One of the longest-lived communal societies in North America, the Hutterites have developed multifaceted communitarian perspectives on everything from conflict resolution and decision-making practices to standards of living and care for the elderly. This compellingly written book offers a glimpse into the complex and varied lives of the nearly 500 North American Hutterite communities. North American Hutterites today number around 50,000 and have common roots with and beliefs akin to the Amish and other Old Order Christians. This historical analysis and anthropological investigation draws on existing research, primary sources, and over 25 years of the authors' interaction with Hutterite communities to recount the group's physical and spiritual journey from its 16th-century founding in Eastern Europe and its near disappearance in Transylvania in the 1760s to its late 19th-century transplantation to North America and into the modern era. It explains how the Hutterites found creative ways to manage social and economic changes over more than five centuries while holding to the principles and cultural values embedded in their faith. Religious scholars, anthropologists, and historians of America and the Anabaptist faiths will find this objective-yet-appreciative account of the Hutterites' distinct North American culture to be a valuable and fascinating study both of the religion and of a viable alternative to modern-day capitalism.

"The Hutterites have made significant contributions to the history of agriculture and food in Canada. They first came to Canada from Eastern Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They wanted the freedom to follow their religious beliefs and to live and work communally. There are an estimated 400 Hutterite colonies in Western Canada and the United States, each with about 200 members. Daily life occurs in communal structures. Meals are prepared and eaten together in a large dining hall. It is common for colonies to farm crops and livestock on a large scale. They may also run machine shops for repairing farm equipment. Unlike some other religious groups, the Hutterites do not shun all technology. In fact, they embrace modern agricultural and office technology such as tractors, computers, and phones. However, only technology that improves efficiency and productivity is allowed. You won’t find television sets and video games in Hutterite homes. Today, Hutterite colonies continue to drive farming innovation. Some produce and sell the modern equipment and products they have developed for wider markets. Others lease their land for wind farming"--Provided by publisher.

The Hutterite way of life originated in central Europe nearly 450 years ago. Today, Hutterite colonies are unique features of the agricultural landscape of Manitoba. This pioneering study, based on years of field research, presents a thorough account of every aspect of the agricultural base of the Hutterite way of life. Beginning with an historical account of Hutterite settlement, colony administration, and a description of day-to-day life, the study proceeds to a derailed description of the agricultural economy through which the Hutterites maintain their distinctive way of life.

On June 1 and 8, 2019, Hutterites in Manitoba made history. For the first time since settling in the Canadian Prairie Provinces, a Hutterite with an academic background in history interpreted and presented part of the Hutterite story in front of a public audience. The inaugural Jacob D. Maendel Lectures Series was presented by Ian Kleinsasser in three one-hour lectures at Trinity United Church in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. [From the forward.]