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Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness (Resources for Reconciliation) Paperback – October 28, 2008

by Stanley Hauerwas (Author), Jean Vanier (Author), John Swinton (Editor)

4.4 91 ratings

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How are Christians to live in a violent and wounded world? Rather than contending for privilege by wielding power and authority, we can witness prophetically from a position of weakness. The church has much to learn from an often overlooked community--those with disabilities. In this fascinating book, theologian Stanley Hauerwas collaborates with Jean Vanier, founder of the worldwide L'Arche communities. For many years, Hauerwas has reflected on the lives of people with disability, the political significance of community, and how the experience of disability addresses the weaknesses and failures of liberal society. And L'Arche provides a unique model of inclusive community that is underpinned by a deep spirituality and theology. Together, Vanier and Hauerwas carefully explore the contours of a countercultural community that embodies a different way of being and witnesses to a new order--one marked by radical forms of gentleness, peacemaking and faithfulness. The authors' explorations shed light on what it means to be human and how we are to live. The robust voice of Hauerwas and the gentle words of Vanier offer a synergy of ideas that, if listened to carefully, will lead the church to a fresh practicing of peace, love and friendship. This invigorating conversation is for everyday Christians who desire to live faithfully in a world that is violent and broken.

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Who Are We?

Since 1947, InterVarsity Press (IVP) has been publishing thoughtful Christian books that shape both the lives of readers and the cultures they inhabit. Throughout these seventy-five years, our books and authors have established a legacy of speaking boldly into important cultural moments, providing timeless tools for spiritual growth, and equipping Christians for a vibrant life of faith.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The questions raised and the reflections offered on those questions are indispensible for anyone living with, working with, or reflecting on those with mental disabilities." (David C. Cramer, Ethics & Medicine, Summer 2010)

"This collection of essays offers a compelling and much-needed challenge to the Church and its members to be a counter-cultural community of people who embrace one another as gifts from God that must be cared for with patience, hospitality, and joy." (Anna Katherine Shurley, Koinonia,)

Like the L'Arche communities, this book calls us to a humanism that is tender, patient and present. Its humanism is rooted in the incarnation, for "the Word became flesh to bring people together" (Vanier), and is lived in the church, which proclaims a "politics of gentleness" (Hauerwas). (The Christian Century, December 15, 2009)

Theologian Stanley Hauerwas and L'Arche founder Jean Vanier discuss how these caring communities for persons with disabilities can teach the churcha bout peace and acceptance. Full of personal experiences, this easy read makes profound observations about acceptance of suffering and disability, the important of relationship over power, and the slow daily work of creating peace in everyday life. (KB, Mennonite Brethren Herald, October 2009)

The world couls use some more dialogue on peace, and these two are happy to lead the way. (Jacob Sahms, The Journal of Student Ministries, May/June 2009)

"This little book did not disappoint, offering a brief but compelling argument for the place of weakness in the life of the Church. An important book for our churches to read and reflect upon." (Chris Smith, The Englewood Review of Books (erb.kingdomnow.org), 2, no. 1)

"Agree or disagree, almost every page of this little book is beautifully and thrillingly provocative." (Eric, Between the Trees (wordsfromtheway.com), December 15, 2008)

"Hauerwas and Vanier insist on the holiness of people with disabilities. . . . the political implications of gentleness in the last chapter is worth the entire book." (Publishers Weekly starred review, October 13, 2008)

"Church takes time, patience, gentleness, vulnerability, friendship, hospitality, mutuality and peaceableness. In other words, church takes practice--this is the prophetic witness of the L'Arche communities not to the world, but to the church! And this prophetic witness is carried in this book by the gentle voice of Jean Vanier, the polemical one of Stanley Hauerwas, and the wise introduction and conclusion from John Swinton. Here is the prophetic edge that is even at the vanguard of the emerging church!" (Amos Yong, professor of systematic theology, Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and author of Theology and Down Syndrome)

From the Publisher

For more information, visit Duke Divinity School's Center for Reconciliation.

To learn more about Jean Vanier's work with the disabled community, visit L'Arche.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP (October 28, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 117 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0830834524
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0830834525
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,107,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,463 in Ethics in Christian Theology
- #3,587 in Christian Social Issues (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 91 ratings

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John Swinton
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Stanley Hauerwas
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Stanley Hauerwas is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law at the Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He has written a voluminous number of articles, authored and edited many books, and has been the subject of other theologians' writing and interest. He has been a board member of the Society of Christian Ethics, Associate Editor of a number of Christian journals and periodicals, and a frequent lecturer at campuses across the country.
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4.4 out of 5

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fletch

A Must Read

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2019

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Absolutely stunning! This "little" book delivers a simple, but essential, message, much like the parables of Jesus. Anyone interested in developing a deeper relationship with God, who also understands to do so requires developing deeper relationships with others, should read this book.

