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The Other Side of Joy: Religious Melancholy among the Bruderhof

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The Bruderhof, about who the book "The Other Side of Joy" by Dr. Julius Rubin is about, have gone to considerable lengths to prevent and delay its publication and release. Despite denying him access to their archives for his research, Rubin has been able to adequately research religious melancholy as it pertains to the Bruderhof without their cooperation. Some of the nameless reviewers here have tried to dismiss this very well written and researched book with nonsense that has nothing to do with the scholarly study that it is, even calling the book "a laugh" by one reviewer. A nervous laugh perhaps, but I have failed to find humour in "The Other Side of Joy", nor do I expect Dr. Rubin to get a call from the Jay Lenno show. No, the other side of joy is not laughter; It is the maladies of Anfechtung (feelings of sinful alienation from God), psychomachia (war against self), Busskampf (an intense emotional wrenching inner struggle that results in ravishing, joyous psychological union with God), religious melancholy, and religious authoritarianism that are the other side of joy, according to Dr. Rubin. Having grown up on the Bruderhof as a grandson of the founder, Eberhard Arnold, I have found Rubin's work to be interesting, revealing and credible. It is not surprising that the Bruderhof does not like Rubin's conclusions, painting such a repressive picture of this "utopian" community that so many of us had to escape from, or were kicked out of. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the study of abusive churches, or who is considering a life of primitive pietism, Bruderhof style.

The Bruderhof, literally: "place of brothers", was formed under the charismatic leadership of Eberhard Arnold as an experimental Christian community at the time of the Weimar Republic. The intent of the experiment was to demonstrate that the Sermon on the Mount can be normative for all aspects of individual and communal life. It continues to this day.

The Bruderhof have existed for seventy years. In that short span they have migrated across three continents; suffered the vicissitudes of the Nazi's, xenophobia of their host countries, exile in the Paraguayan jungle; and have attempted to maintain a clarity of vision throughout. The group has been wracked by internal power struggles, as well as schisms with the other like-minded organizations. There has been tragic human fallout from these episodes.

Rubin extrapolates from this history, using as his primary sources the testimonies of those who were expelled from, or who left the community during its most tumultuous times, in order to present a psycho-socio portrait of the Bruderhof. It's a compelling picture.

Rubin makes serious charges against the Bruderhof: The Bruderhof are a closed, authoritarian group who are enthralled by a cult of personality. The Bruderhof are relentless in their persecution of those who dissent from their vision. The Bruderhof are hypocritical. The Bruderhof are abusive. The Bruderhof are sexually repressed, and thus warp their children. The Bruderhof are intolerant of modern psychology, and prefer exorcism to therapy. Rubin provides historical evidence for each of these charges.

Rubin suggests that the Bruderhof are liable for "Anfechtung" (feelings of sinful alienation from God) amongst its members. Rubin suggests that the very structure of the group: (sharing goods in common, constant introspection regarding one's relationship with God under the supervision of a "shepherd", along with a severe rigidity concerning human sexuality) is at the heart of a condition, the "Bruderhof Syndrome", which is marked by severe alienation, depression, and loss of self esteem.

But he does not adequately support this conclusion. First, the book is limited by its choice of historical context. Few of the examples presented have occurred since the late `70's. Rubin further undercuts his argument from history by admitting that the group has evolved away from pietism and toward an ecumenical approach to social activism. By Rubin's own admission, the Bruderhof today are not the same introversionist sect which provide the context of his study. Its fair to suggest that many of the factors contributing to the "Bruderhof Syndrome" may have been mitigated.

Second, he does not provide analysis of the incidence and type of neurosis in the Bruderhof. His brief chapter on the other Anabaptist groups contain more of this sort of information as regards the Hutterites, the Mennonites, and the Amish, then the book as a whole does when addressing the Bruderhof.

In fairness, the Bruderhof did not cooperate with Rubin in his study, unlike the studies regarding other high-context Anabaptist groups, which enjoyed the cooperation of their subjects. But then why raise the flag of pathological depression and anxiety concerning the Bruderhof if one is unable to adequately assess the issue?

