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Amish Society
Highly acclaimed in previous editions—with more than 85,000 copies in print— this classic work by John Hostetler has been expanded and updated to reflect current research on Amish history and culture as well as the new concerns of Amish communities throughout North America. In this fourth edition of Amish Society Hostetler takes the reader inside Amish culture and explains the nature of Amish religious beliefs and ceremonies, community and family life, tensions with worldly values, and interactions with outsiders. He offers updated information on a variety of topics, including Amish population trends, land use and farming practices, and relations with the state.
435 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1968
14 people are currently reading
766 people want to read
About the author
John A. Hostetler
26 books11 followersDr. John Andrew Hostetler, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University, 1953) was a scholar of Amish and Hutterite societies, a Fulbright scholar, and occasional film consultant and expert witness. He retired from the faculty of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) in 1985, and served the next five years as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, where his wife Beulah also held a teaching appointment.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 26, 2025
I recall living in a rural county in Southern Ontario with an Amish community. One of the Amish men ran a business that pumped out septic tanks. This individual took pity on people and would pump out their tanks on Sundays in emergency situations where their toilets were backing up. His charity was considered to be heresy by his community and he was ultimately excommunicated.
I found that "Amish Society" by John Hostetler answered most of the questions that I had about the Amish. Although it was published over sixty years ago, it still provides an excellent introduction to the practices and beliefs of this group of believers which is determined to live differently within the larger North American society.
When the second edition Hostetler's book was published there were roughly 40,000 Amish living in North America. Today the number is over 400,000. Amish society is succeeding.
Their behaviour seems at best eccentric to most non-Amish North Americans. The Amish are strict pacifists. Instead of buttons, the Amish use hook-and-eye enclosures. They ride horse drawn buggies to towns. (Motor power tractors however are permitted in most communities.) Men are required to wear hats with brims. (Some communities prescribe 3" brims while others require 4" brims.) Women must were head caps. (The norms for these caps vary from community to community.)
The Amish are relatively practical on the issues of technology. Televisions are forbidden but most communities allow running water and flush-toilets. A wide variety of mechanized agricultural equipment is permitted.
Education has been a source of major friction with state and provincial governments. The Amish believed that children should be educated at home. However, they agreed to send their children to one-room schools under the condition that the teacher be an Amish person. The Amish refuse to educate their children beyond Grade 8 and the courts have supported them on this position.
Hostetler the author was raised in the Amish faith but converted to the Mennonite faith because he wanted to continue his studies past the eighth grade. He eventually obtained his Ph.D. and became an university professor. His other major criticism of the Amish was that they did not offer bible study programs to their members. The Mennonites in contrast had excellent programs.
The Amish began in Switzerland as a schism of the Mennonites. Those who leave tend to return to the Mennonite fold. Hostetler stresses that unlike the Mennonites the Amish were never numerous in the Old World and that there are no Amish communities in Europe. The Amish are essentially a phenomenon of the New World. After arriving in Pennsylvania in the first half of the eighteenth century, they have grown and evolved in a purely North American environment.
Hostetler acknowledges that the Amish shun rule breakers with a vengeance but says very little about the practice. He stresses that most Amish stay in the group because they find happiness within it. I found this view somewhat surprising having read Miriam Toews' "A Complicated Kindness" in which shunning is presented as a very nasty practice. Toews' however was a Mennonite rather than an Amish apostate.
Hostetler, an academic, drops names of famous sociologists like Emile Durkheim, Arnold van Gennep and Margaret Mead but does impose any theoretical framework on his work. Similarly, his vague references to interviews that he conducted do not convince the reader that his ideas are the result of any structured field studies. Hostetler appears to be writing from his own personal experience and the result is a book that can be enjoyed by any member of the general public who is interested in the topic.
I found that "Amish Society" by John Hostetler answered most of the questions that I had about the Amish. Although it was published over sixty years ago, it still provides an excellent introduction to the practices and beliefs of this group of believers which is determined to live differently within the larger North American society.
