Donald Kraybill on Simply Amish (Q-and-A & Giveaway)
Donald Kraybill is the author of over a dozen books on the Amish, and currently serves as Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College.
I asked Don if he’d answer some questions for us today on the Amish and his newest book, called Simply Amish: An Essential Guide from the Foremost Expert on Amish Life. From the description:
From America’s most trusted expert on Amish life comes Simply Amish, an essential guide to Amish life, culture, and faith. Why do the Amish reject technology and education or do they? Why do their young people choose to stay Amish when their beliefs and practices put them so at odds with modern society? How are they different from the Mennonites?
When it comes to learning about the Amish, it can be hard to sort out fact from fiction. Donald B. Kraybill has lived among, studied, written about, and befriended the Amish for many years, and Amish people read his books to learn more about themselves. Through stories from his friendship with the Amish and studies from his forty-year career, Kraybill takes readers on a gentle journey among a people known for their simplicity, rootedness in church and family, and commitment to peaceful living.
Win a copy of Simply Amish
You can enter to win a copy of Simply Amish courtesy of Herald Press.
To enter, simply (no pun intended) leave a comment on this post.
As usual, I’ll draw a winner at random, and post that here next week.
Donald Kraybill on Simply Amish
Below, Don answers questions about the book, the Amish in Lancaster County and in general, and his personal experience with the Amish. I hope you enjoy it.
Amish America: What is Simply Amish about, and who should read it?
Donald Kraybill: This book offers a sweeping overview of Amish faith and practice across North America. It’s for anyone who wants a quick introduction to Amish culture.
But it’s not an Amish for Dummies book. It does have steak and substance. Its price is remarkably low for a hardback.
You are a Lancaster County native. What are the big changes in the Amish community since you have lived there and have been studying the Amish?
I was born in Mount Joy about 7 miles from where I now live. Several things come to mind: widespread use of technology in barn, shop and fields; the growth of the settlement from about 20 church districts to over 220; and a huge shift from farming to business.
What makes the Lancaster Amish different from other Amish?
The Lancaster Amish are the largest of some 40 Amish tribes. Although they originate in the Lancaster area, the Lancaster tribe is also found in Central Pennsylvania and other states including Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Wisconsin and Missouri.
Have you seen any new practices recently?
Recently I spoke with an Uber driver who transports Amish people. At first I was surprised, but then realized that it fits within the widespread Amish practice of hiring English “taxi drivers.”
In fact it has the advantage of being anonymous—particularly for youth who don’t want the local regular “taxi driver” to know where they’re going, or heaven forbid, gossip about it to other Amish people.
We recently learned about motor-powered scooters being used by Amish firemen to get to the station faster. Which technologies, besides the smartphone, do you think are the most controversial or “gray area” currently among Amish?
The use of solar energy is difficult to control. Many Amish people use solar panels for producing electricity to charge batteries, operate small appliances, and office equipment such as a fax machine.
However the church generally disapproves of using large solar systems to electrify an entire home which would mimic an English house with a wide array of electric appliances and technology.
Another growing issue is the separation between the use of technology for the operation of businesses and for things at home. The growth of this indicates a shrinking of church authority to primarily the home and family, with less control over business operations.
If you had to guess, how do you think the Lancaster County settlement might look in 50 or 100 years? Will the community be significantly larger or will land prices prevent it growing so rapidly at some point?
It’s risky if not even foolish to make long-term projections. Over the past two years the collapse of milk prices has forced some Amish people out of dairy farming. I expect Amish people who continue farming will focus on small acreage and specialized produce and other goods that only require a few acres of land.
Those who want to continue general farming will likely migrate to more rural areas of the country.
The Amish are tenacious about maintaining a distinctive identity, even though their practices may change substantially in the coming decades.
Can you think of a unique practice that might emerge in the future?
Yes, it’s conceivable that sometime in the future the Amish might rent driverless electric cars. How so? It fits within their traditional practice that it’s okay to use certain technologies but not own them. For example hiring taxi drivers.
The Amish have always accepted the use of electricity from batteries. So a driverless electric car would seem to fit within their traditional practices, which is an important criteria for what they are willing to accept.
What is one of the most common misconceptions about the Amish you’ve encountered?
That they don’t pay taxes is a long-standing myth of outsiders who don’t live near Amish communities.
What’s the most interesting or unusual Amish experience you’ve had?
About five years ago, seeing my first 3D printer (actually a bank of 8 of them) in an Amish lantern shop. And receiving my first explanation of how 3D printers work from a young 25-year-old Amishman in that shop.
What are you up to lately?
I’m cleaning up old projects: trashing, filing, and transporting papers and correspondence etc. to the archives of Elizabethtown College where they will be available to scholars.
I’m also drafting a short book on things I’ve learned from the Amish, which a publisher has solicited. As time permits, I’d like to revise The Riddle of Amish Culture for a 3rd edition. There’s been so much change 15 years since the 2nd edition was published.
And finally, what’s your favorite Amish food?
Schnitz pie (dried apple) often served for lunch after a church service and eaten by hand without utensils.
Thanks to Don for taking the time to share with us. Check back next week for the winner. In the meantime, you can find Simply Amish at Amazon among other places.
Update: Simply Amish Book Winner (Plus: Excerpt on Amish Marriage & Family)
Simply Amish is Donald Kraybill’s latest book, described as “an essential guide to Amish life, culture, and faith.” We’ve got a winner today of last week’s giveaway contest. But first, an excerpt from Simply Amish, on Amish marriage and family.
