We all want to leave a quiet and peaceful life as much as it depends on us. However, I do know there are times when we need to turn the tables with righteous anger. I often wonder: when do we turn them? When do we keep quiet? Jesus was quiet throughout his trial and crucifixion, with very few words here and there. He was vocal at the temple with the money exchanging tables. In our world: when do we do it? Do we speak out against a coworker who is transgender or do we speak up at the ballots? Do we limit ourselves to refusing to use pronouns, or do we actively teach against it? Oh, Lord, give me wisdom! But I am so thankful I am not a man, the provider for our family. If I lose my job over what is right, oh well. But for the men, the stakes are much higher. I pray the Lord will give you all wisdom and boldness to act at the right time…
There is a range of actions we might take in any given circumstance, and wisdom has to dictate what options are available to us. Sometimes we might act with righteous anger, other times we might not. The point of this essay is that pietism has convinced Christians that they must always be in a defeatist mode of action, when that's not always the case. So, for example, I think going along with transgender pronouns is a violation of the 9th commandment that forbids bearing false witness. Eight of the 10 Commandments are framed negatively ("you shall not") because it's easier to define and forbid bad actions than to prescribe and require good actions.
There’s a point soon after Hitler was rising in power that a German Pastor Martin Nemour had a meeting with Hitler, still hoping that this rising leader wasn’t that bad of a guy.
Upon entering, Nemour is confronted with a transcript of phone calls where he was making light of Hitler.
And Hitler says to him, “listen Mr. Pastor, you shut up… you just worry about your sermons. I’ll worry about the Third Reich. You stay in your religious lane, you preach your little gospel and WE will run the world. You will bow your knee to the Furher!”
That same lie is what pastors in America are believing today. That: “Our sermons are to be only about the Gospel.” In order to keep favor with most people, because we certainly want everyone to like us.
But Jesus said we are to be in the world, but not of it, and for that reason we will be hated(John 15:19).
How do we break out of pietism, by sharing truth in every platform/situation we can.
Jesus truth defeats the devil’s lies.
Transgender lies have been propagating here in America because Christians have been silent, inviting pietism.
Pastors haven’t been encouraging their people to resist evil by speaking out against evil.
Bravo! I just read an article in the Living Church today by a bishop friend of mine that represented everything you talked about here. Most institutional Churches today belong to the Diocese of Laodicea.
Excellent analysis. I've studied the problems in American evangelicalism for some time. But I've yet to see the link to a sort of pietism exposed this well.
Just before surgery last week, I posted an essay that touches upon much of this same problem that has spread like contagion into many churches and our culture. My own thoughts are reflective of what I perceive as the deeply deceptive allure and desire of having a plastic Jesus with a wax nose on hand.
I think this 'Toxic Pietism' you've written about here is the saltless garnish in today's apostatic soup of feel-good Christianity. Never mind the content or nutritional value, it just looks good and sounds good.
Good work, Michael. I'm considering a follow-up piece to the one I just wrote as I am bed-bound until late February. I have a lot of time to write, and I think God's purpose in our ministry is to be challenging, to be honest and precise, to be convincing and not condemning such that through these messages some will repent and through grace, be brought into salvation.
Unfortunately, there's a kind of willful blindness and arrogance at play in our modern church that has many Christians adopting what I term, "Golden Bus Ticket" theology. (Essentially, they've got their tickets home, no need to do any of that 'other' stuff.)
Great article! Catholic here so feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt. There is certainly a trace of this in modern Catholicism, even though it's not to be found in our theology. I see these attitudes as a form of self-hatred or insecurity imposed by caring so much about what society thinks about us while still refusing to apostatize -- a Stockholm syndrome if I may. Luckily, there are many Catholics who are faithful to the Church's teaching on power (See JD Vance, Clarence Thomas & about half the supreme court). I think some medieval kings can provide great examples to us now of how Christian men should wield power, men like Louis IX and Alfred the Great.
