10/26/12 – Readers interested in Pietism and how that term continues be used in the larger evangelical and Protestant world should read Scot McKnight’s response to Tim Keller‘s argument (in Center Church) that the influence of pietism led 20th century evangelicals to “ignore culture and put all stress on conversions and on the spiritual growth of individuals.” One of our speakers at the April 2012 Bethel colloquium on Pietism, Scot rightly drew a distinction between the Pietism of Spener and Francke and the “pietism” that critics like Keller associate with disengagement from culture and an overly interior conversionism. Then go back and read my post on an earlier use of “pietism” by Keller.
The Pietist Schoolman 
This semantic confusion is another reason to use a modifier when discussion Pietism. I will say moderate pietism from now on to avoid confusion with extreme forms that a) withdraw from the world entirely b) strive for unreasonable levels of purity or c) roll on the floor ecstatically.