When the second edition Hostetler's book was published there were roughly 40,000 Amish living in North America. Today the number is over 400,000. Amish society is succeeding.
Their behaviour seems at best eccentric to most non-Amish North Americans. The Amish are strict pacifists. Instead of buttons, the Amish use hook-and-eye enclosures. They ride horse drawn buggies to towns. (Motor power tractors however are permitted in most communities.) Men are required to wear hats with brims. (Some communities prescribe 3" brims while others require 4" brims.) Women must were head caps. (The norms for these caps vary from community to community.)
The Amish are relatively practical on the issues of technology. Televisions are forbidden but most communities allow running water and flush-toilets. A wide variety of mechanized agricultural equipment is permitted.
Education has been a source of major friction with state and provincial governments. The Amish believed that children should be educated at home. However, they agreed to send their children to one-room schools under the condition that the teacher be an Amish person. The Amish refuse to educate their children beyond Grade 8 and the courts have supported them on this position.
Hostetler the author was raised in the Amish faith but converted to the Mennonite faith because he wanted to continue his studies past the eighth grade. He eventually obtained his Ph.D. and became an university professor. His other major criticism of the Amish was that they did not offer bible study programs to their members. The Mennonites in contrast had excellent programs.
The Amish began in Switzerland as a schism of the Mennonites. Those who leave tend to return to the Mennonite fold. Hostetler stresses that unlike the Mennonites the Amish were never numerous in the Old World and that there are no Amish communities in Europe. The Amish are essentially a phenomenon of the New World. After arriving in Pennsylvania in the first half of the eighteenth century, they have grown and evolved in a purely North American environment.
Hostetler acknowledges that the Amish shun rule breakers with a vengeance but says very little about the practice. He stresses that most Amish stay in the group because they find happiness within it. I found this view somewhat surprising having read Miriam Toews' "A Complicated Kindness" in which shunning is presented as a very nasty practice. Toews' however was a Mennonite rather than an Amish apostate.
Hostetler, an academic, drops names of famous sociologists like Emile Durkheim, Arnold van Gennep and Margaret Mead but does impose any theoretical framework on his work. Similarly, his vague references to interviews that he conducted do not convince the reader that his ideas are the result of any structured field studies. Hostetler appears to be writing from his own personal experience and the result is a book that can be enjoyed by any member of the general public who is interested in the topic.
December 19, 2019
As difficult as it is to believe, I don’t know too much about the Amish People. I know that they are good with their hands and make excellent furniture. I know that they are humble people who aren’t interested in personal gain or material wealth. I also know that they don’t have or use the internet so if I say something offensive they won’t read it.
Most of what I knew about the Amish before reading this book was from various pieces of pop culture with Amish Paradise by Weird Al Yankovic as the greatest influence. I also remember a movie with Tim Allen and Kristie Alley where they go to be Amish. I never saw the movie, but it does exist.
Amish Society is a book written by John A Hostetler. He is a man that was either raised as an Amish person or had close Amish friends. I suppose the last possibility is that he was allowed to research them first hand. The book explores all aspects of the Amish Lifestyle. It discusses the history of the Amish People; how they came to mostly occupy some areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana; why they live the way they do and much more.
It talks about splinter groups from the Amish and how each community keeps its own laws concerning technology. Some of the things they don’t participate in make perfect sense. Other things are a bit unusual, but I have no right to judge an entire population of people. For example, one portion of Amish uses metal-rimmed tires while another was forced to use some kind of rubber due to the government not wanting their roads to be damaged.
The Amish are admirable in many ways. They are good with their hands, they are honest and hard-working, they don’t like to take government handouts, and they live a simple life. They are people who practice what they preach, and I can’t praise them more highly than that. Actually, they don’t even really preach, since that would be taken as a form of pride on their end.
This book is really informative and engrossing. I really enjoyed reading this one.
Most of what I knew about the Amish before reading this book was from various pieces of pop culture with Amish Paradise by Weird Al Yankovic as the greatest influence. I also remember a movie with Tim Allen and Kristie Alley where they go to be Amish. I never saw the movie, but it does exist.
Amish Society is a book written by John A Hostetler. He is a man that was either raised as an Amish person or had close Amish friends. I suppose the last possibility is that he was allowed to research them first hand. The book explores all aspects of the Amish Lifestyle. It discusses the history of the Amish People; how they came to mostly occupy some areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana; why they live the way they do and much more.
It talks about splinter groups from the Amish and how each community keeps its own laws concerning technology. Some of the things they don’t participate in make perfect sense. Other things are a bit unusual, but I have no right to judge an entire population of people. For example, one portion of Amish uses metal-rimmed tires while another was forced to use some kind of rubber due to the government not wanting their roads to be damaged.
The Amish are admirable in many ways. They are good with their hands, they are honest and hard-working, they don’t like to take government handouts, and they live a simple life. They are people who practice what they preach, and I can’t praise them more highly than that. Actually, they don’t even really preach, since that would be taken as a form of pride on their end.
This book is really informative and engrossing. I really enjoyed reading this one.
February 12, 2017
What this book doesn't cover about the Amish isn't worth knowing. I have never read a book with so many interesting facts about Amish life. The photographs are plentiful, and the knowledge base was far beyond my expectations. A bit heavy going at times though because of the small print. But overall very interesting though.
February 27, 2010
I have an obsession with the Amish community. The author of this book grew up Amish...but he does not share much from his experiences. The book is interesting and easy to read and comprehend. If you are only going to read one book about the Amish, I recommend the other book-- The Riddle of the Amish Culture, but this one is also good.
May 31, 2025
The Amish culture is one that fascinates so many in America. They are people who are just as similar to us, living as close as the street over. Yet, they live a completely different life. And in the digital age of excess, overconsumption, stress, and paranoia, an interest in the Amish lifestyle – which has become more and more detached from our own reality – seems to grow.
“As the urban world becomes more hazardous, stressful, and complex, there are those who will be attracted to a simpler way of life.” (p. 343)
But, how much about the Amish do we really know? We may know that they don’t use much technology. We know about their distinct look. But, that’s usually where most of our knowledge ends.
This book is about as in-depth on the topic as you will get. Each page is dense with information, not a sentence wasted. For a culture with so much secrecy, it is tough to find much information on them that does not read as though the people are being mythologized. This does not read as such. It feels like everything I will ever need to know about the Amish is in this book.
“This is the most scholarly and thoroughly analytical book on the Old Order Amish yet to appear in printed form. … This book goes beyond the mere description of the superficial and the externally observable characteristics of the Amish. It is a thoroughgoing sociological treatment of the Amish and does, in a comprehensive way, what numerous scholars in the past have done in a more segmental fashion, or have not done at all” – Mennonite Quarterly Review
This book really helped to shape my understanding of the Amish. This book helps you contextualize the Amish as a wonderful example of what humanity is capable of as a true collectivist culture. This is further exemplified being placed inside a country that has become hyper-individualistic.
At the beginning of reading this book, I was just starting to envision the Amish as this collectivist utopia. I was just about ready to grow out my beard and put on my best set of overalls. We seem to romanticize Amish culture as a getaway from all of our earthly western 21st century first world problems. But, the Amish culture is not a paradise. Far from it.
It may shock some of you to read this and learn just how fractured the Amish can get. In other words, it is just like any other religion, with different ideas of what counts as pure and what counts as secular. There is a ton of risk of being excommunicated. We often can fall into a trap of summarizing all Amish people as a monolith, given their collectivist culture, but they all are individual people just as well.
Despite this book being written in the 1960s, I imagine that at least 95% of this book still applies today, given how little change there is in the community. Though, the book does say that there are some subtle changes that come with any culture over time, intentional or not. But, the Amish remain a fascinating case study to a community that, for the most part, have become frozen in time.
