To Teach a Plain Person Simple Living

[JohnH]

I think it is healthy to raise voices that strike the root of the tree of materialism and ease in the church. The Anabaptist Church is certainly no exception, we need it desperately. What I am curious about is why the examples and ideas that seem to come out of this critique are funnelled down a narrow scope of social retreat, rural independence and self reliance. If the vision can easily be embraced by preppers, Christian Nationalists, and the leftover '60's hippies, is it really the non- materialism of Jesus or has it been channeled and watered down to fit other movements of social discontent.

Where are the voices of non-materialistic kingdom focus that don't rely on a culture of rural seclusion and independence. What about an updated version of the urban monk, serving where people live in a lifestyle of vulnerability and interdependence. Why would this path be considered less godly or more compromised. How do the examples of Jesus and the early church speak into this.

That’s a very good question. Here’s some more commentary from one of Mike Atnip’s “teachers”:

I find the concept of "hobbies" to be sort of emasculating.

What do I do? I read, I think, I talk, I take constitutionals. I "roost." Perhaps I smoke a cigar, eat lunch, go to Mass, or even just enjoy pure, unmitigated idleness.

I'm not "doing little projects."

This doesn’t seem to be the direction we should be going in, and if Atnip had looked a little further, he could have found both the scenario you gave and also Anabaptist or Anabaptist adjacent people who live very simply and serve others, like the Jim Roberts’s.

[Praxis+Theodicy]

I think it is healthy to raise voices that strike the root of the tree of materialism and ease in the church. The Anabaptist Church is certainly no exception, we need it desperately. What I am curious about is why the examples and ideas that seem to come out of this critique are funnelled down a narrow scope of social retreat, rural independence and self reliance. If the vision can easily be embraced by preppers, Christian Nationalists, and the leftover '60's hippies, is it really the non- materialism of Jesus or has it been channeled and watered down to fit other movements of social discontent.

Where are the voices of non-materialistic kingdom focus that don't rely on a culture of rural seclusion and independence. What about an updated version of the urban monk, serving where people live in a lifestyle of vulnerability and interdependence. Why would this path be considered less godly or more compromised. How do the examples of Jesus and the early church speak into this.

There are three biographies in the article, and only the first really matches your critique. I share the critique, though. That first example seems a bit too isolationist for my taste. Like a homesteader's dream. I don't think the homesteading lifestyle is particularly suited to Christian living.

[JohnH]

I think it is healthy to raise voices that strike the root of the tree of materialism and ease in the church. The Anabaptist Church is certainly no exception, we need it desperately. What I am curious about is why the examples and ideas that seem to come out of this critique are funnelled down a narrow scope of social retreat, rural independence and self reliance. If the vision can easily be embraced by preppers, Christian Nationalists, and the leftover '60's hippies, is it really the non- materialism of Jesus or has it been channeled and watered down to fit other movements of social discontent.

Where are the voices of non-materialistic kingdom focus that don't rely on a culture of rural seclusion and independence. What about an updated version of the urban monk, serving where people live in a lifestyle of vulnerability and interdependence. Why would this path be considered less godly or more compromised. How do the examples of Jesus and the early church speak into this.

There are three biographies in the article, and only the first really matches your critique. I share the critique, though. That first example seems a bit too isolationist for my taste. Like a homesteader's dream. I don't think the homesteading lifestyle is particularly suited to Christian living.

A.H. isn’t a homesteader, though. As far as I can tell, he gets his income from Twitter ad revenue.

[Praxis+Theodicy]

I think it is healthy to raise voices that strike the root of the tree of materialism and ease in the church. The Anabaptist Church is certainly no exception, we need it desperately. What I am curious about is why the examples and ideas that seem to come out of this critique are funnelled down a narrow scope of social retreat, rural independence and self reliance. If the vision can easily be embraced by preppers, Christian Nationalists, and the leftover '60's hippies, is it really the non- materialism of Jesus or has it been channeled and watered down to fit other movements of social discontent.

Where are the voices of non-materialistic kingdom focus that don't rely on a culture of rural seclusion and independence. What about an updated version of the urban monk, serving where people live in a lifestyle of vulnerability and interdependence. Why would this path be considered less godly or more compromised. How do the examples of Jesus and the early church speak into this.

