"Following their beliefs, they began moving to the land of Israel in 1868. These people stood at the origins of the development and colonization of the then distant Ottoman province. They successfully drained the swamps and carried the light of European civilization. And to this day there is a lot of evidence and traces of the activities of the Templars in this land. "
Before beginning the discussion of the Christian Templars, it is necessary to draw a clear line between the medieval Order of the Templars (disbanded in 1312) and the heroes of this story. In 1856, the Christian Templar community was founded in Stuggart, Kirkenhartoff, by German theologian Kristov Hoffman (1815-1885).
His vision for the community was a return to the main essence of the teaching of Christ. Other reformist movements arouse during different times in history with similar ideals but Hoffman’s method to achieve the community’s goals was fundamentally different. Direct and practical steps were implemented to mirror the Kingdom of God on earth and they considered the treatment of society’s social disease their main goal. With this accomplished, the Templars believed people would live in harmony.
For the Templars, the main focus of spiritual renewal centered upon the desire for a deeper Christian life, expressed by aligning their actions with the teachings of Christ in all aspects of life. Theological dogmas, creeds and rituals were recognized by the Templars as secondary in the light of the main motto of their society:
“Guide Your Mind to the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness Above All”
By following the example and model of the first Apostolic church, they established a community of like-minded people to transform society by their own example and actions. Love for one’s neighbor and tolerance were to prevail over any other goal with community members viewing themselves as stones of the spiritual Temple, the architecture of God. Therefore, the community was named the Templars.
(to be continued...)