Professor of history to present Afternoon Sabbatical on the changing Amish

Lecture: Afternoon Sabbatical – "The Amish: Tradition and Change in the 21^st Century" by Steve Nolt
Date and time: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009, at 1 p.m.
Location: Sauder Concert Hall, Goshen College Music Center
Cost: Free and open to the public

GOSHEN, Ind. – Steve Nolt, a leading expert on the Amish and professor of history at Goshen College, will present an Afternoon Sabbatical at the college titled, "The Amish: Tradition and Change in the 21st Century," on Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. in the Music Center's Sauder Concert Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Nolt will look at recent trends and changes in local Amish life, such as population growth, changes in occupations and education, among others. Nolt, who has worked with local Amish for a decade, gathers much of his information through fieldwork and observations.

Nolt hopes to break down stereotypes about the Amish that even neighbors and people who see them in the local community might not realize. "I hope that people come away with an appreciation for the Amish as a community that is not timeless, but that wrestles with many of the same issues as the rest of the community," said Nolt. "Often there's a sense that the Amish are changeless and don't partake in the challenges of the modern world. But in fact they are changing, adapting and negotiating."

Nolt has taught at Goshen College since 1999. He received a doctorate in history from the University of Notre Dame, and a graduate theology degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Nolt has studied Amish history and culture across many settlements. His books on the Amish include "A History of the Amish" (rev. ed., Good Books, 2003); "Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits" (2nd ed., with Donald B. Kraybill, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004); "Plain Diversity: Amish Cultures and Identities" (with Thomas J. Meyers, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007); "Mennonites, Amish, and the American Civil War" (with James O. Lehman, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007); "Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcends Tragedy" (with Donald B. Kraybill and David L. Weaver-Zercher, Jossey-Bass, 2007).

Future programs in the Afternoon Sabbatical series:

• March 10, 1 p.m. – A Peek Behind the Scenes, Sauder Concert Hall.
• April 14, noon – International meal featuring Egypt, Church Fellowship Hall. Cost: $20
• May 6 – Spring bus trip: Holland Tulip Festival. Cost: $95. To register, call (574) 535-7565.

For Afternoon Sabbaticals, acommittee of area representatives and college personnel consider the knowledge and talent at Goshen College and among Elkhart County citizens and aim to select programs that will appeal to a wide variety of interests. The program began and continues from the idea that people can use a sabbatical from their daily lives to refresh their minds and spirits.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.