Anabaptism and Revivalism

[Southerner]

My thoughts on this are complicated. On the one hand, I think the critiques of the established tradition can be sound. The tradition can be too rigid and disconnected in a living way from its sources.

My thoughts on it are complicated also but I lean towards being rigid and disconnected. Although I just got back from Ontario and did some biz w a David Martin Mennonite...the group is booming...but...

[barnhart]

I would be slow to assert Anabaptism cannot survive modernism, it has been doing just that for 500 years. I see two attributes that contribute to that survivability. Flexibility and little flock (outsider) mentality.

Flexibility because Anabaptist have accommodated and even adopted practices from others when it makes sense, often adapting them until they suit our own purposes. I think we absorbed from the pietists and the revivalists both good and not so good things, but there is a flexibility there to hear the critiques that is not always shown on the surface. For example I propose Sunday schools, where adopted, were adapted away from the presented form into an institution that moulded more carefully with Anabaptist values.

Second, an outsider self conceptualization. Not seeing yourself in the center of civilization adds built in resilience when civilization proves unsteady. If circumstances prove unsuitable in one location, you will find anabaptism springing up in another. This also produces the infamous capacity to split but that can be seen as a relief valve or a cleansing cycle. People who agree to disagree do not burn each other at the stake. Dividing allows each "side" to work out their convictions and time usually gives a verdict.

[Southerner]

Anabaptism isn't the only way to resist this, but anabaptism has the very unique and special aspect of restricting technology. This might be one of the main reasons its so successful and organically growing in such a degraded modern country.

I haven't thought about this topic in awhile but the David Martin Mennonites have wide open Internet in their businesses...yet have a phone shack at the end of the land. Also, their children go to public school. I am really intrigued.

[Southerner]

I would be slow to assert Anabaptism cannot survive modernism, it has been doing just that for 500 years. I see two attributes that contribute to that survivability. Flexibility and little flock (outsider) mentality.

I agree with this sentiment.

[JohnH]

I would be slow to assert Anabaptism cannot survive modernism, it has been doing just that for 500 years. I see two attributes that contribute to that survivability. Flexibility and little flock (outsider) mentality.

Flexibility because Anabaptist have accommodated and even adopted practices from others when it makes sense, often adapting them until they suit our own purposes. I think we absorbed from the pietists and the revivalists both good and not so good things, but there is a flexibility there to hear the critiques that is not always shown on the surface. For example I propose Sunday schools, where adopted, were adapted away from the presented form into an institution that moulded more carefully with Anabaptist values.

Second, an outsider self conceptualization. Not seeing yourself in the center of civilization adds built in resilience when civilization proves unsteady. If circumstances prove unsuitable in one location, you will find anabaptism springing up in another. This also produces the infamous capacity to split but that can be seen as a relief valve or a cleansing cycle. People who agree to disagree do not burn each other at the stake. Dividing allows each "side" to work out their convictions and time usually gives a verdict.

Nearly all Anabaptists who conform to the world end up assimilating to the surrounding culture.

Anabaptism basically exists because of the Old Orders.

[R7ehr]

I would be slow to assert Anabaptism cannot survive modernism, it has been doing just that for 500 years. I see two attributes that contribute to that survivability. Flexibility and little flock (outsider) mentality.

Flexibility because Anabaptist have accommodated and even adopted practices from others when it makes sense, often adapting them until they suit our own purposes. I think we absorbed from the pietists and the revivalists both good and not so good things, but there is a flexibility there to hear the critiques that is not always shown on the surface. For example I propose Sunday schools, where adopted, were adapted away from the presented form into an institution that moulded more carefully with Anabaptist values.

Second, an outsider self conceptualization. Not seeing yourself in the center of civilization adds built in resilience when civilization proves unsteady. If circumstances prove unsuitable in one location, you will find anabaptism springing up in another. This also produces the infamous capacity to split but that can be seen as a relief valve or a cleansing cycle. People who agree to disagree do not burn each other at the stake. Dividing allows each "side" to work out their convictions and time usually gives a verdict.

Nearly all Anabaptists who conform to the world end up assimilating to the surrounding culture.

Anabaptism basically exists because of the Old Orders.

I disagree with your last statement. But how about this? Holdemans would cease to exist if they dropped their One True Church doctrine.

All of the ultra conservatives and probably intermediate conservatives exist today as such because we pulled out of the General Conference Mennonites. In the west where I am, we’ve had no virtually no Amish settlements for 100 years. We don’t speak PA Dutch either. For example, off the top of my head, I can only think of one person in our 12+ or so churches who used to be Amish. And he married a girl out here 25+ years ago, and they are still at that church. Frankly, we have more people from non-Anabaptist background in our churches than we have of people from Old Order backgrounds.

Holdeman similarly pulled out of what they thought was an apostatizing church.

The people who coming from the more conservative groups, are typically the least likely to stay, particularly if we look at generational timelines.
Non-Conference Mennonites have a quite different mentality or perspective than ex-Amish and Beachys have.

[JohnH]

Your conference is unique. Amongst a group like Nationwide, they recruit heavily from W-F (which is effectively OO). Pilgrim and Hope rely heavily on flows from Eastern.

My former church’s minister is from Maranatha Beachy and much of their membership is from more conservative Beachy.

[barnhart]

All of the ultra conservatives and probably intermediate conservatives exist today as such because we pulled out of the General Conference Mennonites. In the west where I am, we’ve had no virtually no Amish settlements for 100 years. We don’t speak PA Dutch either. For example, off the top of my head, I can only think of one person in our 12+ or so churches who used to be Amish. And he married a girl out here 25+ years ago, and they are still at that church. Frankly, we have more people from non-Anabaptist background in our churches than we have of people from Old Order backgrounds.

This is my experience as well.

[Silentreader]

Anabaptism isn't the only way to resist this, but anabaptism has the very unique and special aspect of restricting technology. This might be one of the main reasons its so successful and organically growing in such a degraded modern country.

I haven't thought about this topic in awhile but the David Martin Mennonites have wide open Internet in their businesses...yet have a phone shack at the end of the land. Also, their children go to public school. I am really intrigued.

The David Martin's don't have phone shacks. A lot of them have school-children shacks, as they send their children on the bus to public schools. Probably most of the Dave Martins carry cell-phones but some do also have landlines.

Their are Amish in the area who have phone shacks at the end of the lane.

Curious if you were in the Linwood-Wellesley-Hawkesville community or the Dundalk- Badjeros one.

[Southerner]

Anabaptism isn't the only way to resist this, but anabaptism has the very unique and special aspect of restricting technology. This might be one of the main reasons its so successful and organically growing in such a degraded modern country.

I haven't thought about this topic in awhile but the David Martin Mennonites have wide open Internet in their businesses...yet have a phone shack at the end of the land. Also, their children go to public school. I am really intrigued.

The David Martin's don't have phone shacks. A lot of them have school-children shacks, as they send their children on the bus to public schools. Probably most of the Dave Martins carry cell-phones but some do also have landlines.

Their are Amish in the area who have phone shacks at the end of the lane.

Curious if you were in the Linwood-Wellesley-Hawkesville community or the Dundalk- Badjeros one.

Wellesley, beautiful country but alas, very expensive. TY for the info about the shacks. We have 3 sided structures in the US but I cannot say that I have ever seen anyone utilizing them. My wife and I assumed they were phone shacks. Are the barn colors mandated?