Description
Book SynopsisBuilt on Kraybill's deep knowledge of Amish life and his contacts within many Amish communities, Renegade Amish highlights one of the strangest and most publicized sagas in contemporary Amish history.
Trade ReviewRenegade Amish... provides an insider's perspective into how a small community of Amish people, nurtured in a religious tradition of nonviolence and forgiveness, transformed into a culture of revenge and retaliation. Publishers Weekly For the dimwitted habitues of comments threads, it was the news item that launched a thousand lame puns. But the case of the Bergholz Barbers is funny only as long as it remains a sound bite. Donald B. Kraybill's new book, Renegade Amish: Beard Cutting, Hate Crimes and the Trial of the Bergholz Barbers, digs deep into a story that, for all its seeming quaintness, has the power to both rock the underpinnings of hate crime legislation and to break the human heart. -- Laura Miller Salon Kraybill tells this fascinating story clearly, and has the knowledge and contacts to penetrate a tight-lipped community. -- Damiam Whitworth The Times The apparent dissonance in these opening narratives and the peculiar nature of Amish acting violently to shear helpless victims sets the scene for Kraybill's fascinating exploration of the Bergholz Amish... The case has taken on new significance as the court system works to decide how people will be prosecuted under the Shepherd Byrd act and how broadly hate crimes can be defined. -- Melanie Springer Mock Mennonite World Review An acknowledged expert on Amish life and culture, [Kraybill] explains the religious and social background of the people involved and successfully explains the legal tangle that has not yet completely played out. Journal of Church and State This book will be of interest to those who study the intersection of law and religion or the sociology of closed groups like the Amish Journal of Church and State [Renegade Amish] is a thorough, evenhanded, and accessible volume that provides keen insight on Amish culture. Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies ... Renegade Amish captures a fascinating chapter of legal history and Amish history... That is a tale begging to be told, and Kraybill proves worthy of the task. The Mennonite Quarterly Review Whether you want to learn more about the Amish in general, the Bergholz Amish in particular, are interested in the formation and maintenance of NRMs, interactions between religious groups and the law, or just want to read an informative book that is exceedingly well researched and written, balanced and engaging, Renegade Amish is most definitely worth reading. Nova Religio
Table of ContentsPreface
Chronology
1. The Attacks
2. The Clan
3. The Bishop
4. The Cult?
5. The FBI
6. The Trial
7. The Sentencing
8. The Aftermath
Epilogue
Appendix I
Appendix II
Notes
Bibliography
Index
