The Riddle of Amish Culture (Center Books in Anabaptist Studies) (Paperback)

by Donald B. Kraybill (Author) "The tale of modern life is mixed..." (more)
Key Phrases: public power lines, public utility lines, barn cleaners, Lancaster County, Old Order Amish, Worker's Compensation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Explains clearly [the Amish people's] ingenious bargains with secular modernity." -- —Newsweek --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Beyond the tour buses and stereotypes lies the complex reality of Amish life. In this welcome update of a classic study, Donald B. Kraybill explores with deep insight and solid research the fascinating ways this fast-growing traditional community negotiates its evolving relationship with a modern world of business, tourism, shopping malls, and roller blades. No dry academic book, this beautifully written work exudes the juices of lived experience and conveys its author's profound respect for, and understanding of, Amish life." -- Paul Boyer, Editor-in-Chief, The Oxford Companion to United States History

"This book is a perfect tool for introducing undergraduates to sociological analysis. Kraybill skillfully depicts an intriguing world that promotes collectivism against the dominant individualism. We come to understand how Amish life makes sense to those who adhere to it." -- Michèle Lamont, Christian Century

"Carefully crafted, richly nuanced and accessible to both the informed reader and the novice, Donald Kraybill has once again produced a remarkably clear and meticulous study of one of North America's most intriguing religious minorities. The Riddle of Amish Culture opens a window into the complex reality of Amish society that crisscrosses the postmodern, modern, and traditional worlds." -- Thomas J. Meyers, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Goshen College, Goshen Indiana

"Donald Kraybill has written a brilliant exposition of Amish life. A sociological tour de force and must-read for those who wish to understand Amish culture." -- Peter Ester, Professor of Sociology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands

"I cannot think of a better way to introduce students to the richness of Amish life. The Riddle of Amish Culture takes the reader into the intricacies of Amish life and culture. Kraybill frames his rich narrative description with sophisticated analysis. While thoroughly accessible, Kraybill's book never insults the reader's intelligence. His treatment of Amish life resists stereotypes. In fact, he routinely explodes them." -- Stephen C. Ainlay, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College, and Professor of Sociology, College of the Holy Cross

"The Riddle of Amish Culture is essential reading for anyone who wants to unlock the 'mystery' of a fascinating people whose simple, community oriented ways have much to teach us. Professor Kraybill's extremely informative book is a valuable resource, every semester in my classes for teachers." -- Ed Daniels, Lecturer, Stony Brook University, National Board Certified Teacher

"Kraybill moves seamlessly between the fascinating details of Amish life and the meaning of modernity, illuminating both as he informs and provokes in the best tradition of accessible scholarship. [His] masterful analysis of Amish life provides the perfect springboard for students to explore the meaning of modernity and to question the assumptions of their own culture." -- Marc Olshan, Professor of Sociology, Alfred University

"Kraybill's masterful analysis of Amish life provides the perfect springboard for students to explore the meaning of modernity and to question the assumptions of their own culture." -- Marc Olshan, Professor of Sociology, Alfred University

"Kraybill's study of the Lancaster Amish community is an excellent introduction to the Old Order world for both students and general readers. He enables us to see the Amish not as leftovers from the past, but as 21st century people whose confrontation with modernity is guided by the same devotion to religious principles that marked their ancestors as radicals. This book helps us solve the riddles of Old Order society." -- Karen Johnson-Weiner, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, SUNY Potsdam

"Students of human nature and those baffled by the seeming inconsistencies of Amish culture will find compelling explanation in Donald Kraybill's The Riddle of Amish Culture. In the new research on youth groups, Kraybill explains how a time of testing the limits and tasting the fruits of worldliness in adolescence has a 'redeeming function.'." -- D. R. Elder, Professor of Humanities, The Ohio State University-ATI

"The well documented book is an excellent field trip. It includes informative chapters, excellent notes, thorough bibliography all presented with clarity and correctness." -- Richard Rouillard, Professor of English, Oklahoma City Community College

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Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; Revised edition (September 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080186772X
• ISBN-13: 978-0801867729
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #143,763 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The telephone is still on probation", July 17, 2004

By	E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Riddle of Amish Culture (Center Books in Anabaptist Studies) (Paperback)

Have you ever wondered what happened to the Anabaptists? Or why the Mennonites and Amish have similar customs? Or why an Old Order Amish kitchen might have a gas-powered refrigerator but not an electric one?

