Writing the Amish: The Worlds of John A. Hostetler

Edited by David L. Weaver-Zercher

Penn State University Press, 2005

From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, John A. Hostetler was the world’s premier scholar of Amish life. Writing the Amish both recounts and assesses Hostetler’s Amish-related work, which he addressed to both scholarly and popular audiences. The first half of the book contains four essays, including a biographical essay by David Weaver-Zercher that situates Hostetler in his personal and professional contexts. The second half of the book reprints in chronological order fourteen key writings by Hostetler, with commentaries and annotations by Weaver-Zercher. 

 “Insightful and important…offers a carefully nuanced description of Hostetler’s ‘man in the middle’ status.” – Mennonite Quarterly Review

 “Informative and insightful…the book brings into focus many facets of Hostetler’s life and work and relates them to one another in an effective and compelling survey.” – Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography

 “These essays will appeal both to scholars who are fascinated by the role of academics in constructing the lives of the people they study and to those who simply want to know more about John Hostetler, his life, and the Amish.” – Western Pennsylvania History