Brotherhood is a feminine noun that defines, among other meanings, the sibling relationship.
The word brotherhood is also strongly related to the concept of fraternity, that is, the communion and good relationship between people who develop affectionate feelings for each other, as if they were brothers or members of the same family.
The concept of brotherhood can still be understood as an association, group or confraternity that is based on doctrines. or religious precepts, such as: Brotherhood of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Brotherhood of Sacred Heart of Jesus.
A fellowship need not necessarily be related to religion or doctrines of the kind, it can just be a group of people who come together for the same purpose, with a certain level of trust among the members. Typically, brotherhoods are known to have a communal character.
Etymologically, the word brotherhood came from the Latin Germanitate.
In English, the translation of the word brotherhood into Portuguese is brotherhood (among male members) and sisterhood (among female members).
black brotherhood
In the nineteenth century, blacks were prohibited from attending the same churches as whites, therefore, spaces were created exclusively for them to integrate into Catholic traditions.
However, it was in the black brotherhoods that the process of religious syncretism began, mixing many aspects of Catholicism with Candomblé and other rituals of Afro-Brazilian origin.
Black brotherhoods also functioned as communities of social integration among members of the same community.
Muslim brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood is a political and religious organization that operates in some 70 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The group was founded in 1928, in Egypt, by professor Hassan al-Banna, with the aim of unifying the Muslim community, "returning" the teachings of the Koran and rejecting all kinds of cultural influence western.
The Muslim Brotherhood, also called "The Brotherhood", advocates extreme Islam and advocates the implementation of sharia (the laws of Islam) as the basis for all government laws.
Some of today's most dangerous Islamic groups, such as the Hamas and the al-Qaeda, emerged from branches of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, since 1970, the Brotherhood says it has not participated in any act of violence.
The Brotherhood's motto when it was created was "Islam is the solution."
See also the meaning of Fraternity.