Hutterite Society [Paperback]

John A. Hostetler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 1997

Written to mark the centennial of the Hutterites' arrival in North America, John Hostetler's acclaimed study traces their history from the founding of their society over four centuries ago to the early 1970s, and analyzes their social and cultural organization, the difficulties of communal living. and their strategies for survival.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A must reading for anyone doing serious study of the Hutterites... An excellent history of the Hutterites... [which] will serve for many years to come as a good benchmark for an analysis of change in the way of life of this extraordinary group.

(Mennonite Life )

A fine study of the oldest Western communal society, originally Moravian, who live now on the American and Canadian plains.

(New York Times Book Review )

An impressive picture of a people who share the general Anabaptist rejection of worldly thrills and pleasures, but who have a special distinction of their own—a strict devotion to communal living that has endured with little change for more than four centuries.

(Time )

Hutterite Society, an even more impressive work than Hostetler's earlier Amish Society, is surely destined to become a minor classic widely read and acclaimed by scholars and the general public.

(Sociology )

Essential to any study of Hutterites.

(American Historical Review )

About the Author

John A. Hostetler (1918–2001) is author of the best-selling Amish Society and the widely acclaimed Hutterite Society, both available from Johns Hopkins. Raised in the Amish faith, he was founding director of the Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and a former professor of anthropology and sociology at Temple University.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (June 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801856396
• ISBN-13: 978-0801856396
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly interesting, February 12, 2002

By 

Schmerguls "schmerguls" (Sioux City, Ia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hutterite Society (Hardcover)

I once visited a Hutterite colony, and when I saw this book I at once decided I had to read it. It is written by a sociologist who views his subjects quite favorably. My reaction as I read was: "I am glad I am not a Hutterite." But if one was indoctrinated as they are from earliest childhood, I suppose one would be accepting of the restrictions which permeate their life. For example, toilet training frequently begins at three months but always by the time the child can sit alone. Such a regimen probably affects one's entire life, and accounts for the low rate of dropouts from Hutterite life style. The book is a 1974 book, and at the time there were 21,521 Hutterites in 229 colonies, compared to 1265 who came to this hemisphere in 1874. Researching on the Internet I note that there are some 38,000 in 1999. A colony branches out into a daughter colony in about 14 years. If you are interested in viewing a world different from anything you know you should read this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book......, March 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hutterite Society (Paperback)

This book attempts to give a glance into Hutterite life, and succeeds admirably. However, for one who is searching for God's will in their life, what information there is about Hutterite religious beliefs is intermingled with the description of their daily life. Although this book is written as a book for sociologists and as a study of a society, it is still quite readable.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute lifesaver when needing research material!, March 20, 2005

By 

snuggybrinks (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hutterite Society (Paperback)

I got this book to aid in research for a University course I was taking.
This book is by far the most complete work out there, on the Hutterite faith.

400+ pages!! It takes you from the birth of Hutterite society to present day!

An Amazing body of work!