Marriage and Family
Donald B. Kraybill
Excerpted from newly released Simply Amish: An Essential Guide from the Foremost Expert on Amish Life by Donald B. Kraybill. (Herald Press, 2018). All rights reserved. Used with permission. www.HeraldPress.com
Church and family are the primary social units of Amish society. Young people move into adulthood early and usually marry by their early twenties. Marriages are not prearranged, but both bride and groom must be baptized members of the Amish church before marriage. They usually come from subgroups with similar practices but typically are not from the same church district. In rare cases a bride or groom may have grown up English and joined the Amish. Since divorce is forbidden, marriage is permanent.
Daylong weddings are festive moments of celebration in Amish society. The ceremony follows a lengthy church service, held on a weekday at the home of the bride or a close relative. Several hundred guests join the festivities, which often include a lunch and an evening meal.
Amish couples, on the average, have about seven children, and in the most traditional groups, ten or more. Most families do not use artificial birth control unless advised by a physician for health reasons; however, some do use natural methods of family planning. Some babies are born in hospitals, but most greet the world in a birthing clinic or at home, under the supervision of a physician or a midwife.
Amish families reflect traditional gender roles, in which the man serves as the spiritual head of the home. He is seen as responsible for its spiritual welfare and matters related to the church and the outside world. Women often hold considerable sway in family and parenting matters. Quipped one husband, “I’m more afraid of my wife than my bishop.” Another man described marital roles in this way: “The wife is not a servant; she is the queen, and the husband is the king.”
As in most families, gender roles in Amish marriages vary by personality. When husbands work at home, spouses often share some roles. Women assist in the barn, shop, or field; men help in the garden, greenhouse, or around the house. Wives rarely hold full-time jobs outside the family when their children are young, although some operate small businesses from their home.
Networks of extended families provide a strong sense of identity in Amish society. The extended family system is muscular and significant. The typical Amish person has more than two dozen aunts and uncles and more than seventy-five first cousins, many of whom live nearby. The family provides a dense web of social support from cradle to grave. For instance, two or three relatives often assist a family during the arrival of a new baby. Adult sisters may gather once a month for a “sisters’ day,” a work frolic that blends chores and fun while women harvest vegetables, clean house, or make quilts. Family members help each other during a crisis or difficulty such as a fire, flood, or death.
Because families are so large and names are similar, many people have a nickname related to a special trait, or one that shows their family connection. “Horseradish Jake” may refer to someone who raises horseradish, or who eats a lot of it. A person named Sara may be known as “Ben’s Hannah’s Sara,” referring to her grandfather and mother. The large Amish community near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has more than one hundred women named Mary Stoltzfus and at least ninety Katie Stoltzfuses.
Extended family undergirds the elderly. The Amish do not operate retirement homes. The elderly normally live in a Grossdawdy Haus, a small adjacent “grandfather” house, or apartment, at the home of one of their children. Some grandparents have more than eighty grandchildren and two hundred great-grandchildren. Esteemed for their wisdom, the elderly find meaning and dignity as they assist their adult children. And surrounded by droves of grandchildren, they pass on the wisdom of Amish ways to the rising generation. Amish people typically die at home. More progressive communities accept hospice service from outside caregivers.
Donald B. Kraybill is internationally recognized for his scholarship on Anabaptist groups. His books, research, and commentary have been featured in national and worldwide media, including the New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, NPR, CNN, and NBC. He is distinguished college professor and senior fellow emeritus at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. Kraybill is the author, coauthor, or editor of many books, including Amish Grace, The Amish Way, Renegade Amish, and The Riddle of Amish Culture.
Simply Amish Book Winner
I chose a winner using random.org. Congrats to Carol (comment #139), you’re the winner. Send me your shipping info (ewesner[at]gmail[dot]com), and I’ll pass that along to the publisher.
If you didn’t win, you can pick up Simply Amish at Amazon among other places.
Donald Kraybill on Simply Amish (Q-and-A & Giveaway)
I have recently made a move from urban northern Kentucky to rural western Kentucky and live in close proximity to an Amish community. Our farm is bordered on all side by Amish neighbors. I greatly desire learning about Amish belief systems and customs to forge lasting friendships and establish trust within the community.Thank you for the work you are doing!
I LOVE the Amish
My mother grew up in Lancaster, PA and I have always had a special fondness for the Amish and that area of the country. With all of the stress we experience is our daily lives,I truly believe that the Amish follow the way God intended life to be. Technology has not made our lives easier – we are more hurried and stressed than ever before. Simple is best and the Amish know how to keep it simple! They have a quality of life that most people long for but most are afraid to give up the modern conveniences to have that life.
Are there any Amish near Fort Campbell?
My daughter will soon be moving to Fort Campbell at the Kentucky/Tennessee border, so I was wondering if there are any Amish communities nearby that make wood furniture and food items to sell.
I also had a boyfriend in the ’80’s who had Amish & Menenite ancestry, so I’ve always been interested in learning more about the Amish.
I hope I win your book!
Thank you,
Theresa in Southern California
Simply Amish
I have been interested in the quiet simply curious lifestyle of the Amish folks. Been to Bird In Hand and met quite a few individuals
Very curious to read your book. Thank you for all the time, energy and information that you choose to share.
Impressiv Minimalism
I recently discovered the Amish on my Minimalism journey and i think i can learn a lot from them about the important things in life.
I really like their approach on minimalism and community but im not a religious person so i could never join them but i would like to live in a community like that.
I made friends with Lancaster Amish family. Stopped by her basement store for years. I invited her to come to Long Island. She came with her girlfriend and each brought two daughters. They hired a driver. Spent 2 nights. Took them to the LI beaches. We took them for pizza. It was great. Now we communicate with Christmas letters. And because both huhusbands have business, they have cell phones
For Amish giveaway
I love anything about the Amish I love there way of life and some times wish that I can live like the Amish