Playing Games with Your Life: Halle Pietism and the Worship of Wealth

Very few scholars question the importance of August Hermann Francke (1663-1727) in the development and spread of German Pietism, but there is still relatively little written on what the Halle Pietist taught concerning the accumulation, use, and dangers of wealth.  In this paper, I propose to explore Francke’s doctrine of wealth with specific attention paid to the role his conception of “idolatry” played in this formulation.  In order to accomplish this goal, I will be utilizing not only Francke’s printed sermons, tracts, and letters, but also handwritten copies of his sermons delivered in the 1690s.  Specific attention will be paid to Francke’s opinions concerning the activities and conditions in Glaucha, and provides invaluable insight into how Francke understood the relationship between God’s omniscience and the condition of his parishioners’ lives.

Francke’s teachings on wealth will be framed by both his common soteriological teachings and his application of these teachings to the Lutheran three estates doctrine.  Within this framework (e.g. the implications of true faith for the householder), I will examine how he addressed such themes as ownership and the accumulation of assets in the world of the “unfaithful.”  The presentation will consider how Francke articulated materialism in the life of the individual in light of her/his consistent call to deny the world, the flesh, and the Devil.  How do his views on wealth factor into his theological juxtaposition of “inward” and “outward” living?  In conclusion, I will consider the historical impact of Francke’s doctrine of wealth in such practices as confession (Beichte) and the daily activities of the Glaucha community.  The result of this presentation will be a richer understanding of the complexity in Francke’s theology of wealth and how his construction impacted his far-reaching ministry.