We find religious diversity worldwide, but most religions stem from the same religion. And in Europe, this diversification is more prominent and visible.
Almost all religion talks about a specific belief system and different practices to show how well they can bring positivity to a follower’s life. Similarities do exist, but dissimilarities are easy to mark.
Amish and Mennonite are Christian groups whose roots are the same, but with time, they got divided, changed, and developed different belief systems.
Amish and Mennonites belong to the Anabaptists group, where their basis of belief system was in the simplicity of faith, and their practices are retrieved from the Bible. And this base is still followed by them.
Key Takeaways
- Both Amish and Mennonite are Christian denominations that originated in Europe.
- The Amish are a more conservative sect that emphasizes separation from modern society and the use of technology.
- The Mennonites are a more progressive sect emphasizing engagement with contemporary culture and social justice.
Amish vs Mennonite
Amish group was founded by Jakob Ammann, who believed that any sin needs severe punishment. Many people got attracted to this concept by Jacob Amann and started following it. In comparison, another group named Mennonites followed the same old peaceful practices of Anabaptists.
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Amish follow the traditional and stringent practices of Anabaptists. They don’t get involved with other people worldwide and don’t believe in technology adoption.
They dress in very plain traditional clothes and travel in buggies or scooters.
Mennonites are known as a non-violent and flexible group of Anabaptists. They embrace and adopt the latest technology in their daily life. They are involved more in missionary work to help deprived people and spread their beliefs & faith across the world.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Amish | Mennonite |
|---|---|---|
| Followers | Anabaptists | Anabaptists |
| Founder | Jakob Ammann | Frisian Menno Simons |
| Type of Attire | Plain Traditional Clothes. | Normal Similar to Modern Look. |
| Mode Of Transportation | Scooters and Buggies, i.e., horse-drawn vehicles. | Modern Automobiles, i.e., cars, buses, trains, etc. |
| Language At Church Services | German or the regular dialect of German or Pennsylvania Dutch. | English. |
| Use of Technology | Amish prohibit the use of modern technology in their life. | Mennonites moderately use modern technology in day-to-day life. |
| Living | Simple and in groups, i.e., close-knit communities, not like being a part of the other separate communities. | Simple, and they live as a part of the average population, not in separate communities. |
| Followers of | Amish strictly follows the non-resistance. A person who doesn’t follow church rules will be excommunicated. | Mennonites follow non-violence. |
| Hold Church Services | Privately at home. | Always at Church. |
| Dressing | 1) Women wear solid-colour dresses. 2) Men have full beards | 1) Women wear flowered prints or plaid fabric. 2) Men don’t have full beards. |
What is Amish?
Amish belong to the North American Christian group, formerly belonged to the Anabaptists group. Jakob Ammann founded the Amish group in the late 17th century.
Jakob Ammann was a reluctant and robust believer of ex-communication, i.e., if anybody doesn’t follow the rules of religion and lies, he/she will be shunned from the community.
He was a non-resistance believer but sturdily favoured the social shunning of people involved in any wrongdoings.
Amish people live in close-knit communities that are separated from the mainstream world. They follow very stringent customs, life, and behaviour rules that are not explicitly written but exist and are known as Ordnung.
German, or the regular dialect of German or Pennsylvania Dutch, is the language used by Amish for communication at church and English in daily life at home.
Amish people do Church services at home within the closed community on a rotational basis. They wear very plain clothes that are known as a nonconformist lifestyle.
Amish man has full beard without moustaches, and women wear solid-colour dresses without jewellery.
Amish group strictly prohibits the use of technology of any kind. And the mode of transportation is a horse-driven vehicle or scooter.
What is Mennonite?
Mennonites’ group resulted from the 16th-century reformation movement that came from Anabaptists. It was named after Frisian Menno Simons, a Dutch priest who tried to institutionalize the workings of moderate Anabaptist leaders.
Mennonites’ belief and faith systems revolve around human betterment, and they try to help the poor of any section. They live commonly among the average population, not in close-knit communities.
They believe in belongingness and are known as peacemakers. They used German in the late 16th century but later adopted English as their common communication language at home and at Church.
Mennonites give more emphasis on one’s pacifism and conscience to worship God. They believe religion and the rest world should not be mixed and should be followed separately.
They follow rigorous religious practices and discipline in their group. They live a simple life with simple clothing but evolve with time and are involved in educational, social, and economic advancements.
Mennonites moderately use modern technology in day-to-day life. And also use automobiles for transportation.
Main Differences Between Amish and Mennonite
To summarize, the main difference between Amish and Mennonites are,
- Amish was founded by Jakob Ammann, whereas Frisian Menno Simons founded Mennonites.
- Amish live a simple life, whereas Mennonites are little evolved to modern lifestyle.
- The use of technology is strictly prohibited in the Amish community, whereas Mennonites moderately use technology daily.
- For Amish, the mode of transportation is a horse-driven vehicle or scooter, whereas Mennonites use the modern automobile for transportation.
- Amish man has full beard, whereas Mennonite men don’t have full beard.
- Amish women wear solid-colour dresses, whereas Mennonite women wear flowered prints or plaid fabric.
- Amish people live in close-knit communities and don’t become part of the other population, whereas Mennonites live as a part of the population, not as separate communities.
- Amish strictly follow the non-resistance, whereas Mennonites follow non-violence and are known as peacemakers.
- Amish hold Church services at home, whereas Mennonites only hold church services at church.
- https://www.etown.edu/centers/young-center/files/hmorton-references/Pediatric%20Medicine%20and%20Genetics%202003.pdf
- https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/Physical_activity_profile_of_old_order_Amish_Mennonite_and_contemporary_children/9626393/files/17275031.pdf
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
