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An Interview with Donald Kraybill and Carl Desportes Bowman

Q. Are the Old Order Anabaptist groups dying out?
A. No, actually many of the Old Order groups are growing rather rapidly.  The four groups (Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren) which we studied are all growing.  In fact the Amish in North America are doubling about every twenty years.

Q. How do they thrive if they reject modern technology?
A. All of the Old Order groups use various forms of modern technology, however, they use it selectively and carefully.  The Hutterites use large state-of-the-art farm machinery but it is owned by the colony, not the individual.  All the groups consistently reject communicative technology like television.  Some groups permit computers but other groups do not.  The Amish hire vehicles but are not permitted to own them.  The groups carefully consider the impact of new technology on their communities before adopting it.   For example, roller blades are acceptable, but not radios or television among the Mennonites and Amish.

Q. Why are the groups growing?
A. Most of them have large families with five to seven children.  The bulk of the children choose to join the church so the growth is produced by biological reproduction rather than through evangelism or proselyting.

Q. Are the Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren the only Old Order Anabaptist groups? 
A. Our research focused on four of the largest Old Order groups but there are many other smaller Old Order Anabaptist groups.

Q. What are Anabaptist groups?
A. The word Anabaptist refers to a sixteenth-century movement at the time of the Protestant Reformation.  Anabaptist means twice baptized.  The sixteenth-century Anabaptists advocated adult or “believers” baptism.  They were nicknamed “Anabaptists” because they had already been baptized as infants.  Hundreds were killed by religious and government authorities because adult baptism was a capital offense.  Four major religious groups eventually emerged out of the Anabaptist Movement—the Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren.

Q. What does Old Order mean?
A. Old Order groups emphasize traditional religious practices, distinctive dress, and the importance of community.  The Old Order identity developed in the late-nineteenth century when some Anabaptist groups were beginning to change and accept new forms of technology as well as other innovations in church life.  Among the Mennonites and Brethren the Old Order groups separated from the change oriented groups and emphasized the preservation of traditional practices.  There are many Mennonite and Brethren groups who are not Old Order and who have largely assimilated into American culture in many ways.  However, most of the Amish and Hutterite groups have an Old Order identity.

Q. Are the Old Order Hutterite, Mennonite, Amish, and Brethren fairly similar?
A. No, in fact they are quite different even though they all have an Old Order Identity.  The Hutterites are a communal group without private property.  The Old German Baptist Brethren use automobiles and speak English.  The other three groups speak a German dialect.  The Amish and Mennonites use horse-and-buggy transportation.  The Amish hold worship services in their homes but the Mennonites have meetinghouses.

Q. Why do the Amish permit their members to hire cars and trucks but not to own or operate them?
A. The Old Order groups have made many cultural compromises in order to preserve their identity while at the same time tapping the fruits of progress.  The motor vehicle compromise is one of many interesting bargains that Old Order groups have struck with the larger culture.  The Amish and Mennonites worry that if they permit private ownership of cars the mobility will fragment and splinter their local communities.  The car is also a symbol and agent of individualism that threatens their communal patterns of life.

Q. Is it true that these groups don’t pay taxes?
A. No, these groups do in fact pay taxes just like other United States citizens.  They pay income tax (federal and state), sales tax, school tax, property tax, etc.  They are exempt from social security because they consider it an insurance.  They oppose commercial insurance because they think the church should provide and care for its needy members.  They do not pay into or tap benefits from social security.

Q. What is distinctive about your book?
A. Our research and the book On the Backroad to Heaven makes several unique contributions.  To begin, it is the first scholarly study of the Old Order Mennonites and the Old German Baptist Brethren.  Second, its major contribution is our comparison of the four groups.  We show how each group uses different social strategies to preserve its identity.  We trace the similarities as well as the differences among the groups.  Third, we show how each group in its own way constructs symbolic boundaries that help to create and preserve an Old Order identity.  Finally, we also explore some of the postmodern challenges facing Old Order groups.  Cell phones and portable laptop computers make it difficult for some of the groups to maintain their traditional taboos.

Q. What issues do these groups struggle with?
A. A big challenge facing all four groups is the rise of non-farm occupations.  Although many members continue to farm the percent of farmers is declining rapidly in some of the groups.  Among the Brethren and the Amish many members are involved in small businesses and micro-enterprises.  These involvements increase their exposure to the outside world and will likely produce many changes in their traditional practices—dress, use of technology, gender roles—in the future.