National Geographic Amish specials–another look
Since I’ve been back in the US I’ve finally had a chance to watch the National Geographic Amish specials (on ex-Amish, and Amish courtship and marriage) in full. You may recall a couple of posts on these last fall: Leaving the Amish and Amish dating. I didn’t comment too much at the time, having only seen the […]
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Amish Dating
Sunday is the day Amish youth groups gather, and when dating couples traditionally meet. So I thought it would be a good day to share this. National Geographic is airing a new show called “Amish at the Altar”. They describe the show as: Three couples–two Amish and one ex-Amish–reveal courtship, engagement, and marriage among the […]
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At an Amish youth singing
Last Sunday I attended an Amish youth singing in Lancaster County. What follows is a short account. Youth practices may vary from community to community. Not all Amish youth follow the pattern described below. In some communities, such as Holmes County, Ohio, not all youth are members of so-called “singing groups” (those who aren’t are […]
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New Bedford, Ohio
An Amish America Q-and-A with Professor David Weaver-Zercher

David Weaver-Zercher is chair of the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. He is also the author and editor of numerous publications on the Amish, including The Amish in the American Imagination, Amish Grace (with co-authors Donald Kraybill and Steven Nolt), and Writing the Amish: The Worlds of John […]
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Cruising with the Youngie

Once church lets out around noon, the Youngie hit the streets. Some do hang around for the post-service meal, but a number get going right off the bat. Between the hours of 1 to 3 especially, you notice a lot of open buggies, ones with ‘un-Amish’ decals and quite a few sporting excessive ‘reflectorization’. This […]
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Maids and old boys

“When I was a little boy, I often went away with my father–to town, to the neighbors, to the welding shop, to the engine shop–anywhere Dad needed to go. As with all little boys and girls, going away was a treat to me, no matter where we went. “On one such ‘going away’ adventure, perhaps […]
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Amish dating, Amish smoking: ‘Old’ and ‘New’ perspectives

‘The typical English guy looks at one of us and just sees an Amish person. Actually there can be a lot of difference.’ So said a Holmes County Amishman, commenting on the diversity in his area. Compared to the Old Order Amish, the so-called New Order Amish are a curious mix–one which we might term […]
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31 Flavors of Amish

Most Amish look alike to the man on the street. In reality the group is surprisingly diverse. Though tied by a set of core beliefs, the Amish have no national governing body, no pope nor patriarch. The individual congregation, guided by its bishop, decides its own rules and customs. This decentralized approach, along with a […]
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