Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy

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Praise for "Amish Grace"

"A story our polarized country needs to hear: It is still grace that saves."
--Bill Moyers, Public Affairs Television

""Amish Grace" tells a story of forgiveness informed by deep faith, rooted in a rich history, and practiced in real life. In an American society that often resorts to revenge, it is a powerful example of the better way taught by Jesus."
--Jim Wallis, author, "God's Politics"; president, Sojourners/Call to Renewal

"In a world where repaying evil with evil is almost second nature, the Amish remind us there's a better way. In plain and beautiful prose, "Amish Grace" recounts the Amish witness and connects it to the heart of their spirituality."
--Sister Helen Prejean, author, "Dead Man Walking"

"An inside look at a series of events that showed the world what Christ-like forgiveness is all about ? a story of the love of God lived out in the face of tragedy."
--Tony Campolo, Eastern University

""Amish Grace" dissects the deep-rooted pattern of Amish forgiveness and grace that, after the Nickel Mines tragedy, caused the world to gasp."
--Philip Yancey, author, "What's So Amazing About Grace"

"Covers the subject in a superb way. It gave me a private tutorial in Amish culture and religion ? on their unique view of life, death, and forgiveness."
--Fred Luskin, author, "Forgive for Good"; director, Stanford Forgiveness Projects

"A remarkable book about the good but imperfect Amish, who individually and collectively consistently try to live Jesus' example of love - for one another and for the enemy."
--Dr. Carol Rittner, distinguished professor of holocaust and genocide studies, The Richard StocktonCollege of New Jersey

"A casebook on forgiveness valuable for ALL Christians. It drills beneath the theory to their practice and even deeper to the instructions of Jesus."
--Dr. Julia Upton, provost, St. John's University

Reviews

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Publisher’s Weekly (06/25/2007)
When a gunman killed five Amish children and injured five others last fall in a Nickel Mines, Pa., schoolhouse, media attention rapidly turned from the tragic events to the extraordinary forgiveness demonstrated by the Amish community. The authors, who teach at small colleges with Anabaptist roots and have published books on the Amish, were contacted repeatedly by the media after the shootings to interpret this subculture. In response to the questions "why-and how-did they forgive?" Kraybill and his colleagues present a compelling study of "Amish grace." After describing the heartbreaking attack and its aftermath, the authors establish that forgiveness is embedded in Amish society through five centuries of Anabaptist tradition, and grounded in the firm belief that forgiveness is required by the New Testament. The community's acts of forgiveness were not isolated decisions by saintly individuals but hard-won "countercultural" practices supported by all aspects of Amish life. Common objections to Amish forgiveness are addressed in a chapter entitled, "What About Shunning?" The authors carefully distinguish between forgiveness, pardon and reconciliation, as well as analyzethe complexities of mainstream America's response and the extent to which the Amish example can be applied elsewhere. This intelligent, compassionate and hopeful book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on forgiveness.(Sept. 21)

Library Journal (10/15/2007)
Kraybill (senior fellow, Young Ctr. of Elizabethtown Coll.), Steven M. Nolt (history, Goshen Coll.), and David L. Weaver-Zercher (American religious history, Messiah Coll.) have each authored or edited numerous works on the Amish. Here, they explain the Amish community's reaction to the Nickel Mines, PA, murder of five of its schoolchildren, especially its forgiveness of the killer and expressions of grace toward his family. While the reader will gain important glimpses into the grit and grime of daily Amish life, broader understanding of Amish practices of forgiveness will enable reflection on the meaning and value of it. Those familiar with Joe Mackall's Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish, the 2005 documentary The Amish: How They Survive, or John L. Ruth's Forgiveness: A Legacy of the West Nickel Mines Amish School will appreciate this balanced presentation, which blends history, current evaluation of American society, and an examination of what builds community into a seamless story that details the shootings while it probes the religious beliefs that led to such quick forgiving. Recommended as an essential title for current affairs and religion collections; also recommended for public libraries wanting to offer general readers with an interest in history and crime a work that nourishes both mind and soul.-Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach P.L. Dist., FL

ISBN: 0787997617 | EAN: 9780787997618
Publisher: Jossey-Bass  | Publication Date: September, 2007

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