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27th out of 98 books
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Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy
On Monday morning, October 2, 2006, a gunman entered a one-room Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. In front of twenty-five horrified pupils, thirty-two-year-old Charles Roberts ordered the boys and the teacher to leave. After tying the legs of the ten remaining girls, Roberts prepared to shoot them execution with an automatic rifle and four hundred rounds of ammun...more
Hardcover, 237 pages
Published
September 21st 2007
by Jossey-Bass
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This book takes a look at the tragic shooting in a school house in the Amish community in Lancaster, PA. Parents lost five children in the shooting yet amazed the world by forgiving the man almost immediately after it happened. This book asks the question why and how were they able to forgive so quickly and "easily." I never really knew much about the theology of the Amish until I read this book. I would not say that this book is an extensive systematic theology of what they believ...more
Through the filter of the Nickel Mines school house tragedy Oct. 2, 2006, we see the plain faith of the Amish people in action. Their forgiveness of the man who killed five of their little girls was swift and sure, stunning the media world. The many acts of grace toward this man’s family that followed in the days, weeks, and months to come “astounded many people…from afar…in a world in which religion seems to nourish vengeance more often than curb it,” giving a “welcome contrast to a barrage o...more
Amish Grace is an honest and in-depth look at forgiveness in Amish culture and life. Their practice of forgiveness -- the reconciliation that they choose as a way of life, and the kindness they show to offenders -- challenged me to consider more carefully how I respond to trials, offenses, and offenders. The book made me sad too. Some of the Amish are quoted as referring to Jesus sacrificial death as the greatest forgiveness ever given when he forgave those who killed him. But few seemed to ...more
excellent and balance account of "how" the amish live out of a center of forgiveness and consequently were quick to forgive the man who took the lives of their young school girls. it is difficult to wrap one's mind around such rapid and unconditional forgiveness and this book goes the distance in explaining the context of how such a thing can be done. it is balanced because those few in the media who criticized this act of instant forgiveness (even as most of us stood in stunned silenc...more
I first thought very highly (and I guess I still do)of the Amish's ability and willingness to forgive and reach to the families of offenders. But, now in light of knowing that the Amish believe that if they do not forgive then they will not be forgiven by God. The book talked about how important and how much they emphasis forgiveness in the Amish culture. Sometimes to their own peril. In cases of domestic abuse, sexual abuse ect. It was interesting to read the history of the Amish culture and ho...more
On October 2, 2006, a disturbed and heavily armed man entered an Amish school in Pennsylvania and took the children hostage. He eventually sent everyone but 10 young girls away, and as police surrounded the school, shot the children and then committed suicide. Five of the girls died, and the others suffered critical injuries.
The first section of the book gives background on the Amish and their beliefs, and then recounts the tragic events of that day. The authors then turn to the respon...more
The first section of the book gives background on the Amish and their beliefs, and then recounts the tragic events of that day. The authors then turn to the respon...more
I have become fascinated with Amish culture lately. I have read several fiction books about the Amish, but decided to read this non-fiction book about the Amish culture, especially its strong belief in and practice of forgiveness. The context of the book is the Nickel Mines School shooting which resulted in the deaths of five young girls and the serious injury of five others. The book recounts how the Amish quickly forgave the shooter, Charles Roberts and his family. the book then goes on to...more
Amazing discussion of forgiveness after a horrible community tragedy. I loved this book!
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I grew up near Lancaster, PA and when the shooting in Nickel Mines occurred in 2006 I was among the very, very shocked and very saddened. When I heard of the forgiveness bestowed by the Amish, I had disbelief and after reading this book, it became clearer to me that forgiveness wasn't really a choice, it's a way of life for the Amish. The book delves into the reasons behind the Amish practice of forgiveness when it comes to outsiders - and how the opposite occurs when a fellow Amish person cho...more
Forgiveness is at the core of Christianity, yet I suspect it is many times one of our least-practiced virtues. It is certainly among the most difficult, and flies in the face of human nature and modern society, both of which typically tells us to revenge wrongs. This book examines the concept of forgiveness in the context of the infamous and horrific Nickel Mines school shooting. Along the way, the authors, all professors in Amish history and culture, provide insights into both the Lancaster PA....more
I am interested in the Amish and that is why I listened to this book. It wasn't the story that I thought it would be. It was a non-fiction book filled with facts about the Amish, their religion and beliefs. Parts of it were boring, but just as I was about to stop another interesting fact would come up. I learned a lot and it was good to think about forgiveness and my own religion.
