Agrarians and Christian Unity
I’ve been reading Flee To The Fields, The Founding Papers of the Catholic Land Movement. It is a very good read. Unless your a full blown “rome-a-phobe” I think you’d really enjoy the book. One thing that hit me was that there truely is “nothing new under the sun”. Much of what I’ve been ranting and writing about here the last couple of years, these folks had said almost word for word in the 1930’s. I was reading the other day and came across one writer who said that although what they were doing had only been attemped by Catholics, he didn’t see why the protestants couldn’t try something similar. He saw no reason why a an agrarian Catholic village couldn’t live peaceably next to an agrarian Anglican or Methodist village. It got me to thinking about how wide a cross section of christendom the “Christian Agrarian Movement” of present consists. I know that this little blog itself has Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Penacostal, Reformed Prysbetarian(including all their various sects–TR-FV-NPP-and so on) and poor souls who don’t know what label they fit under that read regularly. We all have our differances, but are united in the fact that there is a better way to live as Christians than the modern-industrialist-capitalist system that so impedes living the gospel out. This strange little brigade is a diverse group for sure.
May 27th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
“. . . there is a better way to live as Christians than the modern-industrialist-capitalist system that so impedes living the gospel out.”
I think I resonate with what you’re trying to say.
However, I would like to challenge the idea that one’s environment has any power over the gospel. Quite the contrary, I would submit that the power of the gospel is in it’s transformative nature *regardless* of where one finds oneself.
Thanks agian - I am enjoying the blog,
Joshua
May 28th, 2007 at 4:31 am
Funny , but i’m going the reverse. I read the ‘Flee to the fields’ and ‘the church and the land’, and Belloc+ Chestertons distributism in general years ago. Since then I have been reading more on southern Agrarianism and the homesteading movement.
I must admit that the Catholic land movement was a bit ‘Arty Farty’ if you’ll excuse the French.
The model for me , and the one that i think is going to replicate it’self more and more whether we like it or not is the term ‘colony’ or ‘cluster’. Folks used to homestead together in the early pioneer colonies of america usually in ethnic/religious groupings . They would have been successful because of the homoginous nature of the founding members.
Ireland is one of the few places I think in the world where the distributist God centred patterns still prevail. The land is owned by multigenerational Family groupings still with a firm sence of moral order. Basically Patriarchy prevails over here as it will in any predominantly agrarian country.
I feel I am truly blessed to be here as the lights go out around the globe.
May 31st, 2007 at 10:35 am
Hi Joshua
You wrote….
“I would submit that the power of the gospel is in it’s transformative nature *regardless* of where one finds oneself.”
Agreed, didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t
My problem is with believers who don’t want to “let” the gospel transform anything around them. A million exuses, “we live in a fallen world” and such. Our culture, which is a mirror image of our faith, says that we don’t believe the gospel transforms anything but rather the world transforms the gospel.
Hi Colin
I’ll excuse the French
“Folks used to homestead together in the early pioneer colonies of america usually in ethnic/religious groupings . They would have been successful because of the homoginous nature of the founding members.”
You are on to something there. I don’t have the time right now, but I would like to chat about that some. I broke a rib the other day and I’m not getting things done as quick as normal. Off to the barn I go…….
June 11th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Scott, I’m new to your blog. Your wife referred me from a homeschool blog we are on together. I just had to comment about the comment you made below:
“My problem is with believers who don’t want to “let” the gospel transform anything around them. A million exuses, “we live in a fallen world” and such. Our culture, which is a mirror image of our faith, says that we don’t believe the gospel transforms anything but rather the world transforms the gospel.”
Amen and Amen to your statement. The Word is living and quite able to transform us to it! It is impossible to make Christ “relevant” to culture!!!
Also…..I would welcome any suggestions re: reading material for Christian Agrarians. We are praying for a move out of this tacky city into the country for this purpose and we feel it is a call of the Lord to do so. All in His timing. So right now I’m studying…..(you may have suggested reading mtls on your site….I will continue searching) thanks! connie
June 12th, 2007 at 6:58 am
Hi Connie
Welcome to Homesteader Life, hope you stop in often. You ask about suggestions for reading material. I’m going to work on a page for essential agrarian reading soon. Till then, here are some books that are very important reading.
