2025/10/07 by Reinert, Jonathan
paper · doi:10.82438/thfpr.v50i1.68252
Reform is a dominant topic in our churches and theological education today. This has been the case in past centuries as well. From John Gerson and Thomas à Kempis via Luther and Johann Arndt to Spener and John Wesley, a tradition of reformists can be traced that is rooted in a specific theology: a theology of piety (Frömmigkeitstheologie). In this context the paper pursues an observation: from the Middle Ages to Methodism, reform impulses were linked to a renewed reading of older texts. This leads the author to the thesis that reading sources can stimulate unexpected impulses even in today’s world.