The Bruderhof refusal to accommodate Rubin's research efforts is unfortunate. However the Bruderhof are forced by circumstance to maintain a relationship with the surrounding communities. They are in constant interaction with secondary schools, police, medical personnel, and community government. It would seem that if there were anything currently suspect about the Bruderhof; for example, if the emotional and physical abuse suffered by Bruderhof children at the time of the "Great Crisis" were continuing, then someone, somewhere, should have noticed.

The Bruderhof ask young adults to leave the community for at least a year, in order that they may ascertain for themselves whether they wish to remain with the community. Apparently close to 20% of these choose to continue with their lives on the outside. Surely some of them could have been available for Rubin's research. Yet in spite of what seem to be relatively rich sources of information, there is remarkably little in the book that speaks to contemporary events or cases.

Can Rubin make the case that the contemporary Bruderhof threaten the mental or emotional health of the Bruderhof child? Can he demonstrate that the Bruderhof today are any more of a threat to the unbalanced than, say, your local, neighborhood, Evangelical Church? Where are the interviews with secondary school teachers who teach the Bruderhof adolescents; or with therapists who deal with Bruderhof patients? Where are the interviews with the young adults who are on leave from their community?

The Bruderhof offer a socio-economic example of Christian Communism that is unique in the United States. They have maintained this paradigm for close to four generations. The Bruderhof are in a position to offer profound contributions to the fields of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. Hence, the Bruderhof are to be faulted for not allowing research in their midst. They need to rethink their relationship with scholarship.

An assessment of the Bruderhof, as they exist today, still needs to be written. An assessment of those emotional pathologies with which the Bruderhof contend still needs to occur. Rubin's history of the Bruderhof is informative. But it is presented as if it were a diagnosis of mental health issues as they exist within the contemporary Bruderhof. It is in this sense that the book is misleading.

"Other Side of Joy" is a history of grievances; an exposition of the tragic and unintended consequences of a unique experiment, rather then a study of religious melancholy per se. If the reader is expecting case studies, methods of diagnosis, treatments within the community, utilization of resources outside the community and so forth, then look elsewhere. It is the controversies swirling around the Bruderhof that are addressed, with vehemence, in this book.

I find this book a very scholarly text on assessing a tightly controlled sect that borders on a cult to some. Having spent 5 years on various hoh's or communities, Mr. Rubin's book explains some of the problems people exiting the Bruderhof experience. As the saying goes, "Been there, done that!" I find Mr. Rubin's book to a very objective and scholarly work.

This is a carefully crafted and impressive overview of the Bruderhof communities, a movement deeply enmeshed in what the author describes as "'The Purgatorial Complex ,' which involves a capacity for ceaseless self-examination and self-torment." In the process, Professor Rubin has managed to include a great deal of information about the Bruderhof in a manner both scholarly and accessible to the general reader. The early chapters describe the historical background of the Bruderhof and its charismatic founder, Eberhard Arnold. The description of the 1960s power takeover by the founder's son Heini will become, in my opinion, the definitive analysis of this haunted man. On page 106 begins a discussion of the repression of sexuality within the Bruderhof. The author pulls no punches, but just lays out the straight facts regarding the past treatment children and adults by the leadership. The author includes strong quotes from many ex-Bruderhof sources, such as ex-leader Roger Allain, two of the founder's granddaughters as well as many others. As someone already familiar with these stories, reading these testimonies within a new context allowed me to experience them afresh as terrible abuses inflicted on both young and old by religious zealots eager to prove themselves faithful to their beloved word leader. The author also managed to digest many of the tragic stories of the members and children kicked out of the Bruderhof, both during the Sixties putsch and later. Many of the observations he derives hold true for other similar high- demand religious groups and/or cults. One page 125 he begins the exposition of the main thesis, how religious melancholy manifests within the Bruderhof. He includes a description of the so-called 'exorcism' of Miriam Way, which the Bruderhof in its own published revisionist version of these years referred to as "the watershed event." Indeed it was a watershed event, and created an avalanche that buried six of the nine Bruderhof communities and threw 600 people into misery and poverty. Those of us with Bruderhof connections owe Professor Rubin a deep debt of gratitude for the unstinting efforts he made to steer his book into publication past all obstacles. It certainly was not an easy birth, and for any reader of this review who requires further information I would point them to the website of the Peregrine Foundation, and especially Prof. Rubin's own essay, "Contested Narratives." Truth may travel slow, but when it arrives, it rings with an easily recognized authenticity that puts the hollow lie to shame.

