Brethren (religious group)

Brethren is a name adopted by a wide range of mainly Christian religious groups throughout history. The largest movements by this name are the Schwarzenau Brethren, Anabaptists, Moravian Brethren, and Plymouth Brethren.

Late Middle Ages

  • Apostolic Brethren (13th century), mendicant order similar to the Franciscans
  • Kalands Brethren (13th century), German charitable organization
  • Brethren of the Free Spirit (13th century), mystical reform movement
  • The Brethren of the Common Life (14th century), intentional communities dedicated to service
  • The Moravian Church, also known as United Brethren, Unitas Fratrum, and Bohemian Brethren, descend from the followers of Jan Hus, a Czech reformer burned at the stake in 1415 and Bohemian 15th-century nobleman and theologian Petr Chelčický
  • The Unity of the Brethren, also traces its roots to the work of Hus and Chelčický

Anabaptist groups

These groups grew out of the Anabaptist movement at the time of the Protestant Reformation (16th century).

  • The Hutterites, also known as Hutterian Brethren, originated from German, Swiss, and Tyrolean Anabaptists led by Jacob Hutter in the 1520s
  • The Swiss Brethren, the name Swiss Anabaptists used from 1525 until their split into Amish and Mennonite groups in 1693
  • The Mennonite Brethren, originated among Russian Mennonites in 1860

Schwarzenau Brethren

The Schwarzenau Brethren originated in 1708 in Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg, Germany, with Alexander Mack. Their roots are in the Radical Pietism movement but they were strongly influenced by Anabaptist theology. They have also been called "Dunkers" or "German Baptist Brethren". The group split into three wings in 1881–1883:

Traditionalists

Conservatives

Progressives

Plymouth Brethren

The Plymouth Brethren originated in the 1820s work of John Nelson Darby and others in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and India. Plymouth Brethren divided into two branches in 1848:

River Brethren

The River Brethren owe their origins to the combined labors of Reformed pastor Philip William Otterbein and Mennonite Martin Boehm, beginning in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the latter half of the 18th century. They were also influenced by the Schwarzenau Brethren and include (amongst others):

Other religious groups

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