Amish: Cultural Identity

For this blog I will lean more into the Cultural Identity of the Amish population.  For the Amish, the Cultural Identity is the driving force that makes the Amish people different from the rest of the population.  I expect it's that way for all religions, but for this blog we will just focus on the Amish religion. 

While I was researching for this blog, I was able to get an interview with one of my Amish neighbors.  The neighbor in particular is Neomi Miller.

The majority of Old Order Amish congregations do not have church buildings, but hold worship services in each others private homes.  They believe in having service in each others homes because of a verse from the New Testament: "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands…" (Acts 17:24).  Unlike most other church congregations whose membership is based on whoever visits, stays, and joins, the Amish congregations are based on the physical location of their residence.  Each congregation is made up of 25–30 neighboring farm or related families  Accordingly, each member is also a neighbor. There is no "church hopping" from church to church like modern Protestant churches, and relationships are assumed to be long-term. (Naomi Miller, field notes from personal interview, 10/15/11).

Congregations meet for the entire Sunday at a member family's farm in which they rotate between the families.  Each congregation's leadership is made up with one of the members serving as bishop, one as deacon, and one as a secretary.  Congregation leaders meet with other congregation leaders within the same district from time to time and compare needs, problems, teachings, etc.(Timmons, 9/10/11).

Amish gathering for Church

 Two key things that make up the Amish religion are the rejection to pride, arrogance, haughtiness, and the high value they place on humility, and composure.  It is in the Amish Religion to not stand out and let-be the situations that are occurring. The Amish's willingness to submit to the "Will of God", expressed through group norms, is at odds with the individualism which is at the center I think of the American culture. The Amish anti-individualist orientation is the motive for rejecting labor-saving technologies that might make one less dependent on community. Modern innovations like electricity might spark a competition for status goods, or photographs might cultivate personal vanity. (Naomi Miller, field notes from personal interview, 10/15/11).

The Amish consider the Bible a trustworthy guide for living but do not quote it excessively. To do so would be considered a sinful showing of pride.  Separation from the rest of society is based on being a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people"(1 Peter 2:9), not being "conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2), avoiding the "love [of] the world or the things in the world" (1 John 2:15) and the belief that "friendship with the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4). (Naomi Miller, field notes from personal interview, 10/15/11).

Sadly for this blog I was unable to get a picture of Naomi or her family, but I will try to bring pictures and possibly video interviews.  Naomi and her family are part of a slightly laid back congregation and do allow photos and videos of themselves. 

For my next blog, I will be digging deeper into the cultural identity of the Amish community. 


Timmons, J. (9/10/11). Amish Religious Practices. Retrieved fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_religious_practices

Intro to the Amish Religion

I always find it funny when I go on vacation to a more populated state such as California or Virginia, and tell people that I am from a small town in Nebraska.  I have gotten a wide range of replies from, "Oh do you have electricity there?"  to "Are you still fighting the Indians?" to even "Where is Nebraska?"  I never understood how they could actually think that we didn't have running water or electricity here in Nebraska.  About 5 years ago though, I changed my feeling about that.  That is the first time I ever met an Amish family.  They moved in about a half a mile down the road from my family farm.  When I first met them I was pretty shocked.  They actually didn't have electricity, cars, power tools, kitchen appliances, etc.  all of life's little necessities that we take for granted.

Amish horse and buggy

Upon learning of the cultural reporter blog assignment,  I thought this would be a great culture to dive into and learn more about.

The word 'Amish' is defined as: "Sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern technology."[1]

Amish church membership begins with baptism, usually between the ages of 16 and 25. It is a requirement for marriage, and once a person has affiliated with the church, he or she may only marry within the faith. Church districts average between 20 and 40 families, and worship services are held every other Sunday in a member's home. The district is led by a bishop and several ministers and deacons.

Amish 'parking lot' during Sunday church.

The rules of the church, called the Ordnung, must be observed by every member. These rules cover most aspects of day-to-day living, and include prohibitions or limitations on the use of power-line electricity, telephones, and automobiles, as well as regulations on clothing. Many Amish church members may not buy insurance or accept government assistance such as Social Security.  Members who do not conform to these expectations and who cannot be convinced to repent are excommunicated. In addition to excommunication, members may be shunned, yeah shunned,  a practice that limits social contacts to shame the wayward member into returning to the church. 

Amish church groups seek to maintain a degree of separation from the non-Amish world. There is generally a heavy emphasis on church and family relationships. They typically operate their own schools and stop education at grade eight. They value rural life, manual labor and humility.

I thought this was very interesting how religion actually plays a huge role in their lives.  We have religions such as Catholics, Lutheran, and Methodist, just to name a few, but these religions influence how one lives their life through forgiveness and redemption they don't restrict our use of modern conveniences and technologies.  After getting to know the Amish family that moved in, I came to realize that they are very similar to non-Amish Christians, but they are also very different.

They are very similar in the fact that they are people just like you or me.  They have a sense of humor, work hard, like to have fun, and love spending time with family.   They are different as well.  Besides the fact that they are Amish and have no modern technologies,  they have very simple cloths with grey, black, and white as their only colors.  Some of the families around my area have as many as 18 children.  Incredible I know.

 In the next couple of blogs, I plan to dig a little deeper with interviews from members of the Amish community. I plan on asking questions such as how they feel about not having the modern technologies, are they closer as a family and community because of their Amish religion. I believe this cultural report will be exciting and interesting for both you and I.  Enjoy

                                                              Works Cited

[1]     ( 22 September 2011 ). Amish. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish