Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy (32 page)
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Authors: Donald B. Kraybill,Steven M. Nolt,David L. Weaver-Zercher
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168
“You will face a higher court”:
Frank Caltabilota, quoted in Ronald Smothers, “Relatives of New Jersey Dorm Fire Victims Lash Out at Sentencing,”
International Herald Tribune,
January 27, 2007,
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/27/america/web.0127seton.php
.
“You will face a higher court”:
Frank Caltabilota, quoted in Ronald Smothers, “Relatives of New Jersey Dorm Fire Victims Lash Out at Sentencing,”
International Herald Tribune,
January 27, 2007,
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/27/america/web.0127seton.php
.
171
Meanwhile, the Amish bishop:
“Amish to Blame, Jurors Declare,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
March 28, 1994; “Amish Killer’s Sentence Criticized; 5 Years Not Enough in Slaying of Wife, Author Says in Book,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
May 30, 2000.
Meanwhile, the Amish bishop:
“Amish to Blame, Jurors Declare,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
March 28, 1994; “Amish Killer’s Sentence Criticized; 5 Years Not Enough in Slaying of Wife, Author Says in Book,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
May 30, 2000.
176
Few commentators did this as crassly:
E. Ralph Hostetter, “Shoot Me First,” Free Congress Foundation, October 12, 2006,
http://www.freecongress.org/commentaries/2006/061012.aspx
.
Few commentators did this as crassly:
E. Ralph Hostetter, “Shoot Me First,” Free Congress Foundation, October 12, 2006,
http://www.freecongress.org/commentaries/2006/061012.aspx
.
177
As if to drive home the depth:
For this story, see “Speech Underscores Amish Ways,”
Mansfield
(OH)
News Journal,
February 24, 2007,
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702240326
.
As if to drive home the depth:
For this story, see “Speech Underscores Amish Ways,”
Mansfield
(OH)
News Journal,
February 24, 2007,
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702240326
.
181
What we learn:
Joseph C. Liechty, “Forgiveness,”
Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology,
2007,
8
(1), 47-49.
What we learn:
Joseph C. Liechty, “Forgiveness,”
Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology,
2007,
8
(1), 47-49.
182
“The person who volunteers time”:
Robert Kuttner,
Everything for Sale
(New York: Knopf, 1996), 62-63.
“The person who volunteers time”:
Robert Kuttner,
Everything for Sale
(New York: Knopf, 1996), 62-63.
182
In a culture that places such a premium:
Miroslav Volf,
Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 14.
In a culture that places such a premium:
Miroslav Volf,
Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 14.
182
In fact, forgiveness is less a matter:
Miroslav Volf,
The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007).
In fact, forgiveness is less a matter:
Miroslav Volf,
The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007).
191 Portions of the Appendix are adapted from
The Amish: Why They Enchant Us,
by Donald B. Kraybill. Copyright © 2003 by Herald Press, Scottdale, PA 15683. Used by permission.
The Amish: Why They Enchant Us,
by Donald B. Kraybill. Copyright © 2003 by Herald Press, Scottdale, PA 15683. Used by permission.
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER READING
Johnson-Weiner, Karen M. 2007.
Train Up a Child: Old Order Amish and Mennonite Schools
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An introduction to Old Order elementary schools in North America.
Train Up a Child: Old Order Amish and Mennonite Schools
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An introduction to Old Order elementary schools in North America.
Kraybill, Donald B. 2001.
The Riddle of Amish Culture
. Rev. ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An exploration of why the numbers of Old Order Amish are growing so rapidly in modern society.
The Riddle of Amish Culture
. Rev. ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An exploration of why the numbers of Old Order Amish are growing so rapidly in modern society.
Kraybill, Donald B., ed. 2003.
The Amish and the State
. 2nd ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. A series of essays that examines conflicts between the Amish and the state in the twentieth century.
The Amish and the State
. 2nd ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. A series of essays that examines conflicts between the Amish and the state in the twentieth century.
Nolt, Steven M. 2003.
A History of the Amish
. 2nd ed. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. A history of the Amish since their origins in 1693.
A History of the Amish
. 2nd ed. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. A history of the Amish since their origins in 1693.
Nolt, Steven M., and Thomas J. Meyers. 2007.
Plain Diversity: Amish Cultures and Identities
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An exploration of the origins and meaning of diverse Amish practices in various subgroups.
Plain Diversity: Amish Cultures and Identities
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An exploration of the origins and meaning of diverse Amish practices in various subgroups.
Stevick, Richard A. 2007.
Growing Up Amish: The Teenage Years
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. A definitive study of Amish
Rumspringa
and other rites of passage of Amish teenagers.
Growing Up Amish: The Teenage Years
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. A definitive study of Amish
Rumspringa
and other rites of passage of Amish teenagers.
Umble, Diane Zimmerman, and David Weaver-Zercher, eds. 2008.
