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Areligious brother (abbreviatedBr. orBro. as a title) is alay male member of areligious institute orreligious order who commits himself to following Christ inconsecrated life, usually by the vows ofpoverty,chastity andobedience. Equivalent to areligious sister, a religious brother typically lives in a religious community and works in a ministry appropriate to his capabilities.
A brother might practice any secular occupation. Some religious institutes are composed only of brothers; others are made up of brothers andclerics (priests or ministers, and seminarians).
In some Christian groups, members refer to each other as "brother" or "sister".[1] For example,Shakers use the title for all adult male members.[2]
Asmonasticism developed in the early days of Christianity, most monks remained laymen, as ordination toministry was seen as a hindrance to the monks'vocation to acontemplative life. Guided by theRule of St. Benedict, the main lifestyle they followed was either agricultural or that of a deserthermit. Various forces and trends through theMiddle Ages led to the situation where monks were no longer following this manner of living. Instead, they were focusing primarily on the religious obligations ofintercessory prayer, especially for donors to the monasteries. This was encouraged by a spiritual reliance among the general membership of theCatholic Church upon the prayers of monastics to achievesalvation.
One practical consequence of this situation was that the bulk of the physical work which needed to be done for the simple survival of the monastic community came to be done by men who volunteered their services on a full-time basis, and who followed a less severe regimen of prayer. Calleddonates oroblati, they were not considered to be monks, but they were nonetheless gradually accepted as members of the monastic community.
In other communities, a separate labor force of "lay brothers" orconversi was cultivated in order to handle the temporal business of the abbey. These men were professed members of the community but were restricted to ancillary roles of manual labor. A rigid class system emerged from this arrangement in which the clerics (priests and seminarians) exercised complete control over the lay brothers. In some cases, lay brothers received little or no formal education, could neither hold office nor vote within their communities, and were forbidden from passing from the lay to the clerical state.
In the 17th century, education of the poorer classes began to be seen as a means of providingcharity, which had always been a mandate ofChristianity. A leading figure of this approach was St.Jean Baptiste de la Salle, acanon ofReims cathedral, who began to help the poor children of the city. As he was gradually drawn into education as a means for this purpose, he established a newcongregation of men for this work, who were called theInstitute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. De la Salle had initially intended the Institute to be composed of both ordained and lay members, but the death of the candidates he sent to Rome for ordination while en route convinced him to keep the Institute composed only of laymen. Thus the establishment of a recognized status of "brother" as other than an agricultural laborer came to emerge in the Church.
The social devastations of the 18th and 19th centuries saw the gradual emergence of other similar congregations of men,dedicated primarily to education. Other examples of such congregations are theMarist Brothers, theBrothers of Holy Cross, theInstitute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (also known as the De La Salle Brothers),Brothers of Christian Instruction of St Gabriel (Gabrielites) and theCongregation of Christian Brothers.
In theAnglican Communion, the term "brother" is also used to refer to non-ordained members of areligious order, such as theLittle Brothers of Francis.[3]
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The establishment of congregation of brothers started to boom during the 17th century such as theDe La Salle Brothers.[4]
Since theSecond Vatican Council (1962–1965) many brothers have moved toward professional and academic occupations, especially in the areas of nursing, education, peace, and justice. Brothers in communities with priests and seminarians often undertake advanced studies and enjoy equal standing with ordained members. Today, most brothers such as in the United States serve in some type of professional, technical, or academic ministry. Many serve as chaplains or teachers/faculty members at schools and universities run by their respective orders. In addition, most brothers undertake some studies in spirituality, religious studies, and theology.
Today there are more opportunities than ever for brothers in the Church. Brothers can be members of congregations that are made up only of brothers or they may belong to "mixed" communities that includeseminarians and priests. These congregations may be primarily contemplative or apostolic in nature; many try to balance both aspects of religious life. Brothers in the United States and elsewhere have access to an advanced education that is suited to their interests and talents. In mixed communities, brothers may collaborate with seminarians and priests or may minister independently of them. Brothers share equal status and rights with seminarians and priests in their communities with the exception that canon law currently requires that mixed communities elect an ordained minister as provincial; however, some dispensations to this rule have been granted. Brothers may be elected to provincial councils and other leadership positions.
The most acceptable term currently for the brother's vocation is "religious brother", sometimes abbreviated as "Bro." or "Br." The generic use of the term "brother" to describe fraternal or spiritual relationships between men in communities can sometimes lead to confusion about what it means to be a "brother" (religious). According to canon law, brothers are neither "lay nor clerical"[5] but instead belong to the religious state of life. Hence, the vocational title "brother" is generally not used by seminarians (other than in monastic ormendicant orders) in order to avoid the impression that being a brother is a developmental phase of clerical formation. However, as equal members of the same community, both priests and brothers would consider themselvesbrothers in the fraternal, communal sense of the term.
The termlay brother in canon law it simply means "not clerical" or "not ordained".
Religious brothers who have been canonized assaints include:
InLutheran Churches, brothers are monastics or members of religious orders.[7]
In theMethodist Church, those who are called "Brothers" (Br.) are male monastics (e.g. votarists ofSaint Brigid of Kildare Methodist-Benedictine Monastery) or members of aMethodist religious order (e.g.Order of Saint Luke).
All male adult members of theShakers use the title of "brother."[2] In the past, male Shakers in leadership positions of communities used the title "father."
Inthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as Mormons, adults female and male are often referred to sisters and brothers respectively. The use is similar to Mr. or Mrs, therefore using the terms is not common among young single adults. 'As Latter-day Saints united by common beliefs, the terms Brother and Sister best describe our relationship'.[8]
All baptized members of Jehovah's Witnesses refer to other members in good standing as "brothers" and "sisters".
Pentecostals, like some other Christians, call each other Brother and Sister, but for Pentecostals this tradition has special meaning. Because they do feel they are literally a family, these terms are not mere titles but are imbued with a greater intensity of meaning: "The Pentecostal church as a whole is a very, is kind of a familial feel. We call each other brothers and sisters and we are brothers and sisters. There is definitely a feeling of kinship among each other."
brother: A man who has taken vows in a Christian religious, particularly Catholic or Anglican, order but is not ordained. Also, a monk or friar who is in seminary preparing for priesthood is called brother if he has taken his vows. In many traditions, especially evangelical, brother is used as a generic, friendly title.
For more information about how to become a brother or sister in the Order of Lutheran Franciscans, please visit our Vocations page. Following the General Rule, all sisters and brothers of this Order: make vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience, pray the Daily Office, are active in their congregations, have a spiritual director, receive Holy Communion weekly, make individual confession twice a year, attend annual Chapter and regional convocations whenever possible, and financially support the life and ministry of the order.
