The Ephrata Commune: An Early American Counterculture

by E. Gordon Alderfer

Tells of the founding and subsequent history of Ephrata, a mystical religious community that flourished in eastern Pennsylvania in the mid-eighteenth century. Its leader, Conrad Beissel, a German Pietist who came to America in 1720 seeking spiritual peace and solitude. Settled in Lancaster County, his talents and charisma attracted other German settlers who shared his vision of a community built in the image of apostolic Christianity.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 1985

Reviews

[Denise Kettering · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book traces the development and life of the Ephrata community in Pennsylvania under Conrad Beissel, Israel Eckerlin, and Peter Miller, outlining manyo f the religious practices and much of the history of the community The book contains many aspects of good general history of the Ephrata Community. However, it does rely heavily on materials written as a critique of the Ephrata members and so much be read in light of the sources that Alderfer chose to use. As such, the portrayal is not always particularly nuanced. Also, the book is somewhat dated now, with Jeff Bach's "Voices of the Turtledoves" being a more recent and, in my opinion, better treatment of the Ephrata cloister. Alderfer follows a chronological arrangement, beginning with founder Conrad Beissel's birth and early years in the Rhineland and then following him through his move to Pennsylvania and quickly became a leader in the Conestoga congregation. He led a breakaway group from the Conestoga congregation of the Brethren, eventually forming the Ephrata group. The book then traces the rise and fall of the Ephrata community and outlines the eventual decline after Beissel's death in 1768. This book offers some good details, but is not the best available treatment, if one wants to learn about the Ephrata community.

[Andrew Weitzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems odd now, since Lancaster County is home to so many of what you might call very conservative religious sects, but back in the days when the Cocalico was the frontier, the place was crawling with weird mystics. Kicked out of the Palatinate by the authorities for his radical pietist views, Conrad Beissel fled to William Penn's territory in the new world with the dream of starting a community where he could live and worship in seclusion. His strange magnetism brought many Mennonites, Dunkards, Bretheren, and Moravians to his Ephrata commune. This book tells the story of that commune, it's people, and it's leader.