The Amish and the Media
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Essays by a variety of scholars on mainstream media treatments of the Amish and Amish uses of media.
The Amish and the Media
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Essays by a variety of scholars on mainstream media treatments of the Amish and Amish uses of media.
Weaver-Zercher, David. 2001.
The Amish in the American Imagination
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An exploration of outsiders’ interest in and perceptions of the Amish throughout the twentieth century.
The Amish in the American Imagination
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. An exploration of outsiders’ interest in and perceptions of the Amish throughout the twentieth century.
For additional information on the Amish, visit
www.etown.edu/Amishstudies
.
www.etown.edu/Amishstudies
.
Doblmeier, Martin.
The Power of Forgiveness.
Documentary film that explores research into the psychological and physical effects of forgiveness in a variety of personal and social contexts.
The Power of Forgiveness.
Documentary film that explores research into the psychological and physical effects of forgiveness in a variety of personal and social contexts.
Enright, Robert D. 2001.
Forgiveness Is a Choice: A Step-by-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope
. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. An introduction to definitions of forgiveness and steps for extending forgiveness to one’s offenders.
Forgiveness Is a Choice: A Step-by-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope
. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. An introduction to definitions of forgiveness and steps for extending forgiveness to one’s offenders.
Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla. 2003.
A Human Being Died That Night: A South African Story of Forgiveness
. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. A South African woman’s reflections on the atrocities of apartheid, including her thoughts on the problems and possibilities of apology and forgiveness.
A Human Being Died That Night: A South African Story of Forgiveness
. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. A South African woman’s reflections on the atrocities of apartheid, including her thoughts on the problems and possibilities of apology and forgiveness.
Iligabiza, Immaculée. 2007.
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.
Carlsbad, CA: Hay House. The memoirs of a Tutsi woman whose family was killed in the 1994 Rwandan massacre; the book recounts her struggle to forgive those responsible for her family members’ deaths.
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.
Carlsbad, CA: Hay House. The memoirs of a Tutsi woman whose family was killed in the 1994 Rwandan massacre; the book recounts her struggle to forgive those responsible for her family members’ deaths.
Luskin, Frederic. 2002.
Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness
. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. An overview of how grievances are formed and how forgiveness can happen in appropriate and healing ways.
Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness
. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. An overview of how grievances are formed and how forgiveness can happen in appropriate and healing ways.
Minow, Martha. 1998.
Between Vengeance and Forgiveness: Facing History After Genocide and Mass Violence
. Boston: Beacon Press. An examination of varied responses to mass violence around the world and the potential for healing.
Between Vengeance and Forgiveness: Facing History After Genocide and Mass Violence
. Boston: Beacon Press. An examination of varied responses to mass violence around the world and the potential for healing.
Shults, F. LeRon, and Steven J. Sandage. 2003.
The Faces of Forgiveness: Searching for Wholeness and Salvation
. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. An introduction to the connections between Christian theology and psychological approaches to forgiveness.
The Faces of Forgiveness: Searching for Wholeness and Salvation
. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. An introduction to the connections between Christian theology and psychological approaches to forgiveness.
Tutu, Desmond. 1999.
No Future Without Forgiveness
. New York: Doubleday. A memoir by the chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which responded to the offenses of apartheid.
No Future Without Forgiveness
. New York: Doubleday. A memoir by the chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which responded to the offenses of apartheid.
Volf, Miroslav. 2005.
Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace
. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. An exploration of forgiveness from a Christian theologian who connects human forgiveness to God’s graciousness.
Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace
. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. An exploration of forgiveness from a Christian theologian who connects human forgiveness to God’s graciousness.
Wiesenthal, Simon. 1997.
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness
. Rev. ed. New York: Schocken Books. A true story of a Nazi’s plea for forgiveness to a Jewish prisoner, with subsequent reflections on the prisoner’s silent response.
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness
. Rev. ed. New York: Schocken Books. A true story of a Nazi’s plea for forgiveness to a Jewish prisoner, with subsequent reflections on the prisoner’s silent response.
Worthington, Everett L., Jr. 2006.
Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Theory and Application
. New York: Routledge. A clinical-research-based book that combines definitions of forgiveness with clinical theory on how forgiveness can be promoted in practice.
Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Theory and Application
. New York: Routledge. A clinical-research-based book that combines definitions of forgiveness with clinical theory on how forgiveness can be promoted in practice.
Wright, N. T. 2006.
Evil and the Justice of God
. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. An examination of the problem of evil—and the need to forgive in a world where evil exists—by the Anglican archbishop of Durham.
Evil and the Justice of God
. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. An examination of the problem of evil—and the need to forgive in a world where evil exists—by the Anglican archbishop of Durham.
For additional information on forgiveness, visit
www.fetzer.org
.
www.fetzer.org
.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Producing this book on a tight schedule demanded a team effort. We are therefore grateful for the kindness and generosity of many people who assisted us with this project. We owe our largest debt to several dozen Amish people who generously shared their time to talk about Amish forgiveness. They patiently answered many questions, some of them painful, all of them probing. This book would have been impossible without their insights.
