Bruderhof Communities: Encyclopedia II - Bruderhof Communities - Beliefs and spiritual roots

Bruderhof Communities - Beliefs and spiritual roots

The Bruderhof's foundation is faith in Jesus. His teachings are central to Bruderhof life - particularly the command "Love your neighbor as yourself," the Sermon on the Mount, and his teachings concerning nonviolence, faithfulness in marriage, and compassion for the poor. Bruderhof members share the beliefs of the early Christians as recorded in the Apostles' Creed and the Didache.

The Bruderhof follows the practices of the first church in Jerusalem, whose members were (according to the Book of Acts) of "one heart and mind, and shared all things in common." Bruderhof members do not hold private property, but rather share everything. No Bruderhof member receives a salary or has a bank account. Income from all businesses is pooled and used for the care for all members, and for various communal outreach efforts.

The Bruderhof is a peace church whose member do not serve in the armed forces of any country. Rather, they model a way of life that removes the social and economic divisions that bring about war. The goal of the Bruderhof is to create a new society where self-interest is yielded for the sake of the common good.

The Bruderhof movement draws inspiration and guidance from a number of historical streams including the early Christians, the Anabaptists, the Blumhardts, and the German Youth Movement.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Beliefs and spiritual roots", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki