Final answer:
The Ewostatewos Movement was a 14th-century religious movement within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church that advocated Saturday Sabbath observance. It faced internal and external challenges, leading to a schism and persecution, before its decline upon compromising with the Orthodox establishment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Ewostatewos Movement was a religious movement within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church during the 14th century. It was founded by Abune Ewostatewos, a religious leader who advocated for the observance of the Sabbath on Saturday in line with the Old Testament teachings, rather than on Sunday as was the common practice in the broader Christian community at that time. This movement was part of a larger historical trend of religious and spiritual transformations and can be associated with the religious reform movements as categorized by sociologist David Aberle.
The movement faced resistance and eventually led to a schism within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, leading to its followers, the Ewostatewans, being persecuted and forced to flee to remote areas. The movement's decline can be attributed to internal conflicts, external pressures, and the eventual compromise between the Ewostatewans and the mainstream Orthodox Church in the 15th century. The lifecycle of such religious movements often involves stages of emergence, coalescence, institutionalization, and decline, as outlined by sociologists like Blumer and Tilly.