Review Of "The Hauerwas Reader" By S. Hauerwas, Edited By J. Berkman And M. Cartwright

Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

3-1-2002

Published In

Choice

Abstract

This comprehensive collection drawn from the broad-ranging writings of a theological ethicist who is widely read and cited includes essays illustrating Hauerwas's best-known themes: a stress on narrative theology, the importance of the virtues, a sustained criticism of the liberal attempt to transcend religious traditions and to ground ethics in autonomous reason, and the centrality of the church as the worshipping community in which the character and life of the believer are developed. These themes are displayed in essays on the methodology of theological ethics, issues in social ethics (e.g., war, political liberalism, the dangers of accommodation to secular culture), and medical ethics (e.g., abortion, euthanasia, and medicine as traditionally practiced). The usefulness of the collection is greatly enhanced by essays on Stanley Hauerwas the person and on his central ideas. (Hauerwas is Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke University and the Gifford Lecturer for 2000-2001.) Although intended primarily for graduate students in theology and ethics, the editors also believe that much here is accessible to seminarians, undergraduates, and those intrigued by one of Hauerwas's popular works. Highly recommended.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of Choice Reviews. The review has been reproduced in full in the abstract field.

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