, image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, caption = Church emblem featuring the
Agnus Dei
is the Latin name under which the " Lamb of God" is honoured within the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies descending from the Latin liturgical tradition. It is the name given to a specific prayer that occurs in these liturgies, and ...
.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...
, United States
, main_classification =
Proto-Protestant
Proto-Protestantism, also called pre-Protestantism, refers to individuals and movements that propagated ideas similar to Protestantism before 1517, which historians usually regard as the starting year for the Reformation era. The relationship be ...
, orientation =
Hussite
The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation.
The Huss ...
(
Bohemian
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
) with
Pietist
Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life, including a social concern for ...
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
influences
, founder = followers of
Jan Hus
Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the insp ...
and
Petr Chelčický
Petr Chelčický (; c. 1390 – c. 1460) was a Czech Christian spiritual leader and author in the 15th century Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. He was one of the most influential thinkers of the Bohemian Reformation. Petr Chelčický inspire ...
, founded_date = 1457
, founded_place =
Bohemia
, congregations = 1,000+
, number_of_followers = 1,112,120
(2016)
, website =
The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: "Unity of the Brethren"),
is one of the oldest
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
denominations in
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, dating back to the
Bohemian Reformation
The Bohemian Reformation (also known as the Czech Reformation or Hussite Reformation), preceding the Reformation of the 16th century, was a Christian movement in the late medieval and early modern Kingdom and Crown of Bohemia (mostly what is n ...
of the 15th century and the
Unity of the Brethren ( cs, Jednota bratrská, links=no) founded in the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
, sixty years before
Luther's Reformation.
The church's heritage can be traced to 1457 in
Bohemian Crown territory, including its
crown lands
Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...
of
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The m ...
and
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
, which saw the emergence of the
Hussite movement
The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation.
The Hussi ...
against several practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church. However, its name is derived from exiles who fled from Bohemia to
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
in 1722 to escape the
Counter-Reformation, establishing the Christian community of
Herrnhut; hence it is also known in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
as the ("Unity of Brethren
f Herrnhut
F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''.
His ...
).
The modern has about one million members worldwide,
continuing their tradition of
missionary work
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
, such as in the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, that is reflected in their broad global distribution.
Moravians continue many of the same practices established in the 18th century, including placing a high value on a personal conversion to Christ (called the
New Birth
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...
),
piety,
good works
In Christian theology, good works, or simply works, are a person's (exterior) actions or deeds, in contrast to inner qualities such as grace or faith.
Views by denomination
Anglican Churches
The Anglican theological tradition, including The ...
,
evangelism (especially the establishment of missions),
Christian pacifism
Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position according to which pacifism and non-violence have both a scriptural and rational basis for Christians, and affirms that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Chri ...
,
ecumenism, and
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
.
The Moravian Church's
emblem
An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint.
Emblems vs. symbols
Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often us ...
is the
Lamb of God () with the flag of victory, surrounded by the Latin inscription "" ('Our Lamb has conquered; let us follow Him').
History
Jan Hus and the Bohemian Reformation
![Jan Hus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Jan_Hus.jpg)
The
Hussite
The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation.
The Huss ...
movement that was to become the Moravian Church was started by
Jan Hus
Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the insp ...
( en, John Huss) in early 15th-century
Bohemia, in what is today the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
.
Hus objected to some of the practices and doctrines of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
; specifically, he wanted the
liturgy to be celebrated in
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
, married priests, and eliminating
indulgences
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...
and the idea of
Purgatory
Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...
. Since these actions predate the
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...
by a century, some historians claim the Moravian Church was the first
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
church.
![Kazani mistra jana husa v kapli betlemske 81x61m](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Kazani_mistra_jana_husa_v_kapli_betlemske_81x61m.jpg)
![Vaclav Brozik - Hus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Vaclav_Brozik_-_Hus.jpg)
The movement gained support from the
Crown of Bohemia
The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were a number of incorporated states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods connected by feudal relations under the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of Bo ...
. However, Hus was summoned to attend the
Council of Constance, which decided that he was a heretic and released him to the secular authority, which sentenced him to be burned at the stake on 6 July 1415. From 1419 to 1437 were a series of
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...
initially between various Catholic rulers and the Hussites, and then the political situation continued into a Hussite civil war between the more compromising
Utraquists
Utraquism (from the Latin ''sub utraque specie'', meaning "under both kinds") or Calixtinism (from chalice; Latin: ''calix'', mug, borrowed from Greek ''kalyx'', shell, husk; Czech: kališníci) was a belief amongst Hussites, a reformist Christi ...
and the radical
Taborite
The Taborites ( cs, Táborité, cs, singular Táborita), known by their enemies as the Picards, were a faction within the Hussite movement in the medieval Lands of the Bohemian Crown.
Although most of the Taborites were of rural origin, they ...
s. In 1434, an army of Utraquists and Catholics defeated the Taborites at the
Battle of Lipany
The Battle of Lipany (in Czech: ''Bitva u Lipan''), also called the Battle of Český Brod, was fought at Lipany 40 km east of Prague on 30 May 1434 and virtually ended the Hussite Wars. An army of Moderate Hussite (or Calixtine) nobility ...
