2/10/2016 BruderhofCommunitiesWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

BruderhofCommunities
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheBruderhofCommunities(/brudrhf/German:placeof
brothers)areChristianreligiouscommunitieswithbranchesinNewYork,
Florida,WestVirginia,andPennsylvaniaintheUS,theUnitedKingdom,
Germany,Paraguay,andAustralia.TheyhavepreviouslybeencalledThe
SocietyofBrothersandwerelooselyaffiliatedwiththeHutterianBrethren.
ThegroupisalsoknownasChurchCommunitiesInternational.

Contents

1 History

2 Beliefs

3 Presentday

4 Businesses

5 Involvementinthewidercommunity

6 Controversyandcriticism

7 References

8 Bibliography

9 Externallinks

9.1 Critics

History

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TheBruderhofwasfoundedinGermanyin1920byEberhardArnold,a
philosophystudentandintellectualinspiredbytheGermanYouth
MovementinpostWorldWarI.[1]In1920herentedahouseinSannerz,
Germany,andfoundedareligiouscommunity.

WhenthegroupoutgrewthehouseatSannerz,theymovedtothenearby
RhnMountains.Whilethere,ArnolddiscoveredthattheHutterites(an
Anabaptistmovementhehadstudiedwithgreatinterest)werestillin
existenceinNorthAmerica.In1930hetraveledtomeettheHutteritesand
wasordainedasaHutterianminister.

WiththeriseofAdolfHitlerandNazism,theRhncommunitymovedits
draftagemenandchildrentoLiechtensteinaround1934becauseoftheir
conscientiousrefusaltoserveinthearmedforcesandtoacceptNazi
teachers.ThiscommunitybecameknownastheAlmBruderhof.Continuing
pressurefromtheNazigovernmentcausedotherstomovetoEnglandand
foundtheCotswoldBruderhofin1936.OnApril14,1937,secretpolice
surroundedtheRhnBruderhof,confiscatedtheproperty,andgavethe
remainingcommunitymembersfortyeighthourstofleethecountry.By
1938,alltheBruderhofmembershadreassembledinEngland.

WhileinEngland,thepopulationgrewtoover350members,largely
throughtheadditionofyoungEnglishmembersseekinganalternativeto
war.EvenbeforetheoutbreakofWorldWarII,thecommunitysGerman
membersanditspacifiststanceattracteddeepsuspicionlocallyresultingin
economicboycotts.Whenconfrontedwiththeoptionofeitherhavingall
Germanmembersinterned,orleavingEnglandasagroup,theBruderhof
chosethelatter,andbegantolookforrefugeabroad.SoonafterEngland
enteredthewar,theBruderhofemigratedtoParaguaytheonlycountry
thatwouldacceptapacifistcommunityofmixednationalities.Thismove
wasassistedandfacilitatedbytheMennoniteCentralCommittee.[2]

DuringthefirstyearsinParaguay,startinginthehostileChacoregion,then
movingtotheeasternpartofthecountry,Bruderhofmembersfounded
threesettlementsaswellasahospitalforcommunitymembersandlocal
Paraguayans.Theonlyclinicinthearea,itservedtensofthousandsforthe
nexttwodecades.Bytheearly1960s,thecommunityinParaguayhad
grownsignificantly.

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In1954,theBruderhofstartedasettlementknownastheWoodcrest
BruderhofintheUnitedStatesnearRifton,NewYork,inresponsetoa
dramaticincreaseinthenumberofAmericanguests.Hundredsofnew
membersjoined,manyfromothercommunalgroupsacrossthecountry.
NewcommunitieswerealsofoundedinPennsylvania(1957)and
Connecticut(1958).By1962,allremainingmembershadrelocatedfrom
ParaguaytothenortheasternUnitedStates,ortoEngland,inpartasa
resultofa"crisisofleadership"wherebydescendantsofthegroup's
foundertookdecisivecontrolofthegroupandtherebycreatedariftamong
members.Somememberswerenotsatisfiedwiththeleadershipandeither
voluntarilyleftthecommunityorwereabandonedinParaguaywithvery
fewresources.WhilelaterBruderhofleadershipapologizedforthese
transgressions,emotionalwoundsremained.[2]

