Plain Women: Gender and Ritual in the Old Order River Brethren (Pennsylvania-German History and Culture Series)(Pennsylvania Germans Society Vol. XXXIV (2000). [Hardcover]

Margaret C. Reynolds (Author), Simon J. Bronner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Despite the great interest in "plain" groups in recent years, comparatively little has been written about women and the particular role they play in preserving traditional religious and cultural values in the modern world. In Plain Women, Margaret C. Reynolds portrays the women of the Old Order River Brethren, a significant brench of the Brethren in Christ located mainly in Pennsylvania. The members of this conservative offshoot of the Brethren are often confused with the Amish because of their plain attire, but unlike the Amish, they have made some concessions to the modern world - including the use of automobiles, computers, and home appliances. Noting these accommodations to modern American life, Reynolds examines the ceremonies and traditions that allow the Old Order River Brethran to remain "separate" from other plain groups and from contemporary mass culture. She describes, for example, the love feast communion, a service that involves footwashing and a breadmaking ritual (one unique to the Old Order River Brethren and solely performed by women), Reynolds focuses in particular on the gendered customs of dress, hair, and domesticity that shape women's lives and, in so doing, preserve the minority faith itself. Plain Women is the first volume in the new Pennsylvania German History and Culture Series, published in cooperation with the Pennsylvania German Society. This series is a continuation of the Society's annual volumes on Pennsylvania German scholarship in disciplines such as history, religion, folklore, literature, and the arts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This fascinating book profiles one of the smallest and least studied of the Anabaptist sects: the Old Order River Brethren, who dress similarly to the Amish but selectively use computers, automobiles and other new technologies. The challenge for the Brethren, therefore, is to maintain a sense of separateness while adopting some elements of modern culture. Reynolds argues persuasively that women help preserve the group's identity by leading the Love Feast, a special communion service; maintaining their plain dress; and safeguarding their unique bread-making customs. Food and dress, she writes, "do more than reflect values. They are essential to perpetuating those values." Reynolds did not live to see the publication of this significant book; she died in 1999 at the age of 51.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Written with nuance and insight, Plain Women is a Fine and probing analysis of the role of women in the Old Order River Brethren, Reynolds has a firm mastery of the history and doctrines of the background movements of Anabaptism and Pietism, and her findings fill the gaps in published information on this minority faith." --Donald F. Durnbaugh, Juniata College

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Txt) (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271021381
• ISBN-13: 978-0271021386
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,793,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.