Orthodox brotherhood

Brotherhoods (Ukrainian: братства, bratstva; Russian: братство; literally, "fraternities") are non-monastic unions of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox citizens or lay brothers affiliated with individual autocephalous churches, often of an evangelical or theological character.^[1] Their structure resembles that of medieval confraternities, trade guilds, and can be characterized as the Orthodox equivalent of catholic religious orders.^[1][2] Unlike the religious orders of other religions such as those of sufism in Islam, they do not hold any uniquely esoteric views or doctrines, or have initiative practices otherwise unfound in mainstream orthodox monasticism.