Powstanie i rozwój Bractwa Wspólnego Życia. Proces odradzania się życia według rad ewangelicznych w protestantyzmie niemieckim

Abstract

The origin results from the author’s research, from one side of authoevangelization and the history of the Christian secularly in Europe, and from the other side of the new evangelization realization degree and ecumenism connected with it in the form of so called “life ecumenism“, and finally of the regeneration process dynamism from the middle of the 19th century in the churches of community life reformation (based on the evangelic advice; they ended with the Augsburg Confession decision in 1530, art.. 20 and 27). On the ground of the reformation Churches a big part was played by the Common Life Brotherhood, the oldest from about 70 various stable communities existing in the evangelic Church. 2. In the first, not only on the Polish ground, attempt of the characterization of the CLB the author discussed among others the following issues: the development origin, aim and stages; charismatic personalities; profile of the CLB, its confederations and unions in the evangelic surrounding. 3. At the end of the article the author stated among others: (A) CLB was founded in 1905 near Zurich (the Swiss branch numbers about 240 members nowadays), and in 1928 as a German branch, but in Germany the main development of structures comes only in the postwar period ( 1945-1960). Its specific character was decided by the activity of two charismatic personalities: brother Eugene Karl Belz (* 2 IX 1900 Stuttgart † 25 VU 1987 Stutgart-Weilimdorf) the founder and the first responsible and the first clergyman of the CLB Klaus Hess (* 10 II 1907 Hamburg † 17 VI 1987 Ottmaring). (B) Characterizing the CLB firstly through the prism of movement types and communities appearing in various periods of the 20th century, we should notice that it is a kind of a bridge between small and big religious traditions connected with various epochs and religions (Catholic, Reformatted, Lutheran ), and also a pioneer in regeneration of monastic and community life in German Protestantism. (C) It is also an exception in the type of community. In Germany there was a certain regularity: brotherhoods appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, after the Second World War only communities were opened (similar in character to the structure of family and monastic order). CLB at the moment of origin was a community brotherhood. What is more, this character was unchanged in two big centers in Stuttgart and Norymberg, but in Bavaria (Ottmaring) it was broadened adding the center of ecumenical meetings (look Ottmaring Center of Ecumenical Life).