Review of Books in Print

A welcome survey of Brethren history comes now from the able pen of Donald Durnbaugh, who has invested his life in researching and chronicling the history of the group which began at Schwarzenau, Germany in 1708. This is the first general Brethren history since Floyd Mallot's Studies in Brethren History, but aims to be more comprehensive than Mallot's work, and covers the entire scope of Brethren history in its 675 pages.

Some histories can be "dry as dust," but Durnbaugh's ability to tell the Brethren story is far from boring. The writing is clear, the facts are detailed, and the sources are well-documented. Each chapter runs 20-30 pages long.

Early on in the book, Durnbaugh assembles the basic beliefs of the early Brethren, as gathered from court records, letters, early descriptions of the Brethren, and early Brethren publications. Those beliefs included: the shared orthodoxy of the Reformation (especially the authority of Scripture and the priesthood of all believers), with an emphasis on discipleship and obedience, the restoration of the early church, nonconformity, church discipline, mutual aid, focus on the Bible with literal interpretation, nonresistance, and love and unity. Durnbaugh states that the early Brethren "rejected the soft and permissive 'false love' practiced among some Pietists ..." and that they "were concerned to maintain a unity of belief and practice among their ranks." These early beliefs stand in stark contrast to the Brethren of the 1990's.

The trials and tribulations of the Brethren through the early years are well covered, and throughout the book there are quotes from original sources to help the reader see events as they were viewed at the time they happened. An interesting chapter is "Relations with Other Religious Bodies," which shows that Brethren were aware of and interacted with other groups--such as Mormons, Adventists, Universalists, Disciples of Christ--and yet maintained staunch belief in their own principles as proved by Scripture.

Change came to the Brethren in the 20th Century, and Durnbaugh engages many of those shifts. However, Durnbaugh treats modern religious currents unevenly. While viewing "fundamentalism" as an outside influence on the Brethren, "liberalism" or "modernism" is not viewed in quite the same fashion. The outside influence of liberal institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and the University of Chicago on the Brethren is briefly dealt with, but the rise of religious liberals such as D.W. Kurtz, Dan West, M.R. Zigler, and others to official positions clearly had strong effect on the official institutions of the church. The ill-advised entry into the Federal and World Council of Churches shows this influence. Durnbaugh, though, is to be thanked for clearly identifying the liberalism which many mid-century Brethren leaders held, and for giving a frank assessment of liberal influence in determining the structure and program of the "Elgin establishment."

Of particular interest to our readers is the chapter on "Rise of Denominational Minorities," in which the Brethren Revival Fellowship is mentioned first. A brief history of the main dissenting groups is given. The statistics given for some groups are uneven and not always up-to-date (for example, three Brethren congregations in Maine have been established through BRF, and over 11,000 copies of the WITNESS are distributed). The reference to BRF appealing largely to Brethren in rural areas, "most of whom have not pursued formal higher education," sounds strangely similar to a comment in the secular press a few years ago that evangelicals are "poorly educated, and easily led." Readers familiar with BRF know that a majority of the BRF Committee have studied at the college level, and three current Committee members hold graduate degrees. Simplicity and orthodoxy are not indicators of ignorance and geography.

Durnbaugh's comment in the last paragraph on page 593 contrasting the sources of Brethren identity in 1708 (the Bible and church history) to the sources of today (outside consultants and focus groups) is telling. It is clear from a careful reading of this history, that in the 1900's the Brethren became more interested in the world's opinion, rather than God's opinion. Durnbaugh is optimistic about the future of the Brethren, but along the lines of more social outreach, ecumenism, and peace witness. Unfortunately, this has been the direction of the past fifty years, with Brethren more focused on the world than on God.

Fruit of the Vine is a well written and valuable book. It belongs on the shelf of every member of the Church of the Brethren who wants to know where we have been, and who is interested in where we are going. The price is $49.95 plus shipping, and it is available from Brethren Press.