Ordnung

Last updated

The Ordnung is a set of rules for Amish, Old Order Mennonite and Conservative Mennonite living. Ordnung (pronounced [ˈɔʁdnʊŋ] ⓘ ) is the German word for order, discipline, rule, arrangement, organization, or system. Because the Amish have no central church government, each assembly is autonomous and is its own governing authority. Thus, every local church maintains an individual set of rules, adhering to its own Ordnung, which may vary from district to district as each community administers its own guidelines. These rules are largely unwritten, yet they define the very essence of Amish identity. [1] [2] Conservative Mennonites refer to Ordnung by the English terms "discipline" or "standard" and are usually written.

Contents

The Amish blueprint for expected behavior, called the Ordnung, regulates private, public, and ceremonial life. Ordnung does not translate readily into English. Sometimes rendered as ordinance or discipline, the Ordnung is best thought of as an ordering of the whole way of life ... a code of conduct which the church maintains by tradition rather than by systematic or explicit rules. A member noted: The order is not written down. The people just know it, that's all. Rather than a packet of rules to memorize, the Ordnung is the understood behavior by which the Amish are expected to live. In the same way that the rules of grammar are learned by children, so the Ordnung, the grammar of order, is learned by Amish youth. The Ordnung evolved gradually over the decades as the church sought to strike a delicate balance between tradition and change. Specific details of the Ordnung vary across church districts and settlements.

— Donald B. Kraybill, The Riddle of Amish Culture

Purpose

Anabaptists, such as the Amish, believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. [3] Thus the Ordnung is intended to ensure that church members live according to the biblical Word of God, as they understand it. The Ordnung is a set of behavioral rules, and all members within a church agree to have their lives ordered by that code. Each person is expected to live simple lives devoted to God, to family, and to the community, based upon their understanding of God's laws. [3]

Non-Amish may consider the Ordnung legalistic, thereby resulting in harsh consequences when broken. But to the Amish, the Ordnung provides a strong sense of group identity. Ultimately, adherents claim that its rules are supported by scripture, and they believe that persecution is the natural result of Christian discipleship. [4] The Ordnung creates boundaries for the Amish, and they view it much like a children's schoolyard fence - remaining within the enclosure allows them freedom, but to cross the fence would mean worldly danger. [5] [ page needed ]

In Garry Schmidt's book, Early Anabaptist Spirituality, he argues that a person who has learned to live within a respectful Ordnung appreciates the value of freedom of heart, peace of mind, and clear conscience. And he indicates that such a person had more freedom, more liberty, and more privilege than those outside the church.

Some of the most common Ordnung rules are: separation from the world, hard work, a woman's submission to her husband, mode of dress, and refusal to buy insurance. Non-Amish often think of the Ordnung in terms of restrictions (e.g., women must submit to husbands, no electrical power lines, no telephone in the home, no personal ownership of automobiles). However, many of the Ordnung guidelines also focus on cultivating what the Amish see as beneficial character traits. The Ordnung attempts to prevent pride, envy, vanity, laziness, dishonesty, etc.

According to the Amish, the purpose of the Ordnung is to guide Amish behavior into being more Christ-like, thus defining who they are. It ultimately intends that they be separate and different from the world. As such, anything viewed as disruptive to their society, such as personal power, wealth, and status, are funneled through the Ordnung social order. Disobedience to these lifestyle regulations is punished by discipline initiated by the church leaders. One of the more severe actions that the Amish bishop can mete out is Shunning (Meidung).

An Amish minister says of the Ordnung: A respected Ordnung generates peace, love, contentment, equality, and unity. It creates a desire for togetherness and fellowship. It binds marriages, it strengthens family ties to live together, to work together, to worship together and to commune secluded from the world.

— Donald B. Kraybill, The Riddle of Amish Culture, p.98

Types

Two types of Ordnung must be distinguished.

  1. The special conference decisions throughout history, from the 16th century onward.
  2. The contemporary rules defined by each church district. [6] [7]

The first are printed rules, the second are generally verbal and are universally understood by the local members. All rules guide the Amish believer in the application and practice of godly principles.

Both types clarify what is considered worldly and sinful. To be worldly is to be lost. Any rule that is not directly supported by biblical references will be justified through reasoning as to why violating it would cause the believer to turn worldly.