. The Utraquists signed the
Compacts of Basel The Compacts of Basel, also known as Basel Compacts or ''Compactata'', was an agreement between the Council of Basel and the moderate Hussites (or Utraquists), which was ratified by the Estates of Bohemia and Moravia in Jihlava on 5 July 1436. The a ...
on 5 July 1436.
Within fifty years of Hus's death, a contingent of his followers had become independently organised as the "Bohemian Brethren" () or
Unity of the Brethren (), which was founded in
Kunvald, Bohemia, in 1457. A brother known as Gregory the Patriarch was very influential in forming the group, as well as the teachings of
Peter Chelcicky
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
. This group held to a strict obedience to the
Sermon on the Mount, which included non-swearing of oaths, non-resistance, and not accumulating wealth. Because of this, they considered themselves separate from the majority Hussites that did not hold those teachings. They received
episcopal ordination through the
Waldensians
The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation.
Originally known as the "Poor Men of Lyon" in ...
in 1467.
These were some of the earliest
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
s, rebelling against Rome some fifty years before
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
.
By the middle of the 16th century as many as 90 percent of the subjects of the
Bohemian Crown were
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
.
The majority of the nobility was Protestant, and the schools and printing-shops established by the Moravian Church were flourishing.
Protestantism had a strong influence in the education of the population. Even in the middle of the 16th century there was not a single town without a Protestant school in the
Bohemian crown lands
The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were a number of incorporated states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods connected by feudal relations under the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of ...
, and many had more than one, mostly with two to six teachers each. In
Jihlava
Jihlava (; german: Iglau) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. Jihlava is the capital of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava River on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia.
Historically, Jihlava ...
, a principal Protestant centre in Moravia, there were five major schools: two German, one Czech, one for girls and one teaching in Latin, which was at the level of a
high/grammar school, lecturing on Latin, Greek and Hebrew, Rhetorics, Dialectics, fundamentals of Philosophy and fine arts, as well as religion according to the
Lutheran Augustana.
Counter-Reformation
With the
University of Prague also firmly in hands of Protestants, the local Catholic church was unable to compete in the field of education. Therefore, the Jesuits were invited, with the backing of the Catholic Habsburg rulers, to come to the
Lands of the Bohemian Crown
The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were a number of incorporated states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods connected by feudal relations under the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of ...
and establish a number of Catholic educational institutions. One of these was the
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
in the Moravian capital of
Olomouc
Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019).
Located on t ...
. In 1582, they forced closure of local Protestant schools.
In 1617,
Emperor Matthias
Matthias (24 February 1557 – 20 March 1619) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1612 to 1619, Archduke of Austria from 1608 to 1619, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1608 to 1618, and King of Bohemia from 1611 to 1617. His personal motto was ''Concord ...
had his fiercely Catholic brother
Ferdinand of Styria elected King of Bohemia, but in 1618
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
Bohemian noblemen, who feared losing their religious freedom,
started the
Bohemian Revolt
The Bohemian Revolt (german: Böhmischer Aufstand; cs, České stavovské povstání; 1618–1620) was an uprising of the Bohemian estates against the rule of the Habsburg dynasty that began the Thirty Years' War. It was caused by both relig ...
with the unplanned second
Defenestrations of Prague
The Defenestrations of Prague ( cs, Pražská defenestrace, german: Prager Fenstersturz, la, Defenestratio Pragensis) were three incidents in the history of Bohemia in which people were defenestrated (thrown out of a window). Though already exi ...
and was defeated in 1620 in the
Battle of White Mountain
The Battle of White Mountain ( cz, Bitva na Bílé hoře; german: Schlacht am Weißen Berg) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the n ...
near Prague. As a consequence the local Protestant noblemen were either executed or expelled from the country while the Habsburgs placed Catholic (and mostly German speaking) nobility in their place. The war, plague, and subsequent disruption led to a decline in the population from over 3 million to some 800,000 people. By 1622, the entire education system was in the hands of Jesuits and all Protestant schools were closed down.
The Brethren were forced to go underground and eventually dispersed across
Northern Europe as far as the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
, where their
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
,
John Amos Comenius
John Amos Comenius (; cs, Jan Amos Komenský; pl, Jan Amos Komeński; german: Johann Amos Comenius; Latinization (literature), Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech Philosophy, philosopher, Ped ...
, attempted to direct a resurgence. The largest remaining communities of the Brethren were located in
Leszno
Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...
(german: Lissa) in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, which had historically strong ties with the Czechs, and small, isolated groups in
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The m ...
. The latter are referred to as "the Hidden Seed" which John Amos Comenius had prayed would preserve the evangelical faith in the land of the fathers.
In addition to the Renewed or Moravian Church, which preserves the 's three orders of
episcopal ordination, The
Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren
The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) ( cs, Českobratrská církev evangelická; ČCE) is the largest Czech Protestant church and the second-largest church in the Czech Republic after the Catholic Church. It was formed in 1918 in C ...
and the
Czechoslovak Hussite Church
The Czechoslovak Hussite Church ( cs, Církev československá husitská, ''CČSH'' or ''CČH'') is a Christian church that separated from the Catholic Church after World War I in former Czechoslovakia.
Both the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and ...
also continue the Hussite tradition in Czechia and
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
today, although they only account for
0.8% of the Czech population (which is 79.4% non-religious, and 10.4% Catholic).
