Pietism

Pietism was a religious movement that started in Germany during the latter part of the 17th century. Traditionally, the Pietist movement has been viewed as a backlash against intellectualism prevalent in and among the Protestant ranks, especially in the Lutheran Church during that period. However, Pietism was common also within the other Christian forms. It was with the return of prisoners of war that the movement really took off in Lithuania. However, the Lithuanian Church disapproved most strongly of unauthorized preaching, which led to the Conventicle Edict of 1729, forbidding any religious gatherings outside the framework of the Church.