ANTH316 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Anabaptism, Foot Washing, Mennonite
19 Jun 2018
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COLONIAL ANABAPTISTS-RELIGIOUS ISSUES
First meetinghouse built in 1600s: not solely for mennonites, share with other religions
Quakers and mennonites didn’t always get along
Oppose slavery: compare slavery to anabaptists martyrs
Became a model for abolitionists: successful w/o slaves
Hypocritical?-buy indentured servants:amish bought LOTS, brethren none
Almost all Anabaptists bilingual: had to speak english to do business with their non-German
neighbors
Funerals were community affair-all religions
Many people visited one another’s churches
Children follow father’s religion usually
PA colonists viewed varied churches as legit branches of larger “Christian Church”
American Christian Church separate and distinct from corrupt churches left behind in Europe
Any hard feelings caused by Brethren-aggressive proselytizers
Lots converted (40% Mennonites, 60% Amish)
Ephrata Community… cloister?
Celibate
Same clothing
Communal property
Manual labor for all
Veggie
No fancy material goods
Hymn singing throughout day
HUMBLE
Non violent
Mostly silent
Archeology differs from what they said about the settlement
Amish tradition of holding church services in homes
As populations grew, Mennonites and brethren build meetinghouses
Buildings also used as schools
Backless benches-traditional
Central tables for preachers
Schools shared by church and meeting germans
Language more important than affiliation-but also taught english
Religious themes important in education
Lots of hypocrisy among anabaptists
How can you be separate but learn english to be part of it
Embrace pietism which stresses conversion of others
How do a prospering people define their identity through suffering?
Lack of persecution and suffering caused an identity crisis
Suffering replaced with humility
Demut not hochmut
Foot washing is a BIG deal
Emerging military conflicts- esp American Revolution messed with Anabaptist relations
Pacifism and nonviolence
COLONIAL ANABAPTISTS AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Started with French and Indian Wars
Document Summary
First meetinghouse built in 1600s: not solely for mennonites, share with other religions. Became a model for abolitionists: successful w/o slaves. Almost all anabaptists bilingual: had to speak english to do business with their non-german neighbors. Pa colonists viewed varied churches as legit branches of larger christian church . American christian church separate and distinct from corrupt churches left behind in europe. Archeology differs from what they said about the settlement. Amish tradition of holding church services in homes. As populations grew, mennonites and brethren build meetinghouses. Language more important than af liation-but also taught english. How can you be separate but learn english to be part of it. Lack of persecution and suffering caused an identity crisis. Emerging military con icts- esp american revolution messed with anabaptist relations. Up to 1740, anabaptists voted in elections, but didn"t participate in militia. English send gen. braddock to drive french out of pa. Is in charge of organizing everything-soldiers, supplies, etc.