The reason it was written was because the Amish don't like to meet the public and so these people were t...more
The reason it was written was because the Amish don't like to meet the public and so these people were t...more
Sally
rated it
I learned a great deal about the Amish culture, far beyond what I thought I would. This book delves in to the actual tragedy that occurred in the Fall of 2006 at Nickel Mines, handling the situation with respect and sensitivity while still telling more of the story than I knew. I was glued to the television the week this horror story unfolded and then, miraculously, when the world learned of the Amish "forgiving" the murderer and extending a hand of support and fellowship to his family...more
Amish Grace,
Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, David L. Weaver-Zercher,
Narrated by Paul Michael Garcia, produced by Blackstone audio, downloaded from audible.com.
Publisher’s note:
The remarkable response of the Amish Community to the horrific shooting of 10 schoolgirls at Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, in October 2006 stunned the larger
world. Amish Grace tells the incredible story of this community's reaction to the senseless shooting and explores its profound...more
Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, David L. Weaver-Zercher,
Narrated by Paul Michael Garcia, produced by Blackstone audio, downloaded from audible.com.
Publisher’s note:
The remarkable response of the Amish Community to the horrific shooting of 10 schoolgirls at Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, in October 2006 stunned the larger
world. Amish Grace tells the incredible story of this community's reaction to the senseless shooting and explores its profound...more
It is billed as the story of the school shooting of 10 Amish girls, but it is much more about the Amish religion. I have been to Amish villages, and it is like going to a different world. The food is very good. The traffic is frustrating because of the horse and buggies everywhere. I do respect their chosen lifestyle. I just couldn't live it, but then again, in some ways I envy them because things are uncomplicated, for the most part. I have often thought that, in an effort to keep things ...more
The first third of the book is utterly soul-shattering, in the best possible way. The calm, clear-eyed way the authors describe what happened in Nickel Mines (which takes up no more than a few pages), and then the beautiful succession of loving acts that transpired in its wake, will remind you that, despite all daily evidence to the contrary, sometimes people are good -- no, wonderful -- simply because they want to be.
The last two thirds of the book are quite a bit drier, and althoug...more
The last two thirds of the book are quite a bit drier, and althoug...more
I saw the movie on television, Amish Grace, and wanted to learn more about what happened, and I found this book. The book does not dwell on the chilling events that happened in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, in October 2006. The theme of the book is forgiveness as asked in The Lord's Prayer, and in many of the Gospels of The New Testament, mostly in Matthew. The Amish firmly believe that in order to receive God's forgiveness, they must forgive any ills that other people inflict upon them. I am ...more
I like this book because it gave me a new respect for the Amish people. I'm impressed that they really try to live their Christian religion every day, rather than just give lip-service to it on Sunday. They believe that it takes more than just saying that you are born-again and saved by Jesus Christ, but that you must also show good works, charity, and forgiveness towards others, and keep the commandments of God, if you expect to be forgiven and receive salvation. They are very concerned abou...more
This book was a very diffrent take on any Amish novel that I have ever read before. I was intrested in the topic of forgivness and I didn't know about the incident in the school house and the murdering of innocent school girls. Where I have been when I don't even know about the things going on in my own country. I am lost in my own world and I don't keep up with the news but it really jarred my sense of safety. This is a very dry read from the view of a journalist and it's about facts and tradi...more
Cindey
is currently reading it
Okay, first big mistake was to pick this up at 9:30 p.m. "just to read the jacket." That lead to opening the book, then to starting to read it, and now it is almost midnight and I haven't put it down. I've already highlighted a significant part of what I've read (for those who don't know me, I am an AVID highlighter -- which is why I have to BUY my books, not borrow then from a library). There is so much to learn from this book about REAL forgiveness and reconciliation...but lots of...more
Wrenching at first, because the first chapters re-live the day and go over the days before the Nickel Mines shooting. Then yes, it's transcendent - examining the actions, feelings and results of forgiveness after the tragedy. Since this incident represents one of the few times something positive and good strong-armed the usual murder & mayhem off the front page, I was curious to find out more. The examination of Amish life, their history and traditions was interesting. The examination of wha...more
This is my thirteenth attempt this week to write this review. I've started a dozen previous times only to scrap my feeble first sentences when I can't seem to get any traction. Words fail me every time I try to describe my emotions when I first read about the school shooting at the West Nickel Mines Amish School in rural Pennsylvania in October 2006. Of course, any school shooting is cause for sadness and anger, fear and heartbreak, confusion and worry, but the premeditated murder of these yo...more
