By exposing a different account of politics—the church as polis and “counterstory” to the world’s politics—Stanley Hauerwas helps Christians to recognize the unifying beliefs and practices that make them a political entity apart from the rest of the world.

ISBN: 978-0-268-01179-6
288 pages
Publication Year: 1995

Stanley Hauerwas is Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at the Divinity School of Duke University. He is the author of many books, including A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic (University of Notre Dame Press, 1981), which was selected by Christianity Today as one of the 100 most important books on religion of the twentieth century.

“Hauerwas is an engaging writer. He enlivens his theological reflections with stories; he draws often upon personal experiences; he cajoles, exhorts, and challenges his readers. Whether one ultimately agrees or disagrees with his positions, the essays in this book force one to confront the issues he raises about the current state of Christianity.” — Journal of Ecumenical Studies

“The ecumenical dimension of the volume is engaging. Hauerwas is at home in both Protestant and Catholic institutions, and he has a good understanding of the underlying theology of both.” — Pro Ecclesia

“Hauerwas . . . provocatively explores what it means to be a Christian. . . . [T]his book . . . will certainly provide stimulating and good company to all who read it.” — Journal of Contemporary Religion