Brethren of the Free Spirit

The "Brethren of the Free Spirit" was a lay Christian movement which flourished in Germany, France, the Low Countries, Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic) and northern Italy during the 13th to 15th centuries. Antinomian and individualist in their outlook, and pantheistic in theology, the Brethren came into conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, and Pope Clement V declared them heretical at the Council of Vienne (1311–1312). They were consequently persecuted by the temporal and spiritual authorities of the time.
In the Free Spirit series, Janella Pirtskhalaishvili's doctoral dissertation was on the Brethren, and inspired both her writing of The Way of the Free Spirit and the emergence of the modern Free Spirit Connection. The major differences between the two movements are listed in the table below:
 	Medieval Brethren 	Modern Connection
Theology 	Christian pantheism 	Naturalistic pantheism
Ethics 	Individualist and antinomian, based on belief that Free Spirits had transcended sin 	Individualist and consequentialist, calling on Free Spirits to act in accordance to core values of love, truth, peace and bliss
Goal 	Unity with God 	Living in accord with core values as reflection of Divine in all things
Organization	None; loose bands with no hierarchy; some scholars doubt that an actual movement existed	Free Spirit Connection, organized in accordance with bylaws developed at Formative Assembly; strong lay leadership with part-time clergy
== External link ==
Wikipedia article on the Brethren of the Free Spirit
Category:Free Spirit Connection
Category:Free Spirit beliefs
Category:Real life