Approved for 12+

Breaking the Silence

5
Negative Rating
12345
SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
10
Positive Rating
12345
FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

Breaking the Silence is a wonderful, enlightening and educational tool for those who have always wondered about the Amish and exactly who they are. Who are these people that shun modern advances in technology and live without electricity? Who are these people that ride in their horse-driven buggies? The perfect man to tackle these questions is former Amish Joseph Graber, the host of this six-episode series. He wore the Amish clothes for the first 14 years of his life. His father, Lester, and mother, Rebecca, began to search the scriptures and decided there were too many traditions involved and not enough liberty and grace demonstrated in the culture. Joseph makes it clear that various sects of the Amish—for example, those found in Pennsylvania as compared to those found in Indiana or Missouri—are all different in some respects, maintaining a certain individuality. But once Lester made the break, the family was ex-communicated and shunned, and yet Lester and Rebecca and family, including Joseph, wound up in a personal relationship with Christ and experienced a new life.

Graber gives illumination to the church services and practices of the Amish and shows an appreciation for his heritage which he historically explores, along with the help of others, some as far away as Switzerland and France. He speaks of the Anabaptists, the Reformed church, and a man named Jakob Ammann, who founded the Amish belief system, incorporating the shunning and ex-communication facets. Graber is clear that there are wonderful and good-hearted people in the Amish culture, and many others have also broken off from the system due to what they perceive as legalistic practices within the older form of the Amish community.

The six episodes are titled as follows: “The Secret Strength of the Amish Church”; “Silencing the Grabers”; “An Amish Romance”; “The Birth of the Amish Church”; “Amish in Our Midst”; “Our Amish Heritage—Silent No More.”

This reviewer has met a few Amish people, having seen a couple in the hospital about to have a baby at the same time my wife had our son. I have bought Amish food and enjoyed it. But I learned a lot in this eye-opening video series. Joseph Graber has done people everywhere a great service by producing this fantastic documentary which is easy to watch, understand, and yet it’s educational in a very powerful way. The cinematography is beautiful, which features scenic images in Switzerland and France, in addition to various beautiful country images in the United States. You will be amazed at what you learn in this series. Did you know three ministers typically speak in a Sunday morning Amish service, with the first two going 15 minutes each and the last one as long as an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes? Do you know what the Dordrecht Confession of 1632 is? Do you know what the dialect is that Amish speak? There are more dialects than the best known Pennsylvania Dutch dialect.

Why do the Amish dress so plainly? Why do the men wear beards but not mustaches? The no mustache idea relates to bad men of war that wore them in past battles. The facts are interesting and the individual stories and testimonies are just as fascinating. You will hear a man named Samuel talk about his belief he was going to go through his life single until he met a young woman named Polly, who had also broken away from the old form of the Amish system.

We highly recommend this fantastic, educational and yet entertaining series. It exalts the Lord and the Holy Scriptures above traditions, cultures and legalism. We award it the 12+ Seal. You won’t regret the time spent watching this interesting series.

Dove Rating Details

5
Faith

The strong faith of people in the Bible is mentioned, but sadly those who preferred traditions over the scriptures; the need for the Bible to be the standard by which we live is clearly portrayed.

5
Integrity

Persecutions including the setting of fires in a city and the drowning of a certain branch of Christians is mentioned—with a film clip and sketches of the burning and fighting.

1
Sex

A husband and wife kiss at their wedding.

0
Language

Hell is mentioned as a place several times.

2
Violence

Persecutions including the setting of fires in a city and the drowning of a certain branch of Christians is mentioned—with a film clip and sketches of the burning and fighting.

0
Drugs

None

0
Nudity

None

2
Other

The many struggles and battles of a few persecution periods are mentioned; differences of opinions is a theme in the series and how some families were shunned and ex-communicated.

More Information