Abstract

During the early- to mid-twentieth century the (Old) Mennonite Church married the Calvinist doctrinal approach espoused by Protestant Fundamentalists with the centuries-old Anabaptist emphasis on separation from the world and emerged with the doctrine of nonconformity. The doctrine of nonconformity spelled out specific lifestyle guidelines Mennonites had to follow in order to evidence separation from the world and remain in right fellowship with the church. These requirements addressed members’ speech, social activities, business associations, use of certain technologies, apparel, and avoidance of life insurance, among other things.

This paper tests the thesis that beyond the specific "rules," the doctrine of nonconformity, as taught and practiced between 1930 and 1959, offered Mennonites critically evaluative resources for making everyday economic lifestyle decisions. In addition to pursuing archival and library research, the author interviewed thirty people whose formative years involved attending Lancaster Conference churches during the study period. The Mennonite Church’s Lancaster Conference strongly emphasized nonconformity throughout the three decades under study.

Although the doctrine evolved to take on a broader range of economic questions later in the study period, research findings suggest that Mennonites did not consciously or directly connect nonconformity with their daily economic choices. Various lessons drawn from the Mennonite Church’s experience with nonconformity circa the 1930s through the 1950s, however, can inform twenty-first century Mennonites hoping to move away from individualistic and privacy-centered attitudes toward economic and other lifestyle choices, which currently reign, and in the direction of healthy intentionality and mutual accountability related to these topics.