Rosanna Of The Amish

The thrilling narrative of Rosanna McGonegal Yoder, the Irish Catholic baby girl, who lived with an Amish woman, Elizabeth Yoder. All the episodes of Rosanna of the Amish are based on fact. Joseph W. Yoder gives an honest, sympathetic, straightforward account of the religious, social, and economic customs and traditions of the Amish.

DO THE AMISH REALLY BELIEVE IN HEXES? DO THEY HEAL BY “POWWOWING”? WHY DO THEY PREACH AGAINST “WORLDLY WISDOM” AND HIGH EDUCATION? WHY DO THEY WEAR SUCH STRANGE CLOTHING? Originally published in 1948, Rosanna’s Boys—the sequel to his successful semi-autobiographical 1940 book Rosanna of the Amish—by Joseph W. Yoder is a richly-detailed account of Amish life, and how the sons of “Rosanna of the Amish” turned out. Joseph W. Yoder writes of his own brothers and people: as one who left the plainest of the Amish, he speaks honestly of the shortcomings, and passionately of the beauty of the Amish way of life. It’s all here: quiltings, frolics, weddings, auctions, barn raisings, church services, visiting, hard work, schools and love. Learn why Amish don’t need fire insurance or government aid; why there is little unemployment, crime or divorce among the Amish; why there are so many splinter groups; why some practice “the ban;” historical beginnings and relationship to ancient asceticism. Unusual texts and notes for Amish songs, poems in “Pennsylvania Dutch” with translations.

Basing his narrative on fact, Yoder offers the heartwarming, thrilling story of Rosanna McGonegal Yoder, an Irish-Catholic child raised by an Amish woman. The author gives an honest, straightforward, and sympathetic account of the religious, social, and economic traditions and customs of the Amish people.

Intimate view of life in the Amish world with more than 150 letters and journal entries, poems, stories, and riddles.

Aimed at anyone who is interested in the Amish experience, The Lives of Amish Women will help readers understand better the costs and benefits of being an Amish woman in a modern world and will challenge the stereotypes, myths, and imaginative fictions about Amish women that have shaped how they are viewed by mainstream society.

Anabaptists and Mennonites have often been the subject of media scrutiny: sometimes admired, at other times maligned. Luther called them schwarmar, a German word meaning "fanatics" that alludes to a swarm of bees. In contrast, American independent film producer John Sayles drew inspiration from Mennonite conscientious objectors for his 1987 award-winning film, Matewan. Voltaire's Candide features a virtuous Anabaptist. Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest contains an Anabaptist reference. An Anabaptist chaplain is central to Joseph Heller's antiwar classic, Catch-22. President Lincoln and General Stonewall Jackson both had something to say about Mennonites. Garrison Keillor tells Mennonite jokes. These are just a few of the dozens of fascinating media references, dating from the early 1500s through the present, which are chronicled and analyzed here. Mennonites, although often considered media-shy, have in fact used media to great advantage in shaping their faith and identity. Beginning with the Martyrs Mirror, this book examines the writings of Mennonite authors John Howard Yoder, Donald Kraybill, Rudy Wiebe, Rhoda Janzen, and Malcolm Gladwell. Citing books, film, art, theater, and Ngram, the online culturomic tool developed by Harvard University and Google, the author demonstrates that Mennonites "punch above their weight class" in the media, and especially in print.

From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, John A. Hostetler was the world&’s premier scholar of Amish life. Hailed by his peers for his illuminating and sensitive portrayals of this often misunderstood religious sect, Hostetler successfully spanned the divide between popular and academic culture, thereby shaping perceptions of the Amish throughout American society. He was also outspoken in his views of the modern world and of the Amish world&—views that continue to stir debate today. Born into an Old Order Amish family in 1918, Hostetler came of age in an era when the Amish were largely dismissed as a quaint and declining culture, a curious survival with little relevance for contemporary American life. That perception changed during Hostetler&’s career, for not only did the Amish survive during these decades, they demonstrated a stunning degree of cultural vitality&—which Hostetler observed, analyzed, and interpreted for millions of interested readers. Writing the Amish both recounts and assesses Hostetler&’s Amish-related work. The first half of the book consists of four reflective essays&—by Donald Kraybill, Simon Bronner, David Weaver-Zercher, and Hostetler himself&—in which Hostetler is the primary subject. The second half reprints, in chronological order, fourteen key writings by Hostetler with commentaries and annotations by Weaver-Zercher. Taken together, these writings, supplemented by a comprehensive bibliography of Hostetler&’s publications, provide ready access to the Hostetler corpus and the tools by which to evaluate his work, his intellectual evolution, and his legacy as a scholar of Amish and American life. Moreover, by providing a window into the varied worlds of John A. Hostetler&—his Amish boyhood, his Mennonite Church milieu, his educational pursuits, his scholarly career, and his vocation as a mediator and advocate for Amish life&—this volume enhances the ongoing discussion of how ethnographic representation pertains to America&’s most renowned folk culture, the Old Order Amish.