War and the American Difference: Theological Reflections on Violence and National Identity

New: New with remainder mark.
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 9780801039294
Type: paperback

"Disenthralling Americans from war will require an authentic realism that displaces the illusions commonly passing for realism. Hauerwas continues the vital work of planting the signposts that show us the way."--Andrew J. Bacevich, Boston University;author of Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War
How are American identity and America's presence in the world shaped by war, and what does God have to do with it? In this compelling volume, Stanley Hauerwas helps readers reflect theologically on war, church, justice, and nonviolence, exploring such issues as how America depends on war for its identity, how war affects the soul of a nation, the sacrifices that war entails, and why war is considered "necessary," especially in America. He also examines the views of nonviolence held by Martin Luther King Jr. and C. S. Lewis, how Jesus constitutes the justice of God, and the relationship between congregational ministry and Christian formation in America. Students and teachers of Christian theology and ethics, American church history, and American cultural studies will value this work.
Contents
Introduction
Part 1: America and War
1. War and the American Difference
2. America's God
3. Why War Is a Moral Necessity for America
Part 2: The Liturgy of War
4. Reflections on the "Appeal to Abolish War"
5. Sacrificing the Sacrifices of War
6. C. S. Lewis and Violence
7. Martin Luther King Jr. and Christian Nonviolence
Part 3: The Ecclesial Difference
8. Jesus, the Justice of God
9. Pentecost: Learning the Languages of Peace
10. A Worldly Church: Politics, Theology, and the Common Good
11. A Particular Place: The Future of Parish Ministry
12. Beyond the Boundaries: The Church Is Mission
Index