An e-mail to my brother:
The book “None But Saints, The Transformation of Mennonite Life in Russia 1789-1889” by James Urry ISBN 0-920534-80-5. 1989. Forward by Dr. David G. Rempel.
One of the reasons this book is interesting is that it shows the fast evolution of a religious system — most people assume religious systems do not change in fundamental ways. Another reason is that James Urry is from England and a non-Mennonite, so probably has a more realistic view of Mennonite history than a Mennonite author. He did extensive research in Russia, Canada, U.S. and Australia (Originally part of a doctoral anthropology thesis on an isolated community – he chose the Russian Mennonites). I will make brief comments (using some of James Urry’s words) about some of the changes as described in different parts of the book (some of it will be repetitious):
As you know the Anabaptist movement emerged with leadership about 1520. Part of this movement had leaders Menno Simons and Dirk Philips. The group of people that were members of this part of the movement were called Mennonites. Our parents come from this group.
*(1) Originally: Mennonites met in private homes or barns, eventually in plain meeting houses. The church buildings of other denominations symbolized for Mennonites the separation of faith from life, as did the existence of an ordained church hierarchy.
Later: Still later actual church buildings were used.
*(2) Originally: Through baptism Mennonites entered a covenant with God and with the community. Baptism was a private act (acceptance of faith) with public consequences (agreed to subordinate themselves to the ethical rules of the community).
Later: Being “born again” was considered worldly, but towards the middle of the 1800’s it was accepted, more and more as a religious experience (due to the influence of the German Baptists and evangelicals).
Because of foreign influences, (with much Mennonite resistance, about 1845) some Mennonites began to stress the redemption of Christ crucified, how individuals by personal faith could overcome sin through the experience of God’s love gain the assurance of their own salvation. Some even began to “experience” religious conversions. Also some congregations began to use free sermons, to use emotional hymn singing, religious study groups. Some showed an interest in the temperance movement and the support of missions.
*(3) Originally: The service was structured around a period of prayer, singing, and addresses. Prayer was silent, each Mennonite communed with his or her Maker. Singing was public, but unison was not important — psalms from Dutch texts were sung. Each individual sang to the Lord, but took little notice of his neighbours and in the resulting cacophony individual public expression of faith was concealed.
Later: As you know prayer became public and singing harmonized.
(4) Originally: Sermons, laboriously copied from old texts, were delivered passionlessly and received with little comprehension, especially being couched in archaic terminology or even in a language alien to everyday discourse. Much of the Bible was ignored, only certain appropriate passages were used in readings, private reading, and sermons. For most it was enough that God’s word was present among the assembled congregation.
Later: Not much has changed, except the sermons are now more passionately presented!
*(5) Originally: The Lord’s Supper was important. It was held once a year instead of at least once a month as it is now. No one could take part if he still bore grudges against fellow Mennonites.
*(6) Other life-crises rituals, marriage and death had little to do with religious worship. These were held away from worship areas.
(7) Mennonites could only marry baptized members of the congregation.
(8) Originally: Mennonites had no need to seek new knowledge elsewhere. New ideas and doctrines, claims to have discovered additional religious revelation as well as innovations in everyday life, belonged to the degenerate world and were therefore to be rejected. The principle duty of Mennonites was to preserve and transmit traditions unaltered to the next generation. Mennonites were admonished to follow Christ’s example and submit themselves calmly to their fate, never resisting but always maintaining their faith, secure in the belief of their ultimate righteousness.
The aim of Mennonite life was thus to create a separate community, a closed order which was to persist unchanged until the final days.
In the Netherlands from the seventeenth century onwards many Mennonites succumbed to the “world”.
Later: This happened to the Mennonite communities in Russia as the 19th century elapsed.
(9) As the Mennonites became wealthier in Russia, problems of power and conflict arose. Practical problems that religious leaders had to deal with more and more were: violence among community members; adultery and fornication; ostentation in life-style, clothing, buildings, and furnishings; dancing; card-playing, and the smoking of tobacco.
(10) Originally: A person could be put under a ban, but could not be expelled from a colony.
*(11) Later: Between 1816 and 1822 a number of foreign evangelicals – Quakers, missionaries and members of the Russian Bible Society (based on the British and foreign Bible Society) began to visit Mennonite communities. These people were all frowned upon as worldly influences with their organized hierarchy (resembled military ranks — Mennonites were pacifists). Missionaries and Bible societies were almost totally resisted – however in 1822 an Elder fast allowed a Christian missionary to the Jews, Johann Moritz, to address a prayer meeting in one of the colonies.
Later: Now these are all accepted by Mennonites.
Under Moravian influence new practices emerged as time went on – including consecration of children, baptism occurred at a much earlier age then were common earlier.
(12) Rulers were often seen as legitimate leaders ordained by God. In 1816 Emperor Alexander was considered the promised ruler of the final days.
