Arising in late 17th century Germany, Pietism indelibly altered the Protestant Reformation. Not only did it inspire John Wesley's Methodist movement and Alexander Mack's Brethren movement, its tenets lie at the core of modern-day Evangelicalism.
But as University of Calgary Professor Douglas H. Shantz relates in his latest book, An Introduction to German Pietism, the history, roots, and impact of this reaction to Lutheranism are much broader, more nuanced, and darker than is generally understood.
JHU Press Journals Public Relations and Advertising Coordinator Brian Shea caught up with Professor Shantz at the German Studies Association annual meeting in Denver earlier this month to find out more about why he wrote the book and what he hopes it will accomplish.