Building Heaven on Earth: Hutterites and Utopian Socialism in North America

“There is a large and somewhat secretive group of communists, called Hutterites, living on the Great Plains of North America. They own no private property, are self-sufficient, are fierce pacifists, and separate themselves from the materialism of the outside world.” In this talk, Daniel Miksha offers a glimpse into the lives of the Hutterites, and breaks down the unusual belief system that allows their radical way of life to persist through the centuries. In the process, Daniel will explore Anabaptist soteriology and eschatology, the strengths and weaknesses of liberalism, and the doctrine of ‘separation from the world’. He will also share plenty of amusing pictures and stories from the times he visited Hutterite colonies growing up, and will reflect on what we can learn from the Hutterite way of life as we enter an increasingly politically turbulent era.

Daniel Miksha is a Master of Journalism student at UBC, and a Webster Fellow at Green College. Daniel completed his undergraduate studies at McGill, majoring in psychology and philosophy. His father is one of few outsiders to have developed close relationships with the Hutterites, and Daniel grew up visiting Hutterite communities from a young age. Daniel’s interests span a wide range of topics from religious studies to neuroscience, but his current interests lie in studying religious and intentional communities, and how social capital can be developed in communities experiencing economic decline.