Amish and Mennonites are Christians sharing common ancestral and cultural roots. Most of their religious beliefs are the same though the practices and their living styles differ. This article attempts to highlight the differences between the two groups that are breakaway factions of the same Roman Catholic Church.
The key difference between Amish and Mennonites is their lifestyle. Mennonites are known to be more open to modern technology and education than Amish people.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. Who are Mennonites
3. Who are Amish People
4. Similarities – Amish and Mennonites
5. Amish vs Mennonites in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Amish vs Mennonites
7. FAQ – Amish and Mennonites
Who are Mennonites?
In 18th century Europe, reformation of faith took place, and Protestant Christians came to be known as Anabaptists. These were the reformers who disapproved infant baptism and stressed on adult baptism when a person confesses on his faith. Menno Simons, a Catholic priest from Holland joined this movement. His writings and teachings were so impressive that Anabaptists who were influenced by his sayings were later referred to as Mennonites.
Who are Amish People?
There was a split within a group of Anabaptists in Switzerland in the end of the 17th century that was led by Jacob Amman. The followers of this splinter group were labeled Amish. Most of the Amish population comes from Germany, France, and Switzerland.
Amish were originally Mennonites. In fact, the belief of the Amish that a man who has sinned should be boycotted or shunned by the community until he repents for his wrong doing led to Amish getting away from Mennonites. However, Amish were not spared by the majority Mennonites and were persecuted wherever they went. Scores of Amish were killed by Catholics that made them run away to mountains of Switzerland. It was here that Amish people developed a style of living based upon farming and worshipping in homes instead of churches.
Relationship Between Amish and Mennonites
- Amish and Mennonites are Christians sharing common ancestral and cultural roots.
- Both Amish and Mennonites share nearly all their beliefs regarding baptism and most doctrines enshrined in Bible.
- Amish were originally Mennonites.
Difference Between Amish and Mennonites
Definition
- Amish are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss and Alsatian origins.
- Mennonites are members of a Protestant church that arose out of the Anabaptists, a radical reform movement of the 16th-century Reformation.
Nature
- Amish people are conservative and lead a simple life.
- Mennonites are far less conservative than Amish.
Religion
- Mennonites usually worship in regular church buildings.
- Amish people gather for religious services in a less centralized way, taking turns holding these gatherings in different homes within their communities.
Occupations
- Amish depend on farming as their occupation till now.
- Mennonites get modern education for their kids who go into different occupations and services.
Contact with Outside World
- Mennonites get on with the outside world and modern technology easily.
- Amish feel that influences from the outside world will be detrimental to their pure faith.
Dressing
- Amish still wear plain dresses, with women using long dresses and men using plain suites.
- Mennonites wear more modern clothes.
Technology
- Amish still stay away from using electricity, electronic devices, and even modern vehicles. They use horse carriages for their transportation.
- Mennonites have adopted all modern means of transportation and modern technology like mobile phones and devices.
The following table summarizes the difference between Amish and Mennonites.
Summary – Amish vs Mennonites
Amish and Mennonites are Christians sharing common ancestral and cultural roots. Despite shared roots, Amish and Mennonites differ in their practices as Amish dress differently, use simpler technologies and worship differently. Therefore, the key difference between Amish and Mennonites is their lifestyle.
FAQ: Amish and Mennonites
1. Why did the Amish split from the Mennonites?
- The Amish split from the Mennonites because they disagreed on how strictly to enforce their community rules. A leader named Jakob Ammann wanted stricter discipline, especially in the practice of shunning those who didn’t follow the rules. This caused a split among the Mennonites, with those who agreed with Ammann forming the Amish group.
2. Do Amish and Mennonites dress differently?
- Amish people wear plain and simple clothing, similar to a style that dates back to a previous century, whereas Mennonites wear contemporary clothing. Amish women wear long dresses and bonnets, and men wear plain suits with broad-brimmed hats.
3. Do Amish and Mennonites get along?
- Generally, Amish and Mennonites get along well. They share a common Anabaptist heritage and many similar beliefs. While there are differences in their lifestyles and practices, such as technology use and dress, they often maintain peaceful relations and even collaborate on certain community activities and projects.
4. Can Amish girls show their hair?
- Amish girls always cover their hear by wearing a head covering (also known as a prayer covering). These head coverings are usually white in color and made of cotton. This is practiced by both married and unmarried women. This is because they believe that their hair too sensual and may be distracting for men in the community.
Reference:
1. “Amish.” Wikipedia Foundation. Wikipedia.
2. “Mennonites.” Wikipedia Foundation. Wikipedia.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Amish people” By KiwiDeaPi (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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