Recovering Christian Vocabulary: A Conversation with Stanley Hauerwas

The Russell Moore Show

Christianity Today, Russell Moore

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.8 • 914 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Time magazine named Stanley Hauerwas “America’s Best Theologian” in 2001, Hauerwas replied, “‘Best’ is not a theological category.” This response encapsulates the work and conversational style of Hauerwas, who joined Moore to discuss his new collection of essays, Jesus Changes Everything: A New World Made Possible. 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. Moore and Hauerwas consider the importance of Christian friendship, the person of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the life-changing power of the truth. The two offer poignant, practical insights for reclaiming Christian vocabulary and better understanding our lives as narrated by Christ. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Jesus Changes Everything: A New World Made Possible by Stanley Hauerwas Stanley Hauerwas “America’s Best Theologian: Christian Contrarian” The Sun and the Umbrella by Nels F. S. Ferre Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Comedy, Tragedy, and Fairy Tale by Frederick Buechner Discipleship in a World Full of Nazis: Recovering the True Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Mark Nation Theological Existence To-Day!: (A Plea for Theological Freedom) by Karl Barth Bruderhof Communities “David Brooks on How to Know a Person” War and the American Difference: Theological Reflections on Violence and National Identity by Stanley Hauerwas Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription to CT Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:26.9	Hello, this is Russell Moore, and you're listening to The Russell Moore Show brought to you by Christianity today.
1:32.2	Every week, we explore here conversations and questions from a Christian perspective to help you sort out how to live as a follower of Jesus in confusing times.
1:43.5	This week, we have a conversation to seek to do just that.
1:58.0	I've been reading my next guest since high school, and I was delighted to get a copy of Plow Publishing as a new collection of some essays called Jesus Changes Everything, a new world made possible, Stanley Hauerwas, edited by Charles Moore,
2:19.5	and with an introduction from our friend Tish Harrison Warren. And most of you, I think listening
2:25.5	to this will be familiar with Stanley Hauerwasse's work. He, of course, has been at Duke
2:32.0	Divinity School for years and years and years, has written
2:35.0	umpteen books. I couldn't even begin to count how many books he has written and been right
2:42.2	at the center of the conversation in American life for a long time. Almost no one introduces
2:48.8	Stanley Hauerwasse without mentioning that in 2001, Time Magazine named him the best theologian in America, to which he said, best is not a theological category, which I loved.
3:03.3	And so, Stanley Hauerwas, thanks for joining us today.
	...

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