Martyrs Mirror Study Conference to Be Held in June
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The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College Spring 2010 Martyrs Mirror study conference to be held in June n June 8-10, the Young Center will host a major Radical Pietist authors and printers. Patrick Erben, Ostudy conference, “Martyrs Mirror: Reflections professor of English at the University of West Geor- Across Time,” focusing on the Anabaptist martyrol- gia, will examine the translation of meanings as the ogy, the Martyrs Mirror. The conference marks the Martyrs Mirror was translated into German at 350th anniversary of the first publication of the Ephrata in 1748. In addition to the plenary speeches, Martyrs Mirror in 1660 in the Netherlands. other presenters will give papers in smaller group Thieleman Jansz van Braght collected the stories sessions. of Anabaptists across Europe and connected them The presentations will offer a variety of interpre- to the stories of martyrs in ancient Christianity and tive lenses for the Martyrs Mirror. The call for in the intervening cen- papers invites presentations that deal with the social turies. Mennonites in historical context, theology or religious topics, gen- the Netherlands had der analyses, literary interpretations, or papers that assimilated well to the deal with Jan Luyken’s illustrations, which first prosperity and tolera- appeared in the second edition of 1685. Presenters tion during the flour- may also address the various editions of the Mar- ishing economy there tyrs Mirror, whether in Dutch, German, English or in the seventeenth cen- other languages, and editions from various presses tury. Van Braght’s col- and countries. lection recalled the Conference attendees may register for optional struggles of the faith in tours on Tuesday afternoon before the conference more difficult times. opens. One is a tour of the Ephrata Cloister, the site The conference will where the Martyrs Mirror was first translated com- feature three plenary pletely into German and published in the American presentations. Martyrs colonies. The tour includes bus transportation to the Mirror expert James Ephrata Cloister, admission to the site, and a box Lowry will discuss the lunch. The second tour option is a trip to Lancaster biography of Thiele- Mennonite Historical Society’s library and to the man van Braght and Muddy Creek Library to view copies of the Martyrs the setting in which he Mirror in the extensive collections of both institu- created the book. Mar- tions. This tour also includes bus transportation and cus Meier, noted histo- a box lunch. Both tours will depart from the Young rian of Radical Pietism, Center at noon and return by 5:00, in time for con- will present the biog- ference registration. Each tour costs $40. raphy of illustrator Jan The fee for the conference (including meals) is Luyken and his con- $110 if registered by May 7, and $125 after May 7. Title page of the 1748 Ephrata edition of the Martyrs Mirror. nections to several The fee for students is $85. (continued on p. 2) 1 FROM THE DIRECTOR Jeff Bach he turn from the old year to the new ous fifth vocal line that appears in some maier understood texts written in the Tis an occasion to think about new Ephrata manuscripts. Small, colored early centuries of Christianity. Theron F. opportunities and reflect on the past. The geometric patterns and floral ornaments Schlabach, the Durnbaugh lecturer, will work at the Young Center reminds me decorate some of the leaves. This old, bring a fresh assessment to Mennonite that sometimes what is old can also be- unique manuscript offers new opportuni- theologian Guy F. Hershberger’s ap- come what is new. ties to study the musical and manuscript proach to peace and ethics in the twenti- The music manuscript that we ac- art traditions among the people of Snow eth century. quired this fall was copied by hand in the Hill and Ephrata. In the coming semester, I hope that nineteenth century at the Snow Hill Our scholars this semester bring new you can join us for our programs and community, a monastic offshoot of the focus to old topics. Our Kreider Fellow, reflect on ways that topics rooted in the Ephrata community. Each leaf in the Diane Zimmerman Umble, will research past raise fresh questions in the complex manuscript reveals the delicate music Mennonite women in the twentieth cen- world of today. We are thankful for sup- notes, written to copy music that was tury. Andrew Klager, our scholar in res- porters who help to keep this important composed about a century earlier. The idence, studies how sixteenth-century work advancing. I look forward to see- hymns in this manuscript have the curi- Anabaptist theologian Balthasar Hub- ing you at the Young Center. Young Center acquires rare music manuscript he Young Center recently completed century—of musical settings that were lection is a happy