What is "Bruderhof"? was: Re: Newsgroup Lawsuit (Bruderhof) - 5
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Subject: Re: What is
Date: 2 Jul 1997 22:06:13 GMT
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> Now, this is *really* confusing. As far as I know, all the Hutterites
> *live* in colonies called "Bruderhofs".
>
> What kind of association are you talking about?
The organization which now calls itself "the Bruderhof Communities"
was admitted into the Hutterian church in the 1930s. The founder of
The Bruderhof communities, Eberhard Arnold, had studied the Anabaptist,
particuillarly the Hutterites, and found he had much in common with
their early belief's and practices -particullarly community of goods.
When he discovered that the Hutterites still existed in North America
he visited them and was ordained as a minister, with his little
communities in Germany being admitted to the Church.
The "Arnoldleut" communities never quite fit into the Hutterites,
there were splits and crisi between the "Old Order" Hutterites
and these new folks. There was a separation in the 50s, then a
re-uniting in the 70s, with another separation occuring recently.
The last time they saparated the "Arnoldleut" named themselves
"The Society of Brothers". I guess they like the name "Bruderhof"
-borrowed of course from the Hutterites, so they decided to
charter their separate organization under that name. They
call their communes bruderhofs, as do the Hutterites. I
suppose they will keep amny other forms of Hutterianism such
as the Women's clothing style and the basic organization and
eclesiastical titles.
> May I ask what your relationship to all this is? Are you a Hutterite
> living in a Bruderhof community, a break-away, what? What you're
> saying literally doesn't make any sense to me; I can't make head
> or tails of it.
I was a member of the Bruderhof at the time when they were starting
to separate from the Hutterites, and at the time when they were
taking a less pacifistic attitude toward their "enemies". I chose to
leave rather than go along with this stuff. I sympathize with
the Hutterites in many of their concerns, the Bruderhof would be in
much better shape if they had just been faithful to their commitments
to the Hutterian church rather than setting up their own independent
group. But the whole situation is wrapped up in manipulation, power
politics and control. I think the Hutterites, being much more
committed to living according to the teachings of the New
Testament, were a stabelizing influence of the Bruderofers. Now the
Bruderhof leadership can do as it wishes with accountability to
no one.
> Are there other kinds of Hutterites? Are the people living in
> the Bruderhofs not Hutterites? Has there been some kind of
> schism recently with many of the, what, 60 or so Bruderhofs
> taking leave of the Hutterite collective?
The seven "Arnoldleut" communities were expelled by the larger
part of the Hutterite church, and recently by the remainder. The
These communities have disassociated themselves from the Hutterites.
> As far as I know, the two are inseperable ideas, like a pond
> composed of water.
The Hutterites and the "Bruderhof Communities" were more like
oil and water.
> >I (gladly at the time) joined the Bruderhof with my wife four
> >years ago.
>
> Which one?
Catskiill in New York
> >Christian pacifists do not sue at law. The Bruderhof (not the
> >Hutterites) do of course bring lawsuits and other violent actions
> >against their critics.
True. Now you're beginning to understand a little of what this
is all about.
> Hmm; this would make them a cult by my definition, a destructive
> and aggressive quasi-religious group. But I still cannot parse
> the ideas "Bruderhof" and "Hutterite". I suspect these terms are
> to some degree loaded, with different groups claiming rights to
> them, much as some freezoners call themselves "Scientologists",
> while Scientologists still in the cult structure proper label
> them "squirrels", and the freezone "Scientologists" retaliate
> with terms like "churchies" to them, and so on.
I don't think the Hutterites care what the Bruderhofers calll themselves,
they're likely just glad that they don't call themselves Hutterites
anymore.
Peace,
Wayne
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