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Karen Johnson-Weiner
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New York Amish: Life in the Plain Communities of the Empire State Kindle Edition

by Karen M. Johnson-Weiner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
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In a book that highlights the existence and diversity of Amish communities in New York State, Karen M. Johnson-Weiner draws on twenty-five years of observation, participation, interviews, and archival research to emphasize the contribution of the Amish to the state's rich cultural heritage. While the Amish settlements in Pennsylvania and Ohio are internationally known, the Amish population in New York, the result of internal migration from those more established settlements, is more fragmentary and less visible to all but their nearest non-Amish neighbors. All of the Amish currently living in New York are post–World War II migrants from points to the south and west. Many came seeking cheap land, others as a result of schism in their home communities. The Old Order Amish of New York are relative newcomers who, while representing an old or plain way of life, are bringing change to the state.

So that readers can better understand where the Amish come from and their relationship to other Christian groups, New York Amish traces the origins of the Amish in the religious confrontation and political upheaval of the Protestant Reformation and describes contemporary Amish lifestyles and religious practices. Johnson-Weiner welcomes readers into the lives of Amish families in different regions of New York State, including the oldest New York Amish community, the settlement in the Conewango Valley, and the diverse settlements of the Mohawk Valley and the St. Lawrence River Valley. The congregations in these regions range from the most conservative to the most progressive. Johnson-Weiner reveals how the Amish in particular regions of New York realize their core values in different ways; these variations shape not only their adjustment to new environments but also the ways in which townships and counties accommodate—and often benefit from—the presence of these thriving faith communities.

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  1. Print length
    280 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Cornell University Press
  5. Publication date
    May 2, 2017
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. File size
    5111 KB
  8. Page Flip
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Editorial Reviews

Review

After reading Johnson-Weiner's book I felt I’d been given an enthusiastic guided tour of the New York State Amish community.

― North Country Public Radio

This is a fascinating and much-needed book on the New York Amish. New York is the 'go-to' state for the Amish today, and Johnson-Weiner's book could not have been better timed for publication.

― Pennsylvania History

Review

This groundbreaking work provides an excellent overview of the Amish communities in the Empire State. It is a must-read for anyone interested in this distinctive religious group.

-- Donald B. Kraybill, Elizabethtown College, author of The Riddle of Amish Culture

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B071Z3679W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cornell University Press; 2nd edition (May 2, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 2, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5111 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

About the author

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Karen Johnson-Weiner

Karen Johnson-Weiner

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Karen M. Johnson-Weiner is Professor of Anthropology SUNY Potsdam, where she teaches courses in linguistic anthropology. She holds the Ph.D. in linguistics from McGill University. For over nearly 30 years she has been engaged in the study of Old Order culture, and her work has been supported by a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities and grants from the NEH, the Spencer Foundation, and the SUNY Potsdam Research and Creative Endeavors Program. Johnson-Weiner is the author of Train Up a Child: Old Order Amish and Mennonite Schools (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007), which offers an in-depth exploration of schools in diverse Amish communities. She is also the author of New York Amish. Life in the Plain Communities of the Empire State (Cornell University Press, 2010), which explores Amish settlement in New York, a state, which, in recent years, has seen its Amish population skyrocket. Most recently, Johnson-Weiner collaborated with Donald B. Kraybill and Steven M. Nolt in research focused on "Amish Diversity and Identity: Transformations in 20th Century America," which was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The resulting work The Amish (Johns Hopkins 2013) is a comprehensive look at the growing diversity in the Amish world and evolving Amish identities.

Johnson-Weiner’s current research focuses on the Swartzentruber Amish, among the most conservative of all Amish groups.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
28 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gail Ann
5.0 out of 5 stars Love learning about the Amish!
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
Love to visit Amish in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana. Great people, great restaurant food, best bakery, furniture, quilts and other products.
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C
5.0 out of 5 stars Very readable information for anyone who wants to understand these interesting folks.
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
We recently have been blessed by hosting a new Amish community in our rural town. Wanting to welcome without offending was the goal. Not having any information, we, like many other people thought the Amish are pretty much alike. This book does a great job of illuminating the differences between different groups of Amish as well as the why's of the differences between the Amish and the "English" (the rest of us). Lots of information about Amish everywhere.
One person found this helpful
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Romeyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2010
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I have been waiting for years for a sociologist to come out with a book about NEW YORK Amish - who are much different from the Anabaptists in other states. Growing up with a camp in St. Lawrence County, the Amish have always fascinated me as community. Karen M. Johnson-Weiner's 25-year study has compiled a brief history of who they are and where they came from; how they have dealt with persecution from the Catholic Church, the Protestants, and national governments; and how they maintain their culture in our modern (dominant) world.

Johnson-Weiner answers all those questions I had a child and an adult. Well done.
14 people found this helpful
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David D. Randlett
4.0 out of 5 stars New Home For The Amish
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015
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A great book about the Amish living in New York It explains why the Amish are leaving PA and Ohio and coming to upperstate New York. Mainly Land at a good price.
One person found this helpful
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Beans
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome reading! I quickly burned through several chapters at ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
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Awesome reading! I quickly burned through several chapters at a coffee shop recently. Looking forward to digging back in later. Detailed, accurate, absorbing and best of all gives historical explanations that I wasn't even aware of (as a fellow Anabaptist). Highly recommend!
3 people found this helpful
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IBM fan
3.0 out of 5 stars Looks like a thesis made into a book
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2012
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While a solid, informative read, this book is somewhat stodgy, like oatmeal that has spent too much time on the stove. The good:
- It is understandable.
- Not too badly written.
- Gives an insight into the NY Amish not available elsewhere, especially their diversity.

The bad:
- Reads like a thesis converted into a book: factual, but uninspiring.
- Written as a long list, handling much the same material for each community.
- No mention of items that have appeared in the news like spousal abuse.
- Not enough viewpoints or interviews with individual Amish, and as a result the book is informational, but does give us a overview of Amish life.

Overall a good book, but a bit of a plod.
5 people found this helpful
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Teresa Winchell
5.0 out of 5 stars i love the amish and this book was packed with tons ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016
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it was a very interesting book....i love the amish and this book was packed with tons of information....starts out a little slow but gets more interesting as you continue to read it....
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Movieslinger
5.0 out of 5 stars She was very happy with it and thrilled the author mentioned places that ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
Purchased for SIL who loves the history of the Amish. She was very happy with it and thrilled the author mentioned places that are less well known for having Amish colonies.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Alan Wilde
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on September 12, 2016
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Loved the book and the seller delivered promptly.
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