Old Order Mennonites: Rituals, Beliefs, and Community
Mennonites make up only a small fraction of the American religious population, but despite their small number they are divided into a wide variety of groups and denominations. The term "old order" refers to a variety of Mennonite groups that have stridently resisted accommodation to mainstream American culture. Many old order Mennonites are nearly indistinguishable from the Amish. Lee focuses on the Weaverland Conference of Old Order Mennonites, a group formed in 1893 and now consisting of over 5,000 members. A large concentration of Weaverland Mennonites live in upstate New York near Seneca Falls, and Lee focuses his easily readable sociological study on that community. Individual chapters deal with the worship, rituals, rules, and discipline of the group, and with a number of recent defections to a more mainstream Mennonite Church located in the same area. Lee argues that Weaverland Mennonites are held together by their practices alone, rather than by a common underlying set of beliefs. His last chapter develops that theme, arguing that contrary to standard sociological theory, "orthopraxis does not require orthodoxis." General readers and all academic levels.
--Choice Magazine
A Burnham Publishers book
--Choice Magazine
A Burnham Publishers book
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0830415734
ISBN13:9780830415731
Release Date:January 2000
Publisher:Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Length:176 Pages
Weight:0.50 lbs.
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Weaverland Old Order Mennonites
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
This is a book about the traditions and history of Weaverland Conference Old Order Mennonites. It is a very good introduction to this extraordinary religious group, and, apparently, the only one available to readers. I would recommend it to those who wish to become more familiar with Anabaptism, Mennonites, and the social science of religion. It is important to note that the book does not claim to be about all Old Order groups. It is also a book with a strong claim about the relationship between ritual, belief, and community life. People who want to know only about Groffdale Mennonites should not necessarily buy this book (I am thinking here of a previous reviewer), though Groffdales are mentioned, as is their common history with the Weaverlanders. People who cannot handle a philosophical discussion about religion will also not want to read the book (still thinking about the previous reviewer--why did he buy the book at all?). The book has numerous photos which seem to convey the situation of Mennonite family farmers in New York. The author's style is simple and flowing, very easy to understand.
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