, 18th-century renewal
In 1722, a small group of the Bohemian Brethren (the "Hidden Seed") who had been living in northern
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The m ...
as an illegal underground remnant surviving in the Catholic setting of the Habsburg Empire for nearly 100 years, arrived at the
Berthelsdorf
Berthelsdorf ( hsb, Batromjecy) is a former municipality in the district of Görlitz, in the southeastern part of Saxony, Germany. On 1 January 2013, it was incorporated into the town of Herrnhut.Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
Nikolaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf (26 May 1700 – 9 May 1760) was a German religious and social reformer, bishop of the Moravian Church, founder of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, Christian mission pioneer and a major fig ...
, a nobleman who had been brought up in the traditions of
Pietistic Lutheranism
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
. Out of a personal commitment to helping the poor and needy, he agreed to a request from their leader (
Christian David
Christian David (1692–1751) was a German Lutheran missionary, writer and hymnwriter. He travelled as a missionary of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, the Moravian Church, to Greenland and to Native Americans. He is known as the author of hymn stan ...
, an itinerant carpenter) that they be allowed to settle on his lands in
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the ...
, which is in present-day
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
in the eastern part of modern-day
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. The Margraviates of Upper and Lower Lusatia were governed in personal union by the
Saxon rulers and enjoyed great autonomy, especially in religious questions.
![Herrnhut, Unität](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Herrnhut%2C_Unit%C3%A4t.jpg)
The refugees established a new village called
Herrnhut, about 2 miles (3 km) from Berthelsdorf. The town initially grew steadily, but major religious disagreements emerged and by 1727 the community was divided into factions. Count Zinzendorf worked to bring about unity in the town and the ''Brotherly Agreement'' was adopted by the community on 12 May 1727. This is considered the beginning of the renewal. Then, on 13 August 1727 the community underwent a dramatic transformation when the inhabitants of Herrnhut "learned to love one another", following an experience that they attributed to a visitation of the
Holy Spirit, similar to that recorded in the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
on the day of
Pentecost.
Herrnhut grew rapidly following this transforming revival and became the centre of a major movement for Christian renewal and mission during the 18th century. The
episcopal ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform v ...
of the Ancient was transferred in 1735 to the Renewed by the Unity's two surviving bishops,
Daniel Ernst Jablonski
Daniel Ernst Jablonski (20 November 1660, Nassenhuben (Mokry Dwór), Royal Prussia, Crown of Poland25 May 1741, Berlin) was
a German theologian and reformer of Czech origin, known for his efforts to bring about a union between Lutheran and Ca ...
and Christian Sitkovius. The carpenter
David Nitschmann and, later, Count von Zinzendorf, were the first two bishops of the Renewed Unity. In 1756, Zinzendorf foundet a Brüdergemeine that still exists today in
Neuwied
Neuwied () is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt am Main to Cologne. Th ...
on the Rhine. Moravian historians identify the main achievements of this period as:
# Setting up a watch of
continuous prayer that ran uninterrupted, 24 hours a day, for 100 years.
# Originating the ''
Daily Watchwords
The ''Daily Watchwords'' (german: Herrnhuter Losungen) is an annual, globally distributed publication of the Moravian Church.
It was started on 3 May 1728, and is now published in 50 languages, making it the oldest and most widely read daily d ...
''.
# Establishing more than 30 settlements internationally on the Herrnhut model, which emphasized prayer and worship, and a form of communal living in which simplicity of lifestyle and generosity with wealth were held to be important spiritual attributes. The purpose of these communities was to assist the members resident there in the sanctification of their lives, to provide a meeting place for Christians from different confessional backgrounds, to provide Christian training for their own children and the children of their friends and supporters and to provide support for the Moravian Mission work throughout the world. As a result, although personal property was held, divisions between social groups and extremes of wealth and poverty were largely eliminated.
# Being the first Protestant church body to begin missionary work; and
# Forming many hundreds of small renewal groups operating within the existing churches of Europe, known as "diaspora societies". These groups encouraged personal prayer and worship, Bible study, confession of sins and mutual accountability.
Missions
![Group associated with the Moravian Church by Johann Valentin Haidt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Group_associated_with_the_Moravian_Church_by_Johann_Valentin_Haidt.jpg)
Along with the
Royal Danish Mission College, the Moravian missionaries were the first large-scale
Protestant missionary movement. They sent out the first missionaries when there were only 300 inhabitants in Herrnhut. Within 30 years, the church sent hundreds of Christian missionaries to many parts of the world, including the
Caribbean,
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
(see
Christian Munsee
The Christian Munsee are a group of Lenape (also known as ''Delaware''), an Indigenous people in the United States, that primarily speak Munsee and have converted to Christianity, following the teachings of Moravian missionaries. The Christian M ...
), the
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, and the
Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The ter ...
. They were the first to send lay people (rather than clergy) as missionaries, the first Protestant denomination to minister to slaves, and the first Protestant presence in many countries.
Owing to Zinzendorf's personal contacts with their royalty, the first Moravian missions were directed to the
Dano-Norwegian Empire
, conventional_long_name = Danish overseas colonies
, status = Empire
, status_text =
, life_span = 1536–1953 (Denmark)1536–1814 (Norway)
, government_type = Constitutional monarchy
, even ...
