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The Theology of the Czech Brethren from Hus to Comenius

Craig D Atwood author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Pennsylvania State University Press

Published:10th Jul '09

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The Theology of the Czech Brethren from Hus to Comenius cover

Craig Atwood addresses the serious lack of comprehensive treatments in English of the Moravians. The Moravian Church, or Unity of the Brethren, was the first Western church to make separation of church and state a matter of doctrine and policy. The Unity’s vision for social and educational reform also sets it apart. Its theology centers on the key concepts of faith, love, and hope. The Unity—the heartbeat of the so-called Czech Reformation—was engaged with society and with other churches and did not retreat to isolationism, as did several movements in the Radical Reformation. Rather, the Unity continued to evolve as political and theological climates changed.

“Atwood's important study contributes a great deal to our understanding of the complex Brethren community. It helps to disentangle the important elements of transmission across the line that notionally divides the medieval from the Reformation era. It characterizes the thought of what was in many respects a non-intellectual movement, giving the influence of Marsilius of Padua its proper place.”

—G. R. Evans American Historical Review


The Theology of the Czech Brethrenfrom Hus to Comenius makes a vital argument for the importance and lasting insight of the Unitas Fratrum. It will be of particular use to students who study Protestantism’s long historical trends, including the growth of ecumenism in both pragmatic and ideological forms and the idea of separate sacred and secular realms.”

—Katherine Carté Engel, Texas A&M University


“This unusually helpful book offers the best history available in English of the quasi-Protestant Unity of the Brethren (Unitas Fratrum), one of several different churches to descend from Jan Hus and the Czech Reformation. . . . It is an indispensable guide to an influential movement that will prove to be a blessing to English readers everywhere.”

—Douglas A. Sweeney Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology


“There is so much to learn from Atwood’s book! In addition to providing a good education on the given subject-matter, the author’s evaluations are fair and friendly, comparisons insightful and edifying, and conclusions learned and thought provoking.”

—Tarmo Toom Religious Studies Review


“While the book is superbly researched and the scholarship is scrupulous, at times Atwood’s clear personal affection for the Brethren and his strong Christian faith is the dominating feature of his analysis. Neither affection nor faith should in any way be considered an impediment to producing a scholarly text, and Atwood’s scholarship is of the highest standard. But it does lead Atwood to advance an interpretation of the Brethren’s later impact and global significance that draws several long bows.”

—Marcus Harmes Parergon

ISBN: 9780271035321

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 40mm

Weight: 821g

480 pages