Jesus Changes Everything: A New World Made Possible

by Stanley Hauerwas, Tish Harrison Warren (Foreword by), Charles E. Moore (Editor)

Overview

How can we make the gospel central to our lives?

For decades, Stanley Hauerwas has been provoking Christians with his insistence that if they would only follow their Master, it would impact all areas of life, from the personal to the societal.

The lanky Texan whom Time magazine dubbed “America’s theologian” for his zinging insights into today’s ethical questions says Christians should stop bemoaning their loss of cultural and political power and instead welcome their status as outsiders and embrace the radical alternative Jesus has had in mind for them all along.

These accessible readings selected from Hauerwas’s seminal books will introduce a timely, prophetic voice to another generation of followers of Jesus tired of religion as usual.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781636081571
Publisher:	Plough Publishing House, The
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Series:	Plough Spiritual Guides
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Stanley Hauerwas, a theologian and Christian ethicist, is professor emeritus of theological ethics and of law at Duke Universityand the author or editor of more than fifty books.

Tish Harrison Warren is an Anglican priest, author, and former New York Times columnist. She is a founding member of The Pelican Project and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum.

Charles E. Moore is a contributing editor for Plough, the author of several books, and a member of the Bruderhof.

Read an Excerpt

If the world is really a place where God blesses the poor, the hungry, and the persecuted for righteousness’s sake, then we must act in accordance with that reality.

To be rich and a disciple of Jesus is to have a problem. His disciples do not seek to be subversives; it just turns out that taking Jesus seriously cannot help but challenge the way things are, not to mention how we use our credit cards.

When Christianity is identified with national interests or a political party or a social ideal, it needs to be called out for what it is: idolatry.

Jesus reveals God’s politics, how God reconciles people to himself and one another. In this way, Christian discipleship creates a new order in which a new humanity is born.

If all Jesus meant by claiming kingship is that he wants to rule each individual’s heart, then why was he killed?

Although it is good that the church is free to preach the gospel, such freedom only matters if the church actually demonstrates God’s alternative.

Some marriages today are miserable not because people are not committed to marriage, but because that is their only commitment.

Charity is not about removing all injustice in the world, but about meeting the need of our neighbors right where we find them.

The violence of nations is often justified in the name of protecting our loved ones and our way of life. Yet it is exactly those loyalties that Jesus calls into question.

Editorial Reviews

Hauerwas’ appeal stretches across denominations and church traditions, and believers often welcome his bold invitations to rethink cherished assumptions in the light of Scripture. That boldness is on full display in Jesus Changes Everything: A New World Made Possible, which gathers a representative sampling of writings from Hauerwas’s classic books. —Christianity Today

With his signature approach that prompts the audience to wonder if there’s another way to think about a topic, Hauerwas talks about the books that shaped him, how he came to be a theologian, and why he believes that being a Christian is the most interesting thing that could happen to a person. —Dr. Russell Moore, The Russell Moore Show

Hauerwas is provocative, but not for provocation’s sake. He calls us back to the disruptive words of Jesus, and to the church – to a community of ordinary people who are meant to learn to follow Jesus in the concreteness of our lives in a complex world. He is clear that following Jesus will always come at a cost and will disassemble most of our expectations about how our lives should turn out.” —Tish Harrison Warren

For a long time, Stanley Hauerwas has been urging the followers of Christ to be “resident aliens,” where the church is not trying to “take the seven mountains” of cultural influence and certainly not to found a theocracy as a political power. But neither is Hauerwas calling us into a Christian conclave as lumps of tasteless salt and bucket-covered lamps. … In this tight, clear manifesto, the author reorients us to Jesus. He shows us how Jesus’ story can be our story, and from that center, trust the ripples. A keeper. —Clarion Journal

Anyone who has extensively studied the work of Hauerwas will recognize most of what this book includes. Yet, somehow, this book feels like fresh content. That’s an achievement in itself. …Indeed, I think this format is an incredible way of introducing people to Hauerwas. Despite the demanding implications of Hauerwas’s work, the material here is not remotely dense. It’s entirely accessible, and it introduces more of his complex ideas in a way that makes his arguments very clear. —Englewood Review of Books

Few theologians... no... few human beings have influenced my life more than Stanley Hauerwas. This new book, a carefully crafted collection of Stanley's best vignettes, is a great intro to his thought, and a reminder of the way his words have impacted so many of us over the years. Congrats to Charles Moore on collaborating this good work with Stan. Blessings on it. —David E. Fitch, author of Faithful Presence

Stanley Hauerwas still knows how to afflict the comfortable who populate the theological and political spectrum. In Jesus Changes Everything: A New World Made Possible, he insists Christians of all stripes must center their lives on obeying the teachings and following the sacrifice of Jesus. Twenty-five readings provide a collection of greatest hits for readers who have followed Hauerwas for years and a focused introduction for others encountering him for the first time. —Baptist News Global

From the Publisher