Amish (Old Order)
The Amish are an Anabaptist Christian community tracing their origin to the 1693 division in Swiss-Alsatian Mennonitism led by Jakob Ammann, who insisted on stricter application of the ban (Meidung) and other practices of separation from the world. Old Order Amish are known for their rejection of modern technology, horse-and-buggy transportation, plain dress, and the German dialect of Pennsylvania Dutch. They practice strict Gelassenheit (yieldedness/humility) and maintain a sharp boundary between church community and 'the world.' Concentrated mainly in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, their population has doubled roughly every twenty years.
Theology
Christology
Soteriology
Salvation
Nuanced
Salvation by grace; assurance held humbly; community life is essential
Atonement & Ransom
Affirms
Christ's death atones for sin and reconciles humanity to God
Predestination
Nuanced
Arminian: God desires all to be saved; Calvinist election rejected
Original Sin
Affirms
Humanity is fallen and prone to sin; grace and community are needed
Eschatology
Soul & Afterlife
Affirms
The soul lives on after death; believers await resurrection with God
Hell
Affirms
Hell exists as a place of separation from God for the unfaithful
Heaven
Affirms
Eternal life with God is the hope of the faithful community
Second Coming
Affirms
Christ will return; the community waits with patient faithfulness
Millennium
Varies
No specific millennial position; eschatological speculation avoided
Ecclesiology
Scripture
Scripture Interpretation
John 1:1 — "The Word Was God"
Affirms
The Word (Logos) is fully divine, coequal with God the Father
Isaiah 7:14 — "Virgin or Young Woman"
Affirms
Isaiah 7:14 refers to the virgin birth of Christ; fulfilled in Matthew 1
Matthew 16:18 — "Upon This Rock"
Nuanced
Church built on Christ's confession, not Peter's primacy or papal authority
Romans 9:18-21 — "God's Sovereign Choice"
Nuanced
God's sovereignty affirmed; Arminian reading—election based on foreknowledge
James 2:24 — "Justified by Works"
Affirms
Works of faith are essential evidence of genuine justification before God
Matthew 28:19 — "Baptize in the Name"
Affirms
Baptism in Trinitarian name; believer's baptism; any mode acceptable
Hebrews 1:8 — "Your Throne, O God"
Affirms
Hebrews 1:8 affirms Christ's divinity; Son called 'God' directly
Revelation 20:1-6 — "The Thousand Years"
Varies
No official position on millennialism; eschatological speculation avoided
Genesis 1:1-2 — "In the Beginning"
Affirms
God created all things from nothing; universe had a beginning
Mark 16:9-20 — "The Longer Ending"
Nuanced
Included in traditional German Bibles; content affirmed; textual origin uncertain
John 7:53–8:11 — "The Woman Caught in Adultery"
Nuanced
Not in earliest MSS; content affirms Christ's mercy and authority to forgive
1 John 5:7-8 — "The Comma Johanneum"
Nuanced
Not in earliest MSS; later interpolation; Trinity already firmly established
Deuterocanonical Books — "Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, Maccabees"
Denies
Deuterocanonical books (Apocrypha) not Scripture; not binding on faith
Shepherd of Hermas — "Early Christian Text"
Denies
Early Christian text; not Scripture; not binding on faith or doctrine
Ethics & Practice
Sabbath
Nuanced
Sunday worship; the Ordnung shapes rest practices without Sabbatarianism
Blood Transfusions
Affirms
No prohibition; Amish accept standard medical care including transfusions
Military Service
Denies
Military service is rejected; nonresistance is a core Amish conviction
Holidays
Nuanced
Christmas and Easter observed simply; commercial aspects avoided