Stanley Hauerwas

Stanley Hauerwas – Life, Thought & Influence

Stanley Hauerwas (born July 24, 1940) is an American theologian, ethicist, and public intellectual. This article offers a deep biography, explores his theological vision (virtue ethics, narrative theology, ecclesiology), highlights major works, quotes, and his legacy in contemporary theology.

Introduction

Stanley Martin Hauerwas is widely regarded as one of the most influential Christian ethicists and theologians alive. He is celebrated (and sometimes controversial) for insisting that Christian theology and ethics must be inseparable, that the church must act as an alternative polis, and that virtue, narrative, and character define Christian life.

His impact extends beyond theology: his work is engaged by scholars in political philosophy, social theory, medical ethics, and literary studies.

Below is a comprehensive account of his life, thinking, and influence.

Early Life and Family

Stanley Hauerwas was born on July 24, 1940, in Dallas, Texas.

His father and uncles were bricklayers, and as a young man Hauerwas occasionally worked in that trade. He often refers to his experience as a bricklayer in his reflections on vocation, discipline, and the nature of craft.

He grew up in the Pleasant Mound Methodist Church, receiving baptism, confirmation, and communion in the Methodist tradition.

He attended Pleasant Grove High School (1954–1956) and W. W. Samuell High School (1956–1958) in Dallas.

Hauerwas has described how the discipline of manual labor—bricklaying—shaped his later sense of theological work: the patience, care, and humility required in building something by hand became metaphors for the slower, disciplined work of theological reflection.

He did not come from a long tradition of academic theology; he was the first in his family to attend college.

Education & Academic Training

• For his undergraduate education, Hauerwas attended Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas), a liberal arts college affiliated with the Methodist Church. He earned his B.A. there in 1962.

• He then pursued theological and philosophical studies at Yale University, earning a B.D., M.A., M.Phil, and Ph.D. in theology and ethics.

• His doctoral dissertation was titled Moral Character as a Problem for Theological Ethics, which already signaled his concern with virtue, character, and the relation of theology to ethics.

• Later, in recognition of his contributions, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of Edinburgh.

After finishing his degrees, Hauerwas began teaching: first at Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois), then moving in 1970 to University of Notre Dame.

In 1983 he joined Duke University, becoming the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School (also holding a cross appointment in the Duke Law School) and continued there until his retirement (though remaining active).

In 2014, he assumed a chair in theological ethics at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in addition to his Duke affiliation.

Theological & Ethical Vision

Stanley Hauerwas is often associated with several interlocking theological and ethical commitments:

1. Virtue Ethics & Character

Rather than starting with abstract moral principles, Hauerwas emphasizes moral character, virtue, and the formation of persons within a community. He draws from virtue ethics traditions (especially Aristotelian and Thomistic sources) and insists that Christian ethics is not primarily about rules but about how one becomes a certain kind of person.

He regards the church as the institution that forms Christian character through practices, liturgy, community, and narrative.

2. Narrative & Postliberal Theology

Hauerwas claims that Christian convictions must be rooted in the story of God’s work in Christ, and that Christian ethics must be understood within that narrative frame. He is often linked to postliberal theology and narrative theology.

He contends that secular moral systems tend to abstract moral reasoning from the story and community that give it meaning. For him, ethics divorced from narrative becomes hollow.

3. Ecclesiology & the Church as Alternative Community

A central theme in Hauerwas’s work is that the church should be a distinct colony, an alternative polis (a different kind of political community) that bears witness to God’s justice, mercy, and humility in a world shaped by other allegiances.

He argues that the church should not simply aim to change the world through secular means but to embody the kind of life God intends, which in itself challenges surrounding structures.

He is critical of the church aligning too closely with state power or cultural institutions, warning that such alignment compromises Christian witness.

4. Pacifism, Nonviolence & Critique of Militarism

Hauerwas is a committed Christian pacifist. He is skeptical of just-war theology and nationalism, warning that Christian discipleship calls for nonviolence, forgiveness, and resisting the logic of power.

He has repeatedly critiqued U.S. militarism, the war on terror, and the temptation for Christians to ally uncritically with national identity.

5. Critique of Liberalism & Secularism

Hauerwas is skeptical of liberal democracy, the secular public square, and the abstraction of rights and individualism divorced from narrative and character. He argues that liberal frameworks impose a moral grammar that conflicts with Christian commitments.

