Religious Practices
The Bruderhof is an evangelical Anabaptist community that seeks to emulate the practices of early Christianity. Eberhard Arnold drew inspiration from a number of historical streams, including early Christianity, the Anabaptists, German Pietism and the German Youth Movement. The Bruderhof practice Christian pacifism and therefore reject the practice of military conscription, reflecting the early Anabaptist beliefs formulated in the Schleitheim Confession. The Bruderhof practices believers' baptism, which does not equate to membership. Membership is lifetime and by vows after the age of 21.
Bruderhof members do not hold private property, but rather share everything. Members work inside the Bruderhof, and nobody receives a salary or has a bank account.
Income from all businesses is pooled and used for the care of all members and for various communal outreach efforts. Every member of the organization must take a vow that he or she is willing "to put yourself completely at the disposal of the church community to the end of your life – all your faculties, the entire strength of your body and soul, and all your property, both that which you now possess and that which you may later inherit or earn." The Bruderhof believes marriage to be "the lifelong union between one man and one woman" and believes that sexual love should only be shared in such a marriage relationship. They believe divorce and remarriage to be wrong.
It has supported and run marriage events to promote marriage between one man and one woman both in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Bruderhof also participated in Humanum, a conference held in the Vatican from 17 to 19 November 2014 and attended by Pope Francis, to discuss the complementarity of man and woman. In accordance with the Anabaptist doctrine of nonconformity to the world, the Bruderhof wear plain dress, with women donning a headcovering in accordance with 1 Corinthians 11 in the Christian Bible. Membership in the church community is for life. It is entered into by taking vows. Through our vows, we give ourselves to Christ with all that we have and are, making a covenant of faithfulness to God and to our fellow members, whom we refer to as brothers and sisters.
Income from all businesses is pooled and used for the care of all members and for various communal outreach efforts. Every member of the organization must take a vow that he or she is willing "to put yourself completely at the disposal of the church community to the end of your life – all your faculties, the entire strength of your body and soul, and all your property, both that which you now possess and that which you may later inherit or earn." The Bruderhof believes marriage to be "the lifelong union between one man and one woman" and believes that sexual love should only be shared in such a marriage relationship. They believe divorce and remarriage to be wrong.
It has supported and run marriage events to promote marriage between one man and one woman both in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Bruderhof also participated in Humanum, a conference held in the Vatican from 17 to 19 November 2014 and attended by Pope Francis, to discuss the complementarity of man and woman. In accordance with the Anabaptist doctrine of nonconformity to the world, the Bruderhof wear plain dress, with women donning a headcovering in accordance with 1 Corinthians 11 in the Christian Bible. Membership in the church community is for life. It is entered into by taking vows. Through our vows, we give ourselves to Christ with all that we have and are, making a covenant of faithfulness to God and to our fellow members, whom we refer to as brothers and sisters.
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