Seeds of the Kingdom

In these sceptical and disillusioned times, there are nevertheless still groups of people scattered throughout the world who are trying to live out utopian dreams. In this book, Anna Peterson reflects on the experiences of two very different communities, one inhabited by impoverished former refugees in the mountains of El Salvador and the other by Amish farmers in the Midwestern U.S. What makes these communities stand out among advocates of environmental protection, political injustice, and sustainable development is their grounding in religious faith. They aim, without apology, to embody the reign of God on earth. Peterson examines their community organization, religious life, environmental values, and agriculture practices, and discovers both practical and ideological commonalities in these two comparatively successful and sustainable communities.