A Renewal of Radical Pietism
Whereas Radical Pietism, a movement foundational to the Church of the Brethren, has been largely overshadowed by a stronger acknowledgement of our Anabaptist lineage; and
Whereas notions of piety have garnered considerable cultural and religious baggage and are in need of recovery and renewal; and
Whereas Radical Pietism has been largely overshadowed by more domesticated notions of Pietism, or Church Pietism, and;
Whereas Radical Pietist spirituality provides a rich foundation for the deeply transformational nature of the Christian life; and
Whereas Radical Pietists appeal to a direct awareness of the presence of God, a position sometimes dismissed by a distrust of the contemplative tradition and mystical theology; and
Whereas Radical Pietists were deeply devoted to Scripture in ways that transcend the conservative notion of biblical inerrancy or literalism and the progressive notion of historical-critical study and scholarship; and
Whereas Radical Pietists shared a clear sense of an inner Word, a position obscured by conservative notions of legalism and progressive notions of conscience; and
Whereas the Radical Pietistic appeal to interior religious life is both deeper than mere obedience to the Scriptures and also a balm against life as defined by social and cultural trends,
Therefore, we ask:
Can forgotten elements of our Radical Pietist heritage, together with our Brethren values, hold within them seeds for a spiritual revolution and renewal?
Can a renewal of Radical Pietist spirituality provide the anchor for a compelling vision for the Church of the Brethren and serve as a means for reorienting and overcoming longstanding conservative and progressive fractures within the denomination, ushering in a period of restoration and reformation?
Jonathan Emmons August 2017