My biggest takeaway from this is how different a community that thrives off togetherness can still be – not only from within the same area, but there are also Amish communities spread out through different parts of the US, which could differ based off geological differences. It’s not as though someone from a community in Iowa can easily pick up the phone and call someone in Pennsylvania any time they have a question.
I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about the Amish. There is so much here that I am almost certain there is at least one thing you will pick up that you didn’t already know. However, given how informational and matter of fact the writing is, it may not be the easiest or most fun read.
“As the urban world becomes more hazardous, stressful, and complex, there are those who will be attracted to a simpler way of life.” (p. 343)
But, how much about the Amish do we really know? We may know that they don’t use much technology. We know about their distinct look. But, that’s usually where most of our knowledge ends.
This book is about as in-depth on the topic as you will get. Each page is dense with information, not a sentence wasted. For a culture with so much secrecy, it is tough to find much information on them that does not read as though the people are being mythologized. This does not read as such. It feels like everything I will ever need to know about the Amish is in this book.
“This is the most scholarly and thoroughly analytical book on the Old Order Amish yet to appear in printed form. … This book goes beyond the mere description of the superficial and the externally observable characteristics of the Amish. It is a thoroughgoing sociological treatment of the Amish and does, in a comprehensive way, what numerous scholars in the past have done in a more segmental fashion, or have not done at all” – Mennonite Quarterly Review
This book really helped to shape my understanding of the Amish. This book helps you contextualize the Amish as a wonderful example of what humanity is capable of as a true collectivist culture. This is further exemplified being placed inside a country that has become hyper-individualistic.
At the beginning of reading this book, I was just starting to envision the Amish as this collectivist utopia. I was just about ready to grow out my beard and put on my best set of overalls. We seem to romanticize Amish culture as a getaway from all of our earthly western 21st century first world problems. But, the Amish culture is not a paradise. Far from it.
It may shock some of you to read this and learn just how fractured the Amish can get. In other words, it is just like any other religion, with different ideas of what counts as pure and what counts as secular. There is a ton of risk of being excommunicated. We often can fall into a trap of summarizing all Amish people as a monolith, given their collectivist culture, but they all are individual people just as well.
Despite this book being written in the 1960s, I imagine that at least 95% of this book still applies today, given how little change there is in the community. Though, the book does say that there are some subtle changes that come with any culture over time, intentional or not. But, the Amish remain a fascinating case study to a community that, for the most part, have become frozen in time.
My biggest takeaway from this is how different a community that thrives off togetherness can still be – not only from within the same area, but there are also Amish communities spread out through different parts of the US, which could differ based off geological differences. It’s not as though someone from a community in Iowa can easily pick up the phone and call someone in Pennsylvania any time they have a question.
I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about the Amish. There is so much here that I am almost certain there is at least one thing you will pick up that you didn’t already know. However, given how informational and matter of fact the writing is, it may not be the easiest or most fun read.
December 26, 2025
A very good historical and sociological study of the Amish. John Hostetler presents not only the basics about Amish life, but also the many small differences that are often unnoticed by those outside the Amish communities.
Currently reading
November 19, 2020My edition:
Fourth Edition, Johns Hopkins Paperbacks edition, published 1993.
Acid free paper
Fourth Edition, Johns Hopkins Paperbacks edition, published 1993.
Acid free paper
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March 13, 2025moots ignore this it’s for my final thesis
June 11, 2014
This work by a former member of the Amish community turned sociologist is a bit old (published in the 1960's), but an excellent introduction to the religious life of the Amish. While the Amish have always been a curiosity for many, I find much to admire about their life, certainly about the way they live out the message of Jesus.
At the same time, however, I found myself thinking a great deal about how my own experience of Catholicism back in the 50's and 60's was not all that different. I refer especially to the strong in-group mentality, and the resulting tensions with the "world". One of the strengths of the book is the clear outline of where the tensions are with the Amish and how they have come to cope. It is not surprising that sex and youth are a major issue, but it is unexpected (at least to me) that the desire for further education often led people out of the group.
