Community Resources
Below are some additional resources to learn more about what Mennonites believe about community and how they put those beliefs into practice.
Podcasts:
- 1000 Conversations. Paul Born is a community activist in Canada, and author of the book Deepening Community. The Seeking Community website has an online library of “1000 Conversations” about community.
Videos:
- Rediscovering Anabaptism: Community. Video on Anabaptist groups in the United Kingdom and what they are doing to build community. Focuses on a single organization run by a group of British churches, but it does have some overall commentary on Anabaptism’s view of community.
- MennoNerds on Race, Mutuality and Anabaptist Community. A video discussion on race and Mennonite community. A little long—two hours—but offers a panel discussion between several people with backgrounds in theology about how Mennonites today view race and other issues and how that relates to Mennonite community today.
Articles:
- “Community: Defining a ‘Simple’ Word” by Philip A. Gunter. A short history and analysis of what Mennonites mean by “living in community.”
- “From Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism to Mennonite Church U.S.A.” From Ted Grimsrud’s Peace Theology website, this is a summarized and slightly shortened version of his essay. Although the article’s main point is not about community, it does touch on how the concept of community has evolved and how community in the Mennonite tradition has been strengthened by both cultural and religious tradition.
- “Where Community Is No Cliché.” The story of what some Anabaptists are doing to emphasize living in intentional community today.
- “Deepening Community: The Joy of Togetherness” by Paul Born. A church explores ways to deepen its sense of community.
- “Anabaptism, the Basic Beliefs.” The ICOMB (International Community of Mennonite Brethren) website briefly summarizes Anabaptist beliefs in a historical context; point 7 highlights community.
Books:
- More with Less and Extending the Table While these are first of all cookbooks, they have much to say about community, and many people use the books for inspirational reading. Food is a very important part of Mennonite practice and understanding of community.
- Living More with Less 30th Anniversary Edition by Doris Janzen Longacre, revised and edited by Valerie Weaver-Zercher. Includes a chapter titled “Learn from the World Community.”
