Product Description
On the Backroad to Heaven is a unique guidebook to the world of OldOrder Anabaptist groups. Focusing on four Old Order communities--the Hutterites, Mennonites,Amish, and Brethren--Donald B. Kraybill and Carl Desportes Bowman provide a fascinatingoverview of their culture, growth, and distinctive way of life. Following a general introduction toOld Order culture, they show how each group uses a different strategy to create and sustain itsidentity. The Hutterites, for example, keep themselves geographically segregated from the largersociety, whereas the Brethren interact more freely with it. The Amish and Mennonites are morealike in how they engage the outside world, adopting a complex but flexible strategy ofcompromise that produces an evolving canon of social and religious rules. This first comparativestudy sketches the differences as well as the common threads that bind these groups together. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The best book on some of the most interesting peoples around
As a person always curious about lifestyles different from my seemingly mundane existince in suburban Melbourne, the Amish and Old Order Mennonites, with their resistance to technology and extremely gentle and peaceful beliefs, have always fascinated me.

Although other books, such as the "People's Place" series, actually offer a good deal of useful information about specific topics relevant to the Old Order Anabaptist groups, "On the Backroad to Heaven" is the best general work I have read about them. It goes into very good detail into the character and nature of the Hutterites, Old Order Mennonites, Amish and Brethren, including all the aspects that are well-known but also some of their rituals and methods of electing leaders that are little-known yet intriguing (e.g. the use of "lots"). More than that, "On the Backroad to Heaven" not only characterising them but also offering clear and easy-to-read comparisons. At the same time "On the Backroad to Heaven" shows not traces of trying to idealise these groups and expresses very clearly the problems they have coping with a modern world that is in many ways very hostile to the values they hold dearly. Its last part clearly shows how far removed they are from a "postmodern" culture, but yet shows what they have to offer thereto.

On the whole, this is really good work. It is neither biased nor shallow, yet is extremely accessible. I would recommend it to anybody interested in cultural studies, even if not in Anabaptist groups.

A good finish, misses a few points
The book does a good job of surveying the four groups, and finishes up very strongly when considering the similarities in the groups.

The contrast between the Mennonites and Amish is also very interesting.It is also perhaps the most accurate portion of the book--although he picked some fairly liberal old order Mennonite groups to describe.It would have been a little better to have picked a more traditional Mennonite group.

It is perhaps at its weakest when describing the old order German Baptist Brethren.There are some very embarassing inaccuracies, including garbled German Baptist vocab (referring to family devotions as "taking the text"--a term that refers to the main sermon on Sunday for example) and considering certain very exceptional cases to be representative (a GB cheerleader, who he doesn't reveal had a parent outside the church).The glaring omission in the German Baptist section has to be that down to details such as order of worship and attitude they are extremely similar to the old order Amish--so much so that the two have cooperated on education in the past.

I also found the section on gender strife among the Hutterites to be a little overstated.Hutterites wouldn't see the conflict the way Americans do, or the way the authors do.

Enjoyed it a great deal.

All things considered, a decent work
As the subject line suggestions, I consider this is a fairly nice piece of work. The author does a good job of giving an overview of the four different Old Order groups covered in the book.

Though the author was slightly slanted in favor of some of the Old Orders (Brethren & Amish mainly), this book had neither the rose-colored fluff or scathing condemnation of other publications. There was a description of what worked, what didn't work, what was pious and what was wrong with all four groups.

I would like to have know more intricate detail of each of the group's theology rather than a few snippets of scriptural interpretation and comments from church fathers. I do, however, understand that this book is more of a sociological survey than a theological analysis.

The last few chapters did engage in a repetitious rehash of what has already been covered. I also did find a few typographic errors that didn't get caught by the editor.

Final analysis: If you are new to studying any of these groups, this could certainly would play as a good jumping-off point for further study. If you need to get a quick overview of the groups mentioned, this would also serve your purpose. A more thorough study, however, will require additional reading and research.