There are three biographies in the article, and only the first really matches your critique. I share the critique, though. That first example seems a bit too isolationist for my taste. Like a homesteader's dream. I don't think the homesteading lifestyle is particularly suited to Christian living.

A.H. isn’t a homesteader, though. As far as I can tell, he gets his income from Twitter ad revenue.

I think he'd meet the popular definition and many legal definitions of a homesteader. But regardless, my quibble with him is his relative isolationism/rurality.

I would note, however, that all three stories (even A.H.) had their "simplicity" choices put them directly into using public resources, which put them face-to-face with many people. So even A.H.'s rurality isn't totally isolated. He interacts with the public in meaningful ways more than I usually do.

[Praxis+Theodicy]

Here is an article we published on Plain News this week.

https://www.plainnews.org/wp-content/up ... ing-4p.pdf

Ernie, thank you for sharing this here, and thank Mike from me for writing it. A good piece, a great conversation starter.

I think Mike spends a lot of time apologizing for (defending) his decision to hold up non-plain Christians or non-Christians as examples. He could just reference Jesus. Jesus often pointed out how the gentiles (or sinners, or pagans, depending on your translation) are acting more righteously than Jesus' own people, and we therefore ought to outdo the unbelievers in our righteousness.

I really appreciate these three stories. A refreshing reminder that this sort of austere living is VERY POSSIBLE and even very rewarding! And very certainly, more like our king Jesus.

[Ernie]

I think Mike spends a lot of time apologizing for (defending) his decision to hold up non-plain Christians or non-Christians as examples.

An author needs to understand his audience.

[JohnH]

I sometimes wonder what people think a church of this level of austerity would look like. There obviously won’t be things like a school, or a fund to meet needs. No money to give away to missions of other churches.

Realistically, this a one way trip to an extreme level of government dependence.

[Ernie]

I think it is healthy to raise voices that strike the root of the tree of materialism and ease in the church. The Anabaptist Church is certainly no exception, we need it desperately. What I am curious about is why the examples and ideas that seem to come out of this critique are funnelled down a narrow scope of social retreat, rural independence and self reliance. If the vision can easily be embraced by preppers, Christian Nationalists, and the leftover '60's hippies, is it really the non- materialism of Jesus or has it been channeled and watered down to fit other movements of social discontent.

Where are the voices of non-materialistic kingdom focus that don't rely on a culture of rural seclusion and independence. What about an updated version of the urban monk, serving where people live in a lifestyle of vulnerability and interdependence. Why would this path be considered less godly or more compromised. How do the examples of Jesus and the early church speak into this.

This is indeed worthy of more exploration but I am moving next week so I need to stay focused on that. Hopefully I can catch up in a few weeks.

[ken_sylvania]

I think it is healthy to raise voices that strike the root of the tree of materialism and ease in the church. The Anabaptist Church is certainly no exception, we need it desperately. What I am curious about is why the examples and ideas that seem to come out of this critique are funnelled down a narrow scope of social retreat, rural independence and self reliance. If the vision can easily be embraced by preppers, Christian Nationalists, and the leftover '60's hippies, is it really the non- materialism of Jesus or has it been channeled and watered down to fit other movements of social discontent.

Where are the voices of non-materialistic kingdom focus that don't rely on a culture of rural seclusion and independence. What about an updated version of the urban monk, serving where people live in a lifestyle of vulnerability and interdependence. Why would this path be considered less godly or more compromised. How do the examples of Jesus and the early church speak into this.

This is indeed worthy of more exploration but I am moving next week so I need to stay focused on that. Hopefully I can catch up in a few weeks.

I suppose if a person lived more simply, moving might not be so complicated. Wouldn't that be nice!

[Praxis+Theodicy]

This is indeed worthy of more exploration but I am moving next week so I need to stay focused on that. Hopefully I can catch up in a few weeks.

I suppose if a person lived more simply, moving might not be so complicated. Wouldn't that be nice!

My inspiration for living simply was mostly inspired by the Bruderhof. Their aim is to have each's personal possessions be able to fit in one suitcase... because they move a lot!

I will say that, from my observations, they do not always live up to this standard. But it is at least a goal they still keep in mind.