Hutterites: Religion and Community
What is the relationship between religious belief and practice, and community as depicted in The Hutterites in North America? And is community possible without religious belief, and vice-versa? Hutterite colonies or communities evolve around the belief that absolute authority resides in a single supernatural being, an omnipotent God, who created the universe and placed everything in a divine order and hierarchy. All events are ordered of God and nothing happens without the knowledge of God. Hutterites also believe that only through continual submission of the self to the will of God in communal living can the individual attain eternal life after death.Hutterites' religious belief is that they must live communally. Material goods and wealth have no meaning. Everything belongs to the community and everything is done for the good of the community. Hutterites are a selfless, not selfish, people. Their society is communal and modern in its technology and productive features, but adherence to religious authority prevents a distributive economy based on material wants. Food is consumed in a communal setting. Clothing and most needs of the individual are distributed. A communal corporation for the
A primary concern of Hutterites is young adults leaving their community, and although they do lose a small percentage, it has to be very scary for the average young Hutterite adult to venture out of the community. The children may be educated on the different beliefs and understand the differences. Daily business, such as agriculture, technology, goods and services, and daily livelihood between the community members with different beliefs, whether slightly or vastly different, is successful. Children are taught to handle anger, frustration, and violent thought socially. It is easy to see that in the Hutterite society the relationship between religious belief and practice, and community is very strong. Death leads the true Hutterite into life everlasting. Also within the community, will be people who do not hold any religious beliefs. Is religious belief possible without community? Again, I do not believe a community, such as the Hutterite community or communal living, could not exist without a single religious belief or common thread. I feel that the Hutterites way of life and beliefs are instilled in their young children before the children have an opportunity to see or understand other ways of life or beliefs in the world. Because of these beliefs the relationship between religious belief and community is very strong. However, it is the bottom line of a common belief, or religion, that keeps the community together and growing. The Hutterites and their colonies are very structured. However, all social control in the Hutterites is derived primarily from their religion. Baptism is one of two important rites of passage.
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