Well articulated! Tom Price said, “ when the light of the world retreats inside the walls of the church. The world becomes a very dark place.” The privatization of the Christian faith is unbiblical because Christianity is a public truth.
Excellent article. I taught at our church a couple years ago that piety-teaching (sermons about virtues in the home) are good and necessary but by ONLY teaching that form of piety, we don't speak the truth to the world. Surely the adversary has something to say about government, politics, economics, laws, justice, sexuality, music, art, etc - but the Logos is silent or dismissive? Surely not.
Thank you thank you thank you🙏🙏🙏You put into words exactly what I have been feeling for years. As Christians, we must fight for what is good and holy because so many are powerless against the evil that is all around us. Turn the other cheek is meant to assure us that we can take whatever they dish out. They strike at us; we take the hit and keep moving forward because we know we are on the right track; we are over the target. I have family members who are appalled that public schools in some states are using the Bible, biblical context in American history courses. And when I ask why, they recite the separation of church and state canard while simultaneously extolling the virtue of Islamic principles or other religious practices into the curriculum as tolerant and open-minded
I have even saw this theology enter into my own mind and I heard a sermon that I can’t remember who the preacher was but he said “Jesus Christ was all truth, all love, all of the time!” He spoke the truth in love but did not give sin any place; in the time the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus said “ he who is without sin cast the first stone”, but when they left He asked her if any had condemned her, to which she replied none Lord and He said neither do I; go and sin no more
This article is way above my pay grade to "totally" understand but I agree wholeheartedly. We as Christians lack the courage to confront wrong when we see it. We figure it's someone else's responsibility to call it out. We just want to stay in our own little bubble where everything remains well. I guess Christians by nature are not confrontational creatures.
We all want to leave a quiet and peaceful life as much as it depends on us. However, I do know there are times when we need to turn the tables with righteous anger. I often wonder: when do we turn them? When do we keep quiet? Jesus was quiet throughout his trial and crucifixion, with very few words here and there. He was vocal at the temple with the money exchanging tables. In our world: when do we do it? Do we speak out against a coworker who is transgender or do we speak up at the ballots? Do we limit ourselves to refusing to use pronouns, or do we actively teach against it? Oh, Lord, give me wisdom! But I am so thankful I am not a man, the provider for our family. If I lose my job over what is right, oh well. But for the men, the stakes are much higher. I pray the Lord will give you all wisdom and boldness to act at the right time…
There is a range of actions we might take in any given circumstance, and wisdom has to dictate what options are available to us. Sometimes we might act with righteous anger, other times we might not. The point of this essay is that pietism has convinced Christians that they must always be in a defeatist mode of action, when that's not always the case. So, for example, I think going along with transgender pronouns is a violation of the 9th commandment that forbids bearing false witness. Eight of the 10 Commandments are framed negatively ("you shall not") because it's easier to define and forbid bad actions than to prescribe and require good actions.
Right on Pastor Clary…
There’s a point soon after Hitler was rising in power that a German Pastor Martin Nemour had a meeting with Hitler, still hoping that this rising leader wasn’t that bad of a guy.
Upon entering, Nemour is confronted with a transcript of phone calls where he was making light of Hitler.
And Hitler says to him, “listen Mr. Pastor, you shut up… you just worry about your sermons. I’ll worry about the Third Reich. You stay in your religious lane, you preach your little gospel and WE will run the world. You will bow your knee to the Furher!”
That same lie is what pastors in America are believing today. That: “Our sermons are to be only about the Gospel.” In order to keep favor with most people, because we certainly want everyone to like us.
But Jesus said we are to be in the world, but not of it, and for that reason we will be hated(John 15:19).
How do we break out of pietism, by sharing truth in every platform/situation we can.
Jesus truth defeats the devil’s lies.
Transgender lies have been propagating here in America because Christians have been silent, inviting pietism.
Pastors haven’t been encouraging their people to resist evil by speaking out against evil.
This is exactly what Eric Metaxas spoke of in his book ‘Letter to the American Church’.
