Hannah's Child: A Theologian's Memoir
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A loving, hard-working, godly couple has long been denied a family of their own. Finally, the wife makes a deal with God: if he blesses her with a child, she will dedicate that child to God’s service. The result of that prayer was the birth of an influential — some say prophetic — voice. Surprisingly, this is not the biblical story of Samuel but the account of Stanley Hauerwas, one of today’s leading theologians in the church and the academy. The story of Hauerwas’s journey into Christian discipleship is captivating and inspiring. With genuine humility, he describes his intellectual struggles with faith, how he has dealt with the complex reality of marriage to a mentally ill partner, and the gift of friendships that have influenced his character. Throughout the narrative shines Hauerwas’s conviction that the tale of his life is worth telling only because of the greater Christian story providing foundation and direction for his own.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A rural Texas boy grows up to become Time magazine's "best theologian in America"-that's the unlikely story behind Hauerwas's arguably destined journey to academic fame. Hauerwas (Resident Aliens) learns that his mother, like Hannah in the Book of Samuel, prayed for the blessing of a child whom she would offer to be in God's service. The theologian then weaves a compelling narrative that incorporates his humble beginnings as the son of a bricklayer, his troubled first marriage to a mentally ill woman, and his industrious intellectual pursuits. The result is a memoir that is both a well-documented story of Christian renewal and a superbly candid investigation into the scholarly mind. Fans of Christian memoirs will be pleased with Hauerwas's frank yet poignant style, and those who are simply fans of the memoir genre will find the book's careful blend of faith and scholarship easily accessible and far from didactic.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Review
Better than Halloween suggests approaches and ideas that are both biblical and child-centred. I hope that many more churches will take confidence from these - let's re-christen Halloween! - Rt Revd David Gillett, Bishop of Bolton "Let's make 31 October Better than Halloween! This new book provides lots of great ideas and resources for churches that want to create a positive experience for children that has the Light of the World at its centre." - Mary Hawes, National Children's Officer, Church of England --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
About the Author
Stanley Hauerwas is Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law at Duke University. Among his many books are Resident Aliens, A Community of Character, Living Gently in a Violent World, and A Cross-Shattered Church. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
From Booklist
Most contemporary memoirists tell stories about themselves that are the next thing to first-person-narrator fiction. Renowned theologian Hauerwas prefers to talk about others. While he relays the facts of his life, he focuses on his family, friends, and colleagues far more than on himself. He obviously owes his rooted, second-nature Christianity to his parents, and he maintains the working-class consciousness he imbibed from them in his unpretentious friendliness and candor, though he did have to lose the salty workers’ diction he’d picked up from his bricklayer father’s work crew as his academic career advanced. His friends and colleagues (mostly the same people) helped him shape his thought as he became increasingly sure that Christians must be nonviolent, helped him transfer from Notre Dame to Duke and thrive at both, and helped him persevere while his first wife descended into angry, delusive mental illness and, then, separate from her and carefully find new love. You don’t have to be interested in theology to enjoy, perhaps a little bemusedly, this theologian’s warm testimony. --Ray Olson --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Review
Publishers Weekly
"A rural Texas boy grows up to become Time magazine's 'best theologian in America' -- that's the unlikely story behind Hauerwas's arguably destined journey to academic fame. . . . Fans of Christian memoirs will be pleased with Hauerwas's frank yet poignant style, and those who are simply fans of the memoir genre will find the book's careful blend of faith and scholarship easily accessible and far from didactic."
Rowan Williams
"A book of profound compassion, depth, and wisdom from one of the greatest Christian minds of our time."
Jeffrey Stout
"Hannah's Child might well be Stanley Hauerwas's best book. It is must reading for everyone who knows him, either firsthand or through his other writings."
Conor Cunningham
"A fantastic read that shifts from outright hilarity to profundity seamlessly. Here is a pageturning account of one of the most important theologians of the last fifty years -- I simply couldn't put it down."
Sarah Coakley
"Entrancing. . . . This autobiography follows triumphantly in the Augustinian tradition of Confessions."
The Living Church
“Offers readers an intensely personal and humble account of the making of a theologian and a Christian from a man who has done well precisely because he knows his own limitations. . . . An important book for anyone who wants to learn what it takes to speak the truth.”
Theology
“An unusually intimate and audacious glimpse into one of the most important theologians of our times.”
