All About the Amish: Answers to Common Questions

by Karen Johnson-Weiner

Publisher:

Herald Press

, 2021

Overview

Everything you want to know about the Amish but are afraid to ask.
Do the Amish pay taxes? Are they Christians? Why do they use horses and buggies but agree to ride in other people’s cars? And how can they even survive in the contemporary world?
In All about the Amish, Amish expert Karen Johnson-Weiner answers the most commonly asked questions people have about the Old Order Amish. After more than thirty years of being friends with the Amish and studying their faith and culture, Johnson-Weiner offers authoritative answers to the most common questions about the unique Amish faith and lifestyle.
Got questions about Amish beliefs? Families? Churches? Schools? What they think about the rest of us? Find answers here.
 

Contents

I.       Who are the Amish?

1. Are the Amish Christian? Where do the Amish come from?
2. Who were the first Amish?
3. When did the Amish come to America? Are there still Amish in Europe?
4. What is the difference between Amish and Mennonite?
5. What does “Old Order Amish” mean?
6. Not all Amish look alike. Are there different kinds of Amish?

II.     What are Amish church-communities like?

1. Where do the Amish live?
2. What is the Amish church? Where do they worship?
3. How are Amish communities organized?
4. When do the Amish get baptized? What is baptism like in an Amish community?
5. Can anyone join the Amish?
6. What happens if someone leaves the Amish?
7. Can any Amish person be a minister or a bishop?
8. How do you get to be an Amish minister?

III.    What does it mean to be “Plain”?

1. Why don’t the Amish use electricity?
2. Why do they ride in cars but refuse to own them?
3. Are there special Amish foods? How do they preserve things without refrigerators?
4. Do the Amish pay taxes? Do they vote?
5. Why do Amish men have beards but no mustaches?

1. Who tells the Amish how to dress and why do they dress that way?
2. Do the Amish go to doctors?

IV.    What is it like to grow up Amish?

1. Do Amish children go to school?
2. What is an Amish church service like?
3. Why don’t Amish dolls have faces?
4. What do the Amish do for fun?
5. What do the Amish like to read?
6. What are frolics?
7. What holidays do the Amish celebrate?

V.     What about courtship and marriage?

1. What is Rumspringa? Is it true that all Amish teenagers leave home for a year to be “English”?
2. Are Amish marriages arranged?
3. What is an Amish wedding like?

VI.    What about Amish grownups?

1. Are Amish women really submissive?
2. What kind of work do Amish men and women do?
3. What happens when people get old?
4. Are there retirement communities?
5. What are Amish funerals like?

VII.   What problems do the Amish face and what keeps Amish communities together?
 

Praise for All About the Amish

“Authoritative and accessible, this book answers your questions thoughtfully and thoroughly.”
 

“Karen Johnson-Weiner ably and comprehensively presents answers to pervasive questions about Amish life. This book is an accessible introduction to Amish culture.”
 

“Johnson-Weiner is a superb guide to the perplexing questions of Amish life. A wealth of information and wisdom.”
 

“Karen Johnson-Weiner is far more than a student of the Amish. She is a tireless friend and advocate. For anyone seeking a starting point to explain this Plain people, a quick reference guide, or a comprehensive refresher, this is the resource!”
 

“Professor Johnson-Weiner, a distinguished scholar in the field of Amish studies, has drawn on a wealth of knowledge to produce a book that provides readers with up-to-date and reliable information on one of America’s most familiar yet often misunderstood groups. Written in a concise and refreshingly accessible way, this book will appeal to anyone who has ever been curious about who the Amish are and how they live out their faith in community.”
 

Product Details

• Title : All About the Amish: Answers to Common Questions
• Author: Johnson-Weiner, Karen
• Publisher: Herald Press
• Publication Date: 2021
• ISBN: 9781513806310

About Karen Johnson-Weiner

Karen Johnson-Weiner is coauthor of The Amish (with Donald B. Kraybill and Steven M. Nolt) and author of Train up a Child and New York Amish. With degrees from Hope College, Michigan State, and McGill University, she is professor emerita of anthropology at SUNY Potsdam. Johnson-Weiner has studied and related to the Amish for more than thirty years.