The Hutterites in North America

Their religious belief is what has sustained the Hutterites throughout their 400- year history. It is accorded a central place in this book. The authors explain the way in which relations with the Bruderhof, based in Europe and eastern North America, contributed to the greatest modern crisis facing the Hutterites, the split of the Schmiedeleut into conservative and progressive factions, during the 1990s. Their nuanced analysis emphasizes the fact that some good came out of the turmoil. Hutterites everywhere are becoming more interested in their history and spirituality. Similarly, evangelical Christianity has had a huge impact on the Brethren. Colonists talk of "born again" and "born against" individuals or families. Implying that the individualistic search for a personal relationship with Jesus runs counter to the com- munal way of living out the gospel together in brotherly love. But even this divisive trend has born some fruit. Ministers are doing more to interpret the seventeenth- century lehren (sermons) they read in church, and are making efforts to link them to contemporary issues. This is a forward-looking book which teases out trends in Hutterite culture and weighs possible future scenarios. Chapters on "Education and Cultural Continuity"; "Population, Demography and Defection"; "Managing Technology and Social Change"; and "Facing the Future," describe many of the issues which face the Brethren.