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
I was raised in an evangelical Methodist church. Evangelical meant that though you had been baptized and made a member of the church on Sunday morning, you still had to be 'saved' on Sunday night. I wanted to be saved, but I did not think you should fake it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the concept of genuine faith versus superficial beliefs within a religious context.
In this quote, Stanley Hauerwas discusses his upbringing in an evangelical Methodist church, emphasizing the distinction between mere church membership and the deeper, transformative experience of being 'saved'. He implies that the process of salvation is significant and should not be treated as a mere formality or performance, but rather as a sincere and authentic personal experience.
Themes
FaithSalvationChurchAuthenticityBelief
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon about genuine faith, this quote could highlight the importance of authenticity in one's spiritual journey.
More from Stanley Hauerwas
All quotes →My 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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