TheForestRivercolonyofSchmiedeleutHutteritesinNorthDakotainvited
Bruderhofmemberstojointhem,andabout36membersmovedtoNorth
Dakota.In1955,theSchmiedeleutgroupexcludedtheBruderhofand
placedtheForestRivercolonyunderprobation.In1973,theBruderhof
leadershipapologizedfortheproblemsamongtheForestRivercolonyand
in1974wasreunitedwithallbranchesoftheHutterianChurch.However,in
1990themoreconservativeDariusleutandLehrerleutHutterites
excommunicatedtheBruderhof,refusingtorecognizethemasHutterites
becauseofpracticesthatdidnotconformtostandardHutteriteorder
includingsendingchildrentopublicschools,theuseofmusicalinstruments,
andparticipationinaprotestmarch.In1990theSpringValleyBruderhof
wasfoundedadjacenttotheNewMeadowRunBruderhofinFarmington,
Pennsylvania.

In2002theBruderhofpurchasedthehouseinSannerz,Sinntalmunicipality
inHesse,Germanywherethemovementstarted.ItisoneoftwoBruderhof
housesinGermany.In2003theBruderhofopenedanewcommunityin
Inverell,NewSouthWales,Australia,wheretheyoperatethesignwriting
businessDanthoniaDesigns.[3]

Beliefs
TheBruderhof'sfoundationisfaithinJesus,theChristandsonofGod.[4]
HisteachingsarecentraltoBruderhoflifeparticularlythecommand"Love
yourneighborasyourself",theSermonontheMount,andteachings

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concerningnonviolence,faithfulnessinmarriage,andcompassionforthe
poor.BruderhofmemberssharethebeliefsasrecordedintheApostles'
CreedandtheDidache.

TheBruderhoftriestofollowthepracticesofthefirstchurchinJerusalem
asrelatedintheActsoftheApostles,forexampleActs4:3237:wherethe
churchmemberswereof"oneheartandmind,andsharedallthingsin
common".Bruderhofmembersdonotholdprivateproperty,butrather
shareeverything.NoBruderhofmemberreceivesasalaryorhasabank
account.Incomefromallbusinessesispooledandusedforthecareofall
membersandforvariouscommunaloutreachefforts.

TheBruderhofisapeacechurchwhosemembersdonotserveinthearmed
forcesofanycountry.Theyclaimtomodelawayoflifethatremovesthe
socialandeconomicdivisionsthatbringaboutwar.Thegoalofthe
Bruderhofistocreateanewsocietywhereselfinterestisyieldedforthe
sakeofthecommongood.

TheBruderhofmovementdrawsinspirationandguidancefromanumberof
historicalstreamsincludingtheearlyChristians,theAnabaptistsandthe
GermanYouthMovement.

Presentday
Mostcontemporarycommunitieshaveanursery,kindergarten,school,
communalkitchen,laundry,variousworkshops,andoffices.Bruderhoflife
isbuiltaroundthefamily,thoughtherearealsomanysinglemembers.
Childrenareanimportantpartofeachcommunityandparticipateinmost
communalgatherings.Disabledandelderlymembersarelovedandcared
forwithinthecommunityandparticipateindailylifeandworkasmuchas
theyareable.

LiketheHutterites,theBruderhofmembersdonotholdprivateproperty
individually,butrathershareeverythingincommon.NoBruderhofmember
receivesasalaryorhasabankaccount.Incomefromallbusinessesis
pooledandusedforthecareforallmembers,andforvariouscommunal
outreachefforts.