Lacking overall, but decent intro to 4 Old-Orders
I found the first few chapters interesting in which the authors profile each of the 4 featured Old-order groups.However, the editing was distracting because the same point was made multiple times in each chapter (in addition to a couple typos).The last couple chapters compare and contrast the 4 groups, but not much new is added I didn't already get in the first chapters.I wish they had touched upon the more progressive branches in each group, comparing Old-order to more modern counterparts, but there was almost no mention of them.Also, the few facts I did know about Old-Orders before reading this book were not discussed (if these are common misconceptions and not facts, they still deserve space in this book).I still give it 3 stars because I was very interested in the descriptions and brief histories of each group.

Amish, again and again
Donald B. Kraybill has either written or been a co-author to about 22 books at last count. Most have been about the Old Order Amish and I wonder why? It's always the same old thing, they're misunderstood and they want to be left alone(except when they need a phone or van to ride in). They won't serve in the military because of their beliefs and shy away from the English(everyone not Amish)law because maybe they have something to hide. They bann, excommunicate, and shun anyone who leaves this backward, traditional cult to find a better life. Why so many books on the same old subject? I was hoping for something more realistic because newspapers have confirmed they have problems and there's no way that these poeple can all be so good. I want to read the truth, the facts, the real story, not the HOLLYWOOD version of the Amish. Please, tell it like it is and don't tell any more stories on the so-called "American Heritage." I gave this book 3 stars because it is informative and educational and I believe that D.B.Kraybill is a good writer, but just excludes certain facts. Whatever the reason, he might believe he's their protector. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nation Is Knowledgeable Yet Slightly Dry
John Howard Yoder has contributed so much to the understanding of how Jesus offers the Christian community a social ethic that one would be at a loss if they did not read Mark Nation's overview of the life and writings of Yoder.Mark Nation is thoroughly acquainted with all of the writings and contributions of Yoder. He weaves together a good book through his knowledge of Yoder's ideas.

The best part of the book, I thought, was Chapter 4 entitled, "The Politics of Jesus, the Politics of John Howard Yoder: An Evangelical and Catholic Peach Theology". This chapter gives a great background sketch as to why "The Politics of Jesus" was written (it was to be an ecumenical book), has a great summary of the book, and gives some great insight as to how and why Yoder organized some of his arguments in the book.

On the negative side of things, the book is, to say the least dry and cumbersome at times and not that exciting of a read (which could also be the case with reading Yoder).But Nation's knowledge of Yoder makes up for the dullness of the book.

If you are looking for a book that covers Yoder's background, his ideas, his methodology of interpretation, and highlights of his most significant contributions, this book will be a helpful read.

Ecumenical, evangelical, catholic
John Howard Yoder, whom author Mark Thiessen Nation believes (correctly, in my estimation) to have offered "the most powerful articulation of a Christian theological rationale for pacifism that has ever been given," (p. 193), is sometimes dismissed by nonpacifist Christians as a theologian who speaks from a narrowly Mennonite perspective.Since he's not denominationally mainstream, these critics continue, neither is his defense of nonviolence.It's a Mennonite thing, if you will, the hobbyhorse of a traditional "peace church."

Nation's book has the very real merit of responding to such critics.He effectively argues that although Yoder was a loyal Mennonite his entire life and highly influenced by the Anabaptist tradition, he always intended his message to be ecumenically and evangelically addressed to all Christians and considered it to be catholic--that is, cross-denominational.After providing a quick biographical overview, Nation explores this reading of Yoder in a series of chapters that explore Yoder's call for "ecumenical patience," an "evangelical and catholic peace theology," and a social responsibility inspired by and squarely focused on the offense of the Cross.

This is a good, solid read of Yoder, who at least sometimes is a rather difficult, wordy (perhaps from all his years reading Barth!) author.But Nation's book, despite its exciting subject, is strangely lackluster.It relies a good deal on a staccato style that ticks off bullet points instead of offering sustained discussion, and often comes across as a rehashed but still dry doctoral dissertation (which I doubt it actually is).I found the ideas in the book interesting (although, in all honesty, somewhat obvious for readers with some familiarity with Yoder), but the book itself a bit of a chore to read.What's absolutely indisputable, though, is that Nation knows his Yoder.The documentation is impressive and really quite helpful.