(13) Children were expected to learn to read and expected to limit their reading to the Bible and the approved texts of the tradition.
(14) Originally: Apart from the catechism (developed in Prussia) given before the baptism, children usually were not exposed to much direct religious experience. The dominant mode of communication was not written but the spoken word. While elders and ministers kept congregational records, copied sermons, and exchanged letters, a literate tradition did not develop before the nineteenth century.
(15) Originally: Knowledge of High German was restricted. Some books and sermons had been translated from Dutch to German, often in archaic High German.
Later: By the end of the 1800’s reading of non-Mennonite books and periodicals was commonplace.
*(16) Later: In 1860 the Mennonite Brethren began to baptize by immersion in a creek or river and would not accept as legitimate Mennonites that had been baptized traditionally. The Brethren also adopted practices such as the sister-kiss and preaching in Low German. At meetings members would shout for joy, sing, and dance to musical instruments. As the Brethren became accepted they became more institutionalized and although they continued to insist on proof of personal salvation before baptism, their communities became increasingly legalistic, demanding of the members a strict adherence to a rigid moral code.
(17) Originally: Ownership of land, or at least access to it, lay at the core of Mennonite life.
Later: Because of the large families, by 1860 there were many landless Mennonites. In one community over 50% of Mennonites had no land. There were the wealthy, large estate holders, regular farmers, small farmers, craftsmen, and the poor landless (often large families) that eked out an existence at the edge of villages inhabited by the 50% that prospered. A rich Mennonite elite formed, restricting the marriage of their children within this elite.
These elite also were the main financial supporters of the training of teachers and missionaries abroad. Teachers were a major force in introducing new and foreign ideas (especially religious) to the Mennonite colonies.
While all Mennonites were equal before God, some were obviously allowed to be more equal than others. If the landless wanted to achieve reforms they had to organize themselves, for it was apparent that they could expect little support from either the civil or religious leadership in their community.
*(18) Later: In the 1860’s, new forms of religious singing based upon the system of musical notation introduced by Prussian school teachers caused quite a controversial stir. By the 1880’s the use of musical instruments was still not allowed in religious services, but choirs began to replace the old lead-singers. In a society where the creative and performing arts were still restricted, music, both religious and secular, became the major focus of artistic endeavor and received widespread community approval.
*(19) After 1840 there was gradual shift in the value of education, from avoidance of education to an emphasize on education.
(20) As the 19th century elapsed, control moved from individual and separate congregations to a regional organizations. Morality and social standards became very similar to other European groups.
*(21) Later: In the latter 19th century Mennonites became political. Many became astute politicians and administrators, both within the colonies and beyond.
Originally: This is in contrast with earlier Mennonites that considered politics to be evil.
Later: Towards the end of the 1800’s the stress (especially by the elite) was on Mennonite loyalty to the state and the Tsar, before God.
(22) About 1890 Mennonites saw themselves as belonging to a broader group of Christian peoples, witnessing to the world, standing fast against reactionary forces and the tide of irreligion. Like other groups they were engaged in saving the souls of the heathen in distant lands. Mennonites not only accepted other Mennonites as “Christian” but also other religious groups, although they preferred contacts with various evangelical and non-conformist groups to the established churches of Western Europe.
(23) The possibility of Sunday school was discussed in 1881, unthinkable just fifty years before.
(24) Last but not least 🙂 By 1889 the russification of the Mennonites was apparent. The established Mennonite fare of ham, sausage, and zwieback was augmented with borscht, varenika, etc. Culture was now transmitted in the schools rather than in the home and by the congregation. Fancy clothes and jewellery were worn openly by the new elite; stout figures replaced the lean, muscular torsos of the old.
Some tentative properties of religious institutions and religions generally:
(1) They evolve over time, even in their basic beliefs and practices.
(2) This evolution can be in any direction, “good or bad”, “progressive or regressive”.
(3) This evolution is largely impacted by the secular world; impacting on their beliefs and practices.
(4) This evolution is also impacted by other religion’s beliefs and practices.
(5) Maintenance and expansion of the number of members varies in importance from low to extremely high.
Four religious groups where expansion is of supreme importance are the Evangelical Christians, Mormons, Jehovah Witness and
Muslims. The importance of gaining members (converting, saving) is extreme. In these religions it is THE basic religious activity, often with rewards in the hereafter. Much resources, time and money is spent on this in churches (mosques), mission fields, private schools,
Bible (or the like) Schools, Camps, etc. Expansion is usually considered a sign of success.
(6) They usually claim to have an absolute standard of morality and ethics, but in reality practice a situational morality which allows them
to adapt to changing social conditions and changing environment, including the knowledge environment. Often this morality is based on
a Holy Book(s) where certain passages on behaviour are emphasized and others are ignored depending on the situation. Actually from the
evolutionary perspective a good adaptive procedure for survival of the group.
Naturalism and Religious Experience 