Renegade Amish
Subtitle: beard cutting, hate crimes, and the trial of the Bergholz barbers
By: Donald B. Kraybill
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 207
ISBN-13: 9781421415673
Subjects: Doctrines; Amish; Offenses against religion; Religious aspects; Crimes against; Hair; Case studies; Beards; Customs and practices; Hate crimes
Description: On the night of September 6, 2011, terror called at the Amish home of the Millers. Answering a late-night knock from what appeared to be an Amish neighbor, Mrs. Miller opened the door to her five estranged adult sons, a daughter, and their spouses. It wasnt́ a friendly visit. Within moments, the men, wearing headlamps, had pulled their frightened father out of bed, pinned him into a chair, andígnoring his tearful protestsśheared his hair and beard, leaving him razor-burned and dripping with blood. The women then turned on Mrs. Miller, yanking her prayer cap from her head and shredding it before cutting off her waist-long hair. About twenty minutes later, the attackers fled into the darkness, taking their parents ́hair as a trophy for their community. Four similar beard-cutting attacks followed, disfiguring nine victims and generating a tsunami of media coverage. While pundits and late-night talk shows made light of the attacks and poked fun at the Amish way of life, FBI investigators gathered evidence about troubling activities in a maverick Amish community near Bergholz, Ohioánd the volatile behavior of its leader, Bishop Samuel Mullet.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The attacks; title: The clan; title: The bishop; title: The cult?; title: The FBI; title: The trial; title: The sentencing; title: The aftermath.