An Amish Patchwork Indiana's Old Orders in the Modern World [Paperback]

Indiana is home to the worlds third-largest Amish population. Indianas 19 Old Order Amish and two Old Order Mennonite communities show a surprising diversity despite all that unites them as a distinct culture. This contemporary portrait of Indianas Amish is the first book-length overview of Amish in the state. Thomas J. Meyers and Steven M. Nolt present an overview of the beliefs and values of the Amish, their migration history, and the differences between the states two major Amish ethnic groups (Pennsylvania Dutch and Swiss). They also talk about Indianas Old Order Mennonites, a group too often confused with the Amish. Meyers and Nolt situate the Amish in their Indiana context, noting an involvement with Indianas industrial economy that may surprise some. They also treat Amish interaction with state government over private schooling and other matters, and the relationship of the Amish to their neighbors and the tourist industry. This valuable introduction to the Indiana Amish deserves a place on every Hoosiers bookshelf.

Thomas J. Meyers, Professor of Sociology and Director of International Education at Goshen College, is author of numerous articles on the Indiana Amish and has conducted extensive field research among LaGrange and Elkhart Amish groups. He lives in Goshen, Indiana.

Steven M. Nolt, Associate Professor of History at Goshen College, is author of Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits (with Donald Kraybill); A History of the Amish; Foreigners in Their Own Land: Pennsylvania Germans in the Early Republic; and other publications on the Amish and Old Order groups. He lives in Goshen, Indiana.

Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Who Are These People?
1. The Old Orders: In the World but Not of It
2. Moving to Indiana
3. Maintaining the Old Order
4. Amish Ethnicity: Pennsylvania Dutch and Swiss
5. Community and Family Life
6. Amish Schools
7. Amish Work: Farm, Factory, Carls