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Theoretical Implications of the Beachy Amish-Mennonites DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Th
Theoretical Implications of the Beachy Amish-Mennonites DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Cory Alexander Anderson Graduate Program in Rural Sociology The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Joseph Donnermeyer, Advisor Richard Moore Edward Crenshaw Copyrighted by Cory Alexander Anderson 2014 Abstract One of the hallmarks of social science is the interaction of theory and methods/data, the former guiding the latter and the latter refining the former, in a cyclical relationship. The goal of theory is to provide explanations for and even predict a range of human behaviors. One potential cause of theoretical stagnation is an over focus on a singular, usually easily accessible group. Given the persistence of plain Anabaptists like the Amish as a highly distinct subgroup in American society, their utility for refining sociological theories is persuasive, but has rarely been employed to this end because of their social inaccessibility, shyness towards social science research, and the popular interpretive frames placed on them that distract would-be investigators. Even with Amish-focused scholarship, the emphasis has been largely on describing the population or applying theory to understand the Amish case, but not returning findings back to theory in critique and revision. This dissertation introduces and contextualizes the plain Anabaptists, then describes the Beachy Amish-Mennonites, a group within the Amish religious tension, but dealing markedly with tensions between separatism and assimilation. Following this introduction are three independent studies that demonstrate the use of plain Anabaptists to refine theory. -
Anabaptist Religious Literature and Hymnody
CHAPTER TEN ANABAPTIST RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND HYMNODY John D. Rempel Introduction This study will concern itself with devotional texts that have left a lasting mark on Anabaptism and its descendent movements. All of them were written by adherents of these movements. Modern schol- arship has identified an ever widening diversity in the character and literature of Anabaptism, and so, even within the broad criterion of texts that have had enduring influence further selection needs to be made on the following grounds. To begin with, I sought to represent the diverse expressions of Anabaptism theologically, geographically, and chronologically. My goal was to highlight continuities, discontinuities, and commonalities. In addition, I wanted to draw attention to neglected but formative writers and writings. In the third place, I wanted to give the numerous but little known texts on worship a place within the literature of Anabaptism as a whole. Riedemann’s hymns and Clock’s prayers are illustrative of both points two and three. And finally, I thought it important to show how different authors come to terms with the unstable relationship in much of Anabaptism between inner and outer, Spirit and matter. The consequence of this approach was that a figure of the stature of Michael Sattler is represented only in Golden Apples in Silver Bowls, a compendium of the later Swiss Brethren tradition, leaving the Ausbund to represent that strand’s earlier religiosity. Similarly, Dirk Philips does not have his own entry but his mindset is represented in part by Menno Simons and Thielman van Braght. By the same token, a word needs to be said about including two figures whose ecclesiology—in different ways—is marginal to the movement as a whole, Balthasar Hubmaier and Hans Denck. -
Information to Users
INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect repmduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscn'pt and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing fmm left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Photographs included in the original manusuipt have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6' x 9' black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustmtions appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. Bell 8 HowaH Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 USA EARLY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MENNONITE CONFESSIONS OF FAITH: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANABAPTIST TRADITION by Karl Peter Koop A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Theology of the University of St. Michae18s College and the Department of Theology of the Toronto School of Theology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology awarded by the University of St. -
Balthasar Hubmaier and the Authority of the Church Fathers
