Pietism (Noun)
Meaning 1
Exaggerated or affected piety and religious zeal.
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
17th and 18th-century German movement in the Lutheran Church stressing personal piety and devotion.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- Philipp Jakob Spener, a German theologian, is often credited with launching the Pietist movement in the late 17th century.
- Pietism in the 18th century became increasingly influential among the German Lutheran communities, stressing a more personal and emotional experience of faith.
- Some argued that the emphasis on individual piety and moral rigor within Pietism led to a diminished role for church authority.
- August Hermann Francke's orphanage and schools in Halle became a major center of Pietist learning and social activism during the early 18th century.
- Historians have noted that Pietism played a significant role in the development of Prussian education and social reform initiatives during the 17th and 18th centuries.