Amish Religious Beliefs

There is no "official" recognized religion of the Amish people. Some may consider them protestants, while others define them as Anabaptists. J Gordon Melton, head of the Institute for the Study of American Religion, defines them as part of the European Free-Church Family along with Mennonites, Brethren Quakers and other religious denominations.

The Amish movement was founded as a reform group within the Mennonite movement circa 1650. This movement was an attempt to restore some of the earlier practices of the Mennonites.

The beliefs and practices of the Amish are based on the writings of the founder of the Mennonite faith, Menno Simons (1496-1561), and partially on the Mennonite Dordrecht Confession of Faith. Lack of discipline in religious and cultural practices lead the Amish to seperate from the Mennonites in the 17th century.

This religious and ideological split caused the Amish movment to migrate to the United States. The Amish initally settled in Pensylvania, but as more immigrants arrived Ohio, New York, Illinois, Indianna, and Iowa became populated. The Amish share many simularities with Christians, as well as a few differences. Listed below is some information regarding the beliefs of the Amish Religion.

Information collected from - The Amish in Northern Indiana

Amish Lifestyle
Amish Dress
Amish Education
Amish Language

Amish Beliefs that are shared by Christians

Belief in the Trininty
The Amish believe in the concept of the trinity, which is one God, three distinct persons. The Trinity consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Belief in Heaven
The Amish believe in life after death and eternal salvation or heaven. They in turn also believe in eternal damnation or Hell.

Baptism
The Amish believe in Adult baptism, which takes place after one makes a firm commitment to the church. While Catholics receive baptism shortly after birth, the Amish wait until the individual is older, when they can make a more educated and informed decision.

Amish Beliefs that are not shared by Christians

Salvation
The Amish believe that God observes the individuals entire lifetime record of obedience to the church, and then decides whether the person is worth of salvation to heaven. If the individual is not worthy, they are condemned to eternal suffering in Hell.

Rituals
To the Amish, the body of people included in their church, as well as the communion, baptism, and worship rites are a sign of unity with Christ and with one another. Baptism in the Amish church symbolizes a commitment to both God and fellow believers. With strong emphasis on community, attending and participating in the church is an important part of the Amish way.

The Outside World
The Amish maintain an existence outside of our modern technological world. This may be in caused by the belief that association with outsiders may be polluting. This may be in part caused by severe persecution experienced by their ancestors. The Amish do not use electric power, as they feel this would connect them to the outside world. They do not drive cars, or make use of the modern appliances.

Non Militaristic
The Amish reject involvement with the military or warfare. They do not involve themselves in warfare, but they do not view themselves as pacifists. They are not restricted from involving themselves in political actions to promote peace.

Local Control
They believe that each congregation called a "district" is to remain autonomous. There is no centralized Amish organization to enforce beliefs and behaviors.

Customs
The Ordnung is an oral tradition of rules which regulates how the Amish way of life should be conducted. Specific details of the Ordnung differ among various church districts. The rules are generally reviewed biannually and occasionally revised as needed.

Sex Roles
In common with many conservative Christian faith groups, their family life has a patriarchal structure. Although the roles of women are considered equally important to those of men, they are very unequal in terms of authority. Unmarried women remain under the authority of their father. Wives are submissive to their husbands. Only males are eligible to be become Church officials.