Balthasar Hubmaier and the Authority of the Church Fathers ANDREW P. KLAGER In Anabaptist historical scholarship, the reluctance to investigate the authority of the church fathers for individual sixteenth-century Anabaptist leaders does not appear to be intentional. Indeed, more pressing issues of a historiographical and even apologetical nature have been a justifiable priority, 1 and soon this provisional Anabaptist vision was augmented by studies assessing the possibility of various medieval chronological antecedents. 2 However, in response to Kenneth Davis’ important study, Anabaptism and Asceticism , Peter Erb rightly observed back in 1976 that “. one must not fail to review the abiding influence of the Fathers . [whose] monitions were much more familiar to our sixteenth-century ancestors than they are to us.” 3 Over thirty years later, the Anabaptist community still awaits its first published comprehensive study of the reception of the church fathers among Anabaptist leaders in the sixteenth century. 4 A natural place to start, however, is the only doctor of theology in the Anabaptist movement, Balthasar Hubmaier. In the final analysis, it becomes evident that Hubmaier does view the church fathers as authoritative, contextually understood, for some theological issues that were important to him, notably his anthropology and understanding of the freedom of the will, while he acknowledged the value of the church fathers for the corollary of free will, that is, believers’ baptism, and this for apologetico-historical purposes. This authority, however, cannot be confused with an untested, blind conformity to prescribed precepts because such a definition of authority did not exist in the sixteenth-century, even among the strongest Historical Papers 2008: Canadian Society of Church History 134 Balthasar Hubmaier admirers of the fathers. -
The Changing Sociolinguistic Identities of the Beachy Amish- Mennonites
Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies Volume 7 Issue 1 Special issue: The Beachy Amish- Article 12 Mennonite Churches 2019 The Changing Sociolinguistic Identities of the Beachy Amish- Mennonites Joshua Brown Follow this and additional works at: https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/amishstudies Part of the Linguistics Commons Please take a moment to share how this work helps you through this survey. Your feedback will be important as we plan further development of our repository. Recommended Citation Brown, Joshua R. 2019. "The Changing Sociolinguistic Identities of the Beachy Amish-Mennonites." Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies 7(1):19-31. This Original Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by IdeaExchange@UAkron, the institutional repository of The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, USA. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies by an authorized administrator of IdeaExchange@UAkron. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Changing Sociolinguistic Identities of the Beachy Amish- Mennonites JOSHUA R. BROWN Associate Professor of German and Linguistics Department of Languages University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire Abstract: The study of Beachy Amish-Mennonite identities is a complex endeavor. As a loosely- organized fellowship, the Beachys have no overarching governing body that dictates symbols of their Anabaptist commitment to nonconformity. Often Beachys are described as existing on a religious continuum between the Old Order Amish and Mennonites, yet defining Beachys as what they are not does not adequately establish the religious identities that Beachys negotiate for themselves. This article addresses the negotiation of sociolinguistic identities—where language and religious identities intersect—alongside cultural change for two Beachy congregations in Central Pennsylvania. -
A Study of Early Anabaptism As Minority Religion in German Fiction
Heresy or Ideal Society? A Study of Early Anabaptism as Minority Religion in German Fiction DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Ursula Berit Jany Graduate Program in Germanic Languages and Literatures The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Professor Barbara Becker-Cantarino, Advisor Professor Katra A. Byram Professor Anna Grotans Copyright by Ursula Berit Jany 2013 Abstract Anabaptism, a radical reform movement originating during the sixteenth-century European Reformation, sought to attain discipleship to Christ by a separation from the religious and worldly powers of early modern society. In my critical reading of the movement’s representations in German fiction dating from the seventeenth to the twentieth century, I explore how authors have fictionalized the religious minority, its commitment to particular theological and ethical aspects, its separation from society, and its experience of persecution. As part of my analysis, I trace the early historical development of the group and take inventory of its chief characteristics to observe which of these aspects are selected for portrayal in fictional texts. Within this research framework, my study investigates which social and religious principles drawn from historical accounts and sources influence the minority’s image as an ideal society, on the one hand, and its stigmatization as a heretical and seditious sect, on the other. As a result of this analysis, my study reveals authors’ underlying programmatic aims and ideological convictions cloaked by their literary articulations of conflict-laden encounters between society and the religious minority. -
