In Sanctify them in the Truth Stanley Hauerwas provides an overview of the development of theology and ethics. He considers how the two disciplines interrelate, discusses the nature of sin, how any account of sin requires a more determinative account of moral law, the nature of sanctification, the body as a subject for Christian holiness, and the relationship between sanctification and truthfulness. The volume ends with sermons — Hauerwas emphasizes the freedom the sermons create, as they remind us that the words we use are not our words. The inclusion of sermons also underlines Hauerwas’ point that the truth of the gospel cannot be discovered apart from its embodiment in specific communities of faith. The Christian life, he argues, is not about being in possession of "the truth," defined as a set of timeless and universal principles of belief and action. Rather, it is about learning and living the life of truthfulness toward God and one another.
For this Cornerstones edition Hauerwas has provided a new preface that places the work in the present debate and brings this remarkable work to a new audience.
Sanctify them in the Truth : Holiness Exemplified
Description
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
New Preface
Preface
Introduction
Part I: The Task of Theological Ethics: Truthful Speech
Ch.1. On Doctrine and Ethics
Ch.2. The Truth about God: The Decalogue as Condition for Truthful Speech
Ch.3. 'Salvation even in Sin': Learning to Speak Truthfully about Ourselves
Part II: The Truth About Sanctification: Holiness Exemplified
Ch.4: The Sanctified Body: Why Perfection does not require a 'Self'
Ch.5: Going Forward by Looking Back: Agency Reconsidered
Ch.6: Gay Friendship: A Thought Experiment in Catholic Moral Theology
Ch.7: Characterizing Perfection: Second Thoughts on Character and Sanctification
Ch.8: Timeful Friends: Living with the Handicapped
Ch.9: In Defense of Cultural Christianity: Reflections on Going to Church
Part III: Speaking Truthfully In, For, and Against the World
Ch.10: The Non-Violent Terrorist: In Defense of Christian Fanaticism
Ch.11: No Enemy, No Christianity: Preaching between 'Worlds'
Ch.12: Christians in the Hands of Flaccid Secularists: Theology and 'Moral Inquiry' in the Modern University
Ch.13: Christian Schooling or Making Students Dysfunctional
Ch.14: For Dappled Things
Part IV: Sermonic Illustrations
Ch.15: Practice Preaching
Ch.16: Reformation is Sin
Ch.17: The Cruelty of Peace
Ch.18: Living on Dishonest Wealth
Ch.19: God's Grandeur
Ch.20: On Not Holding On or Witnessing the Resurrection
Index
Author Description
Review Text
"Meaningfully meanders through philosophy, homiletics, ethics, and doctrinal reflection… The book excels at providing a fresh look at Christian holiness and the character of a people who wish to follow Christ. I recommend this book to any fellow Christian without reservation for the way it can reshape one’s theological outlook and for its vivid presentation of the divine life as embodied in the practices of God’s people." -- Princeton Theological Review
"The strength of Hauerwas' work, what makes it interesting and important, is it is grounded in practice: Christianity is something to be lived, not just thought about ... For the few ministers and theologians who have never read Hauerwas this book is a great place to start. For those who might have missed the book the first time round ... you have missed a gem." -- Regents Reviews