Communities · renewal · reform · mission
Orders & Movements
Orders and movements are treated as changing networks rather than as founders plus slogans. Their pages follow rules, institutions, worship, social settings, internal diversity, conflict, reform, global transmission, and unintended consequences.
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Desert Monasticism
Networks of ascetics whose experiments in solitude and community reshaped Christian prayer, discipline, authority, and spiritual writing.
Benedictine Monasticism
A family of autonomous monasteries shaped by the Rule of Benedict and its rhythm of prayer, work, reading, stability, and hospitality.
The Cistercian Reform
A monastic reform emphasizing stricter Benedictine observance, simpler worship and buildings, manual labor, and linked abbeys.
The Franciscan Movement
A diverse family inspired by Francis and Clare of Assisi to follow Christ through poverty, fraternity, preaching, contemplation, and service.
The Dominican Order
An order of preachers joining common life, study, itinerant ministry, and theological teaching.
The Anabaptist Movement
Diverse radical reform communities associated with believers’ baptism, disciplined discipleship, voluntary church membership, and contested relations to political power.
The Society of Jesus
A Catholic religious order organized for mission, education, spiritual direction, scholarship, and service under a distinctive vow of availability.
The Moravian Renewal
A refugee community whose 1727 renewal fostered sustained prayer, transnational mission, hymnody, and ecumenical spirituality.
Global Evangelicalism
A broad family emphasizing conversion, Scripture, the cross, active faith, mission, and voluntary networks across denominational boundaries.
The Methodist Movement
A revival and discipleship movement organized through societies, classes, field preaching, hymnody, and a theology of grace seeking holiness.
The Black Church Freedom Movement
Black Christian institutions and networks that joined worship, survival, education, organizing, theological critique, and struggles for freedom.
The Oxford Movement
An Anglican renewal that recovered patristic, sacramental, liturgical, and catholic claims within a church pressured by political and modern intellectual change.
The Holiness Movement
A Wesleyan-rooted network emphasizing entire sanctification, disciplined life, revival, social reform, and lay testimony.
The Pentecostal Movement
A many-centered Christian movement emphasizing the present work of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, healing, testimony, and expectant worship.
The Ecumenical Movement
Networks seeking visible Christian unity through mission cooperation, dialogue, common witness, councils, and local relationships.
The East African Revival
An African-led renewal network emphasizing public testimony, repentance, reconciliation, fellowship, and a “walk in the light.”
Liberation Theology
A family of contextual theologies reading Scripture and Christian practice from the experience of poverty, oppression, and organized struggle for liberation.