CHRISTADELPHIANS, sometimes also called Thomasites, a community founded in 1 848 by John Thomas (1805-1871), who, after studying medicine in London, migrated to Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A. (X picrrov aheX4oi, "brothers of Christ") . There he at first joined the "Campbellites," but afterwards struck out independently, preaching largely upon the application of Hebrew prophecy and of the Book of Revelation to current and future events. Both in America and in Great Britain he gathered a num ber of adherents, and formed a community which has extended to several English-speaking countries. They believe that they alone hold the true interpretation of Scripture. Their theology is strongly millenarian, centring in the hope of a world-wide theoc racy with its seat at Jerusalem. No statistics of the community are published.
See R. Roberts, Dr. Thomas, his Life and Work (1884) ; and F. J. Powicke, art. "Christadelphians" in Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics. The community publishes a monthly magazine, The Christadelphian, in Birmingham.