Separation from the world means to be different from the world, and the congregation must agree on how they are to be different. This is accomplished through the Ordnung. Two times each year the members come together (Ordnungsgemee) and express their unity before they partake in communion. Their concurrence on the Ordnung implies complete satisfaction with it. The agreement brings peace among members, and peace with God. If there is not group unity, then the Lord’s Supper is not observed.

Obedience is a close associate to Ordnung, because it is a symbol informing the body of believers as to whether a member loves the church or does not. There is no middle ground.

Gelassenheit

An important part of Amish life is Gelassenheit (pronounced [ɡəˈlasn̩haɪt] ⓘ ) — "yieldedness", "letting be", or "submission to the will of God" (in modern German approximately: "composure", "tranquility", "serenity"). This concept derives from the Bible when Jesus said, "not my will but thine be done," [8] thereby making individuality, selfishness, and pride, abhorrent (see humility). "He submits to Christ, loses his own will, and yields (Gelassenheit) himself in all areas." [9] Serving others and submitting to God, therefore, permeates all aspects of Amish life. A person’s personality must be modest, reserved, calm, and quiet. The values which must be apparent in a believer’s actions are submission, obedience, humility, and simplicity. Gelassenheit should be the overriding aspect for every person within the Amish community, and it must be viewable through actions and possessions. [10] Lamentations 3:26 "quietly wait," "in the Froschauer [German] Bible reads 'in Gelassenheit' (instead of quietly) – one probable Biblical reference that helped to establish this important 'Anabaptist term.'" [11]

The Ordnung is used to produce Gelassenheit, which is to be shown via a yielding of spirit to the traditions. The Amish glance back into the past and examine their traditions, treasuring them. The past is always the main resource for coping with the present. An Amish businessman may look forward to plan for new markets for his products, however, he never loses sight of the past and its precious legacy. To give yourself under the church means to yield, to submit. Modern culture's aggressive individualism sharply contrasts with the Amish gelassenheit. Through Gelassenheit, an Amish person yields to the Ordnung, the will of God, church, elders, parents, community, and traditions. The individual suppresses the will of 'self' in lieu of the Amish community.

By giving up individuality and any thought of selfishness, they embrace God's will by serving others and submitting to Him. To the Amish, Gelassenheit is seen in all of the following aspects of Amish life:

Levels of piety

There are several levels of piety in the Ordnung moral code. [12]

  1. Acceptable behavior – Certain practices that are so widely accepted they are never discussed.
  2. Esteemed behavior – The way that church leaders and their spouses are expected to behave, but not necessarily the regular church members.
  3. Frowned upon behavior – Things that are discouraged but which are not a test of membership to the church.
  4. Forbidden behavior – Prohibited by the Ordnung. They can, and do, affect membership to the church.

There could be another category that is so clearly wrong, it is not included in the Ordnung. Murder would be a prime example. [12]

Technology

Modern technology is used selectively by the Amish for fear that it may weaken the family structure. [13] If any equipment does not maintain principles of Gelassenheit, it is banned. Anything which could promote sloth, luxury or vanity is strictly prohibited. Because 120-volt electricity connects to the outside world, it violates the Amish idea of separation from society. Owning an automobile could be a sign of status and it would promote vanity and competition between the church members; a direct violation of Gelassenheit's value of modesty. A telephone in the house would be a temptation to stay at home speaking to a friend rather than walking or taking a buggy ride to visit a neighbor (though a 'community' telephone is often maintained at a suitable distance from the home to permit contact during emergencies).

Although Amish home and social life has remained mostly unaltered, a new technology can be adopted once it has passed a rigorous examination. The Ordnung is used to examine any new proposed use of technology. A proposal may be accepted for business reasons, but never for personal wishes, for entertainment, or for self-indulgences. A proposal will likely be rejected if it could have negative social implications. A telephone in the home is prohibited among the Old Order Amish because it interferes with face-to-face visits with neighbors. However, a few of the more liberal districts have allowed the telephone. Any technology that is seen to be corrupting spiritual or family life is rejected out of hand. Television would never be considered because it brings unbiblical values into the home. [3]

Amish dairy farms have discarded the metal milk bucket and three-legged stool in favor of an automated milking system. The Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture demand that certain guidelines be followed before milk can be marketed. Thus, power equipment and refrigerated bulk tanks are a necessity and permitted. However, the electricity needed to run a modern dairy must be produced, typically using diesel/gasoline generators or solar power. [14] This may be more expensive than grid electricity, but lacks the degree of intrusion on Amish values and households that would result if fixed-line external power were used.

