Piety vs Pietism

The word pious simply means devoted or dutiful. It speaks of someone who is devout. Pietism, used in contrast with piety, refers to the pursuit of godliness when it has become distorted—where efforts to be pious have become somewhat detached from the gospel and from God's word. It is a good thing to pursue piety or godliness, but pietism has such a focus on piety that it takes on a life of its own that becomes detached from Christ.