Brethren: A Brief Introduction
Brethren around the world are a growing and vigorous movement, with several million adherents in over 160 countries. You may know Christians who belong to a Brethren 'assembly' or walk past a place of worship advertising itself as a 'hall', with services including a 'Break of Bread' and a 'Gospel Meeting'. Some Brethren are called 'Exclusive', others 'Open', 'Christian', or even 'Plymouth'. Still others reject any distinctive name, claiming to be simply 'Christians gathered to the name of the Lord', or to be an 'Evangelical Church' or a non-denominational congregation. You may belong to a Brethren congregation, and want to learn more about your 'family'.
Who are these people? How did the Brethren movement develop? What do they believe? Where do they fit into the global religious landscape? This book offers an accessible illustrated introduction to their history and key motivating ideas.
In Brethren: A Brief Introduction, Tim Grass lays out the global history of the Open Brethren movement, whose missionaries helped create networks of Lay-led New Testament churches throughout the world. Today, members of those churches are active in providing leaders to interdenominational evangelical organizations even as the Brethren in Britain are in decline. This deeply researched book offers insight into the founding and historical development of the Open Brethren movement as well as the historical trajectory that resulted in this paradoxical outcome.
Jean Debernardi
Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of Alberta
The strength of the book lies in recognizing the potential of the Brethren to recover the heart of its vision of the church. With sympathy and objectivity, the author invites Brethren readers to renew their vision, a process that begins with self-critical reflection. I recommend this book to the young generation of Brethren leaders who may serve as the key to our renewal.
Ronnie Magpayo
Full-time worker in a Brethren church and visiting faculty at Asian Theological Seminary, Manila
Accessible yet thought-provoking, this introduction to the global Brethren movement offers a balanced and insightful overview of its history, beliefs, and practices. By avoiding both oversimplification and insider assumptions, it invites readers from diverse backgrounds into meaningful engagement and provides a strong foundation for further exploration. A much-needed contribution to the field.
Tereza Ward
Curator of the Christian Brethren Archive at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, University of Manchester
