Mothering Mennonite marks the first scholarly attempt to incorporate religious groundings in interpretations of motherhood. The essays included here broaden our understanding of maternal identity as something not only constructed within the family and by society at large, but also influenced significantly by historical traditions and contemporary belief systems of religious communities. A multidisciplinary compilation of essays, this volume joins narrative and scholarly voices to address both the roles of mothering in Mennonite contexts and the ways in which Mennonite mothering intersects with and is shaped by the world at large. Contributors address cultural constructions of motherhood within ethnoreligious Mennonite communities, examining mother-daughter relationships and intergenerational influences, analyzing visual and literary representations of Mennonite mothers, challenging cultural constructions and expectations of motherhood, and tracing the effects of specific religious and cultural contexts on mothering in North and South America.’

Rachel Epp Buller (editor) weaves together personal and professional interests in her art and scholarship on mothering, the maternal body, mothering in academia, and Mennonite heritage. Her writing appears in many journals and books, including Woman’s Art Journal, Mothering in the Third Wave (2008), and Academic Motherhood in a Post-Second Wave Context (2012). Her exhibitions and curatorial projects highlight diverse themes of mothering, as does her newest book, Reconciling Art and Mothering (2012). She holds a PhD in art history and is Assistant Professor of Art at Bethel College.

Rachel Epp Buller's profile page

Kerry Fast (editor) is a freelance editor, writer and researcher. She has published both academically and creatively. Her writings appear in The Journal of Mennonite Studies and Rhubarb. Her primary research interest is conservative colony Mennonites in Latin America, their migrations to Canada and the effect this has on their religious lives. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto.

Kerry Fast's profile page