Comments on: You have a Shaker Knowldege Gift

Question: You have a Shaker Knowldege Gift

Julnyes — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:57:10 -0800

Good books on Shaker history?

I am looking to expand my knowledge of Shaker history. I recently watched a performance based in a fictitious Shaker community which used a large number of Shaker songs and I'd like to know more.

Please recommend media that looks at all aspects of Shaker theology, lifestyle, community, music, design aesthetic, influence, etc - whether it be fictional or factual.

Though I think I would like to start with the factual and move into the fictional after I have a better grounding. The type of media does not matter - I am looking for books, movies, cds, plays, podcasts - anything and everything.

So please set me on the road to further random knowledge to cram into my cranium.

By: dilettante

dilettante — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:15:09 -0800

Shakertown in Kentucky has a museum of sorts, and there are some history links with a listing of related publications on their website.

By: donajo

donajo — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:27:48 -0800

Ken Burns did a documentary on The Shakers. It's available on Netflix and quite possibly at your local library.

By: Agamenticus

Agamenticus — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:35:00 -0800

Here's a text put together by a well studied trio of Shaker historians.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:46:03 -0800

It's probably the Ken Burns one, but I saw a great documentary on them on PBS a couple of years ago.

I have to laugh, though: is there really a such thing as Shaker-oriented fiction?

By: suki

suki — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:56:55 -0800

Sabbath Day Lake is, according to the website, the only Shaker community that's still active.

The website has some information, but if you could make it up to Maine, it is definitely worth a visit!

By: scruss

scruss — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:44:44 -0800

Ann the Word : The Story of Ann Lee, Female Messiah, Mother of the Shakers

By: Julnyes

Julnyes — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:46:55 -0800

Well the play I saw was a fictionalized account of a historical event

As it is in Heaven

so I theorized that there may be more like that out in the wild... I don't know.

Oddly enough, I saw the performance at the Stonington Opera House in Maine and if my visit had been a little longer a trip to Sabbathday Lake would have totally been cool.

Thanks for the links, they should definitely get me started.

By: WCityMike

WCityMike — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:05:12 -0800

I renovated a Shaker cemetery for my Eagle project (cleared out brush, put planters up, righted gravestones, etc.) ... if memory serves the religion is fairly rare nowadays because Shakerism requires them to be celibate, meaning that new Shakers are almost always converts.

I don't think much of Wikipedia but its article on Shakers has a great deal of references, links, and "for further reading" suggestions.