Better treatments of Yoder, I think, are Craig Carter's The Politics of the Cross:The Theology and Social Ethics of John Howard Yoder (2001) and the essays collected in Stanley Hauerwas' and Chris & Harry Huebner's excellent The Wisdom of the Cross:Essays in Honor of John Howard Yoder (2005).In the latter volume, Nation kicks off the festschrift with a biographical essay that basically summarizes his thesis that Yoder's thought is Mennonite, ecumenical, evangelical, and catholic. ... Read more

Product Description
"After a dramatic retelling of his own struggle to self acceptance, Helmuth announces to the world that he is gay, that he is proud, and that God loves him without reservation. There is no greater truth for the victims of untruth and Helmuth's autobiography proclaims that truth loud and clear."

-The Rev. Dr. Mel White, Founder of Soulforce and author of Stranger at the Gate and Religion Gone Bad

"Crossing the Bridge is a courageous memoir by a psychologist who has lived two lives, as a devoted husband for twenty-two years, and the father of two children, and as a gay man enjoying a stable and loving relationship with another man... Dr. James Helmuth grew up within the painfully narrow confines of the Mennonite religion and nearly took his own life in the process of discovering and living his true gay identity.

Unsparingly honest, this memoir reads often like a mystery story, sometimes like a tender recreation of the past - always as a poignant, bittersweet narrative of a boy becoming a man...and a man becoming his true self."

-Joseph Dispenza, author of God On Your Own and The Way of the Traveler

"What distinguishes Helmuth's story and gives it universality is how Helmuth, in finding his own voice, leaves no one he loves behind....he shows in this memoir how we must all achieve freedom or our lives become impossible. I suspect you will come to love the man and his unique voice; his journey belongs to us all."

Thomas Dukes, Ph.D. English Professor, The University of Akron ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Story of Hope
Crossing the Bridge is both heart breaking and heart warming.It is the story of a young man who was brought up with the dogma that homosexuality is a sin.The growing reality that he "was one" was enough to throw him into depression and thoughts of suicide.Because I have known others who have walked this painful and often lonely path, Helmuth's eventual arrival at self acceptance gives me hope.His ability to proclaim his love for self, his partner, his family, and God inspires me.The author shares his story with integrity and courage.It held my interest from beginning to end.
Joyce Hostetler

Crossing the Bridge..a journey of integrity and courage
Helmuth writes with color and passion as he opens his heart and conflicted soul to his readers. Deeply respecting his family and background, yet aware of his growing sense of being different--for a reason, he struggles with life and death.I am honored to have had a part in his early years of coming into his integrated self--a deeply spiritual man, married with family, with a special calling to love other men. Thanks so much, Jim, for sharing your journey, both 20 years ago and through this wonderful book.Keith Schrag, LMFT ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful,Exciting and Inspiring
A must for all lovers of quilting, this book by Katharine Guerrier has a number of beautiful designs which offer limitless possibilities of variations. The suggestionsby the authour for interesting variations is both exciting and inspiring. The many possibilities presented based on the orginal Amish & Mennonitedesigns are beautiful to the eye in their presentation of colour and patterns,exciting for the quilter in the many possibilities presented and inspiring as the designs are with clear and easy guidelines. This book is sure to be of much value to any person interested in the art of quilting. It definetly is to me !

Beautiful Quilts
I am a beginner in learningtheartofquilting and found this bookexciting, inspiring and easy to follow with simple instructions. Thepatterns were inspiring and made me start on a project at once. Thepatterns are exciting in their beauty and limitless options and inspiringas they make you want to start immediately.

Youwill enjoy and treasurethis book whether you are a beginner or an expert in the art of quiltmaking

museum quilts
Nine well-balanced, beautiful museum quilts from Amish and Mennonite origin are used as a backbone for the book. They are mostly examples ofblock patterns, favored by American patchwork-quilt makers. This due to theformat, easy to handle and store, of the patchwork blocks that wereassembled and quilted only at the end of the project. After explaining andexamining the way the old quilt is composed an instruction is included howto duplicate them. Each piece is also followed by suggestions how to alterthe original block by using different fabrics, colors, lay-out...

