Term
Brethren movement
Also known as Brethren of the Common Life
A movement founded by Gerard Groote emphasizing personal piety, communal living, and education. It influenced European intellectual culture and contributed to Reformation ideas through its focus on individual scripture interpretation.
Filed underChurch History
Definition
(Brethren of the Common Life) Founded by Gerard Groote, emphasized personal piety, communal living, and education, influencing religious and intellectual culture across Europe. They established schools, promoted literacy, and fostered a direct relationship with God, contributing to later Reformation ideas by encouraging critical thinking and individual interpretation of scripture.
Sources
- 1.Jerald C. Brauer and B. A. Gerrish, ed. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971). 132Original citation: Brauer, Jerald C., and B. A. Gerrish, eds. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971, 132.
Last revised August 14, 2026