by Donald B. Kraybill
397pp.
I was so glad to finally discover this book. Like many people, I was fascinated by the idea of the Amish people and their apparent rejection of modern living. But like many observers I found the details of their lifestyle confusing. How is it that the Amish can ride in cars but not own or drive them, can own a deep freeze as long as it is kept in a non-Amish home, can own and keep in their own homes air-powered and (some) propane-powered appliances, can ride a scooter but not a bicycle? Was this an arbitrary adherence to tradition, legalism gone wild, institutionalized hypocrisy, or something else?
Donald Kraybill explains it all. Starting with explanations of a few basic beliefs held by the Amish, he proceeds to show that each and every one of their rules for living is a thoughtful and deliberate response to the challenges presented by modern society. Kraybill also explains that Amish culture, which continues to grow and thrive, is not held together by cultishness or fear of the outside world, but by a fundamental commitment to creating and living in true biblical community.
Kraybill is a wise and sympathetic observer. Although he never makes his own religious background clear, his explanation of Amish culture shows a solid understanding of its theological aspects. And he does not idealize his subject; he finishes his book with a description of how changes in Amish culture that began in the mid-80s may ultimately destroy what is still a thriving community. The rising price of farmland makes it difficult for young families to buy farms large enough to provide for their needs, forcing them to turn to outside factory work for income.
Why did the factory system, symbolized by the lunchpail, frighten Amish leaders? First, they believed that removing the father from the family during the day would weaken his influence. Without watching their father at work, Amish youth would lose a significant role model. Furthermore, fathers could not supervise children from a factory. Second, the factory might subvert the father’s own values. Worldly values, conveyed by non-Amish employees, would undoubtedly tarnish even the most faithful member who spent five days a week in a foreign culture. Third, factory employment threatened community solidarity and social capital. Personnel policies, time cards, and production schedules would make it difficult to participate in community events such as funerals, weddings, barn-raisings, and other mutual aid activities. Fourth, the fringe benefits of factory employment—health insurance, retirement funds, and life insurance—would undermine a community that thrived on mutual dependency. With such perks, who would need the support of the church?
The factory, in short, would fragment the family, deplete social capital, and eventually ruin the community. An elderly bishop summed up the dilemma: “It’s best for a Christian to be on the farm. When they carry a lunchpail and go to a factory and some places it’s not too good, men and women working together and so on. We’d rather have them on the farm but the land just doesn’t reach around anymore.”
These are real dangers faced by each and every one of us; it’s just that we no longer see them, having made our compromises with modernity long, long ago. Studying the Amish example can give us a clearer understanding of those compromises, and the price we paid in making them. And studying them can give us some ideas about how we might go about reclaiming the simple life for ourselves.
Regardless of your agrarian inclinations, the Amish are a people worth knowing about and understanding. The Riddle of Amish Culture is not only a good introduction to the Amish people, it will help you think through important questions about your own lifestyle, whatever that may be.
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