Thelast chapter explains the basic techniques used, but don't expect elaborateinstructions. The main strength of the book is to inspire you, to stimulateyou to develop your own quilts by starting from ancient examples. ... Read more

Product Description
Known for its piercing mountain ranges, its soft hill pastures, and its Civil War secrets, Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is also the home of thousands of Mennonites.

Their foods are as lush and as whole as the land on which it is grown and prepared.

Here are hundreds of those uncommonly tasty recipes, gathered from a comforting food tradition, rooted in the old South. Includes color photographs of the community and its people, and historic sketches of many of the Valley's small towns. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Featuring color photography and a spiral binding
The Shenandoah Valley has been home to Mennonites and Amish whose culinary skills and traditions have pleased palates and satisfied hungry appetites for many generations. Phyllis Good is the curator of The People's Place Quilt Museum and the author of "The Best of Amish Cooking" and "The Festival Cookbook", as well as the co-author of four other cookbooks drawing from Amish and Mennonite culinary traditions. Kate Good co-authored "Amish Cooking For Kids" along with her sister, Rebecca, and her mother, Phyllis. Together, mother and daughter have collaborated to once again showcase recipes from the Shenandoah Valley region, with Kate researching and writing the profiles of the Shenandoah Valley Towns associated with the recipes in this culinary compendium. Featuring color photography and a spiral binding allowing Mennonite Recipes From The Shenandoah Valley to lay flat upon the kitchen counter, the recipes range from Blueberry Oat Muffins, to German Potato Salad, to Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole, to Dutch Meat Loaf, to Old-Fashioned Egg Custard, to Golden Carrot Cake. If you only have time enough for one new cookbook for your kitchen, make it Mennonite Recipes From The Shenandoah Valley!
... Read more

Product Description
In Absalom's two visits Tillie had been sufficiently impressed with the steadiness of purpose and obstinacy of the young man's character to feel appalled at the fearful task of resisting his dogged determination to marry her. So confident he evidently was of ultimately winning her that at times Tillie found herself quite sharing his confidence in the success of his courting, which her father's interdict she knew would not interfere with in the least. She always shuddered at the thought of being Absalom's wife; and a feeling she could not always fling off, as of some impending doom, at times buried all the high hopes which for the past seven years had been the very breath of her life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not For Every One - Tillie, a Mennonite Maid
Helen Reimensnyder Martin was born in 1868in Lancaster, Pennsyvania (died 1939).I found little said about her mother in my quick research, but her father was an immigrant German clergyman.

But whatever their station, Helen's parents must have been progressive because she studied at Swarthmore and Radcliffe; and in the end she became a progressive writer, arguing for children's and women's rights.

The novel was the means she chose to make her points.And the 'picturesque' Amish and Mennonite settlements in her home state became the source of both setting and character.From them she drew her heroines, and her more memorable villains.

Tillie is one example.She is a young girl from a large family.But unlike her siblings and the other children of her community she adores school, and indeed 'there is something special about her'.She longs to better herself, and even dreams of becoming a school teacher, but standing between her and her dreams is a stern, tyrannical father.This male figure is described as stingy, bullying, and the sort of person who feels that his children are his slaves until by law they can escape.When the naturally superior Tillie begins to rebel --by sneaking books-- she is beaten.

NOVELGUIDE writes that "Martin was criticized for her description of the Pennsylvania Dutch, but she claimed that she got many letters from them which testified to the truth of her portrayals."There's no footnotes for either declaration in the article, but suffice it to say that Readers should realize that "Tille" is a preachy bit of fiction, that however well written, has a point to make.


Now let's consider what the modern Reader ought to expect from this book 'as a read'.Since Helen was a grad of some fine schools, you are safe in assuming that the grammar and language are well done.The plotting also is well thought out -- although personally I thought the book was a little long.For those who are reading the book to get an idea of the lifestyle of the era, I think you'll find some tidbits that satisfy.Helen writes about farm life, describing the labor and chores.She includes some of the patois and accents of the area, as well as some of the prejudice.

