Utopian Communities: Survival of Old Order Hutterite, Amish and Mennonite Groups (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781456317348)

This study is a comprehensive review of religious and secular utopian sects to determine why three Old Order Anabaptist groups have survived for four centuries and have thrived into the twenty- first century when hundreds of sects have failed. Utopian theory provides a background to elucidate the reasons why many people were attracted to these communities. A multitude of key factors contributed to the decline and failure of the non-Old Order sects; e.g., a lack of commitment, the absence of a central belief system buttressed by uniform governance, self-centered charismatic leaders, the inability to provide economic support, poor work ethics, a disparity of common goals and a decline in community membership. Also, readers are given a glimpse of mid-twentieth-century Pennsylvania Dutch farm life.

Author: Elsie W. Hamel
ISBN-10: 1456317342
ISBN-13: 9781456317348
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Language: English
Published: 04/08/2011
Pages: 402
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.18lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.82d