2 people found this helpful

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S. J. Young

Exemplifying True Love

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2009

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I originally bought this book thinking it would be simply a Hauerwas book. I was surprised to see that it was more of an exchange or conversation between Hauerwas and Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche Communities. The book is brief, easy to read, and compelling in multiple ways.

I actually found Vanier's sections more compelling and moving spiritually than Hauerwas' - though I appreciated what Hauerwas had to say. Vanier's communities emphasize great humility and gentleness of a sort that is unique in the world - a humility that comes from weakness. He seeks to treat those who we see as "handicapped" as equals. His is not a condescending love; but it is a love that says, "you are as important as I am and I have weaknesses just as you do." It is a radical departure from the conservative who tends to ignore the downtrodden and the liberal who tends to condescend toward others in telling them what's good for them.

This kind of love is actually very much in tune with the love of Christ and his disciples in the NT. Hauerwas sees lessons to be learned by "the church" from Vanier and vice-versa. Vanier's communities are a great model for the way churches should be - and this is a vital point. He gives great emphasis to weakness and humility as well as to the critical import of shared meals and laughter - without pretense (all central NT concepts that are often missing in churches). One gets a sense that though there are great struggles and often a lot of pain in his communities, there is also great love, family acceptance and joy - isn't that a great model for a congregation?

This book is a very worthwhile read, especially for those in Evangelical churches who tend to be condescending toward or simply ignore those who are downtrodden - whether from some physical handicap or from their sin. As the apostle Paul exemplified in his life, and as Christ exemplified in his life and death on the cross, the power of God is greatest in human weakness and humility. Vanier captures this well in his life.

Though one may disagree with some of his theological perspectives (Vanier seems to place no importance on conversion - and this de-emphasis on conversion to Christ is one of the central problems with many modern Christian writers and groups who have given an important voice to reaching out to the poor), Vanier is still an exceptional example to the typical American Evangelical who tends to follow the worldly path of personal exaltation, success-driven confidence and condescension - rather than the Christ-centered path of weakness and abject humility. In life and attitude, he models Christ better than almost all churchgoing evangelicals.

25 people found this helpful

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asedz4

Great book, necessary read

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2014

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Loved reading this book. After spending much time with people that the world tends to reject, I have learned so much about God and the way we ought to live. This book gives great insight into the truths about our sinful world and how we might live differently

One person found this helpful

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jeff lane

a saint..

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2019

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this gentleman is a saint and good for my soul....

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Lillian M. Ohnleiter

Just not what I expected

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2014

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It's not what I expected even though it was highly recommended. I was looking for a book on Forgiveness. I found it somewhere else.

One person found this helpful

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Mark Lee

Outstanding book

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2014

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The book is easy, inviting, stimulating, and theologically spot on! Vanier and Hauerwas offer insightful and thought provoking theological reflections on what it means to be a Christian community. A must read for anyone who is interested in ecclesiology and theology.

One person found this helpful

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Spencer

A helpful resource for considering the Church's ministry to the disabled

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2018

The book is very short. It has only four chapters, book ended by an introduction and conclusion authored by John Swinton. The expanded edition also includes a study guide, with chapter by chapter questions for review.

Two of the chapters were authored by Vanier and two by Hauerwas. Vanier’s chapters deal with practical and personal accounts of life within L’Arche. These accounts, though theologically muddled, demonstrate Vanier’s real and significant concern for the citizens of our world least likely to be valued. The vision he provides of people with cognitive disabilities being treated as humans, with personalities and flaws like the rest of us, is compelling. Instead of hiding the mentally disabled from view and treating them like patients, L’Arche communities involve co-living with “normal” people who interact with them as neighbors rather than as clients. This process both recognizes the unique needs of these individuals and their distinct value as humans.

Hauerwas’s chapters are more theoretical in nature. As is usual for Hauerwas, they are eminently readable, often very pointed, and sometimes powerfully prophetic. The theological vision presented in this book is an application of his broader pacific ethic, an exposition, if you will, on the structure he outlines in books like The Peaceable Kingdom. The degree to which one finds the whole structure of Hauerwas’s ethics convincing will reflect the degree to which one accepts his theological reflections in this volume. He deals with some of the same obvious inconsistencies in this book as in all his works: e.g., writing about ecclesiology while remaining distant from the authority of a church, and, in this book, writing about gentleness with a somewhat aggressive polemic. This is vintage Hauerwas, both prophetic and conflicted in nature, but distinctly worthy of parsing.