But disregarding the 'preachy' lessons, Tillie is a romance at heart.And those who read today's old-style, sexless, romances will find a predecessor here.

THE SKINNY:::
"Tillie" is a 'message piece'.Though well conceived and written, it's very preachy and I would think that most modern readers wouldn't be motivated to get all the way through.

Personally, I don't know why I continued reading it.I guess the language and novelty was compelling enough.

Not for everyone, but if you're curious, "Tillie" is available for free at GoogleBooks, for Kindle, and at Archive.org.I think it's worth reading the first 1/4 of the book, just for the education and exposure of it.

Pam T~
Page in History

A curiosity

TILLIE:AMENNONITEMAID is mostly a curiosity,published in 1906.

It is first of all,a Romance.Howeverthe Romantic interest of Tillie, is the new gentlemanschoolteacher,whose unbeliefin Christbecomes evident,as his characterunfolds in this bookasa
turn--of--the--centurySecularHumanist. His personality is a foil to the religious primitives of the region,whose stereotypicalfundamentalism the author has set out to excoriate.

Owing to the title however, many readers may be induced to suppose that this is a workabout the Amish or Mennonitecommunities made so popularin the novels ofmodern Romance author,Beverly Lewis.That is hardly the case.Tillie's family is not Mennonite.Tillie is a young woman who becomes a Mennoniteas a young womanowing to the apparent purity of the AnabaptistDoctrine. Besides,the one place in thePennsylvaniaworld at the beginning of the 20th Century that a woman can choose to travel to alone,is the church, if this novel is to be any indication.


The reasonthe novel is such a curiosity,is that the dialect of the rural Pennsylvaniapopulation in this book,is even rougher than the Hoosierdialectportrayed by PoetJAMES WHITCOMBRILEYin the 1885poem, LITTLE ORPHANANNIE.

Tilliecomes from an abusive family, and seeks to acquire an education and avoidthe rudecourting of a rough son ofa rich local farmer. She becomes the ally of the new School Teacher, in his melodramaticpolitical maneuverings to avoid being cast out amongst the unemployed by thejudgementalschool board. I cannot rate the book at five stars,because the author's book,though currently republished,is not well authored.It is highly amusing as a turn of the century piece of fiction.

Beyond that,the negative stereotyping of the religious community of the area,and thetransparentSecular Humanismof thegentlemanly school teacher, serve to cast a skeptical eye upon the authorship.

It is interesting to read,but it is nothing more than a curiosity.The characters aremostly cliche's.

.

A Lovely, Quaint Novel
This novel presents a wonderful portrait of life in a simple country community near the turn of the century.Far from being a nostalgic look at the "good old days," Mrs. Martin offers a contemporary view of a life in which harshness and ignorance were the norm.Tillie is a rather stereotyped heroine and Absalom is obviously the "dumb jock" type, but the characters around her have an amazing amount of depth.The use of descriptive language and unique dialogue make this an excellent read. ... Read more

Product Description
Available November 2003In Julia Kasdorf's poem “Mennonites,” she writes of her heritage and her people: “We keep our quilts in closets and do not dance. / We hoe thistles along fence rows for fear / we may not be perfect as our Heavenly Father. / We clean up his disasters. No one has to / call.”

Persecuted by Protestants and Catholics alike throughout history and largely misunderstood by the rest of the world, Mennonites have found it difficult to make their voices heard or respected. It is with a kind of true necessity, then, that an anthology of poetry, compiled by Ann Hostetler, a Mennonite poet herself, has finally emerged; possessing the potential to be both challenging to and corrective of our preconceived notions of this unique religious and cultural group.

In this surprising collection, twenty-four Mennonite poets, both men and women, young and old, confront issues of identity, sexuality, religious doctrine, family, and individuality, sometimes with doubt and sorrow, but always with candor and urgency. Often, their struggle to break free of rigid patterns, to maintain the integrity of individual experience, while simultaneously honoring the will of the community, speaks to an earnest desire to marry change with tradition. These poems poignantly grapple with contradiction and compromise, the unavoidable components of a made world.

