Eberhard Arnold

Eberhard Arnold (1883–1935) studied theology, philosophy, and education at Breslau, Halle, and Erlangen, where he receivedhis doctorate in 1909. He became a sought-after writer, lecturer, and speakerin his native Germany. Arnold was active in the student revival movementsweeping the country and became secretary of the German Christian StudentUnion. In 1916 he became literary director of the Furche Publishing House inBerlin and editor of its monthly periodical. Like thousands of young Europeans,Eberhard Arnold and his wife Emmy were disillusioned by the failure of theestablishment – especially the churches – to provide answers to the problemsfacing society in the turbulent years following World War I. In 1920, out of adesire to put into practice the teachings of Jesus, the Arnolds and their fiveyoung children turned their backs on the privileges of middle-class life inBerlin and moved to the small German village of Sannerz. There, with a handfulof like-minded seekers who drew inspiration from the Youth Movement, thesixteenth-century Anabaptists, and the early Christians, they founded anintentional community on the basis of the Sermon on the Mount. The community,which supported itself by agriculture and a small but vibrant publishing house,attracted thousands of visitors and eventually grew into the internationalcommunal movement known as the Bruderhof.

“Arnold's writings has all the simple, luminous, direct vision into things that I have come to associate with his name. It has the authentic ring of a truly evangelical Christianity and moves me deeply. It stirs to repentance and renewal. I am deeply grateful for it.” —Thomas Merton

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