What Do Mennonites Mean by “Plainness”?
Edsel Burdge walks us through plainness, starting with the Quakers, addressing concerns of plainness at various points of conservative Mennonite history, and makes a case for why considerations of plainness should matter to Christians today. Burdge thinks of plainness as an approach to life that identifies a person with God’s people while resisting pressures of wealth, consumerism, and sensuality.
Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College:
Ready to Harvest’s Video about Mennonites:
“Overview of the Plain People” by Ernest Eby:
“An Introduction to Old Order: and Conservative Mennonite Groups” by Stephen Scott:
Shippensburg Christian Fellowship History Series:
“Building on the Gospel Foundation” by Edsel Burdge and Samuel Horst:
Link to the First Episode with Edsel:
Episode Guest Info
Edsel Burdge
Edsel Burdge, Jr. is research associate at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Elizabethtown College. He has a B.A. in History from Eastern Mennonite University and an M.A. in History from Villanova University. He is responsible for compiling the statistical data for the Young Center’s annual Amish population growth report. His fields of expertise are Amish demographics and other plain Anabaptist groups.
Read MoreEpisode Host
Jaran Miller
Jaran Miller is a resident of Pennsylvania and a native of Tennessee. He received his K-12 education via homeschool, his college education at Lee University, and his most important education through the books he’s read and the human relationships he’s been privileged to have. Jaran enjoys living with his wife Sara. Together they engage in pursuits like playing the piano, reading books, and developing hospitality skills.
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