The Ephrata Cloister
The introduction below applies to the oncoming series of pictures posted /to be posted relative to Ephrata Cloister.
The Ephrata Cloister, located in what is now Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, was a religious community founded by Conrad Beissel in 1732. It is however not a physical cloister, it is a spiritual one.
Conrad Beissel was born in Eberbach am Neckar, Germany, in March 1691. His birth came at the end of a century of religious wars, which had devastated his homeland and was responsible for the death of his parents when he was eight.
A baker by training, he came to Pennsylvania in search of religious liberty, which was offered at the time by William Penn. His theology, a hybrid of pietism and mysticism, encouraged celibacy, Sabbath worship, Anabaptism, and the ascetic life, yet provided room for families, limited industry, and creative expression.
Ephrata began as a hermitage, or “camp of the solitary”, with about 80 celibate members, who were secondarily helped by 200 family members. His followers were thus divided into three groups : two celibate orders, Brothers and Sisters, called the Solitary, and a congregation of married families called the Householders.
At Ephrata, members were preparing for Christ’s return to Earth.
The Ephrata Cloister was German speaking, and printed books in German.
Stories about Ephrata circulated throughout America and Europe, through friends in Europe and through visitors.
The community started weakening when Conrad Beissel died in 1768, and when the last vowed celibate member passed away in 1813, the Householders created instead the German Seventh Day Baptist Church, which in turn closed in 1934.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the Ephrata Cloister in 1941, and it began a program of restoration, to return the remaining 8 out of an original 30 buildings back to their appearances of the 1700s.
The Ephrata Cloister
The introduction below applies to the oncoming series of pictures posted /to be posted relative to Ephrata Cloister.
The Ephrata Cloister, located in what is now Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, was a religious community founded by Conrad Beissel in 1732. It is however not a physical cloister, it is a spiritual one.
Conrad Beissel was born in Eberbach am Neckar, Germany, in March 1691. His birth came at the end of a century of religious wars, which had devastated his homeland and was responsible for the death of his parents when he was eight.
A baker by training, he came to Pennsylvania in search of religious liberty, which was offered at the time by William Penn. His theology, a hybrid of pietism and mysticism, encouraged celibacy, Sabbath worship, Anabaptism, and the ascetic life, yet provided room for families, limited industry, and creative expression.
Ephrata began as a hermitage, or “camp of the solitary”, with about 80 celibate members, who were secondarily helped by 200 family members. His followers were thus divided into three groups : two celibate orders, Brothers and Sisters, called the Solitary, and a congregation of married families called the Householders.
At Ephrata, members were preparing for Christ’s return to Earth.
The Ephrata Cloister was German speaking, and printed books in German.
Stories about Ephrata circulated throughout America and Europe, through friends in Europe and through visitors.
The community started weakening when Conrad Beissel died in 1768, and when the last vowed celibate member passed away in 1813, the Householders created instead the German Seventh Day Baptist Church, which in turn closed in 1934.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the Ephrata Cloister in 1941, and it began a program of restoration, to return the remaining 8 out of an original 30 buildings back to their appearances of the 1700s.