Jakob Ammann
Jakob Ammann (also Jacob Amman, Amann; 12 February 1644 – between 1712 and 1730)[1] was a Swiss Anabaptist leader and the namesake of the Amish religious movement.In June 1680, government correspondence from Oberhofen asked for counsel from authorities in Bern on how to deal with a Jakob Ammann who had "become infected with the Anabaptist sect".[4]: p.146 Apparently shortly after the death of his father, he moved to the head of the valley at La Petite Lièpvre (Klein Leberau), near Markirch (today Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines), Alsace, remaining there until October 1712 when all the Anabaptists in the area were expelled by an edict [citation needed] of Louis XIV.[citation needed] The date and place of Ammann's death are unknown, but in 1730 his daughter requested baptism in the Reformed Church in Erlenbach and stated that her father had died.From Jakob’s letters, it can be learned that he was a firm disciplinarian, uncompromising in what he believed, and expected others to "conform to the teachings of Christ and His apostles".Until recent decades, he was often heavily blamed for the division, being portrayed as an angry, harsh, and demanding leader who imposed his views on others.[3]: III [b] With the publication of some of the correspondence from the period (beginning in 1950, with Mast’s "Amish Letters") and the uncovering of new evidence, Ammann’s reputation has received a more positive appraisal among some researchers.[6]: 13–15 Another important aspect in the schism was a conference held at Ohnenheim, Alsace, by several Swiss Brethren ministers and elders in 1660, in which they formally adopted the Dordrecht Confession of Faith that had been drawn up by Dutch Mennonites.[d] Those siding with Ammann felt that these "good-hearted" people should not be looked upon and consoled as "saved" unless they took up the cross and followed Christ in rebaptism and obedience to his teachings.Jakob Ammann and Nicolas Augsburger were chosen by a ministerial committee[3]: 65 [6]: 39 to travel to Switzerland for a meeting with church leaders to find out where the Swiss congregations stood on the disputed points.. At first, a few of the Swiss ministers agreed with Ammann’s view, but in a later meeting Hans Reist would not agree with social avoidance, using Matthew 15:17 as a basis for "what enters the mouth is no sin."In February 1700, Jakob Ammann and several of his co-ministers removed the ban from the Swiss ministers and excommunicated themselves in recognition that they had acted too rashly and had "grievously erred.Some of the other issues had been accepted by the Swiss ministers, but the main body of Amish and the Reist side were never able to reach agreement about social shunning.
AlsaceFranceErlenbach im SimmentalCanton of BernSwitzerlandAnabaptistSwiss Brethrenreligious movementOberhofenHans ReistHeidolsheimBaldenheimSainte-Marie-aux-MinesLouis XIVReformed ChurchmustacheBurgdorfPalatinateOhnenheimDordrecht Confession of FaithSchleitheim ConfessionGoshen CollegeElizabethtown CollegeGlobal Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineAffiliationsLancasterElkhart-LaGrangeHolmesBuchananSwartzentruberSwiss (Adams)TroyerSwiss (Allen)Andy WeaverMichiganNebraskaTobe Hostetlerand othersList of U.S. states by Amish populationCanadaMarylandAmish religious practicesOrdnungAmish way of lifeHealth among the AmishWomen in Amish societyList of Amish and their descendantsHochstetlerStoltzfusPennsylvania Dutch languageCuisine of the Pennsylvania DutchAmish furnitureAmish dollAmish preaching soupBarn raisingRumspringaLiterature on the AmishAmish MennoniteBeachy AmishNew OrderAnabaptismProtestant ReformationRadical ReformationWaldensiansPetr ChelčickýMoravian ChurchGerman mysticismZwickau prophetsCongregationalismHutteritesBatenburgersMennonitesOld Order MennonitesConservative MennonitesRussian MennonitesNew Order AmishAmish MennonitesAbecedariansSchwenkfeldersSchwarzenau (German Baptist) BrethrenRiver BrethrenOld Order River BrethrenBrethren in Christ ChurchBruderhofApostolic Christian ChurchPeace churchesGerman Peasants' WarMünster rebellionMartyrs MirrorAusbundOld Order MovementAnabaptist–Jewish relationsTheology of AnabaptismChurch disciplineChristian communismFreedom of religionGreat ApostasyNonconformity to the worldNonresistancePacifismPriesthood of all believersSeparation of church and statefree churchSola scripturaAgape feastBeliever's baptismClosed communionFoot washingPlain dressShunningSimple livingFelix ManzConrad GrebelPilgram MarpeckMichael SattlerHans DenckJakob HutterBalthasar HubmaierBernhard RothmannDirk PhilipsMenno SimonsAlexander MackSamuel Heinrich Fröhlich