Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in – go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

This week on Amish Wisdom, I’ve gathered some experts to discuss the topic of Anabaptists and war. Novelist and pastor Murray Pura, Mennonite author and blogger Linda Maendel, and Hutterite Farm Steward Paul M Wipf will join me for a fascinating look at both the history of the Anabaptists and dispel some myths. Ever wondered what the difference was between pacifism and nonresistance or the biblical roots of nonresistance? Then Thursday’s show is for you.

Murray Pura will also be giving away a copy of his new book, an Amish American story set in 1941, Whispers of a New Dawn. Leave a comment {HERE}to be entered to win (or email ckrumm@litfusegroup.com if the comment box is not working for you). Winner will be notified via email next week.

More about Linda Maendel: Linda Maendel and was born and raised Hutterite. I live on a colony in Manitoba, Canada and work in our school, teaching English and German to K-6 students. During the summer months I enjoy helping with all the other colony work, cooking, gardening and canning. In my free time I love to read, write and maintain my blog, Hutt-Write Voice. I have one published German children’s book and have translated a set of Bible Stories into our language, a Carintian German dielect which we fondly call Hutterisch, and originates from the province of Carinthia in Austria.

More about Paul M. Wipf: Paul is the Farm Steward and supervises the Crop land and Manpower at the Viking Hutterite Colony. Married to Martha with five children Paul has interest in preserving and sharing Hutterite History, Faith and Culture. In 2000 he toured Belgium, France, Italy, Austria and Germany in search of the birthplace of the Anabaptists and their ancestral faith. Paul has interest in other cultures and his Colony is actively involved with global charitable groups.

To understand the Hutterite culture, it is helpful to understand the foundations of the system. Hutterites try to be true to their understanding of the Gospel. Hutterites are New Testament people and their ideal is to live by the ideals of the Sermon on the Mount as followers and Disciples of Christ. Discipleship meant following Christ in the church, with your brothers and sisters. The purpose of life of individuals was to serve each other and the “Community”. This would bring glory to God and be a witness to the world. All of life was to be brought under the rule of Christ. By serving each other, Hutterites, and other Christians, served God.

More about Murray Pura: Murray was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His first novel was released in Toronto in 1988 and was a finalist for the Dartmouth Book Award. Since that time he has published a number of novels, two collections of short stories, and several nonfiction titles including the Zondervan books Rooted and Streams. He has been a finalist for several awards in the US and Canada and in 2012 won the Word Award of Toronto for Best Historical Novel. His book The Wings of Morning has been nominated for several literary awards in the United States including Best Inspirational Romance and Best Historical Romance. Murray lives and writes in southwestern Alberta and is currently published by Barbour, Baker, Harper One, Zondervan, and Harvest House as well as several other publishing houses. His releases for 2013 include: Ashton Park, The Rose of Lancaster County, A Road Called Love, Seven Oaks, The Painted Sky, Whispers of a New Dawn, Majestic and Wild, Beneath the Dover Sky, and An Amish Family Christmas.

More about Whispers of a New Dawn: When Murray Pura’s The Wings of Morning was released, one of his rave reviews came from Romantic Times magazine:

“Pura has created one of the finest stories of Amish fiction I have ever read….The reader will be applauding the exceptional writing and the cast of characters demands an encore performance.”

Here is that encore performance.

In the third book in his Snapshots of History series, Murray brings back Jude and Lyyndaya Whetstone, the beloved lead characters in The Wings of Morning.

The year is 1941 and Jude and Lyyndy, with their adult daughter, Rebecca, are summoned to far-off, exotic Honolulu where Rebecca, a flyer like her father, meets a likeable young pilot. The two enjoy a friendship that seems to be turning into something more serious…..until Sunday, December 7, 1941 dawns on the Hawaiian Islands.

Readers who love the simplicity of the Amish, a good romance, and a dramatic historical setting are in for a treat with Whispers of a New Dawn.