View source for Brotherhoods

'''Orthodox Christian Brotherhoods''' (also called ''Fraternities'', or ''ecclesiastical organisations'') are incorporations of persons that aim in the ministration of the fold of Orthodox Church. 

==Operation==
These fraternities come into being through the personal initiative of Orthodox individuals and are usually focused on various activities that are seen as being lacking; common activities being internal mission (ie on uplifting piety in one's own country), external [[evangelism]] (ie going to other countries to spread Orthodoxy), charitable work or fellowship.  The fraternities, no matter how influential, do not have a special place in the Church being as they are private endeavours.  If they are part of the Church, they are under the [[jurisdiction]] of the local [[bishop]].  Some fraternities restrict their membership to celibate members (either [[monastic]] or unmarried, where membership ends in the event of [[marriage]]) or, sometimes, regard permanent [[Celibacy|celibacy]] as a condition of membership.

==Historical evidence==
Fraternities are not new in the Church and have existed since the first century. There are reports of the fraternity of the ''Spoudaioi'', in which St [[Anthony the Great|Anthony]] took part in; the ''Parabalaneis'', etc.  Some fraternities were founded such luminaries as Ss [[John Chrysostom]], [[Clement of Alexandria]], and [[Gregory Palamas]].  In the modern era, there are fraternities with various names in many places having varied objectives.

==Known fraternities==
*[[Holy Order of MANS|Christ the Savior Brotherhood]], based around [[St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood|St. Herman of Alaska Monastery (Platina, California)]].
*[[Brotherhood of St. Symeon the New Theologian]], based around the teachings of Archimandrite [[Eusebius A. Stephanou]]
*[[Brotherhood of Theologians Zoe|Zoe]], founded in 1907 by Fr Eusebios Matthopoulos, based in Greece.
*[[Brotherhood of Theologians Soter|Soter]], founded in 1963 by [[Panagiotes N. Trembelas|Panagiotes Trembelas]], based in Greece.
*The [[Army of the Lord]], based in Romania.
*The [[Congregation of Orthodox Christian Peoples]], founded in the 1920s, with its centre at Sabac, Serbia.

==Further reading==
* Basil Jioultsis. ''"Religious Brotherhoods: A Sociological View."'' '''Social Compass''', XXII, 1975/1, pp.67-83.

[[Category:Organizations]]