Adherents to the teachings of the Silesian theosophist and mystic Jakob Böhme were already called “Behmenists” (Böhmisten) in the polemical literature (Polemic, theological) of the 17th century. The Behmenists neither formed a special religious community of their own nor did they constitute a clearly definable philosophical school. From the very beginning, Böhme’s ideas merged with other traditions so that “Behmenism” represents a shifting phenomenon.

Böhme’s impact came first through his theosophy. In the turmoil of the early modern period, many contemporaries as…