. While attending the coronation of
Christian VI of Denmark
Christian VI (30 November 1699 – 6 August 1746) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746. The eldest surviving son of Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, he is considered one of Denmark-Norway's more anonymous kings, bu ...
, Zinzendorf was profoundly struck by two
Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
converts of
Hans Egede
Hans Poulsen Egede (31 January 1686 – 5 November 1758) was a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inui ...
's
mission in Greenland and also by an African from the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
. The first Moravian mission was established on the Caribbean island of
St Thomas in 1732 by a potter named
Johann Leonhard Dober
Johann Leonhard Dober (born March 7, 1706, Mönchsroth, Swabia, Germany to Johann Dober and Anna Barbara Link; died April 1, 1766, Herrnhut, Saxony, Germany) was, along with David Nitschmann, one of the two first missionaries of the Moravian Br ...
and a carpenter named
David Nitschmann,
who later became the first bishop of the Renewed Unity in 1735.
Matthaeus Stach and two others founded the first
Moravian mission in Greenland in 1733 at
Neu-Herrnhut
Old Nuuk may refer to several neighborhoods of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
The Lutheran mission was originally based on Hope Island at the head of the fjord but was moved to the mainland and christened Godthaab by the royal governor Claus Paa ...
on
Baal's River, which became the nucleus of the modern capital
Nuuk
Nuuk (; da, Nuuk, formerly ) is the capital and largest city of Greenland, a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic centre. The major cities from other coun ...
.
Moravians also founded missions with the Mohican, an Algonquian languages, Algonquian-speaking tribe in the Province of New York, colony of New York in the Thirteen Colonies. In one instance, they founded a mission in 1740 at the Mohican village of ''Shekomeko'' in present-day Dutchess County, New York. The converted Mohican people formed the first native Christian congregation in the present-day United States of America. Because of local hostility from New Yorkers to the Mohicans, the Moravian support of the Mohicans led to rumors of them being secret Society of Jesus, Jesuits, trying to ally the Mohicans with Kingdom of France, France in the ongoing French and Indian Wars.
Although supporters defended their work, at the end of 1744, the colonial government based at Poughkeepsie, New York, Poughkeepsie expelled the Moravians from New York.
In 1741,
David Nitschmann and Count Zinzendorf led a small community to found a mission in the colony of Pennsylvania. The mission was established on Christmas Eve, and was named Bethlehem, after the Bethlehem, Biblical town in Judea. There, they ministered to the Algonquian-speaking Lenape Nation, Lenape. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is today the seventh-largest city in Pennsylvania, having developed as a major industrial city in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1772, the first European-Native American settlement of what later became Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania occurred when Reverend John Ettwein, a Moravian missionary, arrived there with a band of 241 Christianized Delaware, Lenape.
![Bishop John Ettwein](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Bishop_John_Ettwein.png)
In 1771, Moravians established a settlement at Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nain, Labrador which became a permanent settlement and the Moravian headquarters in Labrador.
The mission stations expanded to Okak, Newfoundland and Labrador, Okak (1776), Hopedale, Newfoundland and Labrador, Hopedale (1782), Hebron, Newfoundland and Labrador, Hebron at Kauerdluksoak Bay (1830–1959) serving also Napartok Bay and Saeglek Bay, Zoar, Newfoundland and Labrador, Zoar (1864–1889), Ramah, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ramah (1871–1908), Makkovik (1896), and Killiniq, Nunavut, Killiniq on Cape Chidley island (1905–1925).
Two further stations were added after this period at Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Happy Valley near Goose Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador), Goose Bay (1957) and North West River (1960).
Colonies were also founded in North Carolina, where Moravians led by August Gottlieb Spangenberg, Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg purchased from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville. This large tract of land was named , or Wachovia, North Carolina, Wachovia, after one of Zinzendorf's ancestral estates on the Danube River in Lower Austria. Other early settlements included Bethabara Historic District, Bethabara (1753), Bethania, North Carolina, Bethania (1759) and Salem (now referred to as Old Salem in Winston-Salem North Carolina) (1766).
In 1801, the Moravians established Springplace mission to the Cherokee Nation in what is now Murray County, Georgia, Murray County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Coinciding with the Trail of Tears, forced removal of the Cherokees to Oklahoma, this mission was replaced in 1842 by New Springplace in Oaks, Oklahoma. Due to American Civil War, Civil War-related violence, New Springplace closed in 1862, and resumed during the 1870s. Finally, in 1898, the Moravian Church discontinued their missionary engagement with the Cherokees, and New Springplace, now the Oaks Indian Mission, was transferred to the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The start of far-flung missionary work necessitated the establishment of independently administered provinces. So, from about 1732,
the history of the church becomes the history of its provinces.
Eventually, the Moravian missions in Australia and Greenland were transferred to the local Presbyterian and Lutheran Churches respectively.
The first mission station in present-day South Africa was established by the Moravian Georg Schmidt at Genadendal in 1738. The mission at Wupperthal, established by the Rhenish Missionary Society was eventually transferred to the Moravian Church.
The Moravians sought to unify the converts into "one people" living together with the same religious beliefs. Zeisberger, a significant Moravian missionary, implored the converts to remember that they were "one people not two."
