An Amish Patchwork

Indiana is home to the world's third-largest Amish population. Indiana's 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 Indiana's 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 state's two major Amish ethnic groups (Pennsylvania Dutch and Swiss). They also talk about Indiana's 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 Indiana's 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 Hoosier's bookshelf.

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, Carpentry, and Cottage Industry
8. The Amish and Their Neighbors
9. A Different Part of the Patchwork: Indiana's Old Order Mennonites
Afterword: The Patchwork in the Modern World

Notes
For Further Reading
Index