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Ontologies of Violence provides a new paradigm for understanding the concept of violence through comparative interpretations of French philosopher Jacques Derrida, philosophical theologians in the Mennonite pacifist tradition, and Grace M. Jantzen's feminist philosophy of religion. By drawing out and challenging the remarkably similar priorities shared by its three sources, and by challenging the assumption that differences necessarily lead to displacement, Ontologies of Violence provides a critical theory of violence by treating it as a diagnostic concept that implies the violation of value-laden boundaries.

This article deals with two objects of art and history. They are considered here as silent witnesses of the VOC antecedents of two Dutch Mennonites in Amsterdam: Cornelis Pronk and Thomas Hope. They were employed by the VOC, the Dutch East India Company, respectively in the years 1734-1736 and 1752-1770. Although the VOC waged wars of conquest both Pronk and Hope were respected members of their churches. Pronk was a draughtsman of high repute. In 1734 the VOC put him under contract to draw the designs for the decorations of an exclusive product line of Chinese porcelain. The drawing of one of his designs, the Parasol Ladies, is kept in the Rijksmuseum. In 1756 Hope was appointed to be a VOC director, and in 1766 he became the representative of Stadtholder William V at the VOC. From 1761 until 1766, the VOC was at war with the king of Kandy to safeguard the cinnamon production. Plundering the royal palace in 1765 the troops captured a richly decorated ceremonial cannon. On Hope’s decisive advice it was exhibited as a trophy of war in the art gallery of William V. In 1795 the French confiscated the Stadholder’s collection and transferred the canon to the States General. As a highlight of the Rijksmuseum it became an icon in debates about restitution of looted art from the colonial period and in 2023 the Dutch Government returned it to Sri Lanka.

From the very beginning of the Dutch trade with the East Indies, Mennonites (‘Doopsgezinden’) from the Netherlands or their siblings were involved in sailing to that part of Asia or lived and worked there, often as servants of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie. The very first to set foot ashore there was Aernout Lintgens. Being part of Cornelis Houtman’s first expedition, in February 1597 he negotiated a full week with a local king on the island of Bali. In the next decades and centuries several other Doopsgezinden travelled to or worked in the Indies. At least seven asked to become members of the so-called Indische Kerk. Apparently several of those living there did not refuse to use arms. Not always their departure to the colony was a free choice: failure in business at home or even misdemeanour played a role. All in all between twenty and thirty Doopsgezinden or their not yet baptized children were in the Indies till the moment the VOC had to end its business in 1796.

One woman's story of survival from an abusive upbringing in a close-knit Mennonite community and her journey to forgiveness and reconciliation.Marlena's childhood in Paraguay was full of contradictions. Her father was both a heroic doctor treating patients with leprosy, and an abusive parent. Her Mennonite missionary community was both a devoted tribe and a controlling society. And Marlena longed both to be accepted and to escape to somewhere new. Then she was publicly humiliated... In Nothing Bad Between Us, follow Marlena as she takes control of her life and learns to be her authentic self, scars and imperfections included. This memoir is a story of brokenness and eventual redemption that taps into our collective yearning for healing and forgiveness.Praise for Nothing Bad Between Us“Riveting and spellbinding... A true story of healing, deep reflection, raw emotion, and triumph. Marlena has been able to see through her own pain in order to encourage and help bring healing to others. Highly recommended.” —Misty Griffin, author of Tears of the Silenced: An Amish True Crime Memoir of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Brutal Betrayal, and Ultimate Survival“I found enormous inspiration and encouragement in this beautifully written account. This book could have been written only by someone possessed of uncommon love, compassion, and empathy. For anyone who has been broken and is in need of healing, please put Nothing Bad Between Us at the top of your list.” —Larry Dossey, MD, New York Times–bestselling author of One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters

You feed your loved ones. But how do you nourish your soul?Strengthen your relationship with God. Savor everyday moments. Deepen your faith. In this heartfelt book of meditations for women, the bestselling authors of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook series serve as friends and companions on your spiritual journey. The 90 daily devotionals provide morsels for inspiration and reflection, all drawn from God's unending promises in Scripture. Interspersed throughout the devotional are favorite recipes, inviting us to extend our tables and share God's blessing with others.In the pages of Bread for the Journey, you will find:daily inspiration for your journey with Jesusshort prayers and invitations to reflectiondramatic family stories of suffering, migration, and hopetantalizing recipes from the bestselling authors of Mennonite Girls Can CookJoin the Mennonite Girls as they journey deep into God's Word, reminding us again and again that God gives us bread for our journeys, one day at a time. Your soul needs nourishment, and the words of the Mennonite Girls remind us to celebrate God's constant provision.

Meeting in Stuttgart, Germany, in 2010, the Eleventh Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) asked for forgiveness from members of the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition for the wrongs going back to the beginnings of the Lutheran movement in the sixteenth century that had led to painful divisions between the two Christian families. The Mennonites accepted this apology and both communities committed themselves to move toward reconciliation. On the threshold of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, this publication brings together two reports:'Healing Memories: Reconciling in Christ'by the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission and'Bearing Fruit – Implications of the 2010 Reconciliation between Lutherans and Mennonites/Anabaptists'by the LWF Task Force on Mennonite Action. [Heilung der Erinnerungen. Implikationen der Versöhnung zischen Lutheranern und Mennoniten] Die Elfte Vollversammlung des Lutherischen Weltbundes in Stuttgart im Jahr 2010 bat die Mitglieder der anabaptistischen/mennonitischen Bewegung um Vergebung für begangenes Unrecht, das bis zu den Anfängen der lutherischen Bewegung im 16. Jahrhundert zurückreicht und zu der schmerzhaften Trennung der beiden christlichen Traditionen führte. Die Mennoniten nahmen die Entschuldigung an, und beide Gemeinschaften verpflichteten sich, eine Versöhnung anzustreben. An der Schwelle zum Reformationsjubiläum werden in dieser Publikation zwei Berichte gemeinsam veröffentlicht:'Heilung der Erinnerungen: Versöhnung in Christus'von der Lutherisch-mennonitischen Internationalen Studienkommission und'Es trägt Früchte – Auswirkungen der Versöhnung zwischen Lutheranern und Mennoniten/Anabaptisten im Jahre 2010'von der zuständigen Arbeitsgruppe des LWB.

