War and the American Difference: Theological Reflections on Violence and National Identity

by Stanley Hauerwas

Overview

How are American identity and America's presence in the world shaped by war, and what does God have to do with it? Esteemed theologian Stanley Hauerwas helps readers reflect theologically on war, church, justice, and nonviolence in this compelling volume, exploring issues such as how America depends on war for its identity, how war affects the soul of a nation, the sacrifices that war entails, and why war is considered "necessary," especially in America. He also examines the views of nonviolence held by Martin Luther King Jr. and C. S. Lewis, how Jesus constitutes the justice of God, and the relationship between congregational ministry and Christian formation in America.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801039294
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/01/2011
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Stanley Hauerwas (PhD, Yale University) is professor emeritus of divinity and law at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of over forty books, including Cross-Shattered Christ, A Cross-Shattered Church, With the Grain of the Universe, A Better Hope, and Matthew in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part 1: America and War
1. War and the American Difference
2. America's God
3. Why War Is a Moral Necessity for America
Part 2: The Liturgy of War
4. Reflections on the "Appeal to Abolish War"
5. Sacrificing the Sacrifices of War
6. C. S. Lewis and Violence
7. Martin Luther King Jr. and Christian Nonviolence
Part 3: The Ecclesial Difference
8. Jesus, the Justice of God
9. Pentecost: Learning the Languages of Peace
10. A Worldly Church: Politics, Theology, and the Common Good
11. A Particular Place: The Future of Parish Ministry
12. Beyond the Boundaries: The Church Is Mission
Index