The Amish: A Concise Introduction

Young Center Books in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies

by Steven M. Nolt

The essential introduction to Amish life and culture. There seems to be no end to our fascination with the Amish, a religious minority that has both placed itself outside the mainstream of American culture and flourished within it. Yet most people know very little about the nuanced relationship the Amish have with society or their own communities. Drawing on more than twenty years of fieldwork and collaborative research, Steven M. Nolt’s The A Concise Introduction is a compact but richly detailed portrait of Amish life. In fewer than 150 pages, readers will come away with a clear understanding of the complexities of these simple people. Writing in engaging and accessible language, Nolt explains how the Amish at once operate within modern America and stand very much apart from the world. Arguing that Amish life is shaped equally by internal and external social, political, and economic contexts, Nolt explores Amish identity as emerging from a complex cultural negotiation with modernity. He takes on much-hyped topics such as Rumspringa and reveals the distinctive Amish approach to technology. He also explains how Amish principles stand in contrast to contemporary American values, including rational efficiency, large-scale organization, and Western notions of individuality. Authoritative, informative, and illustrated, this guide provides a vivid introduction to a way of life many find fascinating but few truly understand.

Genres: Nonfiction, Amish

152 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2016

About the author

Steven M. Nolt is Senior Scholar and Professor of History and Anabaptist Studies at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College.

Reviews

[Jonathan Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few scholars with as keen a sense of the Amish as Steven M. Nolt, and he shows it here in what proves to be a remarkably lucid book for its brevity. Sensitive, well-balanced, and clear, Nolt explores Amish history, religious beliefs and attitudes, social practices (from family to work to transportation and beyond), legal and cultural position, and more, all with a profound economy of words. If there's one book you should read on the Amish, this may well be exactly that one. So delightfully concise a book (without a loss of content) deserves a concise review blurb.

[Robert Dirks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a scholarly book. The author, Professor Steven Nolt, who has a considerable talent for writing, nevertheless renders it an easy read. All he needs is 150 pages to make readers understand the reality of a people whose culture has been greatly distorted in popular media.
The Amish clearly are not a people mired in the past. Their society is well adapted to the present and continues to evolve. Communities flourish. Population numbers increase at a remarkable rate. Whether this growth is sustainable in the future remains to be seen.

[Lemobsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat on my balcony sipping coffee in Norways greatest city, and by some strange confluence of events this book was on the floor. I picked it up and started to read, i never knew the Amish were such a interesting bunch of people. i found the parts that contrasted the American culture with the Amish one very interesting. I found many of the values that the Amish focus on were similar to what the Norwegian "Pietisme" bevegelse adhered to, guess that would not be to surprising since they have common ancestors in German reformation.
Also far from being Luddites i found their reasoning for restricting the use of technology quite interesting, i have a interest in mcluhan,postman and ellul aswell.

I think this book can appeal to many people, if you feel a bit iffy about the atomization of society and you are questioning the effects technology there is a section that might help to put into words . This book certainly helped me think about technology and modernity in other and new ways.

several parts on Gelassanheit was interesting especially the part about the wifes letter to the bishop in the Newspaper. and how they divided up gender/work in a flexible manner.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fascination (obsession?) with the Amish, along with my quest for useful books about the Amish, continues. This was in fact a very interesting and easy-to-read introductory ethnography of the Amish. It included very helpful explanations of their relationship to and philosophy of technology, education, and American civil society. I still don't feel like I understand this group well (seriously, what is the deal with rubber buggy tires vs. steel buggy tires??) but this book provided more insight than most. As a non-Amish ("English") person, the author will necessarily have some limitations in terms of how close he can get to the culture as an outsider. But the good news is that he is a scholar with expertise in the plain peoples of North America, so he approaches the topic with a refreshing objectivity. I've found that many books by ex-Amish folks have an axe to grind about their negative experiences in the culture, and so are not entirely trustworthy sources. Good book but I still need more information!

[David Mccowan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fulfills its promise but didn't answer the questions I had about Amish and I would be surprised if it answers yours.

Are you Christian and curious about the Amish?

Watch the 6-part documentary serious on Youtube titled /Breaking the Silence/ on the Vision Video channel. Written and produced by ex-Amish believers, it is well done and balanced, covering the history of the Amish movement.

Nolt’s work is a good sociological work focusing on the Amish but he fails to answer the questions a believer might have about the Amish. This is why I picked up this book to begin with and why I imagine someone else would pick the book up the book.

The Amish beliefs are not looked at critically and are not compared to scripture, the gospel, or other groups. This is an example of why I generally don’t read sociological books. The emphasis is continually on the what the Amish do but not generally the why? But the question I and most readers have is both why and what.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fair and objective primer on the Amish people and their way of life. I’ve always had an interest in Amish culture, seeing many “plain folk” around my city, and now I have a greater appreciation for the differences between the Amish and other Protestant sects, and the fascinating relationships that the various Amish communities have with technology (it’s not as black and white as you would think). Nolt also cleared the air on topics like Rumspringa, which Hollywood and reality shows have glorified as some debaucherous time abroad for Amish youth. If you have any interest at all in learning more about the Amish, I recommend checking this out.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title indicates, this concise introduction is a great way to get a glimpse into this ethnic and religious minority. Clearly explains the culture in a way that is easy to read and understand. A good general overview. Read on EbscoHost e-books.

[David Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book.. It was insightful, non-judgemental and opened a door to a people known for their modesty and privacy.

The author did a great job showing you what goes on "behind the curtains" and was very mindful of the Amish and their beliefs in the process.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

[John Bober · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent well-written “concise introduction”. Steven Nolt is part of the research team with Donald Kraybill.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise (just as the title says). Not boring and learned a lot.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is written very “academically” so I was worried I wouldn’t get through it but it got easier & I like it :)

[Pam Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Amish: A Concise Introduction by Steven Nolt may be the first non-fiction book about the Amish that I have read in its entirety. (That comes after twenty years or so of reading hundreds of Amish fiction books and bits and pieces of related non-fiction books and online articles.)

I found The Amish to be extremely engaging and informative. Although I would call it scholarly in the sense of presenting much factual information, the tone is very comfortable and easy to read; an academic background is not necessary for understanding. "Concise" is a good description; at less than 150 pages, not a great deal of time is required to read the entire book.

Nolt fits his facts into a framework that helps his readers begin to understand these often misunderstood people and how they function in a society much different from many of their own beliefs and practices. He debunks the image of the Amish as a group of people stuck somewhere in decades long past, out of touch with the modern world, and shows how they have used insight and innovation to grow and thrive into the twenty-first century while holding to long-standing principles.

Anyone with an interest in learning more about the background and lifestyle of the Amish should find this book a valuable read.

(On a more personal note, while I have no connection with the author of this book, I enjoyed his use of photographs, about 40 percent of which were taken by my husband (Don Burke) during many visits to Amish settlements over the past six years.)