The Amish have always struggled with the modern world. Known for their simple clothing, plain lifestyle, and horse-and-buggy mode of transportation, Amish communities continually face outside pressures to modify their cultural patterns, social organization, and religious world view. An intimate portrait of Amish life, The Amish explores not only the emerging diversity and evolving identities within this distinctive American ethnic community, but also its transformation and geographic expansion.
Donald B. Kraybill, Karen M. Johnson-Weiner, and Steven M. Nolt spent twenty-five years researching Amish history, religion, and culture. Drawing on archival material, direct observations, and oral history, the authors provide an authoritative and sensitive understanding of Amish society.
Amish people do not evangelize, yet their numbers in North America have grown from a small community of some 6,000 people in the early 1900s to a thriving population of more than 320,000 today. The largest populations are found in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, with additional communities in twenty-eight other states and three Canadian provinces.
The authors argue that the intensely private and insular Amish have devised creative ways to negotiate with modernity that have enabled them to thrive in America. The transformation of the Amish in the American imagination from ""backward bumpkins"" to media icons poses provocative questions. What does the Amish story reveal about the American character, popular culture, and mainstream values? Richly illustrated, The Amish is the definitive portrayal of the Amish in America in the twenty-first century.
Preface Acknowledgments Part I 1. Who Are the Amish? 2. European Origins 3. The Story in America Part II 4. Religious Roots 5. Sacred Rituals 6. The Amish Way 7. Symbols and Identity Part III 8. Diverse Affiliations 9. Population Patterns 10. Community Organization 11. Gender and Family 12. From Rumspringa to Marriage 13. Social Ties and Community Rhythms 14. Education Part IV 15. Agriculture 16. Business 17. Technology 18. Health and Healing 19. Government and Civic Relations 20. The Amish in Print 21. Tourism and Media Part V 22. Pursuits of Happiness Appendix A Appendix B Notes Bibliography Index
""A sophisticated yet accessible picture of the many forms of contemporary Amish life, a picture that includes both the attractions of deeply rooted community relationships and the troubling shadows cast in a closely-knit patriarchal tribe, such as poorly addressed sexual abuse and a sometimes-dysfunctional youth culture. The nuance, accuracy, thoroughness, and respect attending this beautifully presented work of collaborative scholarship ensure that The Amish will define the field of Amish studies for some time to come.""