Anglican Theological Review
“This is a book which will find wide acceptance. It will be encouraging not only to professional theologians but to students and those interested in America’s intellectual history. . . . In this memoir we have not only a personal story of great poignancy, but an inspired reading of the late twentieth century and the beginning of the next.”
Christian Century
“One theologian’s memoir that is clearly worth reading. . . . The power of Hauerwas’s thought reside in his person rather than in his essays. So by writing a memoir that traces the contours of both his life and his thought, he has given us not only something new, but something more than he has given us before. And for that, we are in his debt.”
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
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Stanley Hauerwas
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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4.7 out of 5 stars
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John C. Macdonald
5.0 out of 5 stars A theologian's autobiography that is a wonderful readReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2013
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I read this from cover to cover within days of buying it. Two reasons why you may wish to read it. The first is, as other reviewers have suggested, it is a captivating story of the life and development of a leading theologian. He explains how his many friendships provided the support that enabled him to work through the more difficult times in his life. The second is that Hauerwas provides valuable details of the people and texts that have influenced his thoughts.
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WobbleJon
5.0 out of 5 stars as he swaps between descriptions of the finer points of bricklayingReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2014
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Fascinating, insightful and very honest memoir into a man with a very different and unique viewpoint. He writes well and with a personal touch here, and generally very accessibly, with just the occasional impenetrable sentence here and there, all of which forms a picture of what he's about, as he swaps between descriptions of the finer points of bricklaying, his relationship with his son, St Thomas Aquinas, Karl Barth, theological doctrines or mental illness. He will drop names all over the place which you can often just allow to float over your head with no difficulties. In fact he focuses possibly more on other people, mainly his friends and family than on himself! This is a very unusual man, but a very engaging and original type of memoir.
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V. Miles
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating ReadReviewed in Canada on May 18, 2020
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Assigned as a textbook for a class, but it was a great read. I laughed, cried, and am inspired, despite not being convinced I agree with Hauerwas theologically.
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chrisie
4.0 out of 5 stars sort of thoughtfulReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2010
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I heard Stanley Hauerwas on radio 4 recently in debate. He was so interesting I decided I wanted to learn more about him, so I bought Hannah's Child.
His strugle with religion was not as complex as I thought it might be and the book focused a great deal on his sick wife and his son.It also became very focused on him
I looked at several of his other books that were more theologicaly based but they were too expensive
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Meg Birdsong
5.0 out of 5 stars Great bookReviewed in Germany on May 18, 2013
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This is a very moving book by and about one of America's leading theologians. It is very thought provoking both on the level of personal development and theological/ethical issues.
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==
Hannah's Child: A Theologian's Memoir
by Stanley Hauerwas
4.34 · Rating details · 716 ratings · 115 reviews
A loving, hard-working, godly couple has long been denied a family of their own. Finally, the wife makes a deal with God: if he blesses her with a child, she will dedicate that child to God’s service. The result of that prayer was the birth of an influential -- some say prophetic -- voice. Surprisingly, this is not the biblical story of Samuel but the account of Stanley Hauerwas, one of today’s leading theologians in the church and the academy. The story of Hauerwas’s journey into Christian discipleship is captivating and inspiring. With genuine humility, he describes his intellectual struggles with faith, how he has dealt with the complex reality of marriage to a mentally ill partner, and the gift of friendships that have influenced his character. Throughout the narrative shines Hauerwas’s conviction that the tale of his life is worth telling only because of the greater Christian story providing foundation and direction for his own. (less)
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Would this book still be recommended for someone who has read very little Hauwerwas? Is this a good way to be introduced to Hauwerwas?
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Brett Linsley Absolutely! In fact, this book can almost be thought of as a primer in his theology. By following his life, we learn about why he thinks narrative is …more
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Nathan
Jun 20, 2011Nathan rated it liked it
Stanley Hauerwas - the blue-collar, cursing theologian - is a beast. I mean this not in the British sense (though he can be that sort of beast if you are on the opposite side of a theological debate with him), but in that he devours books, works with dizzying rapidity, and writes more than most people read.
Yet the "vitae" within his "curriculum vitae" is equally interesting. His life has been a long struggle to understand the God of the Bible within the context of being an apprentice bricklayer, a student, a teacher, a father, and a husband to a mentally ill wife. His struggle to live with his wife forms the main conflict of his story - how do you love someone who cannot receive your love; how do you live with someone so delusional she might kill you in your sleep? For twenty five years, Hauerwas dealt with this conflict as he continued to publish and dedicate his works to a wife who gradually hated him more and more.