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ChildrenofBruderhoffamiliesdonotautomaticallybecomemembers,but
areencouragedtoleavethecommunityandliveelsewherebeforedeciding
ontheirownwhetherornottojointhecommunity.[5]Numerousguests
visittheBruderhofandallcommunitiesareopentoguests.[6]

Theyareestimatedtohavearound2,600membersworldwide.

Businesses
CommunityPlaythings,alineofclassroomfurnitureandtoys,was
developedduringthe1950sandsoonbecametheBruderhofsmainsource
ofincome.[7]Itstillprovidesthecommunitywithalivelihoodtoday.Other
BruderhofbusinessesincludeRiftonEquipment,whichoffersmobilityand
rehabilitationequipmentfordisabledadultsandchildren,[8]andClean
SheenServices,whichprovidescleaningandpropertymanagement
services.

TheBruderhofoperatedthepublishinghousePloughPublishingfrom1920
to2005.Thecommunityhasalsopublishedbooksandperiodicalsunderits
ownimprint,thePlough.Ploughpublishedspiritualclassics,inspirational
books,andchildrensbooks,manyofwhicharestillavailableasfree
downloads.[9]

Involvementinthewidercommunity
ThroughtheBruderhofFoundation,acharitycreatedtosupportoutreach
andserviceefforts,andthroughindividualmembers,theBruderhofremains
activelyinvolvedintheneighborhoodsthatsurrounditscommunities,[8]
andintheworldatlarge.Bruderhofmembersserveonschoolboards,
volunteeratprisonsandhospitals,andworkwithlocalsocialservice
agenciestoprovidefoodandshelterforthoseinneedofhelp.The
Bruderhofcommunitycampaignsactivelyonsocialissues,suchasthe
campaigninoppositiontothedeathsentencefortheactivistMumiaAbu
JamalwhowasconvictedofmurderingaPhiladelphiapoliceofficer.[10]

Controversyandcriticism

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FormermembershavedocumentedtheirexperiencesandcriticismsinKIT
theKeepInTouchNewsletter(published1989currentdate).FindKITin
"Critics"section,below.SociologistJuliusRubin,whointerviewedformer
membersforhisbookTheOtherSideofJoy:ReligiousMelancholyamong
theBruderhof,wasnotallowedtovisittheBruderhofbeforepublishingthe
book.[11]JohnA.Hostetler,theAmericanauthorandanthropologistat
TempleUniversityinPhiladelphiawhoseworkfocusedonAnabaptist
groups,wasclosetotheBruderhofsandwrotearticlesforthegroup's
magazine,ThePlough,butlatersaidheencounteredwhathecalleda
"militaristicwallofhostility"fromtheBruderhof'sleadershipafterhewrote
anarticlethatcriticisedthem.[11]

References
1.MikeTyldesley(2003).NoHeavenlyDelusion?:AComparativeStudyofThree
CommunalMovements.LiverpoolUniversityPress.
doi:10.5949/UPO9781846313677.ISBN9780853236085.
2.Christensen&Levinson,Karen&David(2003).Encyclopediaofcommunity:
fromthevillagetothevirtualworld,Volume3.ThousandOaks,CA,USA:Sage
Publications.p.105.ISBN0761925988.
3.RichardTorbay."HansardTranscript:BruderhofCommunity,Inverell".
ParliamentofNewSouthWales.
4.FoundationsofourFaith&CallingTheBruderhofThePloughPublishing
House,Rifton,NewYork2012
5.RichardWeizel(19961208)."OfFamily,SpiritualityandPower".NewYork
Times.Retrieved20130923.
6.ChristopherZimmerman(19961215)."TheBruderhof,AnotherView".New
YorkTimes.Retrieved20130923.
7."ExcerptfromAFuturePerfect:TheEssentialsofGlobalization,ByJohn
MicklethwaitandAdrianWooldridge".NewYorkTimes.Retrieved20130923.
8.SteveLevin(20000721)."Bruderhofyouthfestivalreadied".PittsburghPost
Gazette.Retrieved20130921.
9."Plough.com".Retrieved20130501.
10.AndresTapiaandRudyCarrasco(20070621)."AChristianCommunityMakes
Waves,NotWar".ChristianityToday.Retrieved20130923.
11.GeraldRenner(19951112)."BruderhofLeaderDefendsCloseknitCommunity
AgainstOutsideCritics".HartfordCourant.Retrieved20130923.

