Overview

Indonesia is home to the oldest Mennonite community outside of Europe and North America. Author John D. Roth traces the 170-year history of Mennonites in Indonesia alongside the larger cultural and religious history of the country. By placing the legacy of European colonization from the sixteenth century to national independence in 1945 beside the history of the Dutch Mennonite mission to Indonesia in the nineteenth century, Roth creates a rich narrative tapestry. A Cloud of Witnesses traces the emergence of the three Mennonite-related groups found today in Indonesia. Like all churches, they have each integrated the good news of the gospel with the local culture, ethnic identity, religious currents, and national history in a distinctive way. In July 2022, these three Mennonite groups in Indonesia will collaboratively host the seventeenth global assembly of Mennonite World Conference in Semarang, Java. A Cloud of Witnesses helps to orient other members of the global Anabaptist-Mennonite church to the history and identity of this unique group of churches while also providing practical travel tips, recipes, reference notes on culture and language and tourist sites--making it the perfect accompaniment for those who plan to travel to Indonesia for Mennonite World Conference in the summer of 2022. ​ Selamat dating!

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9781513809397

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Reviews

"""A Cloud of Witnesses gives a helpful and hopeful overview for those interested in Indonesia, providing glimpses of culture and history among the Mennonites communities. The story is both inspiring and complex. It's excellent preparation for those anticipating the upcoming Mennonite World Conference assembly in 2022, whether attending face-to-face or virtually."" --STEVE KRISS, executive minister of Mosaic Mennonite Conference ""A Cloud of Witnesses is a rich, informative, crunchy, and tasty glimpse into Indonesian Anabaptist-Mennonite churches--GITJ, GKMI, JKI--written in a broader Anabaptist-Mennonite history by a proven historian, John D. Roth himself. This book is written with a passion for and dedication to Christ and reflects a commitment to the global Anabaptist family through Mennonite World Conference. Grab a copy, and I will see you in Indonesia! Congratulations, Pak John!"" --REV. ANDIOS SANTOSO, former general secretary of GKMI (2014-19) and member of the Mission Commission of MWC ""An excellent travel guide for all people who will attend the forthcoming Mennonite World Conference assembly in Semarang in 2022. In a lucid style, John Roth provides a concise historical and socioreligious context of Indonesia and a clear picture of the origins of the three Mennonite conferences in this vast, hospitable country and their present situation with the challenges they face. Those readers who will follow the assembly at home are not only given a perfect handbook, but can even taste the spirit of the assembly by trying the recipes in the final section of the book. Selamat menikmati bacaan bagus ini! (Enjoy reading this nice book!)"" --ALLE G. HOEKEMA, retired associate professor of theology at the Free University Amsterdam ""This book successfully describes the Mennonite community in Indonesia that grew up in three different conferences, each of which has a unique culture and background. It tells us not only about the past, but also about struggles in the current Indonesian context. This book helps readers 'taste' the flavor of Mennonites in Indonesia."" --DANANG KRISTIAWAN, Javanese Mennonite Church (GITJ) Jepara/Wiyata Wacana Seminary in Pati, Indonesia ""This fascinating study shows why Mennonites should embrace their identity as a multicultural faith community. I recommend it very highly, both for the story it tells of Mennonites in Indonesia and for the valuable insights it contains for Christian communities around the world."" --DANA L. ROBERT, Truman Collins professor of World Christianity and History of Mission at Boston University School of Theology and author of Christian Mission: How Christianity Became a World Religion ""This is a compelling story--researched carefully, narrated clearly, and interpreted contextually. The history of Indonesia's three Anabaptist-Mennonite synods serves to introduce the 17th global assembly of the Mennonite World Conference, scheduled to convene in Semarang, Indonesia, in July 2022. Even more, the book provides an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective on the great transformation in world Christianity that has occurred in recent decades, with special insight concerning missionary activity, indigenous evangelization, colonial paternalism, revivals, violent civil disorder, charismatic gifts, agricultural education, internal church disagreements, miracles, relations with Islam, megachurches, and more."" --MARK NOLL, historian and coauthor of Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia"

A Cloud of Witnesses gives a helpful and hopeful overview for those interested in Indonesia, providing glimpses of culture and history among the Mennonites communities. The story is both inspiring and complex. It's excellent preparation for those anticipating the upcoming Mennonite World Conference assembly in 2022, whether attending face-to-face or virtually. --STEVE KRISS, executive minister of Mosaic Mennonite Conference A Cloud of Witnesses is a rich, informative, crunchy, and tasty glimpse into Indonesian Anabaptist-Mennonite churches--GITJ, GKMI, JKI--written in a broader Anabaptist-Mennonite history by a proven historian, John D. Roth himself. This book is written with a passion for and dedication to Christ and reflects a commitment to the global Anabaptist family through Mennonite World Conference. Grab a copy, and I will see you in Indonesia! Congratulations, Pak John! --REV. ANDIOS SANTOSO, former general secretary of GKMI (2014-19) and member of the Mission Commission of MWC An excellent travel guide for all people who will attend the forthcoming Mennonite World Conference assembly in Semarang in 2022. In a lucid style, John Roth provides a concise historical and socioreligious context of Indonesia and a clear picture of the origins of the three Mennonite conferences in this vast, hospitable country and their present situation with the challenges they face. Those readers who will follow the assembly at home are not only given a perfect handbook, but can even taste the spirit of the assembly by trying the recipes in the final section of the book. Selamat menikmati bacaan bagus ini! (Enjoy reading this nice book!) --ALLE G. HOEKEMA, retired associate professor of theology at the Free University Amsterdam This book successfully describes the Mennonite community in Indonesia that grew up in three different conferences, each of which has a unique culture and background. It tells us not only about the past, but also about struggles in the current Indonesian context. This book helps readers 'taste' the flavor of Mennonites in Indonesia. --DANANG KRISTIAWAN, Javanese Mennonite Church (GITJ) Jepara/Wiyata Wacana Seminary in Pati, Indonesia This fascinating study shows why Mennonites should embrace their identity as a multicultural faith community. I recommend it very highly, both for the story it tells of Mennonites in Indonesia and for the valuable insights it contains for Christian communities around the world. --DANA L. ROBERT, Truman Collins professor of World Christianity and History of Mission at Boston University School of Theology and author of Christian Mission: How Christianity Became a World Religion This is a compelling story--researched carefully, narrated clearly, and interpreted contextually. The history of Indonesia's three Anabaptist-Mennonite synods serves to introduce the 17th global assembly of the Mennonite World Conference, scheduled to convene in Semarang, Indonesia, in July 2022. Even more, the book provides an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective on the great transformation in world Christianity that has occurred in recent decades, with special insight concerning missionary activity, indigenous evangelization, colonial paternalism, revivals, violent civil disorder, charismatic gifts, agricultural education, internal church disagreements, miracles, relations with Islam, megachurches, and more. --MARK NOLL, historian and coauthor of Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia

Author Information

John D. Roth is professor of history at Goshen College, editor of Mennonite Quarterly Review, and director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism at Goshen College. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago. Roth's many books include Choosing Against War: A Christian View, Beliefs: Mennonite Faith and Practice, Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be, and Practices: Mennonite Worship and Witness. Roth lives in Goshen, Indiana.

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