Mennonite Studies

Amish Buggy in front of the Grebel Building

Art installation: THE LANDED BUGGYcurated by Rebecca Seiling, “Turtle Island”artwork by Anishinaabe artist August Swinson

Mennonites in Canada and around the world express theirconvictions through a fascinating diversity of religious andcultural practices. Exploring the past and present lives andthought of Mennonites, in all their variety, allows a glimpseinto the place of ethnic and religious minorities in twenty-firstcentury society.

Mennonite Studies is an interdisciplinary minor in the Faculty of Artsthat can be combined with existing programs in Arts and other faculties.Through courses in history, religion, and culture, students seek to understandAnabaptist-Mennonite history, culture, thought and practice from the earlysixteenth century to the present and explore how this once persecuted minorityhas interacted with the surrounding society and expanded into a global,multicultural movement.

The Milton Good Library and Mennonite Archivesof Ontario enhance the program through unique, hands-on resources for thestudy of Mennonites locally and around the world.

Mennonite Studies Minor Academic Plan

Students enrolled in any degree program may pursue a minor designation in Mennonite Studies.

Graduates with a Mennonite Studies minor will:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the history of Anabaptist-Mennonite origins within 16th century European religious reformations.
  2. Articulate the basic religious beliefs of Anabaptist-Mennonites.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of Mennonites from a variety of disciplinary, contextual, and experiential perspectives.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of the diverse groups of Mennonites globally and locally.
  5. Articulate the present-day role of Mennonites in the organizational and institutional life of ݮƵ Region.
  6. Demonstrate an understanding of the place of ethnic and religious minorities in Canada and their contribution to the creation of multicultural identities.
  7. Show basic competency in working with primary source material.
  8. Demonstrate understanding of the role of archives in Mennonite studies research.
  9. have experienced local Mennonite culture and religion through field trips and volunteer activity.
  10. Demonstrate critical research and writing skills.

Mennonite Studies Faculty

Courses

The Mennonite Studies Minor requires successful completion of a minimum of four academic course units (eight courses) with a minimum cumulative average of 65%, including:

Course ID Course name Recent Syllabus (PDF)

(previously ARTS 125)

Who are the Mennonites? Fall 2016
Mennonite History: A Survey Winter 2018;
ԱԱ:Spring 2021
//*TS 642 The Radical Reformation Fall 2021
The Mennonites as a Sociological Community Fall 2020
and four of:
/ History of Peace Movements Winter 2020;
ԱԱ:Spring 2021
/ History of Christianity Winter 2022
//*TS 645 Reformation History Fall 2020
Special Topics in Mennonite Studies
Directed Readings in Mennonite Studies
Roots of Conflict, Violence and Peace Winter 2022;
Online: Fall 2021
/ Jesus: Life and Legacy Fall 2016;
ԱԱ:Spring 2021
/ Paul: Life and Letters Winter 2015;
ԱԱ:Fall 2021
History of Christian Thought
(previously RS 152) Christianity's Big Questions Winter 2020
/ Christian Approaches to Peacemaking Winter 2014
/ War and Peace in Christian Theology Fall 2020
///*TS 357 The Christian Hymn Fall 2021
///*TS 653 Worship and its Music Winter 2021

*TS 636, 642, 645, 652, 653, and 653 are graduate courses.

Notes:

  1. A student may petition to Mennonite Studies to substitute one of the optional courses with an alternate course in which the student has done substantial coursework on Mennonites.
  2. With consent from the Mennonite Studies director and the faculty member supervising the directed study, a student may substitute one of the optional courses with a directed study.

Find theat the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar website.For a list of current and future course offerings at Grebel, visitcourse offerings page.

Further information

Contact Troy Osborne, Dean.

There are three awards available in the Mennonite Studies program: the Karin Packull Anabaptist Studies Award, the J. William and Sarah Dyck Award for Russian Mennonite Studies, and the Allan G. Felstead Research Award in Anabaptist Mennonite Studies.

See the research resources in Mennonite Studies provided by the .

Learn more about the Mennonites from the Institute of Anabaptist and Mennonite Studies.

Martyr's Mirror from the Mennonite Archives of Ontario