Communion of Saints and an Anabaptist Community

Abstract

Abstract: The Bruderhof (‘place of brothers’) community traces its origins to the work of Eberhard Arnold (1883-1935), his wife Emmy (1884-1980), and her sister Else von Hollander (1885-1932), in Germany in the early part of the twentieth century. Over a century later, the Bruderhof consists of over 3,000 people living in 29 intentional communities on five continents. This study examines the thinking and practice of the Bruderhof regarding ‘the Communion of Saints’, with particular reference to Eberhard Arnold’s creative approach, contained in addresses he gave to the community on themes connected to this area. The main focus is the first two decades of the movement but the article also looks at more recent years.