In farming, horses are used to pull wagons, buggies, and agricultural equipment. Gasoline engines may be allowed to run the machinery but horses are required for locomotion. The Old Order Amish are permitted to use modern transportation as long as they do not own or operate the equipment.

All of these guidelines are set out in the Ordnung, creating a balance between tradition and change.

Change

A district’s Ordnung is meant to convey the community's rigid traditions, so whenever members begin exploring new things which raise concerns, the local church must decide if such activities should be allowed. Twice a year each Amish district holds a council meeting, called Ordnungsgemeine, led by the bishop. After listening to a discussion on the issue in question, the adult church members, men and women (all are expected to attend unless they are ill), vote. To ensure that the idea is carefully considered, voting is designed to make any change difficult, because once a rule has been adopted it is difficult to have it rescinded. If two or more people reject the change, the Ordnung remains unaltered. [15] The Amish allow for change, but their emphasis centers on tradition.

When considering a modification of the Ordnung, the members must also consider the implication to the districts around them. If neighboring districts believe a particular change is too radical, the offended district could break off communications and refuse to recognize them as fellow Amish. This threat is of concern, not only for community reasons, but because of family ties. For example, an Amish woman might decide that voting for a change is not worth the risk that she may never again talk to her daughter who married a young man from another district. Because of the threat of being shunned, change to the Ordnung is usually incremental and done in concert with other districts.

No Ordnung of any Anabaptist subgroup remained totally unchanged. Many Old Order Amish, Old Order Mennonites, Old Colony Mennonites and German Baptist groups have changed their Ordnung during the last 150 years so much, that they shifted away from the Old Order type of Community. For example, even the most traditional Old Order Amish groups like the Swartzentruber Amish and the Nebraska Amish allow their members to ride in cars under certain circumstances, primarily in cases of emergency.

The Amish have few written explanations why certain things are regulated by the Ordnung. Non-Amish are not allowed to attend their council meetings, and most Amish are hesitant to discuss the details with outsiders, therefore the precise reasons are difficult to explain. They formulate their rules with two interconnected goals in mind. First, is it compatible with their values. If a particular decision might disrupt their religion, tradition, community, or families, they are likely to prohibit it. The second purpose is to create a fence between themselves and Englishers. Most Americans see the Amish as different because they drive buggies, use horse drawn farm implements, dress plainly, etc. These differences are not accidental. When asked today why they have rejected a specific thing, many members of the church will simply reply: “Because it’s not Amish.” [15]

Examples of Ordnung rules

Because each Amish district is a separate church, Ordnung rules will differ from locale to locale. There are diverse groups among the Amish, thereby creating distinctions within their Ordnung. The following is a general list and not exhaustive. [16] [17]

Examples of Practices Prescribed by the Ordnung:

Examples of Practices Prohibited by the Ordnung:

