new course on Amish and Anabaptist groups is being offered to students during the May term.
The new class is called “Amish and Anabaptist Groups in Context” and is being team-taught by Professor of Sociology Dr. Conrad Kanagy and the Director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies Dr. Jeff Bach. The class will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from May 12 to May 22 for two weeks, including Sunday, and will be worth four credits.
According to Kanagy and Bach, the course is being offered for many different reasons. “To offer students the opportunity to become aware of the diversity of Anabaptist-related groups in central Pennsylvania [is the goal of this course]. Many students think first of the Amish, but there are other groups, including immigrants from Latin America and Asia who have established Mennonite churches in Lancaster County. This course will introduce students to a variety of groups,” Kanagy said.
Aiming to reach a variety of groups and also other colleges, “This course expands the offerings related to the study of Anabaptist groups by looking at new, multi-ethnic Anabaptist groups in addition to the Amish, Mennonites, Brethren and River Brethren,” Bach said. “Dr. Kanagy and I wanted to introduce students to the spectrum of traditional groups and the breadth of cultures among Anabaptists right here in Lancaster County today. Students will have an opportunity to meet Anabaptists with Hispanic backgrounds, as well as Anabaptists from African and Asian backgrounds,” Bach continued.
This course will have opportunities outside of the classroom to go along with the in-class lessons.
“Students will take numerous field trips — in fact, there will be nearly 40 hours of class outside of the traditional classroom. An overnight field trip to Big Valley, Pa., a day long service project with Mennonite Central Committee, Sunday morning worship as well as other experiences will strengthen student understanding of these groups,” Kanagy said.
Through these experiences, students will learn about different connections in the world. “By interacting personally with Anabaptist groups through visits to farms, businesses, meetings for worship and homes, students will grow in their awareness of religious and cultural diversity here in our own neighborhood and see how some of these groups represent connections around the world. Students will also encounter the traditional groups’ ways that family ties are cultivated across many generations,” Bach said. “The interactions with people from Plain groups hopefully will challenge students to become more aware of the many ways that our consumer-oriented, technology-driven society impact people and relationships and to reflect on their priorities. Students will also learn about the commitment to peace and non-violence and its significance in the lives of members of these groups. Students will also spend one day in a service-learning activity.” Service learning is required by multiple majors and, according to the College’s website, students “are afforded the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to achieve a more integrated understanding and analysis of community issues.”
Some specific skills will be developed through participation in this learning experience. “Students will develop some research skills related to learning about the history and beliefs of Anabaptist religious groups. They will develop some skills for analyzing social organization, change and persistence among religious minorities. They will also develop skills for interacting with people of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds so that students come away with skills in understanding and appreciating cultural differences,” Bach said.
Students in this class will approach the subject matter from different standpoints, including sociological, historical and religious views. Through this, students will learn about this religious minority. This class does not focus on specific skills but on “breadth of knowledge,” according to Kanagy.
