Bruderhof Communities

Bruderhof
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationAnabaptist
ScriptureBible
PolityEpiscopal
AssociationsFellowship for Intentional Community
RegionWorldwide
FounderEberhard Arnold
Origin1920; 104 years ago (1920)
Sinntal, Germany
Separated fromHutterite Brethren, 1995
Communities24
Number of followersIncrease 3,000 (2024)[1]
Official websitewww.bruderhof.com Edit this at Wikidata

The Bruderhof (/ˈbruːdərˌhɔːf/; 'place of brothers') is a communal Anabaptist Christian movement that was founded in Germany in 1920 by Eberhard Arnold. The movement has communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Paraguay, and Australia. The Bruderhof practises believer's baptism, non-violence and peacemaking, common ownership, the proclamation of the gospel, and lifelong faithfulness in marriage.[2] The Bruderhof is an intentional community as defined by the Fellowship for Intentional Community.[3]

The communities are best known by the name "Bruderhof" or sometimes "Bruderhof Communities", although "Bruderhof" is the name used on their website. The communities are legally incorporated in the US as Church Communities International. Their corporation used to be called The Society of Brothers (1939 to 1978).[4] Bruderhof maintained connections with the traditional Hutterite Brethren, from which they broke in 1995. The word "Bruderhof" was first used by the early Anabaptists in Moravia.[5] As of 2024, there are 24 Bruderhof communities.[6][7][8][9]

  1. ^ Schiffman, Richard (17 March 2024). "Few Smartphones, Some Beer: A Christian Village Grapples With Modernity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Foundations of our Faith and Calling". Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Bruderhof". Fellowship for Intentional Community. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. ^ Merrill Mow: Torches rekindled: the Bruderhof's struggle for renewal, Ulster Park, New York, 1989, page 30.
  5. ^ "Bruderhof – Gameo". gameo.org. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference darvell was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Murray, Stuart (2011). The Naked Anabaptist. Paternoster. ISBN 978-1842277256.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference JonesRandall2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).