Amish Ritual Analysis
Discovering Grief and Use of Ritual within the Amish Population The guiding principle of the Amish lifestyle is Gelassenheit, which is the submission to the will of God and to the collective will of the Amish community. This principle impacts the Amish community’s view of death as being part of God’s will and plan, and the process as an ultimate submission to the will of God. The Amish do not fear death, but rather view it as a natural part of life. The Amish view death as the point of entry to an eternal life with God, which provides them with comfort in the view of their own mortality and in the death of loved ones (Therivel & Smith, 2016). This paper will explore how Amish principles affect their grief and mourning rituals in order for
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In the warmer months, the service is often held in the barn (Mackey & Mackey, 2015). The funeral service is typically held three days after the death. The primary focus of the funeral is to praise God (Missouri Department of Mental Health, 2014). The minister often tells the story of creation, and reads biblical passages on resurrection of the dead. At the gravesite, the minister will read a hymn while the deceased is being placed in the grave. The church members silently recite the Lord’s Prayer. Following the ceremony is a meal at the family’s residence (Therivel & Smith, …show more content…
There may be variations found within different communities of the Amish. Therefore, it is important to assess the individual’s personal attitudes toward life and death, expression of emotions, acceptance of outside assistance, expectations of family responsibility, and beliefs on gender roles (Rosen, 1990).
As demonstrated through the mourning traditions above, the Amish do rely on rituals to move through the mourning process. Although, they may not call it or see it as a mourning process as much as celebrating the individual’s passage to eternal life and moving on with daily life. Therefore, in working with a bereaved Amish individual, it is important to be sensitive to Amish principles regarding life and death and to work with the individual to partake in rituals that he or she feels as comfortable and culturally
In the warmer months, the service is often held in the barn (Mackey & Mackey, 2015). The funeral service is typically held three days after the death. The primary focus of the funeral is to praise God (Missouri Department of Mental Health, 2014). The minister often tells the story of creation, and reads biblical passages on resurrection of the dead. At the gravesite, the minister will read a hymn while the deceased is being placed in the grave. The church members silently recite the Lord’s Prayer. Following the ceremony is a meal at the family’s residence (Therivel & Smith, …show more content…
There may be variations found within different communities of the Amish. Therefore, it is important to assess the individual’s personal attitudes toward life and death, expression of emotions, acceptance of outside assistance, expectations of family responsibility, and beliefs on gender roles (Rosen, 1990).
As demonstrated through the mourning traditions above, the Amish do rely on rituals to move through the mourning process. Although, they may not call it or see it as a mourning process as much as celebrating the individual’s passage to eternal life and moving on with daily life. Therefore, in working with a bereaved Amish individual, it is important to be sensitive to Amish principles regarding life and death and to work with the individual to partake in rituals that he or she feels as comfortable and culturally