The most significant point of this volume, which is a powerful one, is that among its many ethical concerns, the Christian church must remember the cognitively disabled. Caring for them is a reflection of the church’s gospel witness in the world. Because the cognitively disabled can often contribute very little to society in terms of economic productivity, they are often sidelined and hidden from sight. To some degree, this is necessary to shield them from becoming spectacles and ensuring they receive appropriate care. However, the treatment is often as bad as the condition, resulting in ostracization and isolation that denies the imago Dei in the mentally disabled––as if the primary, and perhaps sole, way that we image God is through rational capability (i.e., functional) rather than in our unmeasurable personhood (i.e., ontological). Hauerwas and Vanier draw attention to the insufficiency of this perspective and the need for deeper theological reflection and practical action for the good of Christian communities and the gospel witness of the universal church.

NOTE: I received a gratis copy of this volume with no expectation of a positive review. This is an edited version of a review posted at Ethics and Culture.

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Harriet Woehler

Helping to heal the World.

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2019

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packed full of wisdom from two great authors

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Alicia Wilson

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on February 14, 2016

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Really enjoyed this read

Uncle Mike

Excellent!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2012

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Careful, this book could change your life forever. Anyone who works with or is a parent of someone of learning difficulties must read this book. It's brilliant, loved it!

One person found this helpful

Michael

A glimpse into a gentler world

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2012

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Jean Vanier is founder of L'Arche communities, where those with and without learning disabilities (intellectual disabilities) live together.

In this short book Jean Vanier and Stanley Hauerwas write two essays each on how L'Arche may show a violent world another way of living - a place where the pace of life is slowed so that all may contribute, a place that celebrates life and the lives of all, a place where all are important, a place where people have fun with each other, a place that recognises the woundednesss of people and works slowly and patiently to heal those wounds.

"Love does not mean doing extraordinary or heroic things. It means knowing how to do ordinary things with tenderness" Jean Vanier

In L'Arche communities fear of the other is conquered. A barrier has been established between those with and without learning disabilities - there is a certain fear on both sides. The fear needs to be conquered together - there needs to be a true equality (it is not just a matter of one group caring for the other, but of both groups recognising the wounded humanity of the other).

Stanley Hauerwas explores the politics and theology of how those without learning disabilities relate to those with. In a social model dependent on seeing people according to how they may benefit others the value of those disabled may be diminished (and there may even be a mistaken view that it is better to abort the pregnancies of those carrying servilely disabled children). In a politics grounded in Christian theology the value, the dignity, of all is recognised up-front, the individual is as important as the wider society.

Jean Vanier explores the meaning of peace and how it is achieved. Peace, for Jean, is not something accomplished by force or by silencing people - peace may involve strong disagreement, but disagreement in an environment where people stop to listen to each other, and the time required to listen to each other. Peace does not take time, but peace creates times as people come together to listen.

A final thought I took from the book is that our mission is not to save the world - that is for God in God's time. Our mission is to live gently, peacefully, where we are, in our families, in our parishes, in our communities, in our workplace. Peace is created from the bottom up, and we start where we are, today. Jean Vanier has concentrated on those with learning disabilities, but what are the divisions around us today, in the very small part of the world we can influence, that we could each look to patiently and gently heal?

One person found this helpful

Gill

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2015

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Very pleased with this purchase

One person found this helpful

Freeborn John

Living Gently in a Violent World

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2013

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This is a remarkable little book. I have quite a lot of Hauerwas before (although not the recent stuff) and what struck me reading the book was, apropos to the subject at hand a gentler Hauerwas. I have heard the comment that whatever he may say to the contrary in much of Hauerwas' there is a functional equivalence between the church and the Kingdom of God otherwise. Such an approach is probably not helped by Hauerwas' rhetoric - he has said that were he ever to run for political office it would be under the slogan "It's the Church, stupid!".

In reality though Hauerwas sees in the L'Arche movement a prophetic sign of the gentleness and inclusiveness of the Kingdom of God that far surpasses that manifested by the Church. The nub of the book's argument is summarised in a quote from the co-author Jean Vanier "In other words, people who are the weakest and least presentable are indispensable to the church. I have never seen this as the first line of a book on ecclesiology. Who really believes it? But it is the heart of faith, of what it means to be the church."

Both Vanier (whom I have never read before but will certainly read more of in the future) and Hauerwas have in this insightful dialogue made a good case for the value of diversity in the Body of Christ but, more than any work of theology for a while, this is also a spiritually encouraging work that gives me hope that God is at work in the world.

2 people found this helpful

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