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This is the definitive history of the Evangelical United Brethren Church.  The result of many years of painstaking research, this volume presents a comprehensive account of an important American denomination that became part of United Methodism.

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In the first book ever written on the subject, Carl Bowman examines how and why members of the Church of the Brethren -- historically known as "Dunkers" after their method of baptism -- were assimilated faster and earlier than their Amish, Mennonite, or even Hutterite cousins.

"Brethren Society is unique, creative, and well written. There are virtually no other books to compare with it." -- Donald B. Kraybill, author of The Riddle of Amish Culture

"Thoroughly and richly researched, clearly organized and cogently written. Bowman's account will be the standard reference on the subject for years to come." -- James Davison Hunter, University of Virginia

"This brilliant analysis will shape the interpretation of Brethren history for many decades." -- Donald F. Durnbaugh, Elizabethtown College

Customer Reviews (4)

Tolerating diversity
The Brethren, known as the "Peculiar People," according to Bowman, were also once called the "plain people."
Emerging at the River Eider in Schwartzenau, Germany in 1708, due to the beliefs of Alexander Mack and a small number of religious separatists, the Tunkers/Dunkards attempted to engender the qualities of the early Christian Church (pp. 26-27) without the creeds imposed by more organized state religious institutions.The triune baptism by dunking in water, communion, feet washing, anointing and the "holy kiss" were to be practiced as instructed by Jesus.The New Testament, and later annual meeting minutes, were the loose creed of the faith- childlike faith, unity, obedience, and separation from the world.
Initially, the Brethren were a people of nonresistance who would not bear arms to defend country or family (p. 38.)In fact, they were marched, singing hymns, off to prison by those who did not approve of their beliefs.
For a time the Brethren maintained a strict fashion code (p. 79.), but they got over it.During the mid to late 19th century, German no longer was the language of choice, and members began publishing periodicals and even founding colleges, entering nonagricultural vocations.Members of the church spread from Pennsylvania to California and slowly began to resemble other protestant churches. This included introduction of musical instruments, paid preachers, and offering collections, stained glass, etc.
And by the late 1800's more traditional factions peeled away leaving the more progressive Brethren Church standing aloof from their fundamentalist brethren.(pp. 126-127.)And, by 1917 Brethrens were less separatists and even voted...for the more moral candidate, of course.By 1908 the term Church of the Brethren came into favor (p. 225).
And, by the 1920s, the Brethren became a part of the common community.And, by the 40s most Brethren did not want to be different anymore.Gone were the prayer coverings, the elders, and the church's demand for pacifism. Although peace was still endorsed, it was not mandatory and military service was considered an honorary option. (pp. 331-334.)Toleration rated higher than division. The very "peculiar" attributes of the initial faith distracted from growth/missions and were pared back.
In 1979, the Annual Conference encompassed both diversity and unity.(p. 363.)But, still in 1985, most Brethren had some previous family connection to their Church. (p. 382.)
Today, the Church of the Brethren remains a Church without a creed (other than the New Testament).
This book is a general narrative.Each church within the Church has its own history and beliefs which may vary dramatically.
Persons interested in this denomination may find the book "History of the Tunkers and the Brethren Church" by Henry R. Holsinger to also be informative.

Heart-breaking!
Carl Desportes Bowman tells it like it was in his account of the decline and acculturation of the Church of the Brethren, the formerly conservative wing of the Brethren Movement.

It's readable, enjoyable, but on the whole a very sad story.

A comprehensive work
As it becomes more and more difficult to provide information to those who desire it in regards to brethren history, Bowman has done a service to the Brethren movement. That he does not champion it but rather observes it is of great service. As one who traces my religious heritage through this body, i am grateful to Bowmam for the scholarly work which also manages to be an easy read. This book is for anyone with a great desire to understand the Brethren movement, it's roots, and its divisions.