Or how the russians are not resisting putin, (other example)
You nailed it! Sometimes it takes nails.
Bravo! I just read an article in the Living Church today by a bishop friend of mine that represented everything you talked about here. Most institutional Churches today belong to the Diocese of Laodicea.
Excellent analysis. I've studied the problems in American evangelicalism for some time. But I've yet to see the link to a sort of pietism exposed this well.
Just before surgery last week, I posted an essay that touches upon much of this same problem that has spread like contagion into many churches and our culture. My own thoughts are reflective of what I perceive as the deeply deceptive allure and desire of having a plastic Jesus with a wax nose on hand.
( https://pastormike.substack.com/p/triggering-your-plastic-jesus ) '
I think this 'Toxic Pietism' you've written about here is the saltless garnish in today's apostatic soup of feel-good Christianity. Never mind the content or nutritional value, it just looks good and sounds good.
Good work, Michael. I'm considering a follow-up piece to the one I just wrote as I am bed-bound until late February. I have a lot of time to write, and I think God's purpose in our ministry is to be challenging, to be honest and precise, to be convincing and not condemning such that through these messages some will repent and through grace, be brought into salvation.
Unfortunately, there's a kind of willful blindness and arrogance at play in our modern church that has many Christians adopting what I term, "Golden Bus Ticket" theology. (Essentially, they've got their tickets home, no need to do any of that 'other' stuff.)
Blessings from the horizontal pulpit.
Thanks brother! May the Lord grant you a swift recovery as well!
Excellent
Great article! Catholic here so feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt. There is certainly a trace of this in modern Catholicism, even though it's not to be found in our theology. I see these attitudes as a form of self-hatred or insecurity imposed by caring so much about what society thinks about us while still refusing to apostatize -- a Stockholm syndrome if I may. Luckily, there are many Catholics who are faithful to the Church's teaching on power (See JD Vance, Clarence Thomas & about half the supreme court). I think some medieval kings can provide great examples to us now of how Christian men should wield power, men like Louis IX and Alfred the Great.
Well articulated! Tom Price said, “ when the light of the world retreats inside the walls of the church. The world becomes a very dark place.” The privatization of the Christian faith is unbiblical because Christianity is a public truth.
This was an incredible article…
Excellent article. I taught at our church a couple years ago that piety-teaching (sermons about virtues in the home) are good and necessary but by ONLY teaching that form of piety, we don't speak the truth to the world. Surely the adversary has something to say about government, politics, economics, laws, justice, sexuality, music, art, etc - but the Logos is silent or dismissive? Surely not.
Thank you thank you thank you🙏🙏🙏You put into words exactly what I have been feeling for years. As Christians, we must fight for what is good and holy because so many are powerless against the evil that is all around us. Turn the other cheek is meant to assure us that we can take whatever they dish out. They strike at us; we take the hit and keep moving forward because we know we are on the right track; we are over the target. I have family members who are appalled that public schools in some states are using the Bible, biblical context in American history courses. And when I ask why, they recite the separation of church and state canard while simultaneously extolling the virtue of Islamic principles or other religious practices into the curriculum as tolerant and open-minded
Absolutely amazing article!!!! 👍
Thanks Scott! Glad you found it helpful
I have even saw this theology enter into my own mind and I heard a sermon that I can’t remember who the preacher was but he said “Jesus Christ was all truth, all love, all of the time!” He spoke the truth in love but did not give sin any place; in the time the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus said “ he who is without sin cast the first stone”, but when they left He asked her if any had condemned her, to which she replied none Lord and He said neither do I; go and sin no more
Right, that's a very common pietistic attitude
It's good to see you posting again... well done.
This article is way above my pay grade to "totally" understand but I agree wholeheartedly. We as Christians lack the courage to confront wrong when we see it. We figure it's someone else's responsibility to call it out. We just want to stay in our own little bubble where everything remains well. I guess Christians by nature are not confrontational creatures.