Present
file:Mary Greenwood on gravestones born 1752.jpg, Mary Greenwoord was buried in Gracehill in County Antrim in 1752. Her gravestone is identical in style to hundreds of others irrespective of their gender or former status
The modern Moravian Church, with about 750,000 members worldwide,
continues to draw on traditions established during the 18th-century renewal. In many places it observes the convention of the lovefeast, originally started in 1727. It uses older and traditional music in worship. Brass music, congregational singing and choral music continue to be very important in Moravian congregations. In addition, in some older congregations, Moravians are buried in a traditional God's Acre, a graveyard with only flat gravestones, signifying the equality of the dead before God and organized by sex, age and marital status rather than family.
The Moravians continue their long tradition of missionary work, for example in the Caribbean, where the Jamaican Moravian Church has begun work in Cuba and in Africa where the Moravian Church in Tanzania has missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. This is reflected in their broad global distribution. The Moravians in Germany, whose central settlement remains at
Herrnhut, are highly active in education and social work. The American Moravian Church sponsors the Moravian University and Seminary. The largest concentration of Moravians today is in Tanzania.
The motto of the Moravian Church is: "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas, In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love".
Some Moravian scholars point to a different formula as a guide to constructive debate about faith. This formula was first advanced by Luke of Prague (1460–1528), one of the bishops of the ancient Unitas Fratrum. Luke taught that one must distinguish between things that are essential, ministerial or incidental to salvation. The essentials are God's work of creation, redemption and sanctification, as well as the response of the believer through faith, hope and love. Things ministerial are such items as the Bible, church, sacraments, doctrine and priesthood. These mediate the sacred and should thus be treated with respect, but they are not considered essential. Finally, incidentals include things such as vestments or names of services that may reasonably vary from place to place.
Organization
Provinces
For its global work, the Church is organised into Unity Provinces, Mission Provinces and Mission Areas and four regions of Africa, Caribbean and Latin America, Northern America, and Europe. The categorisation is based on the level of independence of the province. Unity Province implies a total level of independence, Mission Province implies a partial level of supervision from a Unity Province, and Mission Area implies full supervision by a Unity Province. (The links below connect to articles about the history of the church in specific provinces after 1732, where written.)
In the Czech Republic and Honduras splits occurred within the churches after charismatic revivals; non-charismatic minorities formed their own bodies, but both sides remained connected to the international church. The minority communities are listed as "mission provinces".
Membership
Other areas with missions but that are not yet established as Provinces are:
*Star Mountain Rehabilitation Centre, Ramallah, Palestine – under the care of the European Continental Province. Work began among people with leprosy in 1867 at the Jesus Hilfe (Jesus help) home in Jerusalem, responsibility for which was taken over by the Israeli state. In 1980, the former leper home on Star Mountain was converted for use as a home for handicapped children of the Arab population.
[
*South Asia [North India (Ladakh, Dehradun, Delhi), Nepal, Assam, Manipur] – under the care of the British Province. Formerly the West Himalayan Province (1853) and designated a Unity Undertaking in 1967.
Tanzania is divided into seven provinces because of the size of country and the numbers of people in the church. The "Moravian Church in Tanzania" co-ordinates the work in the nation.
The lists above, except for some details given under 'Other areas', can be found in ''The Moravian Almanac''.][The Moravian Almanac is published annually (October) as a supplement to the devotional book ''Daily Watchwords''. Most Provinces publish their own almanac with details of local congregations and the wider Provinces. Copies may be obtained from the Moravian Church House (office) of any province (for addresses see the provinces pages).]
Each province is governed by a synod, made up of representatives from each congregation plus ''ex officio'' members.
The Synod elects the Provincial Board (aka Provincial Elders' Conference or PEC) to be responsible for the work of the province and its international links between synods.
Districts
Many, but not all, of the provinces are divided into districts.
Congregations
Each congregation belongs to a district and has spiritual and financial responsibilities for work in its own area as well as provincially. The Congregation Council (all the members of a congregation) usually meets twice a year and annually elects the Joint Board of Elders and Trustees that acts as an executive.
In some provinces two or more congregations may be grouped into circuits, under the care of one minister.
Unity Synod
The Unity Synod meets every seven years and is attended by delegates from the different Unity Provinces and affiliated Provinces.
Unity Board
The Unity Board is made up of one member from each Provincial Board, and acts as an executive committee between Unity Synods. It meets three times between Synods but much of its work is done by correspondence and postal voting.
The President of the Unity Board (who is elected by the Board for two years and not allowed to serve for more than two terms) works from his/her own Provincial office. The Unity Business Administrator is an officer appointed by the Unity Board to administer the day-to-day affairs of the Unity through the office of the Unity.
Orders of Ministry
Ordained ministry in the Moravian Church emphasizes the pastoral role. A candidate for ministry who has been approved by their home province and has completed the prescribed course of study (usually a Master of Divinity degree in the US and Europe) may be ordained a Deacon upon acceptance of a call. Deacons may serve in a pastoral office and administer sacraments. A deacon is normally supervised by a presbyter who serves as mentor. After several years of satisfactory service, the Deacon may be consecrated as a Presbyter. Presbyters function in the local congregation in the same manner as deacons, but may also
serve to mentor deacons and may be assigned to other leadership roles in a particular province.