Joel Salatin has two books that very helpful. One that had a huge impact on me was Family Freindly Farming. Another good one for folks just getting into farming is his book You Can Farm. Both of these books can be found here…. http://www.cumberlandbooks.com/joelsalatin.php
Eliot Coleman’s The New Organic Grower is the best all round gardening book I’ve ever read. It is found here… http://www.cumberlandbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=178
I also recomend Jerome Lange’s Remembering the Fish: The Seven Keys
that can be found here… http://cumberlandbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=188
Henry and the Great Society is great little book. Read the story, forget reading H.L. Roush’s very unedifying writting after the story ends. This book will really make you think and examine yourself. It is found here….. http://cumberlandbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=68
Here are some other good reads, all available at Cumberland Books
Flee to the Fields The Founding Papers of the Catholic Land Movement
An Essay on the Restoration of Property by Hilaire Belloc
I’ll Take My Stand, The South and Agrarian Tradition
The New Agrarian Mind by Allan C. Carlson
The Unsettling of America and The Art of the Commonplace both by Wendell Berry
Hope this helps you out. When I get the page finished up it will go into more detail about why these works are important and how they impacted our family.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Hi, Scott,
Thanks for this list…I’ll get started!
I ordered and read Remembering the Fish, at your suggestion. Great book! [A note for Connie, depending upon what part of the country you live in, some of the suggestions may need to be modified. For example, Lange recommends supplementing your soil with large amounts of lime. Where I live (Colorado), our local nursery says we need to use bone meal instead.]
How are your ribs healing, Scott? I’ve been praying for you.
Our best to you and your family.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Thank you Scott and Deb. I’m excited about the recommendations Scott……and await your list. It may be slow go because I’m on a
We are originally from
tight budget so if I can’t get books from the library, I will have to
purchase a little at a time. Hopefully as I continue to browse your
blog and some others, I can glean some articles and insight for
free. Thanks for doing what you do!
Oh….Deb….right now we are in Arizona
Louisiana and have gardened there in the past and loved it (on a very
small scale though)……but we are praying for a job opening within my husband’s company that would move us to another state that is more affordable for land purchase and farming. So I have been spending bits of time learning some lost arts….while we wait.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Hi Deb
My rib is doing much better! Thanks for the prayers. I read your last post on Jordon’s Theses on Worship book. Excellent book, I really got a lot out of that one. Did you notice that he has posted six essays called “How To Do Reformed Theology Nowadays” If you haven’t seen it, its right here…
http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/biblical-horizons/how-to-do-reformed-theology-nowadays/
Hi Connie
“It may be slow go because I’m on a tight budget”……. I understand that one completely, being a full time farmer
You might find some of those at the library. I gave the links to Rick’s site becouse he is pretty fair with prices.
If you ever have any questions about anything you can always ask here. If I don’t know the answer, chances are pretty good that someone reading it will.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:43 am
Scott,
We are getting a HUGE treat at our church weekend after next. James Jordan will be doing a “Through New Eyes” conference for us. I’d invite you, but it’s probably a little far to drive from New York to southwest Missouri. On second thought, you ARE invited! Even if you can’t come, you are invited anyway. June 22 & 23.
And anyone who is a little closer who would like to come, please do.
June 13th, 2007 at 6:28 am
Hi Jon
Wow, that is a huge treat! Boy, I’d love to come but you know how it goes “The Girls Must be Milked”. Is it going to be taped? If so, let me know.
June 13th, 2007 at 8:57 am
I’m enjoying this little chat with you guys.
Connie, I’ll pray that your husband gets transferred to somewhere that has a bit more water than Arizona! I tried to get Remembering the Fish from our library system to no avail. I ordered from Cumberland and I agree that his prices are very fair.