— Donald B. Kraybill, The Riddle of Amish Culture, Revised Edition p.115

"Amish practices evolve over time. As modernization takes place, the Amish negotiate to what degree they will accept and utilize technology and other practices of the outside world. This cultural compromise has allowed the Amish to remain a distinct group, yet survive economically." [18]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "The Texture of Amish Society". Lancasterbarns.com. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  2. ↑ "Amish Culture, Beliefs and Lifestyle". Pittsburgh.about.com. 2010-06-17. Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  3. 1 2 3 Wise, Stephen (2002-09-19). "How Stuff Works, The Amish". People.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  4. ↑ Garry Schmidt (1998-10-18). "Early Anabaptist Spirituality". Directionjournal.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  5. ↑ Kraybill, Donald B. (2001-09-27). The Riddle of Amish Culture. Hopkins Fulfillment Service. ISBN   978-0801867729.
  6. ↑ "The Colors of the Amish (part 1)".
  7. ↑ Amish Society by John A. Hostetler pp. 82–83 Fourth Edition
  8. ↑ Luke 22:42
  9. ↑ Leonard Gross, Golden Apples in Silver Bowls, Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1999, p. 69
  10. ↑ "Amish Practices". Shawcreekgeneralstore.com. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  11. ↑ Gross, p. 314
  12. 1 2 Kraybill, "Riddle", p. 116
  13. ↑ "Amish Culture and Beliefs". Pittsburgh.about.com. 2010-06-17. Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  14. ↑ Robinson, Ryan (Oct 6, 2008). "Amish lead the way in solar power". lancasteronline.com. LNP Media Group, Inc. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Jameson M. Wetmore – "Amish Technology: Reinforcing Values, Building Community,” IEEE’s Technology & Society 26(2), June 2007, pp. 10–21.
  16. ↑ "Tim Roper's senior class report at the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School". Parker.org. Archived from the original on 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  17. ↑ Readings from Mennonite Writings: New and Old | J. Craig Haas (Intercourse, PA: Good, 1992), 52.
  18. ↑ "Ohio State University Fact Sheet". Ohioline.osu.edu. Archived from the original on 2010-07-21. Retrieved 2010-08-30.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plain people</span> Simple lifestyle Christians

Plain people are Christian groups characterized by separation from the world and by simple living, including plain dressing in modest clothing. Many Plain people have an Anabaptist background. These denominations are largely of German, Swiss German and Dutch ancestry, though people of diverse backgrounds have been incorporated into them. Conservative Friends are traditional Quakers who are also considered plain people; they come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebraska Amish</span> Most conservative Amish subgroup

The Nebraska Amish, also called Old Schoolers, are a relatively small affiliation of the Amish. They are the most conservative subgroup of Amish, indicated not only by their use of technology but also by their particular style of dress. They emerged in 1881 as a conservative split from the Byler Amish, who themselves emerged as the first conservative splinter group from the Amish mainstream in 1849.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Order River Brethren</span>

The Old Order River Brethren are a River Brethren denomination of Anabaptist Christianity with roots in the Radical Pietist movement. As their name indicates, they are Old Order Anabaptists.

Old Order Mennonites form a branch of the Mennonite tradition. Old Order are those Mennonite groups of Swiss German and south German heritage who practice a lifestyle without some elements of modern technology, still drive a horse and buggy rather than cars, wear very conservative and modest dress, and have retained the old forms of worship, baptism and communion.

Rumspringa, also spelled Rumschpringe or Rumshpringa, is a rite of passage during adolescence, translated from originally Palatine German and other Southwest German dialects to English as "jumping or hopping around", used in some Amish communities. The Amish, a subsect of the Anabaptist Christian movement, intentionally segregate themselves from other communities as a part of their faith. For Amish youth, the Rumspringa normally begins at age 16 and ends when a youth chooses either to be baptized in the Amish church or to leave the community. For Wenger Mennonites, Rumspringa occurs mostly between ages of 17 and 21.

The New Order Amish are a subgroup of Amish that split away from the Old Order Amish in the 1960s for a variety of reasons, which included a desire for "clean" youth courting standards, meaning they do not condone the practice of bundling during courtship. Tobacco and alcohol are also not allowed. They also wished to incorporate more evangelical elements into the church, including Sunday school and mission work. Some scholars see the group best characterized as a subgroup of Old Order Amish, despite the name.

Amish Mennonites came into existence through reform movements among North American Amish mainly between 1862 and 1878. These Amish moved away from the old Amish traditions and drew near to the Mennonites, becoming Mennonites of Amish origin. Over the decades, most Amish Mennonites groups removed the word "Amish" from the name of their congregations or merged with Mennonite groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church</span>

The Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church, also called Wenger Mennonites, is the largest Old Order Mennonite group to use horse-drawn carriages for transportation. Along with the automobile, they reject many modern conveniences, while allowing electricity in their homes and steel-wheeled tractors to till the fields. Initially concentrated in eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, their numbers had grown to 22,305 people resided in eight other states as of 2015. They share the pulpit with the Ontario Mennonite Conference but have some differences in Ordnung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amish</span> Group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships

The Amish, formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches, a separate Anabaptist denomination. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and slowness to adopt many conveniences of modern technology, with a view neither to interrupt family time, nor replace face-to-face conversations whenever possible, and a view to maintain self-sufficiency. The Amish value rural life, manual labor, humility and Gelassenheit.

