Understanding the Amish Culture

Understanding the Amish Culture

Malinda Richardson

ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Instructor Christopher Deere

September 3, 2012

Understanding the Amish Culture

Every culture is different, but still follows a structure that is similar; the Amish culture is no exception and their culture is similar, but different in beliefs and values, sickness and healing and social change.

The primary mode of subsistence is farming, making the Amish Horticulturalist. The Amish plant their crops every year depending on the seasons. The women tend to the gardens, and when it is time for harvest, everyone helps with the gathering of the products. Cattle and different live stock are raised for the meat. This is how the Amish feed their family and community.

The Amish are called Anabaptist, because they only baptize adults that have been baptized as infants and belong to their culture and religion and were separated from the modern world (Nolt, S. M. 2003). This type of baptism becomes a life long promise before God, and other members, that they will be accountable to the church for the rest of their lives (Nolt, S. M. 2003).

The Amish trace their roots of the Anabaptist movement that took place in Switzerland in 1525 (Nolt, S. M. 2003). The reason for this movement was the civil and religious authorities were threatened by the Anabaptist and they were burned at the stake, starved in prisons, drowned in the rivers and some were even beheaded (Nolt, S. M. 2003).

In 1693, Jakob Ammann converted over to Anabaptism and became the leader of the Swiss Anabaptist Church. This took place 160 years after the Anabaptism movement began (Nolt, S.,M. 2003). He proposed that communion would be held twice a year, and

Christians in obedience to God would was one another’s feet for discipline to God (Nolt, S. M. 2003). In order to promote purity and spiritual discipline, Ammann forbade the trimming of beards and wearing of fashionable clothing (Nolt, S. M. 2003). The Amish women wear black or dark blue dresses with white aprons and caps, and the men wear either dark blue or black, no belts, ties or moustaches, because they represent the symbols of militarism, and the Amish culture are pacifists or conscientious objects (Nolt, S. M. 2003). Eventually Ammann’s followers were called Amish. One of the greatest compliments that are given by the Amish is to refer to someone as “plain,” as this culture encourages humility and hard work (Nolt, S.M. 2003).

For the last couple of centuries, the Old Order Amish have been part of the American society, and today, they reside in over twenty states, some being in countries of Latin