This paper examines the intersection between biology and theology in three choir-speeches by the founder of the Moravian Brethren in Germany, Count Zinzendorf, in 1751. The Moravians were a radical pietist group, that arranged their communities in choir systems, a system which divided the congregation according to gender, sexual maturity and marital status. These choirs dealt with not only matters of faith but also issues pertaining to the tabernacle (body), such as physical changes to the pubescent youth, unusual blood-flows and irregular bowel-movement. The paper argues that this focus on the body relates to organizational shifts in the community and may be seen as a response to wider economic changes of the time.



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