The people on the move : the relationship between migration and faith : an aspect of Mennonite life and faithfulness from the sixteenth century to the present

• Main Author: Wang, Jiwu.
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/7366

The story of Mennonite migrations since the sixteenth century is largely the history of some religious people who tried to find the perfect expression of their faith in this world. Initially because of religious persecution, migration to other countries, for those Mennonites, was often a means of survival. Later when religious persecution stopped, migration for some Mennonite groups became a means to preserve the purity of their faith, which was characterized by an emphasis on a holy life and complete separation of the church from the world. Finally, the preservation of Mennonite way of life also became an important factor. This thesis will attempt to give a realistic appraisal of this history in the perspective of the Mennonite's persevering efforts to realize their religious ideal in a generally hostile world. Meanwhile, a historical exposition of the reciprocal effect of Mennonite migrations on their religious beliefs will help us to approach the kernel of the issue in its right perspective.