- Question
- What do Christians believe?
- Position‹7 of 7
- Amish Christians
The Amish are a Christian denomination that subscribes to the teachings of Jacob Ammann. The Amish intentionally live simple lifestyles, which is reflected in their lack of belief in individualism; the way they dress, prepare their meals, and refuse modern technology is based on their belief to serve God without temptation or pride.
The argument
Amish people believe it is essential to stay separate from the world, based on a line in scripture. They believe in putting God and community ahead of the individual - a life of goodness rather than a life of intellect. They see life as a spiritual activity and salvation is achieved by grace through faith in Christ - a free gift bestowed by God to all who are repentant of their sins, are born again, and walk in newness of life. Amish believe that the community is at the heart of their life and faith, and that the way to salvation is to live as a loving community apart from the world. Individualism is avoided. The Amish stress simplicity and humility. They avoid anything associated with self-exaltation, pride of position or enjoyment of power.
Premises
Counter-arguments
Critics reply that the emphases described — separation from "the world," community over the individual, humility and simplicity — are Anabaptist commitments shared with Mennonites and Hutterites, so they place the Amish within a broader family rather than defining what is uniquely theirs. Likewise, salvation as a free gift of grace through faith in Christ is held across most of Protestant Christianity. So while the passage accurately conveys Amish sensibility, it largely restates general Christian and Anabaptist belief. What the question really asks — the distinctively Amish content — is thinner here than the confident framing suggests, and internal diversity across Amish affiliations further complicates any single account.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P1] Separation from "the world" and communal humility are Anabaptist emphases shared with Mennonites and others, so they don't uniquely define Amish belief. [Rejecting P2] Salvation as a free gift of grace through faith in Christ is held across most of Protestantism, so it identifies the Amish as Christian rather than marking what is distinctive to them.