Donald F. Durnbaugh's seminal work traces the history of the Church of the Brethren to its European origins in the early 18th century. Through a collection of primary sources and insightful analysis, Durnbaugh provides a comprehensive understanding of the origins and evolution of this influential religious movement. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Brethren Beginnings is a narrative story of the origin of the Brethren that most appropriately accompanies the author's popular European Origins (1958). Although the present manuscript was completed in 1960, it has been edited and supplemented with an extensive preface, which updates the scholarship on Brethren origins to 1992. Copious footnotes and a comprehensive list of sources make this volume especially valuable for advanced students and scholars. Hundreds of entries in the index make the book very useful for all readers.