Christianity is not some ideal toward which we ought always to strive even though the ideal is out of reach. Christianity is not a series of slogans that sum up our beliefs.
Stanley HauerwasRead
Conservatives and liberals understand the Christian faith as a set of ideas because, so understood, Christianity seems to be a set of beliefs assessable to anyone upon reflection.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that Christianity can be viewed as a collection of ideas that anyone can evaluate through thought and reflection.
Stanley Hauerwas highlights the differing perceptions of the Christian faith between conservatives and liberals, emphasizing that when understood merely as a belief system, it becomes accessible for anyone to analyze. This perspective encourages a reflective engagement with Christianity, inviting individuals to consider its ideas critically rather than merely accepting them on faith or tradition.
Themes
ChristianityBeliefsReflectionConservativesLiberals
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on faith, this quote could open up a dialogue about the nature of belief.
More from Stanley Hauerwas
All quotes βMy way of putting it is that Christians are called to live nonviolently not because we believe nonviolence is a strategy to rid the world of war, but in a world of war as faithful followers of Christ, we cannot imagine being anything other than nonviolent.
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Advent is patience it's how God has made us a people of promise, in a world of impatience.
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War is America's central liturgical act necessary to renew our sense that we are a nation unlike other nations.
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To kill, in war or in any circumstance, creates a silence. It is right that silence should surround the taking of life. After all, the life taken is not ours to take.
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The most creative social strategy we have to offer is the church. Here we show the world a manner of life the world can never achieve through social coercion or governmental action. We serve the world by showing it something that it is not, namely, a place where God is forming a family out of strangers.
Stanley HauerwasRead
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