Many other persons assisted us as well. We especially thank David Rempel Smucker for his historical research and translation of German documents; Florence Horning for her translation of Pennsylvania German and her clerical support; Cynthia Nolt, whose superb copy-editing skills improved our text; Valerie Weaver-Zercher, whose editorial eyes enhanced our prose and the flow of the narrative; and four student assistants—Courtney Fellows, Benjamin Lamb, Megan Memoli, and Kami Tyler—who provided a variety of research and support services.
As always, we benefited from the support of our colleagues at Elizabethtown College, Goshen College, and Messiah College. Some colleagues responded to chapters; others responded to ideas. Charles Seitz at Messiah College and Joe Liechty at Goshen College helped us think through issues related to forgiveness and reconciliation, and the librarians at all three institutions gave generously of their time and energy.
Three nationally recognized scholars of forgiveness—Robert Enright, Fred Luskin, and Everett Worthington Jr.—shared their time and ideas to help us better understand the issues surrounding forgiveness. In addition, their books and articles opened up for us the growing body of scholarship on the topic.
We owe a special debt to the Fetzer Institute for its financial support of our research. We enjoyed the enthusiastic support of Shirley Showalter, Fetzer’s vice president for programs, as well as Wayne Ramsey, who kindly spoke with us for hours about forgiveness research.
The text of
Amish Grace
is more accurate because a number of people were willing to read and critique early drafts of the manuscript. In addition to six Amish readers, we appreciate the thoughtful responses and critiques we received from Kimberly Adams, Nancy Adams, Herman Bontrager, Helen Burns, Julie Heisey, Jake Jacobsen, Joe Liechty, Fred Luskin, Wayne Ramsey, Stephen Scott, Richard Stevick, and Everett Worthington. Many of them raised good questions about the nature of forgiveness and Amish life, and though we could not address all their questions, our text is stronger because of their insights.
Amish Grace
is more accurate because a number of people were willing to read and critique early drafts of the manuscript. In addition to six Amish readers, we appreciate the thoughtful responses and critiques we received from Kimberly Adams, Nancy Adams, Herman Bontrager, Helen Burns, Julie Heisey, Jake Jacobsen, Joe Liechty, Fred Luskin, Wayne Ramsey, Stephen Scott, Richard Stevick, and Everett Worthington. Many of them raised good questions about the nature of forgiveness and Amish life, and though we could not address all their questions, our text is stronger because of their insights.
With warm enthusiasm, Sheryl Fullerton, executive editor at Jossey-Bass, and her team of colleagues turned our manuscript into a polished book. We deeply appreciated their professional expertise throughout the publication process. Our agent, Giles Anderson, guided us through the rapids of the publishing world with uncommon wisdom and insight.
Finally, our hearts are filled with gratitude for our spouses and families. They provided unwavering support to us during the hectic months of our research and writing. They surely learned a lot about forgiveness in the process, sometimes in theory and sometimes through extending it to us. We are blessed to have such gracious people in our lives.
THE AUTHORS
DONALD B. KRAYBILL is distinguished professor and senior fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. He has studied and published on numerous Anabaptist communities in North America. His many books on the Amish include
The Riddle of Amish Culture
(rev. ed., 2001), and an edited collection,
The Amish and the State
(2nd ed., 2003), both published by the Johns Hopkins University Press.
The Riddle of Amish Culture
(rev. ed., 2001), and an edited collection,
The Amish and the State
(2nd ed., 2003), both published by the Johns Hopkins University Press.
STEVEN M. NOLT is professor of history at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana. He has studied Amish history and culture across many settlements. His books include
A History of the Amish
(rev. ed., Good Books, 2003),
Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits
(2nd ed., with Donald B. Kraybill, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004), and
Plain Diversity
:
Amish Cultures and Identities
(with Thomas J. Meyers, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007).
A History of the Amish
(rev. ed., Good Books, 2003),
Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits
(2nd ed., with Donald B. Kraybill, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004), and
Plain Diversity
:
Amish Cultures and Identities
(with Thomas J. Meyers, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007).
DAVID L. WEAVER-ZERCHER is professor of American religious history at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. He has written extensively on mainstream Americans’ interest in and perceptions of the Amish. His books include
The Amish in the American Imagination
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001), and two edited volumes,
Writing the Amish: The Worlds of John A. Hostetler
(Pennsylvania State University Press, 2005), and
The Amish and the Media
(with Diane Zimmerman Umble, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008).
The Amish in the American Imagination
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001), and two edited volumes,
Writing the Amish: The Worlds of John A. Hostetler
(Pennsylvania State University Press, 2005), and
The Amish and the Media
(with Diane Zimmerman Umble, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008).
For more information, visit
www.amishgrace.com
.
www.amishgrace.com
.
INDEX
Abrahamic faiths
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