In this excerpt from the novel Lake Wobegone Days by Garrison Keillor, the narrator describes parts of his childhood growing up in Minnesota as a member of a very small Protestant group known as the Sanctified Brethren. The Brethren were originally formed when they broke away from the Anglican Church in 1865 because they wanted to “worship on the basis of correct principles” (130). They were also against the ostentatiousness and corruption of the Anglican Church. This split and the way it is described in the novel suggest a few aspects of religion that are most important to the Brethren, including worshipping correctly in the eyes of God, having a full and accurate understanding of scripture, and determining and following the right doctrine. The narrator describes the Brethren as intensely scholarly, which clearly connects to these aspects of religion that are held dear by the Brethren. This intense scholarship is also the reason given by the narrator for the many subsequent splits within the original group of Brethren, which eventually broke into three main branches with many other tiny subgroups.

The Brethren seem to see themselves as a return to the true Christian tradition. Unlike the Lutherans and Catholics in town, who the Brethren view as showy and potentially immoral, the Brethren emphasize modesty, humility, and simplicity and focus on individual connection with God. According to the Brethren, “Christians do not go in for show” (128). Furthermore, prayer is viewed as a personal conversation with God, not something to be recited or read. As the narrator’s grandfather says, “If a man can’t remember what he wants to say to God, let him sit down and think a little harder” (126). The focus on a small, committed group and simple, individual worship illustrates the Brethren’s opinion of what religion should be. This is further illustrated in a passage from the Bible cited by the narrator: “Where two or three are gathered, there I am in the midst of them” (126).

Given the Brethren’s insistence on simplicity, absolute clarity of doctrine, and an individual relationship with God, it makes sense that they formed out of a separatist movement and then separated into more and more groups. Their scholarliness coupled with their devotion to finding and following the correct way to worship and behave likely played a part in their many separations, as they would thus be unwilling to compromise on doctrine or allow for disagreements within the group. The focus on an individual relationship also seems to lend itself to much smaller religious groups. Reading this excerpt, I was interested how this separatist movement could fit into Sorens’ qualifications for secessionist groups. Obviously there is a clear group identity present for the Brethren, but their interests in breaking away seem more spiritual than political or economic and are thus less tangible than what Sorens describes.