In their second book together after their best-selling AmishGrace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, Kraybill (seniorfellow, Young Ctr. of Elizabethtown Coll.), Steven M. Nolt(history, Goshen Coll.), and David L. Weaver-Zercher (Americanreligious history, Messiah Coll.) go further in depth into Amishspirituality. Filled with Amish voices, the book is a compellingweave of anecdotes of Amish religious beliefs, practices, andaffections, divided into four parts: spirituality, community, everyday life, and the things that matter. Describing the Amishfaithful as secure, serene, and content, the authors furtherexplore ways in which the non-Amish, or „English,“ can learn fromAmish spirituality. Their inclusion of a short history ofAnabaptists (the antecessors of the Amish), a sample lectionary, and the „Rules of a Godly Life“ makes this insightful work evenmore delightful. VERDICT Adding to the growing body ofliterature on the Amish, this book will be a welcome addition toacademic religion collections and of interest to readers at publiclibraries as well. (Library Journal, October 2010)
Kraybill, Nolt, and Weaver-Zercher (Amish Grace) team up oncemore to offer insight into the often misunderstood world of theAmish. Refreshingly, this study makes a point of focusing on thespiritual and theological aspects of their world rather than simplycataloguing the outward cultural characteristics. Horse-drawntransportation and simple clothing do make their appearances, butthey are revealed to be simply incidental to a deeply felt faithrather than something to gawk at. Focusing on a triumvirate ofreligious beliefs, practices, and affections, the authors weave thespirituality of the Amish through the everyday fibers of existence. Chapters are organized by broad themes including „nature,“„sorrow,“ and „family,“ then further subdivided into shortvignettes featuring a particular practice or belief. The finalchapter contains the broadest appeal. It includes a candidappraisal of the costs of living the Amish way, but, moreimportantly, also suggests how American culture could greatlybenefit from the patient faith of this proudly „peculiar“ people. All together, the book reads quickly and provides a fine andappropriately simple introduction to the Amish faith. (Oct.)(Publishers Weekly, September 14, 2010)
The Amish Way
Patient Faith in a Perilous World
von Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt und David L. Weaver-ZercherA sensitive and realistic look at the spiritual life andpractices of the Amish
This second book by the authors of the award-winning AmishGrace sheds further light on the Amish, this time on theirfaith, spirituality, and spiritual practices. They interpret thedistinctive practices of the Amish way of life and spirituality intheir cultural context and explore their applicability for thewider world. Using a holistic perspective, the book tells the storyof Amish religious experience in the words of the Amish themselves. Due to their long-standing friendships and relationships with Amishpeople, this author team may be the only set of interpreters ableto provide an outsider-insider perspective.
* Provides a behind-the-scenes examination of Amish spirituallife
* Shows how the Amish practices can be applied to the widerworld
* Written by authors with unprecedented access to the Amishcommunity
Written in a lively and engaging style, The Amish Wayholds appeal for anyone who has wanted to know more about the innerworkings of the Amish way of life.
This second book by the authors of the award-winning AmishGrace sheds further light on the Amish, this time on theirfaith, spirituality, and spiritual practices. They interpret thedistinctive practices of the Amish way of life and spirituality intheir cultural context and explore their applicability for thewider world. Using a holistic perspective, the book tells the storyof Amish religious experience in the words of the Amish themselves. Due to their long-standing friendships and relationships with Amishpeople, this author team may be the only set of interpreters ableto provide an outsider-insider perspective.
* Provides a behind-the-scenes examination of Amish spirituallife
* Shows how the Amish practices can be applied to the widerworld
* Written by authors with unprecedented access to the Amishcommunity
Written in a lively and engaging style, The Amish Wayholds appeal for anyone who has wanted to know more about the innerworkings of the Amish way of life.
