# Can Pietism and Confessionalism Be friends by Kevin DeYoung



## Rufus (Apr 20, 2011)

Can Pietism and Confessionalism Be Friends? (Part 1 of 3) – Kevin DeYoung

Can Pietism and Confessionalism Be Friends? (Part 2 of 3) – Kevin DeYoung

Can Pietism and Confessionalism Be Friends? (Part 3 of 3) – Kevin DeYoung

_After commentary from people like Micheal Horton: _Pietism and Confessionalism Round Up – Kevin DeYoung


I thought the articles brought up a good point, you can be at a Calvinist college, go to church, and accept the creeds, but still be unconverted.

Relying on the creeds and formalism without true faith in Christ, prayer, and love isn't worthwhile.

It does go into revival (especially the commentary) that is biblical and true, Edwards, Whitefield, Iain Murray, The Puritans, and Princeton Theologians.


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## MW (Apr 20, 2011)

Rufus said:


> Relying on the creeds and formalism without true faith in Christ, prayer, and love isn't worthwhile.


 
The creeds teach what is the true faith in Christ, prayer, and love, which are worthwhile. To have been so long under orthodox Christian teaching and to be none the better for it is obviously a perilous condition. There is, however, a stage where people might be inquiring about the Christian faith and are open to learning it. Learning the faith from the creeds can serve as a faithful and useful means to bring the person nearer to the kingdom of God. Consider Mark 12:28-34. "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And *when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly*, *he said unto him*, *Thou art not far from the kingdom of God*. And no man after that durst ask him any question."


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## Jack K (Apr 20, 2011)

Thanks for the links. I thought these were an excellent series of articles., reminding us that confessionalism and pietism, when they're working well, go hand in hand.

From part 1:



> I want a certain kind of confessionalism. I want a confessionalism that believes in Spirit-given revival, welcomes deep affections, affirms truth-driven experience, and understands that the best creeds should result in the best deeds. I want a confessionalism that believes in the institutional church AND expects our Christian faith to impact what we do in the world and how we do it. I want a confessionalism that is not ashamed to speak of conversion—dramatic conversion for some, unnoticed conversion for many.
> 
> I want a confessionalism that preaches and practices deep piety.


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