An Acolyte is a layperson who has received approval to assist the pastor in a specific local congregation. The acolyte may assist in the serving of Holy Communion but may not consecrate the elements.
The highest order of ministry is that of a bishop. Bishops are elected by Provincial Synods usually through ecclesiastical ballot without nomination. In the Moravian Church, bishops do not have an administrative role but rather serve as spiritual leaders and pastors to the pastors. Bishops serve the worldwide Unity. The Moravian Church teaches that it has preserved apostolic succession. The Church claims apostolic succession as a legacy of the Unity of the Brethren. In order to preserve the succession, three Bohemian Brethren were consecrated bishops by Bishop Stephen of Austria, a Waldensian bishop who had been ordained by a Roman Catholic bishop in 1434. These three consecrated bishops returned to Litice nad Orlicí, Litice in Bohemia and then ordained other brothers, thereby preserving the historic episcopate. In Berlin, 1735, the Renewed Unity, i.e. the Moravian Brethren in Herrnhut, received the historic episcopal ordination from the two surviving bishops of the Ancient Unity: Bishop John Amos Comenius, John Amos Comenius' grandson Daniel Ernst Jablonski
Daniel Ernst Jablonski (20 November 1660, Nassenhuben (Mokry Dwór), Royal Prussia, Crown of Poland25 May 1741, Berlin) was
a German theologian and reformer of Czech origin, known for his efforts to bring about a union between Lutheran and Ca ...
and Christian Sitkovius. This bishop's consecration continues today.
Beliefs
The Moravian Church teaches the necessity of the born again#Moravianism, New Birth, piety, evangelism (especially missionary work), and doing good works
In Christian theology, good works, or simply works, are a person's (exterior) actions or deeds, in contrast to inner qualities such as grace or faith.
Views by denomination
Anglican Churches
The Anglican theological tradition, including The ...
. As such, the Moravian Brethren hold strongly that Christianity is a religion of the heart. It emphasizes the "greatness of Christ" and holds the Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
to be the "source of all religious truths". With regard to the New Birth, the Moravian Church holds that a personal conversion to Christianity is a joyful experience, in which the individual "accepts Christ as Lord" after which faith "daily grows inside the person." For Moravians, "Christ lived as a man because he wanted to provide a blueprint for future generations" and "a converted person could attempt to live in his image and daily become more like Jesus." The Moravian Church historically adheres to the position of Christian pacifism
Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position according to which pacifism and non-violence have both a scriptural and rational basis for Christians, and affirms that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Chri ...
, evidenced in atrocities such as the Gnadenhutten massacre, where the Moravian Christian Indian Martyrs practiced nonresistance, singing hymns and praying to God until their execution.
In the ''Book of Order''[Church Order of the Unitas Fratrum, published by order of the Unity Synod.][The Ground of the Unity]
the several provinces of the Moravian Unity accept:
*The three Ecumenical Creeds: Apostles' Creed, Apostles', Nicene Creed, Nicene and Athanasian Creed, Athanasian
*The first 21 articles of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession
*The Confession of the Unity of the Bohemian Brethren of 1535
*The Barmen Declaration of 1934
*The Small Catechism of Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
*The Synod of Berne/''Berner Synodus'' of 1532
*The Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England
*The Heidelberg Catechism
Moravian missions in which missionaries and the believers they ministered to lived together and adhered to Moravian practices, such as the following taught by David Zeisberger, John Heckewelder and John Ettwein:
According to the Ground of the Unity[ of 1957, fundamental beliefs include but are not limited to:
*The Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son or Logos/Word, and the Holy Spirit.
*The Fatherhood of God
*God's Love for fallen humanity
*The Incarnation of God in the God/Man Jesus Christ
*Jesus' sacrificial death for the sinful rebellion of humanity
*Jesus' Resurrection, Ascension of Jesus Christ, Ascension and Exaltation to the Right Hand of the Father
*Jesus' sending of the Holy Spirit to strengthen, sustain and empower believers
*Jesus' eventual return, in majesty, Last Judgment, to judge the living and the dead
*The Kingdom of Christ shall never end
*There is one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Rebaptism is not allowed.
*Infants are baptized most commonly, but all forms of baptism are accepted (infant or adult; pouring, sprinkling or immersion).
*Moravian doctrine teaches that the Body and Blood of Christ are present in Holy Communion. Without seeking to explain the "Mode" or the "How" of the Presence of Jesus' Body and Blood in the Eucharist, they teach a sacramental union whereby with the Bread and the Wine the Body and Blood are also received. Individual believers are allowed to believe in other interpretations, however. Cf. the "Easter Morning Litany" of the Moravian Church, a statement of faith, in the Moravian Book of Worship, p. 85.
These tenets of classical Christianity are not unique to the Moravian Church. The emphasis in both the Ancient Unity and the Renewed Unity is on Christian living and the fellowship of believers as a true witness to a vibrant Christian Faith.
]
Spirit of the Moravian Church
An account of the ethos of the Moravian Church is given by one of its British bishops, Clarence H. Shawe. In a lecture series delivered at the Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Shawe described the Spirit of the Moravian Church as having five characteristics: simplicity, happiness, unintrusiveness, fellowship, and the ideal of service.