Bibliography
FoundationsofourFaith&Calling,TheBruderhof,2012Plough
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PublishingHouse,ISBN9780874868883
AgainstTheWind,MarkusBaum,1998PloughPublishingHouse,ISBN
9780874869538
AJoyfulPilgrimage:MyLifeinCommunity,EmmyArnold,2007Plough
PublishingHouse,ISBN9780874869569
NoLastingHome:AYearintheParaguayanWilderness,EmmyBarth,
2009PloughPublishingHouse,ISBN9780874869453
AnEmbassyBesieged:TheStoryofaChristianCommunityinNazi
Germany,EmmyBarth,2010CascadeBooks,ISBN9781608998791
CastOutInTheWorldbyMiriamArnoldHolmes,ISBN978
1882260126
CommunityinParaguay:AVisittotheBruderhof,BobandShirley
Wagoner,ISBN9780874860337
EncyclopediaofAmericanReligions(5thedition),J.GordonMelton,
editor,ISBN9780787663841
FreefromBondagebyNadineMoonjePleil,ISBN9781882260072
HomagetoaBrokenMan:TheLifeofJ.HeinrichArnold,byPeter
Mommsen,2007PloughPublishingHouse,ISBN9780874869316
TheOtherSideofJoy:ReligiousMelancholyAmongTheBruderhof,by
JuliusH.Rubin,ISBN9780195119435
TheJoyfulCommunity:AnaccountoftheBruderhof,acommunal
movementnowinitsthirdgenerationbyBenjaminDavidZablocki,
ISBN9780226977492
TorchesExtinguished:MemoriesofaCommunalBruderhofChildhood
inParaguay,EuropeandtheU.S.byElizabethBohlkenZumpe,ISBN
9781882260010
SeekingfortheKingdomofGod:OriginsoftheBruderhof
Communities,EberhardandEmmyArnold,ISBN9780874861334
ThroughStreetsBroadAndNarrowbyBelindaManley,ISBN978
1882260089
ChurchcommunityisagiftoftheHolySpirit:Thespiritualityofthe
Bruderhofcommunity,IanM.Randall,RegentsParkCollege,Oxford,
ISBN9781907600227

Externallinks
Officialwebsite(http://www.Bruderhof.com/)
IndexofBruderhofrelatedwebsites(http://www.Bruderhof.org/)
PloughPublishingHouse(BruderhofPublishingHouse)
(http://www.plough.com/)
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BruderhofintheCotswolds,England(http://gameo.org/index.php?
title=Cotswold_Bruderhof_%28Ashton_Keynes,_Wiltshire,_England%2
9),entryatGlobalAnabaptistMennoniteEncyclopediaOnline

Critics

PeregrineFoundation:Anonprofitorganizationcriticalofthe
Bruderhof(http://www.perefound.org/)
Yahoo!GroupKITexBruderhofCCI.TheKITNewsletter(KeepIn
Touch)Anewsletterandcontactforexmembersofthe
Bruderhof(CCI)(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KITexBruderhof
CCI/)
ArchiveofKITNewsletters
(http://www.scribd.com/KITexBruderhofCCI/)

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Categories: Anabaptism Peacechurches Hutteritecommunities

ChristiandenominationsfoundedinGermany
Religiousorganizationsestablishedin1920 Christiancommunities
Intentionalcommunities Nonviolenceorganizations
Christiannewreligiousmovements 1920establishmentsinGermany

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