Citation:
Thiessen, Janis. "Yielded to Christ or conformed to this world? Postwar Mennonite responses to labour activism." Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses 36(2) (2007): 317-338. DOI: 10.1177/000842980703600207.
Abstract:
The urbanization of North American Mennonites after the Second World War necessitated a reconsideration of Mennonite religious beliefs. Post-war concerns for social justice led to a greater emphasis on non-violence and agape at the expense of Gelassenheit. The tenor of Mennonite church conference resolutions regarding labour union membership changed; while skepticism remained regarding the wisdom of union involvement, the door was left open for participation in unions. The labour militancy of the 1970s led Manitoba Mennonites to re-examine their engagement with the labour movement, a process that has continued to the present day. Without further research on Mennonite workplaces, it cannot be known exactly how the change in religious emphases has affected Mennonite identity.