Mennonite entrepreneurs

About this book

Until recently, the phrase "Mennonite Entrepreneurs" might have seemed a contradiction in terms. But today, many members of this once-closed Anabaptist sect are more likely to ride to church in a BMW than a buggy. How did the Mennonites come to reconcile their religious beliefs with the economic opportunities of the modern era? In Mennonite Entrepreneurs Calvin Redekop and his co-authors argue that Mennonite successes in the business world are the result of skillful adaptation of the sect's "communal ethic." In response to critics who maintain that entrepreneurial Mennonites have abandoned their faith in pursuit of an individualistic work ethic, the authors present evidence to show that even the most financially successful Mennonites are every bit as orthodox and committed to their faith as their less adventurous co-religionists. Based on one hundred interviews with Mennonite entrepreneurs, this book offers first-hand insights into the conflicts and tensions that characterize one religious sect's adaptation to the modern world.