Everyone
has heard of the Amish. If you wander into a Christian fiction section of a
bookstore, you won’t be able to escape the present-day fascination with “the
plain people.” You’ve probably also heard of Quakers, well-known for their
pacifism. But what do you know about Moravians? I’d guess most folks know very
little, even though the church of over a million members is still in existence
today. My research for my latest work-in-progress led me deep into the history
of this unique Protestant European church.
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| Reformer Jan Hus |
The movement
began in ancient Bohemia and Moravia in the present-day Czech Republic with
converts of Greek Orthodox missionaries. University of Prague Professor of
Philosophy and Rector John (or Jan) Hus protested the practices of the Roman
Catholic Church and was burned at stake in July 1415. By 1517 the Unitas Fratrum, Unity of Brethren,
numbered at least 200,000 and printed the Scriptures for the people in their
own language. Following a period of bitter persecution, Moravian families found
refuge on the Herrnhut estate of Saxon Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. The
people followed a simplified style of communal living and a watch of continuous
prayer that ran for a hundred years.
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| Zinzendorf as young man |
The
revival of 1727 led to the Moravian Church becoming the foremost mission-sending
organization of its time. Witnesses for Christ sailed to the West Indies, the
Caribbean, the Arctic, Africa, the Far East, and North and South America. It
was John Wesley’s exposure to a Moravian service that led to his heart being “strangely
warmed.”
With
the view of reaching Native Americans, the church established settlements in
Bethlehem and Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the 1740s. Congregations soon sprang up
in Lititz, Philadelphia, and Hope, as well as in New Jersey, Maryland, and
Staten Island, New York. In 1753, Bishop Augustus Spangenberg led a party to survey
the Wachau Tract of North Carolina. This settlement included Bethabara,
Bethania, and Salem (now Winston-Salem).
While
Moravians believe largely like other Protestant churches, they did practice
some unique traditions, especially during Colonial times. Want to know what
living in a choir system meant? Or what it would be like to have your marriage plans
“go before the lot”? Check back for future posts! And stay tuned for my
upcoming novel, The Witness Tree,
about a marriage of convenience in Salem that leads to an adventure in the
Cherokee Nation.
~ Denise Weimer, Denise Weimer Books
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| First timbered houses built in Salem, NC |
Great post Denise!
ReplyDeleteI actually have heard of the Moravian's but knew only a bit about them so your post filled in more. I read about them in a Christian fiction book I read a few years back but can't remember the name.
Blessings, Tina
Thank you for your post, Denise!
ReplyDeleteI too have heard of the Moravian's, probably from a book.
But knew little about them. I look forward to learning more.
Thanks, ladies! There was a "Love Finds You In..." series book that focused on Moravian missionaries to the more northern Indian tribes during an earlier period.
ReplyDeleteI’ve read about them a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteDenise, I'm quite intrigued about your book! I was married in my grandparents' Moravian country church about a mile from my childhood home. (My grandparents donated the land on which the church was built.) Prior to them building the church there, it was a few miles away, at a location I often biked to in the summer time to attend vacation Bible school with my neighbor kids. Now, that church has closed its doors. It died slowly, and unfortunately, I think it lost its way doctrinally. What a rich history though!
ReplyDeleteThat's neat, Naomi! Did you grow up in NC?
DeleteVery interesting book I have heard about them a a long time ago. I am intrigued to learn more. The book sounds great. rose blackard@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I hope I can share with with readers not too far in the future. :)
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