Brethren Society: The Cultural Transformation of a "Peculiar People" (Center Books in Anabaptist Studies)
This model study of a small denomination's history, sociology and anthropology will inspire scholars who study larger, less definable religious groups... Bowman provides a good chronology of events and shows the walls of rural protection, sectarian ethos and geographical distance breaking down.(Christian Century)A welcome addition to an expanding collection of scholarly books about 'plain people,' includingAmish SocietyandHutterite Society, both by John Hostetler, andMennonite Society, by Calvin Redekop, all published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.(Contemporary Sociology)Brethren Societyis unique, creative, and well written. There are virtually no other books to compare with it.(Donald B. Kraybill, author ofThe Riddle of Amish Culture)Thoroughly and richly researched, clearly organized and cogently written. Bowman's account will be the standard reference on the subject for years to come.(James Davison Hunter, University of Virginia)This brilliant analysis will shape the interpretation of Brethren history for many decades.(Donald F. Durnbaugh, Elizabethtown College)