Provides and in depth interpretive history of the Dunkards.
Bowman presents good information which is not easily found in the Brethren History Books.However, when charting the demise of the Brethren Movement, he identifies the loss of peculiarness as the reason the group lost its influence.While he documents the increase of bureaucratic baggage to the denomination and the abandonment of the original simplicity of the group, he does not see this as causal in the group loosing its original impact.He does not hedge or create heros as other Brethren history works tend to do, which is a definite value to this work. ... Read more

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Examines the early 18th-century formation and expansion of the Church of the Brethren in Europe. Hardcover. ... Read more

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This work features a traditional community's struggle to define itself in the face of agricultural change. Since arriving nearly 250 years ago in Franklin County, Virginia, German Baptists have maintained their faith and farms by relying on their tightly knit community for spiritual and economic support. Today, with their land and livelihoods threatened by the encroachment of neighboring communities, the construction of a new highway, and competition from corporate megafarms, the German Baptists find themselves forced to adjust. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

More about farming than faith
Although the first few chapters were interesting, it seems to me that the author (who reportedly took several years to write this book) ran out of ideas. The middle and end of the book is more about farming and farm changes than it is about the Brethren.Many people who are interested in learning about the Old Order may be disappointed in this book.If you live in the Franklin County area, or are from this area, you will know many of the people mentioned herein. I am glad I bought the book, although I had to force myself to finish it. ... Read more

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In this new book on Grace Brethren history the author skillfully portrays the theological and political context leading up to the 1708 Alexander Mack baptisms. He reiterates the importance and the scriptural ground for the distinctively Brethren ordinances. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1914.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Publisher: Dayton, O. : Foreign Missionary Society, United Brethren in ChristSubjects: Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New constitution)Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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Carl Desportes Bowman holds a mirror to the Church of the Brethren as he reports the results of the 2006 Brethren Member Profile, the most comprehensive scientifically executed survey ever of the denomination. Here you will find new information on Brethren beliefs about God and the afterlife; attitudes about military service, abortion, and politics; practices in the areas of personal Bible study, worship, and love feast; and much more. Readers may find themselves surprised, pleased, dismayed. All will find themselves better informed about the people who call themselves Brethren. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good read for useful thinking about the future of the Church of the Brethren
This small volume relates the responses of Brethren to a denomination-wide survey of 1,826 respondents from 106 congregations taken in 2006. Meant as a followup to Bowman's work of 1985, the survey results reveal who the Brethren are today. Some results were published in a recent issue of Messenger magazine.

Bowman presents a valuable look at the Church of the Brethren on a number of issues, from theology (including views of God, Jesus, eternity, and so on) to ordinances and worship, to peace and military issues, and of course, the moral issues (abortion, homosexuality).

The survey results themselves portray the Church of the Brethren as essentially a conservative and evangelical denomination. Most believe that Jesus is God in human flesh, and that the only way to Heaven is to trust Him. The Brethren are interested in evangelism and strongly believe it is important to offer the message of salvation to the secular culture. They are happily married and generally supportive of the United States government. Bowman reports that a majority of Brethren describe themselves as "born again," are pro-life (62%), oppose homosexual practice (75%), never attended Annual Conference, and did not go to a Brethren-related college or seminary.

When it comes to the Bible, however, there is a startling point that fewer than half of the respondents read the Bible at least weekly. Bowman notes that "the practice of today's Brethren falls well short of being a consistent 'people of the Book'" (p. 19). One wishes there were more clarity in Bowman's question about what people believe about the Bible, for many evangelical and conservative Brethren could answer, truthfully and well, "the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but not everything in it should be taken literally." Those of us who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible could agree, and so could those who do not.

Brethren Revival Fellowship is mentioned, with more people satisfied with BRF's work than not. The survey results themselves reflect a denomination more in line with BRF than with the vocal liberalism that finds expression in Messenger, Annual Conference agencies, and Bethany Seminary.

This is a valuable little book, with much to commend the Brethren, and with much to pray for as we move forward. Everyone who is interested in the future of the Brethren should have a copy. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1908.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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Letters, minutes, and records that cover the years 1785-1865, when Brethren were emigrating west. ... Read more