occasion. Researchers Tthe purchase of a rare music manu- composed by Conrad Beissel, founder of of music, hymn texts, and Pennsylvania script from the Snow Hill religious com- the Ephrata community. The composi- German folk art will find it to be a valu- munity in Franklin County, an offspring tions are for hymns from the Weyrauchs- able resource for years to come. The book of the Ephrata community. Emmert and Hügel (Mountain of Incense), a hymnal will be on display in the Young Center Esther Bittinger had purchased the man- printed by Christopher Saur for the lobby after January 2010. uscript many years ago and had it in their Ephrata community in 1739. The book collection of rare books. They offered to contains various geometric patterns of sell the manuscript to the Young Center, ornamentation and some small floral and thanks to generous donors and NEH motives. At one point in its history, the Challenge Grant funds designated for the manuscript was trimmed down, remov- Spring 2010 purchase of books, the Young Center was ing much of the border area on the leaves DIRECTOR able to acquire it. of paper. It was also bound in leather. Jeff Bach, Ph.D. The manuscript is a handwritten The opportunity to add this rare man- SENIOR FELLOW copy—made probably in the nineteenth uscript to the Young Center research col- Donald B. Kraybill, Ph.D. RESEARCH STAFF Stephen Scott Cynthia Nolt Martyrs Mirror conference in June (continued) ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Hillary Daecher The fee for attending the conference for The Young Center has planned these Young Center News is published twice each year one day only is $55. On-campus housing events in consultation with the Mennonite for those interested in the work and events of the is available in the Schreiber Quads. Historical Committee’s work to develop a Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Please Motel accommodations are available in multi-year research cycle that will address direct correspondence to the address below. and around Elizabethtown as well. the Martyrs Mirror in a much broader, Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies Conference details are posted on the multi-discipline, multi-cultural emphasis Elizabethtown College Young Center’s web site; registration beginning in 2011. The conference will be One Alpha Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298 forms will be available on the site later a great opportunity to begin the study of Phone: (717) 361-1470; Fax: (717) 361-1443 this winter. The call for papers is also this book, which is a significant marker of E-mail: [email protected] posted on the web site. The deadline for Anabaptist faith that continues to be Web site: www.etown.edu/youngctr proposals is January 31. meaningful in the present. 2 Visiting scholars pursue diverse research interests Diane Zimmerman Umble and Andrew P. Klager at the Young Center spring semester iane Zimmerman Umble will serve as ties in times of war, financial stress, and “The Young Center will provide me Dthe Kreider Fellow for Spring 2010. A great technological and social change. with the time, space, and resources neces- Millersville University professor, Umble What counted for them and what they sary to focus on specific topics related to teaches in the department of communica- leave unspoken provides a window into my research that I otherwise would have tion and theatre. She wrote Holding the how they constructed and negotiated their had to postpone,” Klager says. “I look for- Line: The Telephone in Old Order Men- lives within the religious and cultural ward to being in conversation with experts nonite and Amish Life (1996) and co- constraints of their changing times,” in Anabaptist history while exposing will- edited Strangers at Home: Amish and Umble says. “My time as a fellow will ing interlocutors to my research direction Mennonite Women in History (2002) and focus primarily on developing the manu- and provisional conclusions.” The Amish and the Media (2008), all pub- script. Access to library resources and to The Young Center invites nominations lished by Johns Hopkins University Press. colleagues with shared interests at the and applications for Center fellows and Umble received her Ph.D. from the Uni- Young Center will provide a context to doctoral fellows. Visit the Center’s web versity of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg test and refine this work.” site for details. School of Communication. Andrew P. Klager will also be in resi- While at the Young Center, she will be dence at the Young Center for the spring writing a book based on the diaries of two semester. Klager is completing his doc- Pennsylvania Mennonite women, Anna toral degree at the University of Glasgow E. Umble (1889-1964) and E. Elmira in Scotland, and will expand on his doc- Martyrs Mirror Zimmerman (1898-1978). The diaries toral research while at the Young Center.