Moravian Church Reflections - AHB

I've been going through some of my research material for the paper I am writing on the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum/Unity Brethren). This morning I came across some really interesting stuff that corresponds very well to subjects that Kip has continually mentioned.

The modern day Moravian Church began in a small community in Saxony around the beginning of the 18th century. A young German count named Zinzendorf was asked to donate land to religious refugees from all over central Europe. Many of the people that came were the descendants of the spiritual movements that grew up out of the teachings of Jan Hus. These people were often persecuted by the Catholic church and sometimes even other protestant denominations. Zinzendorf was extremely pious for a rich and influential aristocrat, and he agreed to set aside the necessary land, which eventually become known as Herrnhut. Because there were doctrinal differences between the people of Herrnhut many divisions began to form. However Zinzendorf and the other leaders tapped into the history of men like Comenius and Jan Hus, and they were able to codify a set of governing principles that every member of the community had to agree upon and sign. Several months later this bond was reinforced by a spontaneous "spiritual renewal" (Aug 13th 1727) that fell upon the church while they were walking home from their weekly service.

The progression of these events is really interesting, and I think it teaches a great deal about communities in general. First, there is a mutual bond, in this case it was the desire for religious freedom. Second, there is disunity, which can be caused by an incredible number of variables. Third, there is a rejoining of the community by a return to core values. In the Moravian's case they returned, but also improved upon, those values. Fourth, there is an event that solidifies the bond of community and takes it out of the abstract and into the concrete. Without this moment the unity cannot be maintained. Finally, these events become the framework on which future generations build their own communal life. Each of these major historical events has become a sanctioned Moravian holiday, and the modern church has ritualized these stories so that they will not be forgotten.