Our September (formerly August) Selection is Rumspringa: To Be or Not To Be Amish, by Tom Shachtman.
About the Book
It is a nonfiction account of Amish life, written by a documentary filmmaker during his research for his film The Devil's Playground. Rumspringa (roughly translated as "running around") is a period in Amish young adults' lives in which they live outside the Amish community (indulging in modern technology and behavior) before committing to join the church for life. There are serious repercussions for leaving the Amish church once one has committed to it, and some communities use rumspringa as a way to allow their children to make an informed choice before eschewing popular culture and modern conveniences.
The plan is to watch portions of The Devil's Playground at our meeting.
Discussion Points
About the Book
It is a nonfiction account of Amish life, written by a documentary filmmaker during his research for his film The Devil's Playground. Rumspringa (roughly translated as "running around") is a period in Amish young adults' lives in which they live outside the Amish community (indulging in modern technology and behavior) before committing to join the church for life. There are serious repercussions for leaving the Amish church once one has committed to it, and some communities use rumspringa as a way to allow their children to make an informed choice before eschewing popular culture and modern conveniences.The plan is to watch portions of The Devil's Playground at our meeting.
Discussion Points
- How much did you know about the Amish and their way of life? Did this book change your preconceptions?
- Compare and contrast Amish Christian beliefs with your own.
- What did you find to be the most interesting events/situations/people in the book?
- Can you relate to the "characters" and their motivations?
- Consider the teenagers' test-drives of English life. Do you think it is necessary for them to experience life outside the Amish community before choosing to join church? Do you feel rumspringa is unnecessary temptation to indulge in risky behavior, or a valuable reprieve from the restrictive social structure?
- Is "sowing one's wild oats" generally a positive or negative experience? Do you regret anything you did as a teenager or young adult? Do you regret anything you didn't do as a teenager or young adult?
- How can (or should) we adopt Amish methods to raise our kids to share our moral and ethical values?
Meeting Date
Saturday, 22 September 2007
1000a - Brunch served!
Jen's House (Orlando, FL)
1000a - Brunch served!
Jen's House (Orlando, FL)
2 comments:
Tom Schachtman had nothing to do with making the film DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND. The film was researched and directed by Lucy Walker, who conducted the interviews herself, and whose book idea was followed up by Tom, who wrote the book from transcripts of interviews conducted by Lucy.
I had a great time and learn a lot on Saturday. I look forward to next month. Thank you Jen!
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