Ranging in tone from elegy to satire, the poems in A Cappella explore the tension between the artist's individual view and the power of a communal vision to mold and shape its members. A critical introduction to the volume defines the context of Mennonite poetry, and a concluding history of Mennonite poetry in North America provides a valuable resource for students and scholars. Each poet is also individually introduced by a brief biographical essay.

With its panoply of well-crafted poems, A Cappella is a valuable addition to any collection of poetry, Mennonite and non-Mennonite alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Who decides who we are?
This book is a gift. For people with a sense of humor, it catches us at our most vulnerable. For people with a sense of history, it gives us perspective about the contemporary venture of faith traditions. For people who like accessible poetry that challenges their imagination, there's nothing mushy here or esoteric. The poems are about dirt, blood, food, the mysteries of love, the confusion of faith, the will of companionship, and the probe of identity: are we who we think we are or are we something more? ... Read more

Product Description
Seriously accurate and seriously funny, here is an essential field guide for all things Mennonite. Combining reliable, historical, and theological information, alongside some fun facts, The Mennonite Handbook provides very practical tips on being a churchgoing follower of Jesus Christ.

Step-by-step instructions include: How to Get to Know Your Pastor
How to Sing a Four-Part Hymn
How to Listen to a Sermon
What to Bring to a Church Potluck
How to Survive a Church Split
How to Console Someone
How to Memorize a Bible Verse ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

not the book i expected
i was dissapointed to find out that this book was not the one i read several years back. the other review led me to believe it was. there is a book by the same name that is tongue in cheek and is actually funny, so the review that said this book is a hoot misled me. THis book is factual on mennonite history and customs and is probably good for what it sets out to accomplish but it is not a funny book.

Hilarious & Profound
This book is a hoot.It also contains a lot of valuable facts and information. Recommend ... Read more

Product Description
Lee focuses on the Weaverland Conference of Old Order Mennonites, a group formed in 1893 and now consisting of over 5,000 members. A large concentration of Weaverland Mennonites live in upstate New York near Seneca Falls, and Lee focuses his easily readable sociological study on that community. Individual chapters deal with the worship, rituals, rules, and discipline of the group, and with a number of recent defections to a more mainstream Mennonite Church located in the same area. Lee argues that Weaverland Mennonites are held together by their practices alone, rather than by a common underlying set of beliefs.--Choice Magazine ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Weaverland Old Order Mennonites
This is a book about the traditions and history of Weaverland Conference Old Order Mennonites. It is a very good introduction to this extraordinary religious group, and, apparently, the only one available to readers. I would recommend it to those who wish to become more familiar with Anabaptism, Mennonites, and the social science of religion.
It is important to note that the book does not claim to be about all Old Order groups. It is also a book with a strong claim about the relationship between ritual, belief, and community life. People who want to know only about Groffdale Mennonites should not necessarily buy this book (I am thinking here of a previous reviewer), though Groffdales are mentioned, as is their common history with the Weaverlanders. People who cannot handle a philosophical discussion about religion will also not want to read the book (still thinking about the previous reviewer--why did he buy the book at all?).
The book has numerous photos which seem to convey the situation of Mennonite family farmers in New York. The author's style is simple and flowing, very easy to understand.

OLD ORDER FROM ONE POINT OF VIEW
I purchased this book hoping to gain knowledge on the old order mennonites of new york, this was my first mistake.The mennonites referred to in the book are WEAVERLAND old order mennonites, I was looking for a book on the GROFDALE old order mennonites of the same area.Secondly, this book was seemingly written by someone in high school.I found the text confusing, and as someone who has mennonite and amish relatives, not everything was written from a "I understand it to be this way" point of view.I also found the author to not be totally understanding of the weaverland conference history, but was seemingly looking to find justification as to why members of that conference were joining other mennonite conference churches in the area.The book was very very disappointing.I can not recomment this book for anyone who is seriously interested in the old order mennonites, a good opportunity to explain the church and its stance on baptism, marriage, war, membership, belonging not only to a community but to a fellowship, was not examined. ... Read more

Product Description

During the American Civil War, the Mennonites and Amish faced moral dilemmas that tested the very core of their faith. How could they oppose both slavery and the war to end it? How could they remain outside the conflict without entering the American mainstream to secure legal conscientious objector status? In the North, living this ethical paradox marked them as ambivalent participants to the Union cause; in the South, it marked them as clear traitors.

