Episode 2: Technology

It may sound audacious, to say that a horse-and-buggy driving group, can teach us anything about living in a hyper-tech, hyper-everything world. Yet for Professor Kraybill, the Amish demonstrate how some old-fashion things, suddenly turn relevant, once again! In nine episodes Kraybill explores what he learned from the Amish about (1) Community, (2) Technology, (3) Apprenticeship, (4) Forgiveness, (5) Hacking (6) Smallness (7) Choices (8) Humility, and (9) Death. Episode Two: Technology Sound silly to say we can learn something about technology from the Amish? It’s not. They don’t reject technology. They accept, reject or modify technology depending if it will help or harm their community. Lots of lessons for the rest of us in a hyper-tech world. An Amish man shares his views of tech

Episode 5: Hacking

It may sound audacious, to say that a horse-and-buggy driving group, can teach us anything about living in a hyper-tech, hyper-everything world. Yet for Professor Kraybill, the Amish demonstrate how some old-fashion things, suddenly turn relevant, once again! In nine episodes Kraybill explores what he learned from the Amish about (1) Community, (2) Technology, (3) Apprenticeship, (4) Forgiveness, (5) Hacking (6) Smallness (7) Choices (8) Humility, and (9) Death. Episode Five: Hacking Professor Kraybill explores the fascinating ways that Amish “hackers” adapt technology to fit Amish values and practices. He shows how hacking is a way to control technology while at the same time permitting some progress

Response: How Do We Know What We Know About the Amish and Other Minorities?

The appraisal by Cory Anderson, Joseph Donnermeyer, Jeffrey Longhofer, and Steven Reschly (hereafter, appraisers) highlights a methodological divide that is important to the study of the Amish and other ethnic or religious minorities. In my reply, I discuss how my work is rooted in a cultural analytic paradigm that differs from the appraisers’ methodological orientation. My reply includes a deconstruction of the appraisal and a discussion of its “shortcomings.” I conclude by showing how the discourse surrounding this appraisal raises important epistemological questions of how we understand human societies

Episode 9: Death

It may sound audacious, to say that a horse-and-buggy driving group, can teach us anything about living in a hyper-tech, hyper-everything world. Yet for Professor Kraybill, the Amish demonstrate how some old-fashion things, suddenly turn relevant, once again! In nine episodes Kraybill explores what he learned from the Amish about (1) Community, (2) Technology, (3) Apprenticeship, (4) Forgiveness, (5) Hacking (6) Smallness (7) Choices (8) Humility, and (9) Death. Episode Nine: Death Professor Kraybill describes the many Amish rituals around dying and shows how their traditions provide special support for the bereaved after a death

The upside-down kingdom.

Waterloo312 p.; 21 cm

Episode 1: Community

It may sound audacious, to say that a horse-and-buggy driving group, can teach us anything about living in a hyper-tech, hyper-everything world. Yet for Professor Kraybill, the Amish demonstrate how some old-fashion things, suddenly turn relevant, once again! In nine episodes Kraybill explores what he learned from the Amish about (1) Community, (2) Technology, (3) Apprenticeship, (4) Forgiveness, (5) Hacking (6) Smallness (7) Choices (8) Humility, and (9) Death. Episode One: Community Professor Kraybill explains how the horse-driving Amish, can teach the rest of us in a me-first world a lot about community. An Amish man describes the pros and cons of his Amish community. This is not a sales pitch for the Amish team, but an invite to tap some of their communal wisdom

Episode 4: Forgiveness

It may sound audacious, to say that a horse-and-buggy driving group, can teach us anything about living in a hyper-tech, hyper-everything world. Yet for Professor Kraybill, the Amish demonstrate how some old-fashion things, suddenly turn relevant, once again! In nine episodes Kraybill explores what he learned from the Amish about (1) Community, (2) Technology, (3) Apprenticeship, (4) Forgiveness, (5) Hacking (6) Smallness (7) Choices (8) Humility, and (9) Death. Episode Four: Forgiveness An English neighbor shoots ten young girls in an Amish school. Within hours, the Amish offer forgiveness to the offender. Forgiveness is a dominate theme in Amish life, and the Amish community demonstrates how forgiveness brings freedom and healing, and enhances our mental wellbeing

Episode 8: Humility

It may sound audacious, to say that a horse-and-buggy driving group, can teach us anything about living in a hyper-tech, hyper-everything world. Yet for Professor Kraybill, the Amish demonstrate how some old-fashion things, suddenly turn relevant, once again! In nine episodes Kraybill explores what he learned from the Amish about (1) Community, (2) Technology, (3) Apprenticeship, (4) Forgiveness, (5) Hacking (6) Smallness (7) Choices (8) Humility, and (9) Death. Episode Eight: Humility Professor Kraybill explores the value and practice of humility in Amish life and explains why individualism is the biggest difference between Amish culture and our own