ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 17, 1995 TAG: 9512150119
SECTION: BOOKS PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: BOOK REVIEW
SOURCE: REVIEWED BY MARIE S. BEAN
VISIT TO AMISH COUNTRY. By Raymond Bial. Phoenix Publishing. $29.95.
At first glance, "Visit to Amish Country" would appear to be just another coffeetable book with pretty pictures of an exotic culture where certain American citizens seem stuck in time with their unfashionable clothes and horses and buggies. But by his unaffected melding of composition and content, writer and photographer Raymond Bial has produced a book of rare beauty.
There are more than 125,000 Amish living in 25 states, primarily in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. They originated as a religious sect in Europe where they suffered persecution for their beliefs. The Amish call for the separation of church and state, a literal interpretation of the Bible, a voluntary church of adult members and nonconformity of Christians with the rest of the world.
They are ardent pacifists, regardless of the cost. With great artistry and empathic intent, Bial pictures for us in barebones prose and elegant photography how their pacifism permeates every aspect of their lives and results in a tranquil atmosphere around their homes. This cultivated sense of peace and tranquility they call "Gelassenheit," which means "serenity" or "composure."
For the reader who wonders whether "family values," or "community" really are more than words anywhere in our modern technological culture, "Visit to Amish Country" will be a surprising revelation.
Marie S. Bean is a retired college chaplain
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH VISITORS BUREAU. In Lancaster County,by CNBPa., an Amish farmer and his team of mules use a grain drill to make
a spring planting of soybeans, while his son follows his footsteps.