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Cover
No full textFront cover illustration: Drawing of three Shaker buildings. For reasons that are not clear, this drawing was catalogued together with, “A Plan of Alfred, Maine,” by Joshua H. Bussell, 1845. Library of Congress Call Number G3734.A432 1845.B8
“Blanche to Church all alone”: Canterbury’s Evolving Religious Praxis
No full textReligious practices among the Canterbury Shakers underwent a dramatic shift during the first three decades of the twentieth century. Canterbury’s leaders prioritized the community’s industries and economic pursuits, which often resulted in the cancellation of communal worship in favor of work, even on the Sabbath. Some new modes of religious expression filled this void, such as the staging of elaborate theatricals, the composition and performance of new music by groups of sisters, and individual Believers’ independent religious practices, but these all failed to exert the same unifying force as Canterbury’s earlier communal worship. Influenced by a generation of progressive leaders and inspired by members’ experiences out in the World, the Canterbury Shakers also embraced mainstream Protestant Christianity and dismissed or downplayed aspects of Shakerism that were out of sync with other denominational beliefs. Perhaps the most troubling change at Canterbury was the leadership’s ambivalence towards their children’s religious education. Many sisters remained deeply committed to their faith on a very personal level, but Canterbury’s evolving approach to religious praxis had serious repercussions for the future of the community as a whole
Back Cover
No full textBack cover illustration: Frederick Demont visiting his aunts at the Ann Lee Cottage, c. 1938. Seated: Sarah Neale, Emma Neale, Ethel May Demont Peterson holding Douglas Lee Peterson, Neale Lawrence Peterson. Courtesy of Canterbury Shaker Village
A Reconsideration of the Neal(e) Family
Full text linkAs Shaker studies continue to expand beyond the realm of New Lebanon, the unique and important role of the Neal family will likely fade in importance, but it should not be forgotten. The story of the Neals provides an excellent example of how and why children joined the Believers. Moreover, Emma and Sadie’s longevity made them links between the mid-1850s, which was the post-Era of Manifestations period, and the dissolution of the last New York Shaker community in 1947. A close examination of the family also serves as a lens that allows a deeper look into related Shaker topics. Finally, photographs of the Neal sisters appear frequently in publications, but these pictures are almost always mislabeled. This study will include correctly identified photos of various Neal family members
Front Matter
No full textInformation relating to the publisher, publication frequency, editorial staff, purchase options, submission requirements, and contact information for the American Communal Societies Quarterly
Front Matter
No full textInformation relating to the publisher, publication frequency, editorial staff, purchase options, submission requirements, and contact information for the American Communal Societies Quarterly
The Gospel of Thomas Hammond
No full textWhile there are many significant stories about the founding of the Harvard Shaker community, certainly the tale of Shadrach Ireland and the building of the Square House remains among the most intriguing. With differing titles and slight variations, they all tell the intriguing story of Shadrach Ireland and the Square House. There are at least eight manuscript versions, and one published version. Because most of these are found among several manuscript collections of testimonies and biographies (Series VI and VII of the Western Reserve Historical Society Shaker Collection), there is good reason to believe that this story belongs in the tradition of the Shaker testimonies. By putting them in chronological order and noting the differences a much richer and nuanced tale emerges