Pre-Owned Mennonites of Southern Illinois: A Photographic Journal (Paperback)

WINNER Certificate of Excellence in Publications - Other from the Illinois State Historical Society s 2025 Best of Illinois History Awards! In the World But Not of It Offering a glimpse into a world largely misunderstood by mainstream society this book documents the period of eight years that Jane Flynn practiced with Mennonites in two different Southern Illinois communities: Stonefort and Mount Pleasant in Anna. Despite her status as an outsider Flynn was welcomed and allowed to photograph the Mennonites in their homes making applesauce farming and beekeeping. Escaping persecution from the Catholic Church in Europe the Mennonites arrived in America in 1683 settling in what is now Pennsylvania. Today they live in almost all 50 states Canada and South America. To reflect the Mennonites manual-labor lifestyle Flynn processed her black-and-white photographs by hand and hand-printed them in a dark room. The imagery explores the Mennonites labors leisure and faith by documenting their homes places of work and worship and the Illinois Ozark landscape they inhabit. Similar to the Amish and the Quakers Mennonites consider the Bible the supreme authority and insist on a separation between church and state. To enact that separation they distinguish themselves from society in speech dress business recreation education pacifism and by refusing to participate in politics. They believe in nonconformity to the world discipleship and being born again through adult baptism. With Mennonites of Southern Illinois Jane Flynn provides representation for these closed communities and illustrates the Mennonites struggle to find and maintain balance between rustic and modern life while remaining faithful to their religious beliefs.