Description:
The world saw wave after wave of religious revival and spiritual renewal from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, including Pietism, Methodism, and the Great Awakenings. German Lutheran Pietism, especially as represented by A. H. Francke's institutions at Halle, served as a clearinghouse for many of the swells of Protestant reformation. One of the hubs of that communications network was London, where Anthony William Boehm was active in the first decades of the 1700s. Not only did Boehm become a well-placed ambassador of Francke's enterprises, but he was also a gifted preacher, influencer, translator, and author in his own right. This book highlights Boehm's role as a global correspondent. In 1737, fifteen years after his death, over one hundred and fifty of Boehm's letters were published. Translated for the first time into English, these letters offer readers an illuminating glimpse into the life of a Halle Pietist whose reach extended from London to Germany, India, and the fledgling American colonies.
Brief description: Paul J. Griffiths is Schmitt Professor of Catholic Studies and Chair of the Department of Classics Mediterranean Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the author of the much-acclaimed Christianity through Non-Christian Eyes.
Review Quotes: "This collection is a fascinating and extremely helpful volume of letters from the early eighteenth-century pietist leader Anthony William Boehm, who, from his position at the British court in London, maintained an extensive correspondence with a range of Protestant leaders in Europe, Asia, and North America. These letters demonstrate in detail the transnational nature of European pietism and provide a first-hand glimpse into its development."
--Mark Granquist, Lloyd and Annelotte Svendsbye Professor of the History of Christianity, Luther Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota
"Daniel Brunner's lucid translation of Boehm's correspondence provides English readers a richer, fuller picture of the global network of Halle Pietists. These letters are glimpses into the theological complexities and cultural impact of German Pietism, and scholars and laymen alike will benefit from access to them."
--Peter James Yoder, author of Pietism and the Sacraments: The Life and Theology of August Hermann Francke