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
Saints cannot exist without a community, as they require, like all of us, nurturance by a people who, while often unfaithful, preserve the habits necessary to learn the story of God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of community in spiritual development, highlighting that individuals rely on others for support and growth.
In this quote, Stanley Hauerwas suggests that saints, or truly virtuous individuals, cannot thrive in isolation; they need a community to nurture and sustain their spiritual journey. This interdependence reflects a broader truth about human existence, where the relationships and connections with others, even if flawed, play a crucial role in learning and understanding deeper truths, such as the story of God.
Themes
CommunityNurturanceSpiritualityGrowthRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a community service event to highlight the value of collective support.
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.
Stanley HauerwasRead
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.
Stanley HauerwasRead
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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