The Roots of Anabaptist Empathetic Solidarity, Nonviolent Advocacy, and Peacemaking
The Roots of Anabaptist Empathetic Solidarity, Nonviolent Advocacy, and Peacemaking John Derksen Introduction uch of Mennonite nonviolent advocacy and peacebuild- ing today finds its roots in sixteenth-century Anabaptism. But Msixteenth-century Anabaptists were diverse. In keeping with the polygenesis viewSAMPLE of Anabaptist origins, this paper assumes diversity in the geography, origins, cultures, shaping influences, spiritual orientations, attitudes to violence, and other expressions of Anabaptists.1 We define Anabaptists as those who accepted (re)baptism or believer’s baptism and the implications of that choice. Various Anabaptists had sectarian, ascetic, spiri- tualist, social revolutionary, apocalyptic, rationalistic, or other orientations, and the distinctions between them were often blurred. Geographically, they emerged in Switzerland in 1525, in South Germany-Austria in 1526, and in the Netherlands in 1530. Many agree that the Anabaptists displayed 1. Stayer, Packull, and Deppermann, “Monogenesis,” 83–121; Coggins, “Defini- tion”; Stayer, Sword. Surveys of Anabaptist history that incorporate the polygenesis perspective include Snyder, Anabaptist, and Weaver, Becoming Anabaptist. Works that explore Anabaptist unity beyond polygenesis include Weaver, Becoming Anabaptist, and Roth and Stayer, Companion. 13 © 2016 The Lutterworth Press 14 Historical Conditions of Anabaptist-Mennonite Peacebuilding Approaches both Protestant and Catholic characteristics in different configurations. “Negatively, there was anger against social, economic, and religious abuses . but responses to this discontent varied widely. Positively, the ‘Word of God’ served as a rallying point for all, but differences . emerged over how it was understood and used.”2 While Swiss Anabaptists tended to fa- vor sectarianism after the 1525 Peasants’ War, South German and Austrian Anabaptists tended more toward spiritualism, and early Dutch Anabaptists tended toward apocalyptic thinking. -
Analysis of Hutterite Breastfeeding Patterns
University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2006 Analysis of Hutterite breastfeeding patterns Christine Smith The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Smith, Christine, "Analysis of Hutterite breastfeeding patterns" (2006). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5556. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5556 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University of Montana Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. **Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature** Yes, I grant permission \f No, I do not grant permission______ Author's Signature: . Date: .^Q|/q (/> Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author's explicit consent. AN ANALYSIS OF HUTTERITE BREASTFEEDING PATTERNS by Christine Smith B.A. University of Montana, 1999 presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts The University of Montana May 2006 Approved by rperson Dean, Graduate School Date UMI Number: EP41020 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. -
What Are the Plain Anabaptists? -- Anderson
Who Are the Plain Anabaptists? What Are the Plain Anabaptists? -- Anderson Who Are the Plain Anabaptists? What Are the Plain Anabaptists? Cory Anderson1 OSU Presidential Fellow and Doctoral Candidate in Rural Sociology School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Abstract: I define the plain Anabaptists by answering two essential questions: “Who are the plain Anabaptists” and “What are the plain Anabaptists?” In asking “Who are the plain Anabaptists?” I investigate several dimensions of identity. First, I trace the history of seven religious traditions within Anabaptism: the Swiss Brethren/Mennonites, the Low German/Russian Mennonites, the Hutterites, the Amish, the Brethren, the Apostolic Christian Churches, and the Bruderhof. Second, I explore three categories of people in each group—mainline, conservative, and Old Order—describing the last two as “plain.” Third, I explore scales and indices on which plainness is measured, as well as other measures of who the plain Anabaptist people are. In asking “What are the plain Anabaptists?” I define several ways social scientists conceptualize and describe the plain Anabaptists. I organize the sundry definitions and frames under three categories: the plain Anabaptists as a religious group, as an ethnicity, and as a social system. Keywords: Mennonite, Amish, Brethren, Hutterite, Apostolic Christian, Bruderhof, religious traditions, ethnicity, social system 26 | Page Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1 (April), 2013 Introduction The inauguration -
