Monday, May 11, 2026

It is the 11th of May 2026. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Hey everybody- a happy Monday to you, wherever you are and whenever you are listening- it is our custom on Mondays to answer questions you have- at some point we’ll do another Mailbag weekend show as the questions just keep coming. Send them to me at Danv@1517.org.

Randy in Loma Linda wrote in with a few questions. Loma Linda- by the way- not far from me here in Southern California- maybe the Adventist capital of the world? Seventh Day Adventist Ellen G. White bought up a bunch if property- it’s also one of the 5 known “blue zones” in the world where the population outlives regular life expectancy… Randy is 112 years old. Amazing.

His second question caught my eye, you’ll see why:

“I am intrigued in how the more Pietist Lutheran Immigrants from Scandinavia didn’t really remain loyal to Lutheranism, and as I noticed on the WELS website there is sort of an allergy to Pietism in conservative Lutheran groups. Since you have studied Pietism I would appreciate your opinion”.

Ok- for the uninitiated, WELS means Wisconsin Synod Lutherans- a conservative Lutheran body akin to the Missouri Synod- but more Scandinavian.

To answer your question, Randy, I’ll answer what a “Pietist” is, but first, I need you to define what a Lutheran is. Think about this yourself- and exchange “Lutheran” for whatever church body you worship with. What does it mean for someone to be “X”? For the Lutherans, this has always been a tricky question- does it mean your church says “Lutheran” on the outside? Is it because of a shared European and then American heritage? Is it being faithful to the teachings of Luther? Is it being faithful to the Lutheran Confessions- and if so, which ones?

You could probably ask your local Lutheran pastor, and they would give you an answer. I think the Lutheran Confessions are probably the best guide, historically.

What’s a Pietist? Here’s the secret after decades of thinking, writing, and working through this very question: no one knows. There’s not a singular thinker or confession or practice that marks a Pietist as a distinct person. They don’t even have a denomination. It’s usually an epithet (as a lot of Christian names, like “Methodists”, too). It is usually connected to the Lutheran church the way Puritans are connected to the Reformed church- these are the sons and daughters of a later generation who saw the first generation as incomplete or lacking something- usually pertaining to the affective side of theology, to the role of Christian ethics, and the emphasis being sanctification over justification.

I think the “allergy” you mention has to do with a group like WELS, or Missouri, which has many people in the group saying- “our confessions lay out our theology and don’t need to be fiddled with”- they are seen as innovators- people who started with the group, but then had some criticisms. The earliest “Pietists,” as I have come to believe, are those who formed conventicles, or “small groups” that met outside of the church to discuss the Bible and the Christian life. But could you have a small group that does that, but emphasizes justification (or how am I saved?) Over sanctification (or, how should I live). We start to get into “head vs heart” and the world of judging emphases which are hard to pin down… sorry to repeat this ad nauseam, but the old definition of a Puritan can match here- it’s “the sneaking suspicion that somewhere someone is having a good time”. They are perceived as killjoys (and often bogeymen), and so to distance yourself from “Pietism” is to say “we’re not the uptight ones”. It’s not a particular doctrine or tenet or even practice- it’s, as the kids say, a “vibe” and historians like me have a hard time isolating it… So… can we still use the word? Sure- just know it’s going to mean different things to different people. And some love it! And some hate it! But it’s slippery, and I’d rather people say what “they mean” by it, and we can go from there.

Thanks, Randy- sorry my answer is slippery, but so too is the term!

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and Psalm 93:

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
 the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
 indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.

Your throne was established long ago;
 you are from all eternity.

The seas have lifted up, Lord,
 the seas have lifted up their voice;
 the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
 mightier than the breakers of the sea—
 the Lord on high is mighty.

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
 holiness adorns your house
 for endless days.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 11th of May 2026, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who heard the Blue Zones were a favorite of Gargamel and his cat Azrael- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who knows of at least one listener to this show who used to run around pretending to be Gargamel to scare us, kids… I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.