It's easy to distinguish the Amish farms in our area: no electrical lines running to the house; no T.V. antenna; and there are usually draft horses hitched to a piece of farm equipment or ambling through a pasture.

One of my questions--how did the Amish emigrate to the middle of Michigan in the latter half of the twentieth century without driving a truck or car--was answered almost immediately by this lively, interesting book: it's okay to ride in an internal-combustion vehicle if a non-Amish ('English' they call us) is driving.

"The Riddle of Amish Culture" isn't merely a thousand-and-one-facts-about-the-Amish guide. It is a sociological expedition into the heart of this religious order's faith and practices. The author also delves into the history of the Anabaptists and their descendants in faith, the Mennonites and most especially the Amish. He tells of a vigorous, albeit reclusive culture, and could almost be accused of serving as this religion's apologist if it weren't for his balanced treatment of Amish educational practices.

This was the most disturbing part of the book for me, as the Old Order Amish do not educate their children past eighth grade. Nor are Amish teachers educated beyond eighth grade, and no science is taught to the children---none at all, much less Copernican astronomy or the theory of evolution. Amish children who stay within the church never become physicians, lawyers, or other lengthily-educated professionals.

Luckily, the Amish have no qualms about hiring these skills from those of us the author refers to as 'Moderns.' Although there are some striking anomalies, the Amish have turned away from technological progress in the name of a peaceful, collective way of life where families and neighbors are bound together from cradle to grave. No computers. No central heating. No power lawn mowers.

However, according to the Amish themselves, "the bottom line shows that they are subsidizers, rather than parasites, of the larger economic system." They pay taxes but refuse government handouts like Social Security or farm subsidies.

Heck, they even pay school taxes even though their own children do not attend public schools.

This book omitted one topic that seemed appropriate for a sociological text: I would have been interested in the author's treatment of the challenge facing the Amish regarding intermarriage within a relatively small gene pool. It is a minor omission in an otherwise in-depth account of the Amish way of life.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars detailed and fascinating look at compelling culture group., July 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Riddle of Amish Culture (Center Books in Anabaptist Studies) (Paperback)

I was inspired to read this book after a 7 day bicycle trip in and around Lancaster, PA. Certainly any cultural group which resists the juggernaut and onslaught of American consumer culture bears study, and this book must be the definitive look at this group. How do you keep people interested in looking different, in downplaying their individuality in favor of the group's needs; in foregoing creature comforts like cars and electricity? And what is even more amazing is that there are many more Amish today than there were 50 years ago; unlike the Shakers, this sect is thriving. I recommend this book highly.RH

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than buggies, May 8, 2006

By	Raymond Cannata "Rev. R. Cannata" (New Orleans, LA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Kraybill knows his topic. He's a prof. at Messiah College, a top-drawer evangelial school with Anabaptist/Brethren roots, located near PA Amish country. He has studied and written on the Amish since the mid-80s. He is also a clear communicator, able to summarize complicated material with ease.

He is clearly very sympathetic to most of the Amish distinctives, though he is able to maintain a critical stance.

To me the Amish are more than simply a curious cultural oddity. They offer some insights into ways for Christians to confront and stand apart from Modernity and materialism. Though Kraybill shows, they may be subtly Modernist in their very rejection of Modernity.

The Amish are also important as an example of an extreme Anabaptist tradition. The 16th century European Xianity can be divided into three groups: Roman Caholics, Reformation, and Anabaptist. Surely the latter, while smallest of the three in the 16th cent., has long been ascending in contemporary America. Anabaptist distinctives -- sectarianism, believer baptism, emphasis on piety over intellect, anticlerical, antisacramental, democratic in church polity, etc. -- are now dominant in American evangelicalism. How important then to understand the Amish, as a fairly well-preserved example of the early Anabaptist tradition.

Anyway, wonderful book. Worth repeated readings.