ANTH360 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Amish Mennonite, Amish, Nonresistance
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● 1972-Wisconsin v Yoder: Amish have right to run own schools, chose when kids end
Education (usually around 8th grade)
● 1930s-under Great Depression, consolidated schools, forced Amish kids to public
schools
● Amish farms: typical family farm prior to WW2
○ Not that old-fashioned way of life
○ Beliefs go back to 1500s, way of life-not so much
● Police typically look other way to amish kids getting in trouble
○ Worried about violating religious freedom
● Interaction with civil society is limited and on their own terms
● Will accept modern medicine- but no insurance, pay on their own
● Hegemony:leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over
others
○ We do this to Amish-constantly questioning their lifestyles
● 1673: Amish and Mennonite split over issue of shunning
○ Shun from religious services or social ostracization?
● People can only marry from another congregation if the 2 congregations are in
‘interfellowship’
● Amish only pay income tax, sales tax when necessary, or possibly other local taxes
● Break the will: happen around 2 years old-corporal punishments
○Hochmut: be proud, not going with will of group
○Gamut: go along with group, nonresistance
● Anabaptist presence increasing online
Traditional (20%)
Concentrate on preserving religious and cultural traditions
Separate from outside world
Buggies, speak PA dutch, plain clothing, selective use of tech, accept collective
authority of church congregation
Transitional (13%)
Try to maintain tradition
Try to reach out and help the outside world on a collective basis
Evangelism, plain clothing, no TV, encourage individual religious experience,
discourage higher ed, lay pastors (no formal religious training), nonresistance
Transformational (67%)
Want to transform to larger world
Willing to sacrifice tradition to accomplish that transformation
Higher ed, diversity in ministry, peacemaking and social justice, accept individualism,
large church organizations
Different types of groups can grow from the same congregation
2 Weaverland Mennonite congregations that separated due to a “pulpit war” around
the time of WW1: one traditional, one transformational
Sometimes a single congregations can have all 3 varieties
Sit in distinct sections within the church
Brethren have lost 32% since 1960
Some say bc they’ve lost their identity and to accommodate too much variability
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European Beginnings of Anabaptism
● Anabaptist movement began in Europe, but there’s only like 50,000 Mennonite still there,
no Amish or Brethren
● As of 2010, about 750,000 Anabaptists in North America
● Most Mennonites outside north america either came from north america or were
converted by missionary activity
● Early anabaptists in europe were viewed as examples of irresponsible religious
fanaticism
○ 1534: “Munster Revolution” crazy group of Anabaptism took control of city, forced
polygamy, communal property
○ Not typical anabaptists, but has colored perception of them until today
● Henri Prienne 1936-criticized
● Hector Hugh Munro-criticized
● Anabaptists often equated with Nazi followers; misguided fervor for bad ideas
○ Many Mennonites were early supporters of Hitler
● Real Anabaptist movement begins ca. 1500 in the Rhine Valley
Origin of PA “Dutch”
-Deutsch- originally meant anyone living in Rhine Valley and nearby areas
-German, dutch, france, switzerland, belgium, etc
-In english Deutsch became dutch
-In 19th century Dutch came to mean only German
● Christendom: “Realm of Christ on Earth”
○ Anywhere outside of christendom was full of sinners and antichrist: “devil’s
playground”
● Germany was part of Holy Roman Empire
○ Perpetual conflict between power of pope and authority of emperor
● 1870: Otto von Bismarck unified Germany into modern form
● 1500: Holy Roman Empire highly fragmented- all authority localized
○ Constantly changing-wars fought by mercenaries
○ Everyone was fighting all the time
● At the same time- major religious strife=more divisions
○ Martin Luther and his 95 Theses (1517)
○ Major theme-indulgences: should have personal relationship with god
● 1522: Ulrich Zwingli: criticized catholic church in switzerland
○ Ate sausage during lent in catholic protest
○ 1531-killed in battle
○ Catholics cut up his body and burned it in horse shit
● 1536: Calvinism becomes popular in northern Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland
● Each side saw the other as the manifestation of the antichrist
○ Religious problems exacerbate secular problems
● 1555: Peace of Augsburg
○ Cuius regio, eius religio
○ Local ruler choses religion for their kingdom
○ Variety of “official’ protestant churches result
○ Very tight link between protestant churches and gov/military power
● More conflict: Christendom threatened by attack/invasion from Ottoman Empire
○ Christians have always had problems with islam
● Taxation: based on number of people baptised: anabaptists don’t baptize children
○ Oh snap
● Compulsory military service: anabaptists practice nonviolence
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BASIC ANABAPTIST BELIEFS
● Return to beliefs and actions of Early Christian Church
○ Anabaptists thought Protestant didn’t reform enough
■ Ex: Protestants continued infant baptism: not in bible
● Anabaptists saw themselves as “Third Way” completely distinct from catholics or
protestants
○ Believe they’re the only church to truly emulate the Early Christian Church
○ Saw themselves more closely related to Protestants than Catholic
○ Distinction caused persecution from both Protestants and Catholics
● January 21, 1525: Conrad Grebel, Felix Mantz, George Blaurock
○ Baptized one another in Zurich, Switzerland
○ Start of Anabaptism
● February 24, 1527: Michael Sattlet wrote down the basic beliefs of Anabaptism
○ “The Schleitheim Articles”/”Declaration of Brotherly Love”
○ May 1527: burned at stake
○ Anabaptism seen as threat to Protestants
7 BASIC BELIEFS
-Adult baptism: infant baptism isn’t in bible, only adults can profess belief
-Church is a covenant community: church doesn’t need building or official leadership to
Document Summary
1972-wisconsin v yoder: amish have right to run own schools, chose when kids end. 1930s-under great depression, consolidated schools, forced amish kids to public schools. Amish farms: typical family farm prior to ww2. Beliefs go back to 1500s, way of life-not so much. Police typically look other way to amish kids getting in trouble. Interaction with civil society is limited and on their own terms. Will accept modern medicine- but no insurance, pay on their own. Hegemony: leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others. We do this to amish-constantly questioning their lifestyles. 1673: amish and mennonite split over issue of shunning. People can only marry from another congregation if the 2 congregations are in. Amish only pay income tax, sales tax when necessary, or possibly other local taxes. Break the will: happen around 2 years old-corporal punishments. Hochmut : be proud, not going with will of group.