Every religion, every denomination, must cope with boundaries--who's in and who's not--and the Amish have a fairly awful way of doing that--the custom of "shunning" people. But the curious thing is that this practice never seems to come up against the boundary-crossing that was the life and preaching of Jesus. And the Amish have introduced many other considerations into being a follower of Jesus that would seem to have only a tangential relation to anything. But there is a curious kind of wisdom to their extraordinary technological conservatism--they live out perfectly what it is to withdraw from the world as much as possible. Monks do the same thing, more or less.
But as the Benedictines often said, just when you thought you left the world behind it reappears inside your own community. Join the monastery and see the world, was the slogan (and that did have several meanings).
Christianity cannot be about withdrawing from the world. That rests on some kind of dualism. The Holy Spirit was supposed to be a gift for all to lead us outward, not inward. The Amish have much to fear, and in fact many Christians do as well. But faith is not founded on fear. A life lived in faith is a life lived with hope as one lives in the world.
At the same time, however, I found myself thinking a great deal about how my own experience of Catholicism back in the 50's and 60's was not all that different. I refer especially to the strong in-group mentality, and the resulting tensions with the "world". One of the strengths of the book is the clear outline of where the tensions are with the Amish and how they have come to cope. It is not surprising that sex and youth are a major issue, but it is unexpected (at least to me) that the desire for further education often led people out of the group.
Every religion, every denomination, must cope with boundaries--who's in and who's not--and the Amish have a fairly awful way of doing that--the custom of "shunning" people. But the curious thing is that this practice never seems to come up against the boundary-crossing that was the life and preaching of Jesus. And the Amish have introduced many other considerations into being a follower of Jesus that would seem to have only a tangential relation to anything. But there is a curious kind of wisdom to their extraordinary technological conservatism--they live out perfectly what it is to withdraw from the world as much as possible. Monks do the same thing, more or less.
But as the Benedictines often said, just when you thought you left the world behind it reappears inside your own community. Join the monastery and see the world, was the slogan (and that did have several meanings).
Christianity cannot be about withdrawing from the world. That rests on some kind of dualism. The Holy Spirit was supposed to be a gift for all to lead us outward, not inward. The Amish have much to fear, and in fact many Christians do as well. But faith is not founded on fear. A life lived in faith is a life lived with hope as one lives in the world.
August 17, 2009
This was written by a former Amishman who became a sociologist (He taught at Penn State). With both the background and the training, it's not surprising that it's compelling. (My one quibble is that it's a little rambling and repetitive). I had no idea that it was common for Amish teenage boys to go to Florida during the winter to be Bellboys in hotels.
Given that this was published in 1963, it has to be rather out of date, though I'd think less so for the Amish than for most groups, given their great resistance to change. For instance, there is no mention of the "Bikers and Buggies" scandals of the 1990s, but there are foreshadowings of unseemly relationships with outsiders, and wildness of teenagers. (I suspect that there just weren't any Bikers in Lancaster county in the 50s.)
Given that this was published in 1963, it has to be rather out of date, though I'd think less so for the Amish than for most groups, given their great resistance to change. For instance, there is no mention of the "Bikers and Buggies" scandals of the 1990s, but there are foreshadowings of unseemly relationships with outsiders, and wildness of teenagers. (I suspect that there just weren't any Bikers in Lancaster county in the 50s.)
October 26, 2009
We spent two days in Pennsylvania. I wanted so much to be Amish when I was a child. My great escape from the insanity of my household in the early years was to play in the backyard alone and pretend I was a "prairie girl." When we travelled to Pennsylvania in 1969, just before my parents divorced, I saw the Amish people and begged for my parents to leave me there as I was sure their life would be better than the one I was living. So began my interest and study of the Amish people. Our grandchildren believe I am Amish at heart. Anyway, this book is giving me plenty of new insight and information and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
This book was very informative and intriguing to me. Plenty to mull over and consider.