Jon, I’m trying not to covet, I’m trying not to covet, I’m trying not to covet… I know your Jordan conference will be a real shot in the arm (or in this case, lasik surgery?).
Scott, glad to hear your rib is getting better! Thanks for the Jordan link. I had quit visiting his site because he hadn’t changed anything for so long. There’s a lot to read on this new offering, but I will check it out.
I’ve got a question for you, Scott. My husband and I aren’t spring chickens. We’re both 50ish, even though our children are young–10 and almost 13. It seems as though we’re too old to make such a wholesale change, but my heart longs (I don’t think that’s too strong a word in this case) to move out of the city and be more self-sufficient. One of my husband’s jobs requires living in or near a large city. Neither one of us has any experience with farming/homesteading aside from reading. I’m not even very fond of mice or snakes.
We didn’t become Christians until after we were married, we didn’t have children until we were older. It seems as though we’re “behind” in everything. And yet, as I look further down the road at future generations and I feel that we should get on a different path.
Do you or any of your readers have any wisdom???
June 13th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Hi Deb
“And yet, as I look further down the road at future generations and I feel that we should get on a different path.”
That is the key, I think. You and husband may or may not be able to make the switch altogether in your lifetimes. But by starting now, as much or as little you can, you can lay the foundations for your children to live a different life. I think the most important thing we can do is talk to our children about the problems of modernism and be truthful with them about the mistakes that we and our ansestors have made. We need to let them know that there is an alternative way to live and then give them the land, tools and knowledge to live it. I’ve seen folks your age make the switch and do just fine, it can be done. I will keep you in my prayers.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Thank you, Scott, for your encouragement and wisdom. Although I’m a middle-aged dog, I think I can still learn some new tricks. And, I also know I can learn quite a bit from some of the pups!
When I get discouraged I think of the video link you gave a few weeks back. (I think it was the Bartlett family.) They were plowing a field using their mini van as the tractor. If that doesn’t exemplify the pioneer spirit in agrarianism, I don’t know what does. I also find comfort in knowing that that same spirit is multiplied hundreds of times over in other Christian families. There are a few of you whose blogs I read daily and I pray for you all to glorify God and raise up sons and daughters to continue the tradition.
I thank you for your prayers as my little family finds the path which God has laid out for us. May we be pliable, humble, strong, and obedient.
June 16th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Hello Scott,
This is going to be pretty presumptuous of me, but I just found your blog and am already eager to solicit your thoughts. (I’m also eager to explore your blog further.)
One thing I’d like to discuss further with you is, like you said, believer that don’t want to “let” the gospel transform anything around them. So, here’s the presumptuous part: I just started a discussion list at:
groups.yahoo.com/group/agrarianChristian
with the hopes of discussing these kinds of questions and soliciting the thoughts of folks like you. Anyways, I’ve posted a starter question on the discussion list. I’d love it if you’d check it out.
One “place” or another, I hope to engage in discussion with you in the near future.
Eric
Wilkes County, North Carolina
June 16th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Deb!!! I can so relate to you! I am 45 with a 7 year old. I also think that something just doesn’t seem right about living in the city and we feel that we kind of got a late start too but I believe that if it is something God is calling us to, He will also provide the energy and resources to do it so it doesn’t matter how old. There is a reason for that calling and though I haven’t quite figured it out yet, I believe in the sovereignty of God and His providential will.
Hey, I also just picked up two books by Wendell Berry at the library that Scott recommended!!!!
Eric, I may have time to go to your group today….but if not, I will bookmark it as I am also interested in this discussion.
Hope all of you are having a blessed weekend!
June 21st, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Thank you, Scott, for offering this forum for meeting like-minded folks. It’s sort of like a local cafe in a small town where we can sit a spell and chat.
Connie! What a comfort to read your note! I suppose whenever we think we’re too old, we need to remind ourselves of Sarah, who gave birth to a new nation at age 90. Or Hannah, mother of Samuel; or Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.
I agree with you on the importance of recognizing God’s sovereignty and providential will. May we both strive to be our husbands’ helpmeets, and to seek His face and His will, for His glory.