Spener's Plan

Faithful Christians through the centuries have reliably identified, and drawn attention to, the church's flaws. It is the sincerity of faith, not the lack of faith, which motivates the sharpest critiques of the church, and it is the sharpest critiques which yield concrete steps for improving and reforming the church.

The history of Christianity is filled with reformers, from William of Aquitaine's Cluny movement, to the Cistercians, to the Franciscans and Dominicans, to Karl Barth's neo-orthodoxy. All of these efforts were directed toward recalling the church to its original mission and ridding it of errors or corruptions.

Philipp Jakob Spener is no exception. Until his death in 1705, he led the Pietistic movement which he largely created. Although scholars dispute exactly what Pietism is, and whether it is truly orthodox, the sincerity of Spener's faith in manifest in his main text, Pia Desideria.

The last third of that book presents a clearly stated program for reform. In five sections, it can be summarized thus:

1. A more extensive use of the Word of God among us; because nothing good will arise from our nature, something of God must be worked into us. Faith will be ignited by the Gospel, and the Law serves as a rule for good works and gives a drive toward them.
• Preaching services, or services of the Word, alone are not enough. Spener praises the fact that services of the word are found daily in his town (Frankfurt), but more is needed. Even though preachers examine all the pericopes, and even additional texts beyond the pericopes, the listeners are given only small chunks of Scripture at any one time, and those texts are examined only from whichever limited aspect of them is considered in the sermon.
• Everyone should take the Scriptures into his own hands for himself and read it. The father, as head of the family, should read aloud from the Scripture to the family daily; if he cannot read, he can have someone read it. Andreas Hyperius (1511 - 1564) stated the importance of this practice, Georg Nigrinus translated it into German, and Elias Veyel republished it.
• Congregations should meet to read the Bible aloud. Spener advocates for a Bible study program which is a separate event from a worship service.
• Congregations should follow an ancient apostolic pattern for discussion and study of the Bible; a practice is suggested, that under the supervision of the preacher, faithful Christians discuss and mutually edify each other according to an apostolic institution (I Cor. 14).
• Clergy should lead such discussion and study to avoid quarrelsomeness, self-glorification, or self-seeking; the hoped-for benefits of such corporate study.
• Corporate study is crucial in fostering fellowship and spiritual growth; the necessity of diligent engagement with the divine Word.
• Luther considered the reading of Scripture so important that he was hesitant to publish his own books, in case they would detract from people's reading of the Bible; Luther's wish concerning such congregational study.

2. Institution and diligent exercise of the spiritual priesthood
• The papacy had un-empowered the laity; the priesthood of believers was utterly hidden for reasons of worldly politics.
• The laity have become sluggish; Luther demonstrated this priesthood from the Scripture.
• The priesthood does not detract from the office of preaching, but rather supports it; the benefit and usefulness of this priesthood.
• After Luther's death, the laity's priestly work and their diligent study of the Bible has been largely forgotten.

3. Diligently teaching the people that Christianity consists not of knowledge, but in actions.
• Skip no opportunity to do good to one's neighbor; the distinguishing mark of true Christians.

4. How we ought to behave in religious disputes
• Pray for those who err.
• Be a good model for them.
• We should show them their errors.
• But above all demonstrate sincere love.
• A first step toward reuniting the churches; disputation is a proper means for the preservation of the truth.
• Disputes can ruin hearts; not all disputation is useful and good.
• We want to help people in every way; many errors common to disputations and disputants; even the best disputation is by itself the sufficient means; how necessary is the true love of God, and leading people to it.
• Dare the experiment of faith! What the hoped-for results of this may be.

5. Reforming the Study of Theology; the training of preachers at the universities.
• The example of the professor; a good example provided by the professors is necessary.
• Studying and Christianity in action belong together; to impress upon the students that a spiritual life is as important as diligence in studies.
• Theology is a habitus practicus; why theology students should be admonished to this.
• The Holy Spirit is the only true teacher; theology is not merely a body of knowledge; the professors are to supervise the lives of the students.
• It's not a question of the philosophy of religion, but of studying theology; various methods of bringing them to the desired result.
• Professors should not advance students solely on the basis of their giftedness; how far ought one to engage students in controversies?
• Discussions should be conducted in German, in order to learn how one speaks intelligibly to a congregation; what other types of harm might arise.
• The budding student needs a loyal mentor; Luther recommends Johannes Tauler and the anonymous book Theologica Germanica.
• The sum of theology can be brought again to apostolic simplicity; Thomas à Kempis, and the usefulness of similar books.
• Luther recommends the sermons of Tauler; practices which attain to practice as well as theory.
• Theology is not merely an academic structure.
• A proposal: founding Collegia Pietatis for students.
• How can one engage such practices?
• A brotherly fellowship of students could grow out of this.
• The function of the professor.
• Instituting practical exercises.

6. Institution and alignment of preaching toward edification instead of toward theologically educated splendor.
• Never tire of teaching the catechism; common mistakes.
• Sermons should strengthen the inner man; directing toward the inner or new man, and toward the worship service occurring in him.
• Johann Arnd's postil; the blessed Johann Arndt (1555 - 1621) is an example of this; how the current edition of his postil has been improved; comments to the reader of Arndt's works; Bernhard Varenius (1622 - 1650) rescue's the true Christianity of Arndt; the reader is encouraged to pray.