As experiences of suffering continue to influence the responses of identity groups in the midst of violent conflict, a way to harness their narratives, stories, memories, and myths in transformative and nonviolent ways is needed. From Suffering to Solidarity explores the historical seeds of Mennonite peacebuilding approaches and their application in violent conflicts around the world. The authors in this book first draw out the experiences of Anabaptists and Mennonites from the sixteenth-century origins through to the present that have shaped their approaches to conflict transformation and inspired new generations of Mennonites to engage in relief, development, and peacebuilding to alleviate the suffering of others whose experiences today reflect those of their ancestors. Authors then explore the various peacebuilding approaches, methods, and initiatives that have emerged from this Mennonite narrative and its preservation and dissemination in subsequent generations. Finally, the book examines how this combined historical sensitivity and resulting peacebuilding theory and practice have been applied in violent conflicts around the world, noting both successes and challenges. Ultimately, From Suffering to Solidarity attempts to answer a question: How can a robust historical infrastructure be used to inspire empathetic solidarity with the Other and shape nonviolent ways of transforming conflict to thrust a stick in the spokes of the cycle of violence?

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 cdnfrontation 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. These congregations 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.

Christian leaders at every level of the church are working in the crucible of multiple realities where paradoxical trends occupy the same space and time. Today church leaders find themselves bearing witness to the gospel in contexts of discontinuous change. Nowhere is the complexity of mission strategy more apparent than in the relationships among denominational leaders and church planters. Enlightenment era models of mission relied heavily on models applied to cross-cultural contexts with little consideration of the congruence of the model with the cultural context. While mission practitioners have done their share of experimentation in the field, denominational centers typically play the role of referee in determining acceptable and unacceptable mission strategies. While it may seem that everything is up for grabs in the ecology of the church, the complexity and change Christians leaders face is not only a problem. Change and complexity also offer frame-breaking opportunities. The narratives in this book, presented as four case studies of church planting, will explore issues with which local, regional, and denominational church leaders struggle as they attempt to plant churches at a time when modern models of mission are quickly losing their relevance and coherence. This study will identify new pathways forward so that church leaders at every level can incarnate a winsome witness in social contexts that are increasingly characterized by complexity, paradox, and discontinuous change.

'When I think I can't bear to trace / one more sorrow back to its source, /... I think of how they tell these stories: / honestly, without explanation, / to whoever will listen.—'Thinking of Certain Mennonite Women,'by Julia Kasdorf, from Eve's Striptease (University of Pittsburgh Press)This collection of essays by nationally known poet Julia Kasdorf'probe,'in her own words,'the tangled threads of gender and cultural/religious identity as they relate to the emergence and exercise of literary authority.'Her ten essays, accompanied by forty-two engaging illustrations (from a nude by Titian, to family photos, to a famous image of Marilyn Monroe) and a dozen of her poems, focus on specific aspects of Mennonite life. Often drawing from historical episodes or family stories, Kasdorf pursues themes of martyrdom, landscape, silence, the body, memory, community, and the struggle to articulate experience with a voice that is both authentic to the self and a conversation with her traditional Mennonite and Amish-Mennonite background.Praise for Julia Kasdorf's previous book, Eve's Striptease:'Crosshatched by body, spirit, and the relation between them; animated by bright instinctive exchanges between carnal and religious zones of experience; driven by an honest, explicitly female consciousness of what'animal'and'soul'might mean, the poems in Eve's Striptease keep pace with a considered life in its search for some consoling'homeliness'in the world.'—Eamon Grennan, author of Relations: New & Selected Poems'Most readers will be grateful for the gift outright of Kasdorf's achingly beautiful language of desire and of a'full store'of unavoidable passings from discovery to dark discovery and from expectations and surprises of childhood to retrospections and surprises of adulthood.'— Mennonite Quarterly Review'Her poems have an immediate quality that illustrates her ability to explore emotions... Kasdorf's poetry tends to illustrate small situations that have larger implications... Kasdorf also exhibits a keen sense of place in her work, with some lovely descriptions of her birthplace and the magical hold Pennsylvania seems to have on its native sons and daughters.'— Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

'A Pandora Press U.S. book.'

'Various changes have been made in this new printing, the most important being the dropping of the Wismar Articles of 1554'--Preface to the 5th printing.

This book tells a story which until now has not been available in such an interesting and comprehensive form. What holds these people together? Why are they growing in number? Where do they live? The Old Order Mennonites are less well known than the Amish, but are similar in many beliefs and practices. Some Old Order Mennonites drive horses and buggies. Others use cars for transportation. Conservative Mennonite groups vary a great deal, but in general espouse strong faith and family life and believe that how they live should distinguish them from the larger society around them. The author details courtship and wedding practices, methods of worship, dress, transportation, and vocation. Never before has there been such an inside account of these people and their lives. The author spent years conferring and interviewing members of the various groups, trying to portray their history and their story in a fair and accurate manner. An enjoyable, educational, inspiring book.