Anabaptist Masculinity in Reformation Europe Adam Michael Bonikowske University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations May 2013 Anabaptist Masculinity in Reformation Europe Adam Michael Bonikowske University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.uwm.edu/etd Part of the European History Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Bonikowske, Adam Michael, "Anabaptist Masculinity in Reformation Europe" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. 80. https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/80 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by UWM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UWM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ANABAPTIST MASCULINITY IN REFORMATION EUROPE by Adam Bonikowske A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee May 2013 ABSTRACT ANABAPTIST MASCULINITY IN REFORMATION EUROPE by Adam Bonikowske The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2013 Under the Supervision of Professor Merry Wiesner-Hanks This thesis studies the connections between the Anabaptist movement during the Protestant Reformation and the alternative masculinities that developed during sixteenth- century Europe. It argues that Anabaptist men challenged traditional gender norms of European society, and through their unique understanding of the Reformation’s message of salvation, these men constructed new ideas about masculinity that were at odds with Protestant and Catholic culture. Anabaptist men placed piety and ethics at the center of reform, and argued for the moral improvement of Christians. In separation from Catholics and mainstream Protestants, Anabaptists created a new culture that exhibited behavior often viewed as dangerous. -
Book Reviews
BOOK REVIEWS Horse-and-Buggy Genius: Listening to Mennonites Contest the Modern World. By Royden Loewen. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. 2016. Pp. 243. $31.95, U.S.; $27.95, Can. Royden Loewen’s Horse-and-Buggy Genius: Listening to Mennonites Contest the Modern World is the result of a three-year oral history project undertaken to study how the Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, Canada, and Old Colony Mennonites of Latin America have resisted modernity. Both subject groups are linked to Canada. While the Old Order Mennonites have been residents of southern Ontario for generations, their Old Colony counterparts left Canada in the early part of the twentieth century to seek religious freedom in Mexico and then, eventually, to Belize, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Both groups share a commitment to keeping their lives technologically simple and living their beliefs in farming communities close to nature, separated from modern, mainstream society. Their stories of faith and resistance make this work fascinating reading. The first two chapters of Horse-and-Buggy Genius focus on the Old Order Mennonites. The first chapter, “Changelessness in Canada’s Heartland,” introduces the Old Order Mennonites, who have lived for decades surrounded by modern Canadian society and have confronted social change head on. According to Loewen, the stories community members recounted to him and his team of graduate and undergraduate researchers focused on daily farm life and family interaction, making clear the importance of farm and family to faith along with the challenges posed by even small technological innovations. In the second chapter, “A New Orthodoxy in Backwoods Ontario,” he explores the lives of Orthodox Old Order Mennonites, who left the Waterloo Old Order Mennonite community to found a new community in Gorrie, Ontario, that restricts technology more than the parent group has done, in effect turning back the clock to a simpler way of life. -
Mennonites and South Africans
MENNONITE LIFE MARCH 1 975 Is reflected an emerging Men- IN THIS nonite interest in southern Africa. John de Gruchy, theo ISSUE logian of the University of Cape town and former staff member of the South African Council of Churches, visited North American Mennon- ite schools and churches in early 1975. The interview with de Gruchy in this issue suggests several natural points of common interest between Mennonites and South Africans. Cf The choices of Mennonites in Rus sia a hundred years ago—to migrate Eastward, West ward, or to stay at home, were celebrated as options of contemporary relevance in the Bethel College Men- nonite Church centennial worship service. Christine Siemens Lautt, Bethel College senior art major, de signed three banners symbolizing the choices: the apocalyptic East (rising sun), the progressive West (wheat), and the embracing Home (roots). Another Mennonite centennial is being celebrated in 1975— the 450th anniversary of the Anabaptist origins in Switzerland. William Keeney’s article on the relation ship of the Swiss Brethren to Menno Simons was pre sented in January at Bluff ton College as part of a series of four meetings in celebration of this anniver sary. (Q It has been two years since the last “Men nonite Bibliography” appeared in Mennonite Life, but it is the editors’ intention to include this feature in the March issue each year. This bibliography, completed for this issue by Cornelius Krahn, remains the most thorough listing of current research and publication in the fields of Anabaptism, the Radical Reformation, and Mennonite history. Readers who are aware of items to be included in the bibliography are invited to send the information to Mennonite Life.