ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the socio-anthropological analysis of forms of prayer among the Amish. It discusses the different forms of prayer among the Old Order Amish – spoken, silent, sung, communitarian or personal – relate to a deep emotional trope of Amish religiosity, which can be summed up with a single concept: Gelassenheit. Silent prayer occupies a prominent position in Amish religiosity. In order to embark upon an anthropological analysis of forms of prayers among the Old Order Amish, it is first necessary to consider the religious background of the Amish church, and to place Amish theology in its wider cultural frame. Amish belong to the religious universe of 'Plain People', members of Christian denominations characterized by simple living, plain dress and a certain level of separation from the world – where 'world' is to be understood in its biblical sense as the 'realm of men', as opposed to the 'kingdom of God'.
