A congregation of religious in Italy; so called from their professing themselves amantes Deum, "lovers of God;" or rather amata Deo, "Beloved of God." They wore a grey habit and wooden shoes, had no breeches, and girt themselves with a cord. They had twenty-eight convents, and were united by Pope Pius V. partly with the Bistercian order, and partly with that of the Socolanti, or wooden shoe wearers.
Despite a stated reliance on the plain meaning of the Bible and the dictates of common sense, Buck's Theological Dictionary, first published in London in 1802, seeks to provide a textual basis for the evangelical community. By combining brief essays on orthodox belief and practice with historical entries on various denominations, Buck provided an interpretive lens that allowed antebellum Protestants to see Christianity's almost two millennia as their own history.Wikipedia
Read More