The Swartzentruber Amish are the best-known and one of the largest and most conservative subgroups of Old Order Amish. Swartzentruber Amish are considered a subgroup of the Old Order Amish, although they do not fellowship or intermarry with more liberal Old Order Amish. They speak Pennsylvania German as their mother tongue as well as English.

The Orthodox Mennonites, also called Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites and Huron Orthodox Mennonites, are two groups of traditional Old Order Mennonites in Canada and the US with about 650 baptized members. Even though plain to a very high degree and primitivist concerning technology, they are rather intentionalist minded than ultra traditional. Since 1999 they were joined by several other Old Order Mennonite communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amish religious practices</span>

Amish religious practices are reflective of traditional Anabaptist Christian theology. The Old Order Amish typically have worship services every second Sunday in private homes. The typical district has 80 adults and 90 children under age 19. Worship begins with a short sermon by one of several preachers or the bishop of the church district, followed by scripture reading and prayer, then another, longer sermon. The service is interspersed with hymns sung without instrumental accompaniment or harmony. This is meant to put the emphasis on what is said, not how it is being said. Many communities use an ancient hymnal known as the Ausbund. The hymns contained in the Ausbund were generally written in what is referred to as Early New High German, a predecessor to modern Standard German.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amish way of life</span>

Amish believe large families are a blessing from God. Amish rules allow marrying only between members of the Amish Church. The elderly do not go to a retirement facility; they remain at home. As time has passed, the Amish have felt pressures from the modern world; their traditional rural way of life is becoming more different from the modern society. Isolated groups of Amish populations may have genetic disorders or other problems of closed communities. Amish make decisions about health, education, relationships based on their Biblical interpretation. Amish life has influenced some things in popular culture. As the Amish are divided into the Old Order Amish, New Order Amish, and Beachy Amish, the way of life of families depends on the rule of the church community to which they belong.

Over the years, as Amish churches have divided many times over doctrinal disputes, subgroups have developed. The "Old Order Amish", a conservative faction that withdrew in the 1860s from fellowship with the wider body of Amish, are those that have most emphasized traditional practices and beliefs. There are many different subgroups of Amish with most belonging, in ascending order of conservatism, to the Beachy Amish, New Order, Old Order, or Swartzentruber Amish groups.

Believers in Christ is a Plain horse-and-buggy Anabaptist Christian community at Cane Creek, Lobelville, Tennessee, that is rather intentional than traditional. They are sometimes seen as either Amish or Old Order Mennonite. G. C. Waldrep classifies them as "para-Amish". Among Anabaptists the community is often simply called "Lobelville".

Vernon Community in Hestand, Kentucky is home to a Anabaptist Christian community, that was founded in 1996 by Simon Beachy, former leader of the "Believers in Christ" in Lobelville, Tennessee. The Christian community is classified as "para-Amish" by G.C. Waldrep, adhering to plain dress using horse and buggy for transportation.

The Buchanan Amish affiliation is a subgroup of Amish that was formed in 1914 in Buchanan County, Iowa. It is among the most conservative in the entire Amish world. It is the fourth largest of all Amish affiliations, having almost as many church districts as the Holmes Old Order Amish affiliation. Geographically it is more dispersed than any other Amish affiliation.

A Seeker is a person likely to join an Old Order Anabaptist community, like the Amish, the Old Order Mennonites, the Hutterites, the Old Order Schwarzenau Brethren or the Old Order River Brethren. Among the 500,000 members of such communities in the United States there are only an estimated 1,200 to 1,300 outsiders who have joined them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byler Amish</span>

The Byler Amish, also called Alt Gemee, are a small conservative subgroup of the Amish. They are known for the yellow color of their buggies, which earned them the nickname "yellow-toppers" and for wearing only one suspender. They are the oldest Old Order Amish affiliation that separated for doctrinal and not for geographical reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Order Anabaptism</span> Branch of Anabaptist Christianity

Old Order Anabaptism encompasses those groups which have preserved the old ways of Anabaptist Christian religion and lifestyle.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.