to lead lives confirming their Christian commitment. As pastor in Glaucha, Germany, Francke implemented a Pietist reform program centered on three key themes. First he focused on personal Bible study as a catalyst for individual conversion. Second, he emphasized conversion itself as a pivotal moment in which one acknowledges sinfulness and turns towards greater faithfulness. Finally, Francke stressed the necessity of reforming both individual believers and society more broadly. While Yoder’s account is not a comprehensive critical biography, his concise summary helpfully situates Pietism’s major theological priorities within the context of Francke’s practical ministry.

In the book’s third chapter, Yoder connects controversies over Francke’s reforming ideals to the development of his sacramental thought. Francke diagnosed profound spiritual ignorance in his churches as clear evidence of an unconverted state. This was a message many in his congregation found difficult to accept. In Francke’s view, true spiritual knowledge required an individual to fully recognize their fallen state and find salvation through Christ—a transformative process mediated through the conscience, which revealed God's law, illuminated a person's sinfulness, and provided assurance of conversion. Within Francke's theological framework, sacraments served as solemn oaths—“expressions of [a Christian's] faithfulness and obedience” (65). Francke's oath-focused sacramental language echoed the devotional writings of Puritan author Lewis Bayly, whom Yoder shows to have influenced Francke. This oath-based sacramental concept also enabled Francke to deflect accusations of Quaker theological sympathy. Overall, this chapter compellingly develops the complex relationships and influences woven throughout Francke's thought, demonstrating how his distinct Pietist sacramental theology emerged through interaction with (and at times defiance of) contemporaneous European church reform movements.

The next two chapters examine Francke's perspectives on baptism. Yoder demonstrates how Francke downplayed traditional notions of baptismal regeneration while amplifying baptism's spiritual meaning in shaping core Pietist concerns around conversion and holy living. For Francke, Christ's own baptism served as an inspirational model for Pietist Christians. Through exegetical analysis connecting the symbolic meaning of each baptismal element to key Pietist thought, Francke argued that the water of baptism signified Christ's suffering and the believer's struggles, the opened heavens pointed to resurrection and ascension, and the descending dove foreshadowed the continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church. In Francke's assessment, most Christians had strayed from their original baptismal covenant by prioritizing worldly comforts. The renewal of this covenant was enacted through personal repentance, revived faith, and the wholesale rejection of sin. His overriding goal was to imbue baptism with enhanced meaning to inspire inward spiritual transformation—even as this agenda put his sacramental theology in tension with established Lutheran doctrines.

The book’s final chapters explore Francke's conceptions of confession and the Eucharist. Confession undertaken merely for outward appearances was anathema to Pietist emphases on inward spiritual conversion. For Francke, confession—which had been a point of sacramental tension in Luther's thought—was only valid when aimed at correcting and verifying one's internal spiritual state. Similarly, in the Eucharist, Francke differentiated between worthy and unworthy participants based on the “spiritual fruit” of their lives rather than mere physical attendance at the sacrament. Francke deemed those believers demonstrating the greatest spiritual devotion “brides” of Christ, a conceptual framing that Yoder suggests evidenced Francke's own “mystical tendencies” (133). Yet ultimately, the Eucharist was not a magical rite for Francke but one commemorating transformative inner renewal. In his formulation, the Lord's Supper occurred in believer’s hearts as they actively remembered Christ's sacrifice and participated in the sacrament's spiritual meaning.

While Francke's paramount emphasis on personal conversion could suggest a simplistic Pietist theology devoid of ecclesiology, Yoder argues convincingly for a more nuanced appraisal. As Yoder demonstrates, despite elevating individual spiritual transformation, Francke maintained a robust theology of the church. In Francke's assessment, “proper” New Testament worship necessitated gatherings of truly converted believers, with the sacraments playing an integral role in confirming each person's direct encounter with God.

When analyzing Francke’s primary sermons, writings, and works of practical theology, the book is at its strongest. The brief epilogue speculatively connects Francke to the 18th century evangelical revivals and ministry of George Whitefield, gesturing toward potential influences on later movements. There is more to explore here, but in this bookYoder has clearly laid out the key components of Francke's sacramental theology in a manner that will prove immensely helpful for students and researchers seeking a fuller picture of early Pietist thought and practice.

Lane E. Davis is an assistant professor of religion at Huntingdon College.

Lane Davis

Date Of Review:

January 29, 2024