''Simplicity'' is a focus on the essentials of faith and a lack of interest in the niceties of doctrinal definition. Shawe quotes Zinzendorf's remark that "The Apostles say: 'We believe we have salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ....' If I can only teach a person that catechism I have made him a divinity scholar for all time" (Shawe, 1977, p. 9). From this simplicity flow secondary qualities of genuineness and practicality.
''Happiness'' is the natural and spontaneous response to God's free and gracious gift of salvation. Again Shawe quotes Zinzendorf: "There is a difference between a genuine Pietist and a genuine Moravian. The Pietist has his sin in the foreground and looks at the wounds of Jesus; the Moravian has the wounds in the forefront and looks from them upon his sin. The Pietist in his timidity is comforted by the wounds; the Moravian in his happiness is shamed by his sin" (p. 13).
''Unintrusiveness'' is based on the Moravian belief that God positively wills the existence of a variety of churches to cater for different spiritual needs. There is no need to win converts from other churches. The source of Christian unity is not legal form but everyone's heart-relationship with the Saviour.
''Fellowship'' is based on this heart-relationship. Shawe says: "The Moravian ideal has been to gather together kindred hearts.... Where there are 'Christian hearts in love united', there fellowship is possible in spite of differences of intellect and intelligence, of thought, opinion, taste and outlook. ... Fellowship [in Zinzendorf's time] meant not only a bridging of theological differences but also of social differences; the artisan and aristocrat were brought together as brothers and sat as equal members on the same committee" (pp. 21,22).
''The ideal of service'' entails happily having the attitude of a servant. This shows itself partly in faithful service in various roles within congregations but more importantly in service of the world "by the extension of the Kingdom of God". Historically, this has been evident in educational and especially missionary work. Shawe remarks that "none could give themselves more freely to the spread of the gospel than those Moravian emigrants who, by settling in Herrnhut [i.e., on Zinzendorf's estate], had gained release from suppression and persecution" (p. 26).
Worship
* List of hymnals#Moravian Church, Hymn Books
* Liturgy
* the Sacrament of the Holy Communion
* The Sacrament of Baptism, Infants and Adults
* Marriage
* Confirmation
* Christian Burial
* Ordination of Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons
* Consecration of church buildings and facilities
Traditions
* Lovefeast
* Settlements
* Cup of Covenant
* Christingle (object) and Christingle service
* Hosanna#Other examples of modern usage, Hosanna Anthem
* Moravian star, Moravian Advent star
* ''Daily Watchwords
The ''Daily Watchwords'' (german: Herrnhuter Losungen) is an annual, globally distributed publication of the Moravian Church.
It was started on 3 May 1728, and is now published in 50 languages, making it the oldest and most widely read daily d ...
'', sometimes called Moravian Daily Texts
* Advent Wreath and Candles
* Passion Week/ Holy Week Reading Services
* God's Acre and Easter sunrise service
* Sortition, Drawing of lots
* Moravian music, Music
* Watch Night Service
* Dead house
Former traditions
* The drawing of "lots" in decision making
* Single Brethren's and Single Sisters' Houses: in the old original Settlement Congregations of Europe, Britain and the US, there were separate Houses caring for the spiritual and also temporal welfare of the Choirs of Single Brethren, Single Sisters, Widows.
* Wide/Short layout of church interiors
* Separate seating of sexes in churches
* Mission ships (the ''Harmony'' and the ''Snow Irene'')
* Choirs: the word "Choir" has been used in the Moravian tradition since the 18th century to indicate a group of congregation members classified according to age and sex. Formerly there were in several congregations separate Houses caring for the spiritual and also temporal welfare of the Choirs of Single Brethren, Single Sisters, Widows.
Uniformed and other organizations
* Boys' Brigade / Scouts
* Girls' Brigade / Guides / Upward & Onward
* Women's Fellowship
* Men's Fellowship
* Sunday School
* Young People's Missionary Association (YPMA)
Prominent Moravians
* : Bishops of the Moravian Church, Bishops
* :Moravian Church missionaries, Missionaries
* :Writers of the Moravian Church, Writers
* :Artists of the Moravian Church, Artists
Ecumenical relations
The Moravian Church provinces are members individually of the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation. Most provinces are also members of their national councils of churches, such as the Evangelical Church in Germany, Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) in Germany and the National Council of Churches of Christ in the US, the all African Council of Churches, the Caribbean Council of Churches, the Jamaica Council of Churches. The American Southern Province was instrumental in the founding of the North Carolina Council of Churches. The British Province is of the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (formerly the British Council of Churches) and has an interim Communion agreement with the Church of England. The two North American provinces are in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The Northern Province of the Moravian Church voted June 18, 2010 to enter into full communion with the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church. The Moravian Church's Southern Province also voted to enter into full communion with the Episcopal Church during its synod in September 2010. Each province can independently enter into full communion relationships. In the 1980s there were discussions in England by which an agreement was created that would have created full communion between the Moravians, Presbyterians, Methodists, and the Church of England. The Presbyterians and Methodists would have accepted the Historic Episcopate, but since the Moravians already had this, they would have changed nothing. This agreement fell through because the General Synod of the Church of England did not give approval.
