Old German Baptist Brethren: Plain but Different, Part 1

Abstract

This article utilizes a narrative methodological research paradigm to explore perceived distinctions between the Old German Baptist Brethren (the main Old Order expression of the Schwarzenau Brethren) and other Plain groups. The authors explore three areas of specific distinction: (a) The group’s weave of Pietist as well as Anabaptist historical and theological influences, (b) a strong emphasis on the ritualized enactment of a discrete array of ordinances, (c) an emphasis on orthopraxis rather than doctrinal uniformity as a marker of church unity. All these, together with four other areas addressed in the second part of the article, combine to create a distinctive and unusual expression of Plain spirituality and life practice.