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Pennsylvania German History and Culture
Writing the Amish: The Worlds of John A. Hostetler
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.
376 pages, Hardcover
First published May 30, 2005
20 people want to read
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February 26, 2017
Overall, Writing the Amish: The Worlds of John A. Hostetler was a very interesting and highly contemplative read. The personal essays and writings combined with the opinions and writings of experts on the same subject gave a unique perspective on a still very mysterious world.
The book begins with a forward from Hostetler’s daughter, Anna Hostetler. She describes her experience growing up with her father and the impact he had on her personally through his Amish studies. It gives the reader a great insight into the lives they’re about to dive into and a genuine look at the subject of the book from someone who knows him best.
Part I starts off with an essay from Hostetler, himself. This particular essay is probably my favorite from the book because it describes what I believe people are the most interested in when they pick up the book—what it is like to grow up in an Amish life. I believe they began with “An Amish Beginning” because, as is obvious, the early stages of his life are crucial to the understanding of Hostetler’s further writings, which are included in Part II. However, aside from learning about the subject, this first essay gives the reader a chance to familiarize themselves with “rules” of the Amish culture; often such rules are the cause of later ideals of Hostetler. This provides an intimate and psychological look into not only his childhood, but a comparison to the “average” life in the early 20th century. After the first essay, Part I includes three more writings all with Hostetler as the main subject. These detail his later works in Amish studies, and often, how they influence the author themselves. Such impacts are important for the reader to comprehend how much Hostetler dared to stretch the definition of what it mean to be an Amish man.
Part II of the book includes fourteen chronological writings from throughout John Hostetler’s life. The earliest, A Letter to Amish Bishops Concerning Shunning, 1944, would have to be one of my favorites. In the first essay, the reader learns that Hostetler’s father was banned from the Amish church. From how he describes it, it seems to be from circumstances that Hostetler did not agree with. In this essay, we see his opinion on the matter and how this event from his childhood influenced his feelings on the taboo subject. Throughout all fourteen works, the reader sees how Hostetler grows as a man of faith and study, recounting many of his most noteworthy ideas and writings.
John A. Hostetler has influenced not only the Amish culture, but how the outside views it. This collection of essays gives the reader a peak into a mediation of life between traditional Amish and the outside world. Hostetler creates an intriguing image throughout his works, and I highly recommend reading.
The book begins with a forward from Hostetler’s daughter, Anna Hostetler. She describes her experience growing up with her father and the impact he had on her personally through his Amish studies. It gives the reader a great insight into the lives they’re about to dive into and a genuine look at the subject of the book from someone who knows him best.
Part I starts off with an essay from Hostetler, himself. This particular essay is probably my favorite from the book because it describes what I believe people are the most interested in when they pick up the book—what it is like to grow up in an Amish life. I believe they began with “An Amish Beginning” because, as is obvious, the early stages of his life are crucial to the understanding of Hostetler’s further writings, which are included in Part II. However, aside from learning about the subject, this first essay gives the reader a chance to familiarize themselves with “rules” of the Amish culture; often such rules are the cause of later ideals of Hostetler. This provides an intimate and psychological look into not only his childhood, but a comparison to the “average” life in the early 20th century. After the first essay, Part I includes three more writings all with Hostetler as the main subject. These detail his later works in Amish studies, and often, how they influence the author themselves. Such impacts are important for the reader to comprehend how much Hostetler dared to stretch the definition of what it mean to be an Amish man.
Part II of the book includes fourteen chronological writings from throughout John Hostetler’s life. The earliest, A Letter to Amish Bishops Concerning Shunning, 1944, would have to be one of my favorites. In the first essay, the reader learns that Hostetler’s father was banned from the Amish church. From how he describes it, it seems to be from circumstances that Hostetler did not agree with. In this essay, we see his opinion on the matter and how this event from his childhood influenced his feelings on the taboo subject. Throughout all fourteen works, the reader sees how Hostetler grows as a man of faith and study, recounting many of his most noteworthy ideas and writings.
John A. Hostetler has influenced not only the Amish culture, but how the outside views it. This collection of essays gives the reader a peak into a mediation of life between traditional Amish and the outside world. Hostetler creates an intriguing image throughout his works, and I highly recommend reading.
Displaying 1 of 1 review