This book was very informative and intriguing to me. Plenty to mull over and consider.
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January 25, 2015This is a very intriguing society. On the one hand it's awesome that they are able to be a people who don't use technology, but on the other they don't believe in knowledge for the sake of knowledge and they are hypocrites because they do use technology sometimes. They let others drive them around and some use tractors. I say if you're going to make a rule, stick to it. Don't pretend like you're not doing something. It's hard for me to decide if it's a life I could live. I like that they farm and that they don't learn stuff that's not practical, but I love to learn about stuff. I'm not quite sure why they don't allow pictures and real music. Kinda reminds me of "Big Love" and the polygamists. I don't think I could live without pictures and music.
February 12, 2008
This is still the most respected volume ever written on Amish Society. It was my textbook when I was editing our magazine, "Heritage Country." I tried very hard not to make mistakes in print regarding Amish people and culture. I learned a lot more from experience than from books, though. Hostetler's book is full of excellent scholarship, and he himself was born Amish. For anyone who lives near Amish communities, it is a helpful, though somewhat heavy at times, compendium of topics regarding Amish life across America.
July 28, 2016
After visiting Lancaster, PA and touring the Amish sites and Mennonite cultural center, I wanted to learn more about their society and how/why they stay so removed from modern life's issues and conveniences. This book is a sociological review of their history, their values, their difficulties, and their growth. I enjoyed it from this perspective. Sometimes it was difficult to keep focused, and there was repetition of key points throughout the narrative. However, it served my purpose - I learned what I wanted to learn.
September 28, 2008
I read this book just to learn about the Amish society. It was very interesting when talking specifically about their lifestyle and beliefs. The beginning chapters about their history and immigrating from Europe were less interesting, but I'm glad I spent time learning something instead of just reading for entertainment.
June 13, 2007
This is *the* work on the Amish. I recently attended an academic conference on the Amish, and nearly every scholar referenced John Hostetler at least once. If you've read some of the (high-quality) books put out by The People's Place and would really like to know more, this is where to look.
July 25, 2007
Oddly enough this is an unforgettable book & one that I'll never give away. It provides interesting information about the Amish. It's one that I will pick up every so often & turn to any page & whatever is there, is interesting!
March 27, 2008
The author grew up in an Old Order Amish family, so he is something of an authority in a personal sense. It covers just about every aspect of their lives as well as their origins and their struggles to preserve their way of life.
September 15, 2008
I didn't finish this book but need to take it back to the library. It was very interesting though not a griping novel but it starts the brain thinking and I enjoyed learning a bit more of the beginings of the religion and the culture.
Want to read
September 21, 2008A fascinating and well structured book about the lives of the Amish. I am putting this one off for a little bit, as I'm going to begin reading the Anita Shreve book and I may be in over my head.
August 30, 2009
It's not really this book's fault; I'm just not in much of a non-fiction mood, plus it's pretty outdated by now (though does that matter with the Amish?) so I quit reading it. It's well-written and informative though.
August 3, 2011
Very informative and thorough look at the Amish, their background, their customs and beliefs. Generally easy to read and well written. Sometimes verbose and repetitive, but it's easy enough to skim when that's arises.
Read
August 6, 2011Amish communities are growing in number and acceptance today. These societies become more and more interesting as the world becomes more and more complex. This is a good book for an overview on Amish beginnings, beliefs, and lifestyle.
May 30, 2012
Good little anthropological study of the Amish. The author is formerly Amish and is a little too apologetic at times; but all in all a good treatment of an interesting subject.
September 3, 2014
A sympathetic and interesting approach to the Amish, covering the origin of the movement, its development, fragmenting, and adjustments to maintain distance from contemporary society. I liked it.
April 13, 2012
This book was very resourceful to have a deeper look into the Amish life/ways of living.
January 27, 2014
The definitive text on the Amish religion & culture. It's slightly dated, but meticulously documented.
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January 9, 2015This is an absolutely invaluable book for understanding the Amish!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews