The Footsteps of Divine Providence

First published in English in 1705 under the title Pietas Hallensis, this classic narrative from famed German Pietist August Hermann Francke has been out of print for over 200 years. It tells how Francke took on an endeavor to educate, feed, and clothe the poor children of Halle, Germany, with no subscriptions or fixed income. In Francke were united a compassionate concern for the poor and a studious care for learning and disseminating God’s Word. Francke relied on answered prayer and Christian generosity to supply the needs of his institute. Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburgh, and later the first King in Prussia, graciously supported Francke, appointing him to a professorship and providing for the legitimate establishment of Francke’s institutions. The Francke Foundations grew to include day schools, a school for higher education, a boarding house for poor children, a pharmacy, a printing press, a bookstore, and an exhibit of artifacts. He also was instrumental in training and sending the first Protestant missionaries, Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plutschau. Thanks to Francke, Halle became a global hub for the influence of Protestantism and Pietism.