He contends that Christians should not primarily seek political power but should live as a community whose witness challenges secular premises.

6. Theology & Ethics as One

Hauerwas rejects the notion that theology and ethics can be separated. For him, doctrine, liturgy, and moral practice are deeply entwined; belief shapes behavior and vice versa.

Major Works & Themes

Here are some of Hauerwas's notable books and themes:

• Vision and Virtue: Essays in Christian Ethical Reflection (1974)

• Character and the Christian Life: A Study in Theological Ethics (1975)

• A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic (1981) — one of his central statements on community, virtue, and Christian social ethics

• The Peaceable Kingdom: A Primer in Christian Ethics (1983)

• Against the Nations: War and Survival in a Liberal Society (1985) — on war, nationalism, and Christian witness in a liberal order

• Suffering Presence: Theological Reflections on Medicine, the Mentally Handicapped, and the Church (1986)

• Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony (with William H. Willimon) (1989) — one of his most influential and accessible works, presenting the church as a colony distinct from societal norms

• With the Grain of the Universe: The Church’s Witness and Natural Theology (based on his Gifford Lectures) (2001) — discussing theology, witness, and the possibility of natural theology for Christians

His writing is wide-ranging—essays on theology, ethics, political theology, medical ethics, and reflections on vocation, suffering, and the nature of the Christian life.

One of his often-cited theses is that “the first task of the church is to make the world the world, not to make the world more just.” In other words, the priority is witness, character, and faithful existence, not a political program.

Influence & Recognition

• In 2001, Time magazine named him “America’s Best Theologian.” He responded wryly that “best” is not a theological category.

• He was the first American theologian in over forty years to deliver the Gifford Lectures at the University of St. Andrews.

• His book A Community of Character was listed among the 100 most important books on religion in the 20th century by Christianity Today.

• He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

• Many theologians, ethicists, and public intellectuals cite Hauerwas as a key influence—especially those working in Christian ethics, political theology, and ecclesiology.

His influence stretches beyond the church. Philosophers, sociologists, and political theorists engage his critique of liberalism, secular moral frameworks, and his call for communities shaped by narrative and virtue.

Notable Quotes

Here are a few representative quotations that give a glimpse into Hauerwas’s style and convictions:

“The first task of the church is to make the world the world, not to make the world more just.” “Christian ethics is the politics of the cross. The command is to live a life of forgiveness and love, not to rule.” (paraphrase of his emphasis) “The world assumes that Christians are partisans. But the church must be a people shaped by a different story, not simply one more political grouping.” (reflecting his ecclesial posture)

Because Hauerwas writes in a dense theological style, many of his “quotations” are embedded in larger arguments rather than aphorisms. But these lines capture key themes: the role of the church, the priority of character, and the Christian counterculture of forgiveness rather than dominance.

Critiques & Debates

As with any major thinker, Hauerwas's work has generated vigorous debate:

• Some critics argue that his ecclesiology can become insular—focusing on the church’s separation to the point of disengagement from social justice or public action.

• Others question whether Christian pacifism is tenable in a world of egregious injustice.

• Some liberal theologians dispute his critique of liberalism and secular public reason, arguing that Christians must engage shared moral frameworks to contribute to pluralistic societies.

• Critics have also challenged whether the virtues and narrative frameworks can pluralistically communicate to those outside Christian communities.

Hauerwas’s responses tend to emphasize that Christian witness must be rooted in the church’s practices, not merely in rational argument or policy proposals.

Lessons & Legacy

1. Ethics is about character, not just rules. Hauerwas reminds us that how we become matters more than isolated decisions.

2. The church as a formative community matters. The practices, stories, and liturgies of the church are central to Christian identity and ethics.

3. Christian witness must resist assimilation. He challenges Christians to maintain a distinct posture rather than simply adopting cultural norms.

4. Nonviolence and forgiveness are core. His commitment to pacifism calls Christians to a costly, countercultural way of life.

5. Narrative shapes moral vision. Our moral reasoning always occurs within stories and communities; disembedding ethics from story leads to emptiness.

6. Humility in theology. Hauerwas often models a humility: theology is not about imposing arguments, but about patient witness, embodied habits, and community formation.

His legacy will likely endure in Christian ethics, ecclesiology, political theology, and in those who seek a deeply rooted, ecclesial alternative to secular moralisms.