by Denise Weimer
Germanic-built Single Brothers' House |
In my
last post, we focused on the origins of the Moravian Church (The Unity of the
Brethren). Moravians followed the convictions of Protestant reformer John Hus
and expanded from the Saxon Herrnhut estate of Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf to
missions around the world. They also established trade towns in
America—especially Pennsylvania and North Carolina—to support missionaries to
the American Indians.
A Moravian sister on baking day |
While
Moravians embraced many traditional Protestant beliefs, during the mid-1700s, they engaged in some unique practices. One of these
involved the choir system.
The
practice started when a group of single men moved into their own dormitory in
1728 Herrnhut. Some unmarried women did likewise a couple of years later. Soon,
even married couples lived separately, only meeting occasionally in “special
sleeping quarters.” Children were sent to the “nurserie” as soon as they were
weaned. They entered the dorm for older boys and girls around age twelve.
Single Sisters' House in Salem |
Count
Zinzendorf believed each group of people could best minister to its own kind. Each
choir possessed its own liturgy, hymn book, and services, in addition to the
community worship services.
The
choir system served as part of the communal “General Economy” meant to provide
for the financial needs of the community and the missionaries in the field.
Each person had the freedom to apply themselves to specific industry. Single
sisters devoted time to washing, nursing, teaching, sewing, cooking, gardening,
and livestock care. The choir system also allowed them to hold church offices
like eldress, choir helper (spiritual overseer for other sisters), and
deaconess. The deaconesses helped the priests and held the bread baskets during
Moravian love feasts.
Count
Zinzendorf died in 1760. By 1762, an economic crisis threatened the church in
Germany, and choir houses remained only for single men and women. A 1764 synod
meeting prevented Moravian women from holding church offices with oversight
over both men and women. The move toward the town structure had begun.
Salem Single Brothers Tailor Shop |
Single Brothers Woodworking |
Another
unique practice of the Moravians involved taking major decisions—including
marriage!—before the lot. Stay tuned for a future post about the lot—and for my
novel, The Witness Tree,
coming in September 2019 from Smitten Romance, about a marriage of convenience in Salem, North Carolina, that leads to an
adventure in the Cherokee Nation.
See also: National Council on Public
History, “Religion in Moravian Bethlehem” and Moravian Women’s Memoirs: Their
Related Lives, 1750-1820, Katherine Faull
People I'm descended from on maternal grandmother's side! Thank you for this, Denise.
ReplyDeleteThat's neat, Pat. A lot of wonderful heritage there.
DeleteInteresting! Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by the blog, Connie!
DeleteGreat information. I'm really looking forward to your story!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra!
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I'm looking forward to reading your story.
ReplyDelete