Amish

Definition and Meaning

The Amish are a Christian community rooted in Anabaptism, a radical movement of the Reformation era. Their name comes from Jakob Ammann, who led the schism that gave rise to the group. The Amish hold that only adults capable of making their own decision should receive baptism, and they regard a simple life set apart from the world as the practice of their faith. Horse-drawn buggies, solid-colored clothing, and restrictions on the use of electricity and automobiles are among their features best known to outsiders.

Biblical and Historical Background

Around 1693 the Amish separated from within the Swiss Brethren, the Anabaptists of Switzerland and Alsace. The points of contention included how strictly to enforce shunning, the practice of withdrawing fellowship from unrepentant members, and whether to observe foot washing together with the Lord's Supper. In the eighteenth century they emigrated to North America to escape persecution and poverty, forming communities centered in Pennsylvania. Today their members live mainly in the United States and Canada.

Citing passages such as "be not conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2), the Amish emphasize a life set apart from the world. Each community has an unwritten set of rules called the Ordnung (rules for living), which defines the acceptable range of dress and technology use. Rather than maintaining separate meetinghouses, they hold worship services in members' homes on a rotating basis. Ministers such as bishops, preachers, and deacons are chosen by lot from among candidates nominated by the congregation. The procedure reportedly involves setting out as many hymnals as there are candidates, with a slip of paper placed in only one of them; as its basis, the Amish point to the choosing of Matthias as an apostle by lot (Acts 1:23-26). They place great importance on nonviolence and forgiveness; after the 2006 shooting at an Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, members of the community visited the gunman's family to express forgiveness, an act that was widely reported.

Practice in the Korean Church

There are reportedly no Amish communities in Korea, and Korean Christians encounter the Amish mainly through books, documentaries, and sermon illustrations. In preaching, the Amish are frequently cited as examples of forgiveness and frugal living.

Denominations differ in what they emphasize when evaluating the Amish. Denominations that practice infant baptism, such as the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Anglican churches, have historically held a position different from the Anabaptist understanding of baptism. Baptists, by contrast, are sometimes regarded as sharing common ground with the Anabaptists in their emphasis on believer's baptism (→ Infant Baptism Controversy, Baptism and Immersion). As for the Amish way of life, which rejects aspects of culture and technology, some regard it highly as a faithful life set apart from the world, while others see it as legalistic rigidity.