Mennonite Mnemetic Model

ne fräjoasche Mood

Multiple-Gene Reproduction (c) source

    In as much as many branches of the Anabaptist faith/ethnicity are borderline anti-intellectual (in the strict sense) and that many lack functioning intellectual organizations beyond periodic conferences, I have taken to outlining my understandings of certain pertinent cultural processes and elements prior to attempting to utilize the more formal terms, models and explanations of others.

    Simply put, the Mennonite culture, per se, is both unique and extremely receptive to non-threatening ideas from the outside.  In order to identify and protect a potential Mennonite or traditional perspective (perhaps even a folk tradition or understanding), I feel that this exercise is both warranted and useful.  The following reflects one such case.

    In attempting to codify and communicate Mennonite colonial culture or that of the gemeinde, I have intuited that cultural activities, traditions and knowledge centers around four key groupings or cultural roles – Ritual, Artisanal, Household, and Cultural.

Simply the Simpsons

(c) Fox Broadcasting Co.

    Congratulations to the cast, crew and creative genius behind Fox Television’s The Simpsons on the occasion of their 500^th episode (airing 19 February)!  The Simpsons is now officially both the longest-running scripted show for television, and one of three to hit the coveted 500-episodes mark (along with Gunsmoke and Lassie).

    A television standard for over 20 years, the Simpsons were created as a bit for the Tracy Ullman show in 1987.  Creator Matt Groening, an ethnic Dutch Russländer Mennonite, used a cast of characters from his own family to create America’s First Family of Dysfunction.  In 1989, the show gained its independence and is still beloved by millions 23 years and 500 episodes later.

    Groening’s Mennonite ancestry has deep roots.  His father, Homer Groening, was raised in a Plautdeutsche-speaking family  in Main Center, Saskatchewan.  His grandfather, Abram Groening, of the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren, taught at the MB’s Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas.

    I would write more, but an old friend, Mr. Dale Suderman, has already written one of the best articles on Matt’s connections to his Mennonite heritage.  I strongly recommend following the link below.

Congratulations, Mr. Groening!

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Dale Suderman - The Groenings, The Simpsons and the Mennonites

Hauerwas at the Table - Aggregated Conversations

Owentkost

(c) Ian W. Scott -- Mausoleum scene - Dinner Party ca 25-1 BCE

    I could image having had a wonderful dinner the other night with an assortment of professors from mixed disciplines.  The food would be amazing – asparagus, Levantine couscous, pork shoulder and four other courses.  The conversation – exceptional.  As usual, I would expect to be grilled as to who the Mennonites are, why I care about their social history and why others should be interested as well.  Then would come the kicker – Who can one read to better understand our ideas, our culture and our theology?

    “Um, well, no-one really – I mean there is Stanley Hauerwas – he’s not exactly ‘not’ Anabaptist, and the American Mennonites seem to like John Howard Yoder a lot.  We don’t actually have anyone from our side – I mean, we normally just take our cues from American Evangelicals like Dobson and Jerry Falwall – but American Evangelicals don’t tend to be pacifists – they er, um tend to be pretty heavy into politics – more so than Mennonites have been.”  Humiliation in the intellectual sense.

Flags, They Are What They Are

Ne flag

    Would a symbolic ethnic flag violate core principles held by many Mennonites over the propriety of saluting a national flag?  Well, no, yes and maybe…

    Evangelical Mennonites are traditionally split over displays of overt patriotism.  Statistically, they had a higher than average participation in alternative service during World War II and were amongst the leaders in protecting freedom of conscience and religion during World War I.  However, the Baby Boomer generation has been much more heavily influenced by United States-style Evangelical Patriotism – possibly on account of cultural embarrassment during the Vietnam conflict, increased rates of political and cultural assimilation and a lax or completely lacking effort by elder generations to train their progeny and to pass on many aspects of Anabaptist cultural heritage (for instance, Non-Resistance, foot washing, the German language, an agrarian lifestyle).

   Today, there would be little apparent negative ideological impact regarding the adoption of or use of a symbolic ethnic flag to help pass cultural heirloom traditions to future generations, and much positive cultural value in utilizing such a tool to simplify and codify this inter-generational transference of narrative and values.

Blog Audit

met selfst aufschatse 

     After several months of building up this blog, one should find it prudent to audit and analyze one’s efforts.  Truly, I have been amazed at the level of interest in the blog.  What I intended as merely an intellectual exercise to organize my thoughts regarding the characteristics of the Russian Mennonite or Russländer Mennonite ethnicity has reached more people in more countries than I had expected.  While I have attempted to maintain a high level of intellectual integrity, it seems that I might have need to make a few organizational changes to maintain clarity of thought and source and to more bluntly indicate the questions or issues under examination.

    The feedback unsurprisingly indicates that readers are most interested in historical information or data.  This is not surprising given the high regard of Russian Mennonites for their history and genealogies.  Other areas of interest are in essays exploring the characteristics of the ethnic diaspora today, relations between the Russländer Mennonites and other groups and, truthfully, not so much interest in determining how or if traditional Russian Mennonite values remain pertinent to today’s world.  Regrettably, in studying sociology, I gain the most personally from exploring the latter topics.

    So the question has to be asked – does one attempt to meet the need for more and additional historical information regarding the Russian Mennonites and focus on developing that strand, or should one use this tool as it is most beneficial to myself personally.