Should I Become a Shaker?
I read recently that there are just FOUR active Shakers left in the entire world. The Shakers clearly need recruits. So, I’m thinking about it.
Yesterday I visited the Enfield Shaker community in Enfield, New Hampshire to sign up. But all that’s left of the community is a museum. The beginning of the end for this particular enclave occurred in 1863. So, as you can imagine, it’s been pretty quiet around here for the last 140 years or so.
I’ve already visited the former Shaker villages in Hancock, Massachusetts, and Canterbury, New Hampshire. Both are ghost towns. No Shakers around, just their furniture.
The next place I need to visit is the Sabbathday Lake village in Maine, where the four survivors live. I did a little research and found their daily schedule:
7:30 a.m.: The Great Bell on the Dwelling House rings to summon all to breakfast.
8:00: Morning Prayers. We read (responsively) two Psalms, followed by Bible readings, prayer, silent prayer and ending with the singing of a Shaker song.
8:30: Work begins.
11:30: Mid-day Prayers
12:00 p.m.: Dinner. This is the main meal of the day.
1:00: Work begins.
6:00: Supper.
On second thought, that’s a heckuva lot of praying.
But, seriously, folks, I was thinking the Shaker life might make sense. Shakers don’t save for retirement and yet a lot of them seem to live to ripe, old ages. You never hear about Shakers opening up Roth IRAs, or checking into nursing homes or buying supplemental insurance. And they don’t seem to be tearing their hair out over the threatened Social Security shortages.
I will start out slowly. I will buy a Shaker-style bed.
October 15th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
What’s the difference between a Shaker and Quaker?
October 15th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Okay, you’ve done it, Rhea. I have to get me to a Shaker convention …..
I’m with Elaine. Is there a distinction?
October 15th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
David: See you there!
The Shakers and the Quakers are quite different. For one thing, the Quakers are thriving today. The rules are different, the lifestyle is different. I’m familiar with a number of religious sects that were formed in America and then fell by the wayside. For example, the Oneida sect. Many of them formed around the concept of simplicity.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
The Shakers don’t EVER have sex, which is of course, why they are becoming extinct.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
They don’t sex because they are too busy making chairs!
October 15th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
LOL chairs or sex?… maybe having both would be a more balanced life and they wouldn’t become extinct
October 15th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I went to visit the Shaker Village in Canterbury quite a few years ago and it was fascinating but even though I’ve been celibate for way too darned long, it’s not a lifestyle I’d want to commit to forever! They most definitely had some amazing craftsmanship, though!
October 15th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
I’ve never wanted to be a Shaker, but I must admit when I spend a day with the Amish, I find their life appealing.
By the way, I have a post up that all your Boomers may get a kick out of. It’s about cars before safty was invented.
http://patternsofink.blogspot.com/
October 15th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
very simple/wonderful life them Shaker’s have.
why do we make it so hard?
October 16th, 2007 at 8:22 am
Maybe we could form a Shaker outpost here on Dominica… Nah, too much rum and sex here for Shakerism to take off. We better stick with Rasta-world.
October 16th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Funny, how a discussion of Shakers turns into a discussion of sex….
October 16th, 2007 at 9:41 am
…abide by the three C’s: celibacy, confession of sin, and communalism
C1 – wouldn’t work for me
C2 – ditto
C3 – I’m too old for roommates
I guess I’ll just have to remain an agnositc hedonist.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Maybe it’s in the article but why the name Shaker?
Do Shakers shake?
Do Quakers quake?
October 16th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Hey, Jazz, here’s the answer about the name Shakers: They called themselves the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, but because of their ecstatic dancing the world called them the Shakers.
October 16th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I think any sub-culture that is more simple and focused than the main culture holds great appeal. But it would be difficult to give up those things we think are important to us.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
That lifestyle is definitely appealing. We have a very large number of Mennonites in the region here, just like the lovely folks at Lehman’s Hardware. They have less of the high profile techno phobia but still walk the simplistic walk – very admirable indeed.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:36 am
Those Maine Shakers seem to have achieved immortality. Forty years ago, they were the only four Shaker’s left and they were old then.
The Shakers were a wonderful perfectionist communalist community. Married people could join but the lived separately and refrained from sex.
The Shakers were very hard workers a very successful, post civil war. They have left us simple but elegant furniturem not to mention the wooden clothes pin.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:56 am
If you want to join a fanatical religious cult, there are plenty to choose from so why go with a moribund outfit?
October 18th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
reply to gerry rosser: because shakers had a terrific style sense, cooked good food, and never had to worry about STDs.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Hey
I’m looking at the Shakers extremely briefly for my dissertation, I’m a theology finalist at Durham University in the north of England, Shakers are a feminist religious movement derived from Christianity that claim that the Christ cannot save women as he was a man and so for the final salvation of all humanity that includes women, there needs to be another Messiah, a female one who will be the incarnation of the Holy Spirit. Shakers got their name from their origins as Quakers but also becasue of the practice of dance in worship of God, the hymn ‘Lord of the dance’ is adapted from a Shaker song!
June 24th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Nicola: I just watched a Ken Burns documentary about the Shakers and it didn’t mention the facts in your post about this second incarnation that I was not aware of. Thank you for the more in depth facts. I am of the midset that I would welcome a shaker lifestyle but I must be careful to be fully aware of the real doctrine of any religion lest it clash with my core beliefs. thanks…. J~
November 15th, 2009 at 2:37 am
Jenai,
Your dissertation sounds fascinating. I have been very interested in the Shakers’ craft and devotion to simplicity and perfection, as well as the idea that one must be celibate in their faith. The link to feminism in this religion is new to me, so please, if you could either elaborate on this or pass along your thesis, I would really love to read it.
A.