In the first scholarly treatment of pacifism during the Civil War, two experts in Anabaptist studies explore the important role of sectarian religion in the conflict and the effects of wartime Americanization on these religious communities. James O. Lehman and Steven M. Nolt describe the various strategies used by religious groups who struggled to come to terms with the American mainstream without sacrificing religious values -- some opted for greater political engagement, others chose apolitical withdrawal, and some individuals renounced their faith and entered the fight.

Integrating the most recent Civil War scholarship with little-known primary sources and new information from Pennsylvania and Virginia to Illinois and Iowa, Lehman and Nolt provide the definitive account of the Anabaptist experience during the bloodiest war in American history.

Customer Reviews (1)

A great insight into a seldom discussed aspect of the Civil War
During the American Civil War, the Amish and their fellow Anabaptists such as the Mennonites were largely pacifists, preferring to stay away from secular politics and political movements, and the war created by regional differences within the country.

Authors James O. Lehman and Steven M. Nolt have written a fascinating book that examines the Amish and Mennonites of Pennsylvania and other states during the Civil War. Published by Johns Hopkins Press, this book is perhaps the first detailed study of the pacifistic perspective of the local Amish and Mennonite communities. The book is wonderfully written, flows well, and offers fresh information and a new perspective on the home front in the Civil War that is rarely (if ever) covered in other works.

Mennonites, Amish, and the American Civil War fills a hole in the historiography of the war, adding depth and color to the struggles of this peace-loving group who struggled with the decisions of faith versus Americanism, of individual free-will versus community pressure, and whether to take up arms and renounce their traditional values (and in some cases, risk being shunned by their families and friends to fight in the army).

Scholarly and well-researched, this book is a must-read for York and Lancaster countians wishing to gain a better understanding of the internal conflicts within the region during the war years. The activities of the Quakers and the Pennsylvania German Lutherans are perhaps better publicized and studied, which is why Lehman and Nolt's book is of interest.

The authors begin with a sweeping overview of religion, politics, religious minorities, and their place within the changing American society of the mid-19th century. The Anabaptists, already well established in many regions including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia, were faced with the soul-searching decision of loyalty to church and family or to the government that called for volunteers to fight a war that many in the Amish and Mennonite community believed was a direct violation of Biblical teachings on seeking peace and avoiding bloodshed. Contrary to popular belief, the Mennonites were not isolationists, but rather held public offices, were involved in setting local laws and policies, and swaying public opinion.

Individual chapters focus on the Mennonites and Amish of Virginia and the controversial "war of self-defense" when the Federal government sent armies into the state. Of local interest, Lehman and Nolt spend considerable time exploring the Pennsylvania German Anabaptists of this region and their Civil War experiences, both on a macro level as well as on a very personal individual look. Early in the war, the decision to fight or to stay out of the war was simply a matter of one's interpretation of the scriptures and teachings versus personal beliefs. When the war came to the North in the summer of 1863, the decision became much more complex, as defending the region became more of a psychological stress.

For example, 61-year-old Peter Nissley was a Mennonite minister who lived near Marietta, Pennsylvania, in rural Lancaster County. When the Confederate division of Major General Jubal Early invaded neighboring York County, with a full brigade sent eastward to threaten Columbia and Marietta, Nissley made the decision to stay at his home with his family, instead of fleeing as refugees deeper into the county. "We had some trying times," he later recalled, as the Rebels came within six miles of his home. He could hear the sound of the Confederate artillery shelling Wrightsville on the late afternoon of Sunday June 28 (the holy day to the Anabaptists) and later that evening could clearly see the flames coming from the burning Columbia-Lancaster Bridge.

From July 1 through the 3rd, Nissley could hear the roar of the Battle of Gettysburg. He wrote, "What awfull (sic) destruction of life and property this war has brought on us." Like others in the Pennsylvania German community, while trying to remain neutral, he sided with the Union in his thinking, remarking that at Wrightsville "Our few men resisted them (the Rebels), retreated to, and Fired that magnificent bridge." He, like most of his religious community, were thankful when the Rebels retired from Pennsylvania.

