The Catechism in Questions & Answers

600. What was the condition of Christendom in the Europe of the eighteenth century?

In the eighteenth century, the Christian faith often came to be associated with a school of thought that regarded human reason as the sole measure of all things (“The Enlightenment”). As a reaction to this, Pietism, a movement within the Reformed Church, began to grow in power and influence. Identifying features of the Pietists included intensive Bible study, social commitment, and missionary activity.

“Mission”: see explanation of Question 393.