It is not entirely clear that Pietism predated
Anabaptism – in as much as Zwingli is considered to be an Anabaptist
antecedent, and Dirk Philips is considered an Anabaptist founder, so would any
reformer that displayed the key ingredients of the pietist theo-philosophy be by
definition worked into the Radical Reformation as an Anabaptist or at least,
heavily and perhaps fatally suspected of significant Anabaptist-leanings. Just as the Mennonite and Hutterite
Anabaptists built on the traditions of Zwingli, Huss, and the Waldenses, and
even, for that matter, on Luther and Calvin, the Pietists represent a distinctive
moment in time, separate but probably heavily influenced by Anabaptism –
especially the Anabaptist strains from the Netherlands and Danzig.
Most notably, Spener was, and remained, a
Lutheran born about 100 years after the death of Menno Simons. Of the Pietist precedents, none shines out
more clearly than Johann Arndt. In The
Pietist Theologians, Carter Lindberg puts forth a pretty strong case that while
Arndt was definitely a contributor to Pietism, he was not in the end a true
Pietist and that the honorific of
“Father of Pietism” should remain on the faithful shoulders of Spener
and his Pia Desiderata. Arguably, both Arndt and Spener contributed significant
personal and new content to the shaping of Pietism and peculiar approaches to
the combined influences of the Luther Reformation, the Dutch-German Mystical
traditions dating back to the Middle Ages, and the spirited Anabaptism that
those men saw around them. In fact, we
know from his biographical narrative that Arndt was acquainted with and
probably influenced by Mennonite neighbors and business connections. Interestingly, his exclamatory exclamation
contra his Mennonite neighbor leaves room for being both influenced by the
Mennonites as well as sharing a new discovery with them -- that they, the Mennonites, would want to
keep such a wonderful things to themselves.