In the mid-1950s, an excellent movie was produced entitled Friendly Persuasion, starring Gary Cooper. It told the fictional tale of a family of Indiana Quakers who were faced with the same decision as Nissley and the German Anabaptists - peaceful nonresistance or take up arms and join the fighting. The parents agonize when a son rejects his religious upbringing and joins the Union army. Their anguish increases when the Confederates enter their state, and Cooper's character has to make his own decision. I have watched that interesting movie several times, and it first brought attention to the religious conflict in morals that people of this area faced when their homes and livelihoods were threatened by war.

Now, Lehman and Nolt's book brings a detailed examination of that same issue. Peppered with individual stories such as Peter Nissley's, this work is both fascinating and informative. It includes lists of conscientious objectors in places like Holmes County, Ohio, and explores the reasons why men chose not to fight (as well as why some turned their backs on their upbringings to enter the military). Also of strong interest is the authors' examination of the conflict brought upon Virginia's religious minorities in the Shenandoah Valley as armies criss-crossed the area for four years. ... Read more

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THE COST OF TRUTH is a collection of 32 powerful and personal faith stories of Mennonite and Brethren who have been denied leadership in the church relating in some way to their sexual orientation or acceptance of of other GLBT people. This third book in a series of faith stories follows FROM WOUNDED HEARTS and TOGETHER IN LOVE. Editor Roberta Showalter Kreider has, once again, compiled a collection of stories that calls the church to honest, faithful, and open dialogue on this most divisive issue. The final chapter is not a single story, but rather a collection of eighty-four responses with one hundred eleven signatures answering the question: Why I Believe That Gay, Lesbian, Bisesual, and Transgender People Should Be Included in the Church on an Equal Basis with Everyone Else. ... Read more

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Donald B. Kraybill has spent his career among Anabaptist groups, gaining an unparalleled understanding of these traditionally private people. Kraybill shares that deep knowledge in this succinct overview of the beliefs and cultural practices of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites in North America.

Found throughout Canada, Central America, Mexico, and the United States, these religious communities include more than 200 different groups with 800,000 members in 17 countries. Through 340 short entries, Kraybill offers readers information on a wide range of topics related to religious views and social practices. With thoughtful consideration of how these diverse communities are related, this compact reference provides a brief and accurate synopsis of these groups in the twenty-first century.

No other single volume provides such a broad overview of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites in North America. Organized for ease of searching -- with a list of entries, a topic finder, an index of names, and ample cross-references -- the volume also includes abundant resources for accessing additional information.

Wide in scope, succinct in content, and with directional markers along the way, the Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites is a must-have reference for anyone interested in Anabaptist groups.

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Customer Reviews (3)

A Wooden Spoon Baking Memoir:
Amish cooking is the best, and this has great recipes for those who want to try true amish recipes.

Satisfactory
I would give this book five stars, if only I "loved it," and did not simply "like" it.However, I will say that all of the recipes are "homey," and in my opinion also a little ordinary.That is to say that the recipes do not stand out on their own, but seem to be better when topped and eaten with ice cream, as in the case of the cakes and pies.However, one recipe I have tried that was very successful was the Chocolate Birthday Cake.Although it is simple, it is perfect, even when not made on a birthday!It tastes wonderful, and has a neat, equally nice appearance when iced.Another nice recipe from this book is the Relief Sale Sugar Cookies.I have made them on more than one occasion and am always pleased with the results, as is anyone who tries them!

Simply the best
Every recipe is wonderful. The recipes are simple and taste great. Everything I've tried comes out great. Many of the recipes have become favorite standards that we enjoy time and time again. Yum! ... Read more

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Mennonites have long referred to themselves as "The Quiet in the Land", but their actual historical experience has been marked by internal disquiet and contention over religious values and cultural practice. As Fred Kniss argues in his impressive study of Mennonite history, the story of this sectarian pacifist group is a story of conflict. ... Read more