Schwenkfelder

noun

Schwenk·​feld·​er

ˈshfeŋkˌfeldə(r),

ˈshve-

plural -s

: a follower of Kaspar Schwenkfeld who advanced the cause of the Reformation, encouraged laymen to read the Bible, advocated the separation of church and state, and founded small spiritual communities emphasizing a somewhat mystical interpretation of the Christian faith

especially : a member of the present-day Schwenkfelder Church located in Pennsylvania and composed principally of descendants of Schwenkfelders from Europe

Word History

Etymology

German, from Kaspar Schwenkfeld †1561 German Silesian nobleman and Protestant mystic + German -er

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