Halle Pietism, Colonial North America,
and the Young United States

Edited by Hans-Jürgen Grabbe

The significant cultural, theological, and economic impulses originating from the pietist-influenced Francke Foundations in Halle had a profound effect on colonial British North America and the young American Republic. The Hallensian networks as well as their connections to and influences within North America are analyzed not only in the Atlantic context, but also in terms of the repercussions felt both in Germany and the United States during the 19th century.

The contributions comprising this collection of essays situate Hallensian Pietism and Halle-influenced Lutheran German-Americans within their respective larger historical contexts. Two such examples are the ethnic dimension of Franklin’s nationalism as well as the influence of Lutheran doctrine and Pietism on the founding of Methodism. Additionally, there are several micro-studies concerned with the interdependencies between pastors from Halle and the American social surroundings into which they were thrust. The unraveling of the connections between Halle and North America at the dawn of the 19th century is illustrated in terms of the waning dissemination of knowledge in the natural sciences, above all pharmaceutical knowledge, stemming from Halle.

Hans-Jürgen Grabbe,
ed., Halle Pietism, Colonial North
America, and the
Young United States, USA-Studien 15 (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2008). 314 p.