Research guides: Mennonite Studies: Who Are Mennonites?

About This Page

This page offers a starting point for learning about Mennonites in historical perspective. To begin, keep the following in mind:

Mennonites are diverse in their religious and cultural practices, attitudes towards technology, and levels of integration with mainstream culture and society;
Mennonites and Amish have a common history springing from the Anabaptist movement;
When learning about Mennonites, strive to seek out sources of information that have been vetted for accuracy and integrity, such as those listed on this page.

Quick Reads

Overviews

These digitized books can be read cover to cover or delved into for information about a specific time or place:

Global Mennonite History Series
Consists of five volumes of history, one from each continental region. Writers from each region trace the origins, development and mission of the Anabaptist-related churches there, reflecting the experiences, understandings and perspectives of these churches.
Mennonites in Canada
This book series covers Mennonites in Canada from 1786 until 1970.

Quick Reference

Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
Provides reliable information on Anabaptist-related (Amish, Mennonite, Hutterite, Brethren in Christ) topics, including history, theology, biography, institutions and local congregations.
Amish Studies
An academic website developed by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College to provide reliable information on Amish life and culture.
Opening Doors
Information and resources for service providers working with Low German speaking Mennonites from Latin America, provided by Mennonite Central Committee Ontario.

Next Steps

Learn more by:

Exploring the other pages in this guide
Exploring some of our other guides:
- Genealogical research at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario
- Peace research at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario
- Indigenous content in the Mennonite Archives of Ontario