Piety

Piety means a respectful attitude in the sense of reverence unsolvable puzzles as well as before presented ordering patterns of life and the cosmos. It is most often a religiously practiced this behavior and often in a conviction and determination to a god. In religious communities, the pious man distinguished by the fact that his thoughts and actions corresponding to the religious organization. If piety mere pretense, is exaggerated or otherwise, we speak of bigotry, hypocrisy, bigotry or sectarianism.

Word Meaning

The attested since the 8th century word is fruma from the Old High German noun, froma ( " benefit, advantage ", Middle High German vrum, vrom ) derived. The adjective initially had the meaning of " useful ", and later " righteous " " proficient " and. In the 16th century it was still related to animals and things.

Frum is etymologically to connect to the Indo-European with corresponding terms, in particular the Greek εὐσέβεια ( eusebeia ), the Latin primus, and thus the Protruding, counselors and brave ( cf. ἀρετή arete ). " The Old High German Gothic includes ethical conduct torque [ ... ua] in the Roman pietas [ ... ] than the reverence and obedience to the orders of life. " This significance remained until the 16th century. Even Martin Luther used it in this sense. If Luther wanted to say " religious " in the sense used today, he instead used the word " godly ".

The original meaning of the word has also in words like " religious ", which means " good, help " means receive, and in formulations such as pious hands, pious servant or pious animal, where there are " good, useful or honest " and " gentle, easily tractable, docile "means ( cf. the expression:" a lamb "). Goethe, however, used, piety ' in the sense of righteous ' and as, well intentioned, but unsatisfiable '.

From the 17th century, is piety ' mainly used in the context of a still common reverence for the divine, first strongly related to pietists, in Kant's positive in the sense of a senior principle "from above" as well as negative in the sense of " a servile disposition ". The range of variation generally ranges from one hand mystical- contemplative forms, even unworldly inwardness and the other " transcendental spiritual and religious world -bound responsibility up to the immanent non-religious world - piety of the atheistic socialist humanism. "

Ancient Philosophy and Culture

See the virtues in Aeschylus and Socrates with piety ( εὐσέβεια, eusebeia ) that Plato's theory systematically replaced the good guys with wisdom ( φρόνησις, phronesis ) and wisdom ( σοφία, sophía ). See also Epicurus' attitude with a " materialistic " worship the " gods " of the world.

In Ancient Rome was understood pietas basically honorable, respectful behavior, which stayed the hierarchies. So pietas could both obedience and reverence to the gods or designate ( in Christian Late Antiquity ) to God, as well as respect and respect for socially higher-ranking people. In particular, the reverence for the father or the paternal power was the Romans as a central virtue. Only in Latin literature of the Middle Ages pietas was largely restricted to the religious significance. The Pieta was occasionally also marked on backs of coins of the Roman Empire.

Piety in religions

The phenomenon piety is found in every religion. One can distinguish between inner mystical and expressive ecstatic piety.

In general, piety expresses on the one hand religious in prayer, sacrifice, the ( regular ) participation in religious ( cult ) actions, and on the other hand practically in a respectful and compassionate handling of the living and the dead from. The strength of religious practice and the requirements of the individual believer can vary greatly.

Already in ancient Rome the pietas includes the external act of worship and the underlying inner spirit. (Cicero: De domo sua )

Judaism

In the Tanakh, the fear of God is the essence of piety. Fear of punitive, wrathful God and rejoicing at his mercy characterize the inner attitude of Israel in the Tanakh. Abraham is considered the ideal type of the Jewish piety, coupled with humility and trust in God which consists of the probation in effect and leads to complete surrender.

In later Judaism of piety term is closely associated with the concept of legality, which means that the pious Jew, in the first place, as they are recorded in the Five Books of Moses, adheres to the rules and laws of his forefathers, such as keep the Sabbath, to observe purity laws exactly, to fast, to give alms, etc. This piety term that represented the Pharisees, led - misunderstood - for law - piety, which consisted of a purely formal obedience and compliance with certain people entitled to felt to provide also claims God. However, such an attitude of almost all Jewish authorities is rejected - the observance of the law is to them, although indeed very important, but does not replace the necessary inner attitude to God.

In Eastern Jewry of the early modern period, the ecstatic piety of Hasidism developed.

Christianity

In the New Testament, many find evidence that Jesus vehemently spoke out against a purely external law - piety, especially in conversations, in which it Pharisees often complicated (Mt 23,28 EU). He demanded unconditional surrender to the Father, the only connected by the ongoing efforts in the moral and religious fact with a profound love for God and neighbor is to be realized.

Since the Early Church was especially the unworldly withdrawn as a hermit, consecrated virgin or in the monastery as an expression of piety. Only in the course of time, the understanding of piety extended meaning that every believer could be regarded as pious, without his piety must be tied to specific external conditions. In the Catholic Church 's piety is counted among the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Since the Enlightenment, was mainly in Protestantism, more and more the " inwardness " stressed. She lives out of the religious feeling of the individual believer, who could live his piety in the " behind closed doors ". This resulted in the 18th century the great movement of Pietism, which was characterized in its early stages all of these personal, private piety. Everyone had to represent to himself and his Creator, how intense and truly he versehe his service to God and the people. In the 19th century piety was further narrowed to as " definiteness of feeling ," says Schleiermacher.

The piety of individual believers can therefore be very different, but always refers to God and includes the participation of one of the Christian community.

Islam and other

See Sufism and Others

Theology / Philosophy of Religion

See Søren Kierkegaard, inter alia,

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1964, p 541) is the " heat of piety " that " patience of the word " counter.

Humanism and freethinkers

See humanism and its antique models to denominational forms.

(Post- ) Modern Philosophy

Friedrich Nietzsche understands piety as dreamy devotion, fleeing from the truth as well as an understanding that grows out of unbelief.

Herbert Schnädelbach represents a " religious atheism " of the one respected thinks without a belief in God, which is reflected in religious matters, theological education services and the unassailable moment of ignorance.