Professor Rubin is the first writer to use spiritual language well enough to express the religious validity in the community's world view, yet still present a contrary, negative, psychological and social view felt by its critics and apostates. This dual coverage of the subject is brilliant. Rubin should be recognized as the best friend of BOTH sides of the ongoing controversy between the Bruderhof and its critics. Although the book sent me to my dictionary more than once, it was well worth the trip.

I have read a pre-publication copy of this book. It is a thorough analysis of the Bruderhof Communities (or BC) as seen through the eyes of former members.

An entirely different image of BC emerges than that which BC attempts to present to the public at large. The title is drawn from that of an earlier work by Dr. Benjamin Zablocki (The Joyful Community) originally published in 1971 and reprinted in 1980.

Both books are highly recommended reading for those who wish to learn more about this unusual religious movement which, despite claims to a 450 year old Hutterian heritage, has, in recent years, sued many of its former members - and others. Including Dr. Rubin.

I am eagerly awaiting my copy of the finished book. Based on the partial manuscript I have read Mr Rubin has writen a very revealing book of events in a closed community. I speak from my five years of living at Woodcrest, Forest River and Oak Lake (now New Meadow run. Rubin confirms my experiences. Great book to read for people considering joining or living in a closed community such as the Bruderhof (tm)

Rubin suggests that a fear of being ostracized causes many Bruderhof members to develop major psychological problems, what he calls the "Bruderhof syndrome." But what Rubin is describing is really no different (as Rubin would admit, since he looks at things from a secular perspective) than that which Luther and the Hutterites call "anfechtung." It is the same phenomenon that 17th century Pietists and many Mennonites historically have described as "spiritual struggle"-something to be expected by every Christian, in his or her relationship with God-at many points in their experience. Rubin thinks of this struggle as totally negative in its impact. Most of us who have engaged in these struggles, conversely, believe that it is part of the Christian experience, which we believe is much more fulfilling-because it is tied to a supernatural source-than the purposeless, foundation-less life of personal and social alienation found outside of the Christian faith. Rubin's despised "religious melancholy" is actually a very important part of the Christian experience.

Though I have not read the book, only excerpts, I would recommend it to others. Having had Dr. Rubin as a professor and gone to high school with some Bruderhof members, I am curious to see what the book holds. Dr. Rubin's wealth of knowledge and what appears to be fascinating lifestyles of the Bruderhof people compel me to recommend this book, even though I have yet to read it.

I have known the Bruderhof for many years, so in spite of the odd title it was with great interest that I picked up Rubin's book on this most unusual Christian movement. But to my dismay I find I do not recognize the Bruderhof of Rubin's construction--and that is, alas, what Rubin has done: constructed a philosophical edifice bearing no resemblance to the Bruderhof I know and love. (I, unlike Rubin, have actually spent time at the Bruderhof.)

Rubin, sadly, has drawn entirely on the testimony of disenchanted former members who left the Bruderhof over 30 years ago to try to describe a modern-day, vibrant spiritual phenomenon that has grown and developed over its 80-year history. And who doesn't know how unreliable such testimony can be? Take, for example, Rubin's profile of the late Bruderhof elder Heini Arnold. Apparently Rubin never met Arnold yet he paints a portrait of the man based almost entirely on his interviews with two people, Arnold's sister and neice. Both women once took lifetime vows of chastity and fidelity to the religious order but subsequently abandoned those vows. It shall remain a mystery to me why Rubin neglects to consider the well-documented psychological effects of such abandonment and how reality becomes distorted by the all-too-common bitterness and dysfunction among religious apostates.

This book strikes me as a classic illustration of Jesus' words about how the mysteries of the kingdom of God are hidden from the wise and revealed to children. Mr. Rubin, in his intellectual zeal, has thoroughly obscured the simplicity and beauty of the Bruderhof way of life. He has failed spectacularly to recognize truths obvious even to the casual Bruderhof visitor. This is tragic; in a world of selfishness, violence, and discord, we need the Bruderhof to spread hope.

Caveat emptor: for its price (did I really pay $ for this thing?) this book offers nothing. Someone wishing to understand the Bruderhof would do far better to visit one. God bless the Bruderhof.