The Mennonite Old Colony Vision

Reprinted in 2009 by D. F. Plett Historical Research Foundation, Inc.

From the publisher’s foreword: Migration has become a common experience for Mennonites over the centuries. In earlier times the relationship between the mother settlements and daughter colonies was characterized by continuous and unquestioning support, as in the case of the Dutch in the 17th century who assisted their brethren in the Vistula Delta to survive a litany of floods, fires, pestilence, military occupations, harassment and outright persecution.

The relationship between the Canadian Mennonites and their brethren in Mexico has more often than not been characterized by more sophisticated motives such as expansion of Canadian religious denominations and attempts at implementing modernization. As Dr. David Quiring correctly points out, the interaction has also been complicated by a steady stream of immigration to Canada as well as back to the Mexican colonies accompanied by new ideas and lifestyles.

In this work Dr. David Quiring has provided an insightful and scholarly examination of the historical roots which have shaped the Mexican Mennonite community and how the different world views – the one traditionalist and the other progressivistic – have impacted on their relationship with Canadian Mennonites. This book will lend a critical and objective perspective to discussions on these topics and thereby contribute to a more meaningful relationship between these two important Mennonite communities.