I picked this book up as part of a church group reading program, but I must admit that I chose it because I truly have a fascination with Amish life and culture. This book tackles the 2006 school shooting in the Nickel Mines Amish schoolhouse. On 2 October 2006, gunman Charles Roberts took ten young Amish girls hostage and opened fire on them shortly before killing himself. Five of the young girls died that day. The book deals with Amish forgiveness in the face of tragedy and the widespread m...more
Another book club pick. This book was much better than I expected it be based on the "NOW A LIFETIME MOVIE!" on the cover. It's a non-melodramatic, sort of sociological look at the 2006 school shooting that targeted an Old Order Amish one-room schoolhouse in Pennsylvania and the Amish community's response. The retelling of the actual shooting was not overly horrifying to read (I have become SO sensitive to portrayals of harm coming to children since becoming a parent but this was not s...more
Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy
was well-written and presented details about the tragic 2006 school shooting in the Pennsylvania Nickel Mine Amish community. Historical concepts were integrated into the book allowing a greater understanding of the behavior and reactions of the Amish people to this event. The subject of forgiveness was a recurring theme which overshadowed some other topics. I felt the authors could have further elaborated on some inconsistencies identi...more
was well-written and presented details about the tragic 2006 school shooting in the Pennsylvania Nickel Mine Amish community. Historical concepts were integrated into the book allowing a greater understanding of the behavior and reactions of the Amish people to this event. The subject of forgiveness was a recurring theme which overshadowed some other topics. I felt the authors could have further elaborated on some inconsistencies identi...more
This book was really touching. It was about an Amish family that had trouble forgiving the man who had killed their daughter. The reason why the man killed the Amish daughter in the family was because the man wanted revenge on God, because God killed his own daughter that was born and killed on the same day. It showed a lot of tensions between the family in the way that some of the family wanted to forgive the man, and others didn't want to. I highly recommend this book to others because it real...more
For those who are unfamiliar with the Amish, this book provides a non-judgmental, unbiased understanding of the Amish belief system and way of life. I came away with a deep respect for the Amish, having gone in knowing little to nothing about them. It also gives you some food for thought about your own habits of forgiveness (especially if you're a religious person yourself), and probably, you decide that you're not forgiving enough by the time you're done reading.
Not the most fascina...more
Not the most fascina...more
The book has three authors, so I'm using it as my "Z" book on my A-Z challenge. (Kraybill, Nolt, and Weaver-Zercher).
It's the story of the shooting that took place in an Amish school, and the forgiveness that the Amish community extended to the shooter's family. Very interesting book. I learned much about Amish culture and religious practices. It also spurred probing into my own thoughts on forgiveness. It's something I would like to see more of in our culture (instead of s...more
It's the story of the shooting that took place in an Amish school, and the forgiveness that the Amish community extended to the shooter's family. Very interesting book. I learned much about Amish culture and religious practices. It also spurred probing into my own thoughts on forgiveness. It's something I would like to see more of in our culture (instead of s...more
I was so looking forward to this book! The first half was amazing, telling the story of the shooting and how the Amish community reacted. The authors explain why forgiveness is so important to the Amish, how they depend on and support each other in the community, and the difference between forgiveness and pardon. The only problem is, by the second half of the book they make the same points over and over again, using the same examples throughout. It got to be pretty annoying by the end. I'd say t...more
Kim
rated it
I found it interesting to learn more about the Amish way of life. Their emphasis on forgiveness is one that all Christians should strive to have. I understand how they can be so forgiving yet also shun those within their own community that fail to behave as agreed upon once taking the step of baptism. Accountability isn't a bad thing. I commend the Amish for trying to find a balance between staying somewhat alienated from many modern conveniences but also embracing some technology that can en...more
Amish forgiveness, while expressed immediately, doesn't happen overnight. It is an ongoing process, but the forgiveness shows itself in deeds of kindness that spring from a long heritage of understanding that Christian forgiveness is the cornerstone of the faith. The central prayer for the Amish is the Lord's Prayer, and if one does not forgive one's debtors, one will not be forgiven. There is no choice between forgiving and not doing so. It becomes the essential ingredient. The Amish do no...more
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