One aspect of Moravian history and mission is the so-called "Diaspora" work in Germany and Eastern Europe, seeking to deepen and encourage the Christian life among members of the territorial churches, particularly in Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and the Baltic states, but also throughout the German-speaking lands. Count Zinzendorf's ideal was a fellowship of all Christians, regardless of denominational names, and the Moravian Brethren sought in the Diaspora not to convert people to the Moravian Church but to awaken the hearts of believers and make them better members of the churches to which they already belonged. At first the object of suspicion, in the course of time the Moravian Diaspora workers became valued co-workers in eastern Europe. This Diaspora work suffered almost total destruction in World War II, but is still carried on within the territorial churches of Germany. With the restored independence of Estonia and Latvia, it was revealed that much of the Diaspora Work there had been kept alive in spite of occupation by the former Soviet Union's (which held to the doctrine of state atheism), and had even borne fruit.
Historical societies
* American North: ''the Moravian Historical Society'' and Historic Bethlehem (Pennsylvania)
* American South: ''the Wachovia Historical Society'' as well as Old Salem
* British: Moravian Church House, London
* Continental Province
* „Via exulantis", Suchdol nad Odrou (Zauchtenthal or Zauchtel), The Moravian Brethren's Museum. The permanent exposition of the exile of 280 inhabitants from Suchdol nad Odrou to Herrnhut in Saxony in the 18th century, where they renewed the Unity of the Brethren and then established missionary establishments in all parts of the world.
Goals of the Moravian Missions
* Moravians sought to unify the converts into "one people."
* (former title: ), the periodical of the Continental Province
* , the publication of the Continental Province's historical society
* the ''Moravian Magazine'', the publication of the North American Provinces
* The Moravian Voice, a publication of the Moravian Church in Jamaica
* the ''Moravian Messenger'', periodical of the British Province
* ''Moravian History Magazine'' – published within the British Province but deals with the work worldwide.
* ''Journal of Moravian History'' – scholarly journal, published by the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, PA, and the Moravian Historical Society in Nazareth, PA.
See also
* English Covenant
* Minor Party (Unity of the Brethren)
* Old Salem
* Ronneburg, Hesse
* Schwarzenau Brethren, an Anabaptist denomination in the tradition of Radical Pietism
* University of Olomouc, established in 1573 as Jesuit University in order to re-Catholicize the population of the March of Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The m ...
.
References
General and cited references
* Church of England & the Moravian Church in Great Britain and Ireland, ''Anglican-Moravian Conversations: The Fetter Lane Common Statement with Essays in Moravian and Anglican History'' (1996)
* Engel, Katherine Carte. ''Religion and Profit: Moravians in Early America'' (2010)
* Fogleman, Aaron Spencer. ''Jesus Is Female: Moravians and the Challenge of Radical Religion in Early America'' (2007)
* Freeman, Arthur J. ''An Ecumenical Theology of the Heart: The Theology of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf'' (1998)
* Fries, Adelaide. ''Records of the Moravians in North Carolina'' (1917)
* Gollin, Gilliam Lindt. ''Moravians in Two Worlds'' (1967)
* Hamilton, J. Taylor, and Hamilton, Kenneth G. ''History of the Moravian Church: The Renewed Unitas Fratrum 1722–1957'' (1967)
Hutton, J. E. ''A History of the Moravian Church'' (1909)
* Hutton, J. E. ''A History of the Moravian Missions'' (1922)
* Jarvis, Dale Gilbert.
The Moravian Dead Houses of Labrador, Canada
, ''Communal Societies'' 21 (2001): 61–77.
* Langton; Edward. ''History of the Moravian Church: The Story of the First International Protestant Church'' (1956)
* Lewis, A. J. ''Zinzendorf the Ecumenical Pioneer'' (1962)
* Linyard, Fred, and Tovey, Phillip. ''Moravian Worship'' (Grove Worship Series No 129, UK), 1994
* Peucker, Paul. ''A Time of Sifting: Mystical Marriage and the Crisis of Moravian Piety in the Eighteenth Century''. University Park, Penn.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2015.
* Podmore, Colin. ''The Moravian Church in England 1728–1760'' (1998)
* Rican, Rudolf. ''The History of the Unity of the Brethren'' (trans. by C. Daniel Crews) (1992)
* Shawe, C. H. ''The Spirit of the Moravian Church'' (1977)
* Mikulas Teich, Teich, Mikulas, ed., ''Bohemia in History'', Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 384
* Tillman, Benjamin; ''Imprints on Native Lands: The Miskito-Moravian Settlement Landscape in Honduras;'' Tucson 2011 (University of Arizona Press)
* Weber, Julie Tomberlin (trans.) and Atwood, Craig D. (ed.) ''A Collection of Sermons from Zinzendorf's Pennsylvania Journey'' (1741-2; 2001)
* Weinlick, John R. ''Count Zinzendorf: The Story of his Life and Leadership in the Renewed Moravian Church'' (1984)
* Zinzendorf, Nicholaus Ludwig. ''Nine Public Lectures on Important Subjects in Religion'' (1746; translated and edited by George W. Forell 1973)
External links
*
Official website of the Moravian Church in North America
Official website of the Moravian Church in the United Kingdom
Unitas Fratrum: An international organisation of Moravians
Moravian Music Foundation
Moravian Heritage Network
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Moravian Church,
Unity of the Brethren
1457 establishments in Europe
Christian organizations established in the 15th century
Members of the World Council of Churches
Peace churches