During most of his life, Hauerwas seems to have been a lukewarm Christian by his own estimation. He never could pray - until he began to write prayers to read before class at the end of his career. He also seems to have had a meager diet of Scripture.
How does such a preeminent theologian scrape by with such a limited engagement with the discipline of prayer and reading Scripture? By his own admonition, he wasn't even sure he was a Christian when he began teaching. But Hauerwas' story isn't about his own crappy spirituality, but about how the Triune God shaped and molded him over the years until he finally become a Christian - one who could respond prophetically to 9/11, who could write a heartfelt eulogy for his beloved father, or who could endure so much abuse from his wife without returning it. Despite his unspiritual disposition, Hauerwas was formed by a Master Craftsman and built up like well-layed brick house.
Another big theme in Hauerwas' story is the way in which friendship sustained him. Influenced by Aristotle and Aquinas, Stanley sees friendship as a virtue - something that we work at and is formed little by little over time. It is the iron that sharpens our own iron.
Of course, Hauerwas' wit and sardonic humor come through often in this memoir. For instance, commenting on what it is like to teach at a small liberal arts college, he blurted out in a staff meeting that "our task is to give parents the impression that by sending their daughters to Augustana [the college he was at] they would not lose the virginity they had already lost in high school." Ouch! Yet I can guarantee he was naming more truth than the school's admission brochure. Ultimately, for those trying to use Christianity to insulate themselves from the world, he would always quickly point out that the world is present in the church too.
Hauerwas' life is marked by erudition, but at the end of the day it's his prophetic character and ability to name (as he puts it) "bullshit in the church" that marks him as an important character in theology. At the end of his life, Hauerwas did live into his mother's prayer that he would be dedicated to the church; he is Hannah's child - a Samuel for yet another wayward generation. (less)
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Drew
Dec 01, 2010Drew rated it really liked it
Splendid book. Hauerwwas is a theologian on the faculty of Duke Divinity School. Texas boy--graduated from Southwestern in Georgetown, TX. His father was a brick layer and so was he. Very powerful voice.
Only book I have ever written quotes from as I read it. Here are some of the passages that caught my attention--
"I have, moreover, tried to live a life I hope is unintelligible if the God we Christians worship does not exist."
"The first task of the church is not to make the world more just but to make the world the world."
"to be a Christian meant that you could never protect yourself from the truth."
"Jesus does not tell us that we should try to be poor in spirit, or meek, or peacemakers. He simply says that many who are called into his kingdom will find themselves so constituted."
"We are complex creatures constituted by contradictions we refuse to acknowledge."
"But if God is the God of Jesus Christ, then God does not need our protection. What God demands is not protection, but truth."
"the problem with most pastors and theologians was that the way they went about their business did not require the existence of God."
"Change, if it is significant, takes time. At least change takes time if you remember that finally any change that is accomplished nonviolently comes about through persuasion." (less)
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Jack Hayne
Apr 06, 2022Jack Hayne rated it it was amazing
As many have said, this is an excellent book. As Hauweras says, “a theological page-turner.” Somehow he captures, through his tone, what it means to grow as a person. While the early Hauweras is insightful, he is not as sophisticated as the later one, who eventually came to become, maybe even realize, that he was a Christian. Especially wrenching is his relationship with Anne...though the gift of his friendship with Adam, his son, may never had developed that way. In some ways, though I'm unsure on Hauwerwas’s stance on this, the book allows for a bit of predestination.
It is also an exciting book for anyone in the academy, no matter what level. As he allows a sneak peek behind the scenes at the friendships, the rivalries, misguided chairs, and relationships with students. Hannah’s Child for this is invaluable.
Hannah’s Child also acts as an excellent introduction to his thought and the developments he makes. It is a perfect place to begin. (less)
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Barbara P
Mar 11, 2011Barbara P rated it it was amazing
After hearing Stanley Hauerwas speak at a conference sponsored by Fuller Seminary in Pasadena a couple of weeks ago I bought his book, Hannah's Child. Hauerwas was married to Ann, for 24 years, who lived with Bi-Polar illness. Hauerwas is a theologian who teaches at Duke University and is a noted scholar. Hannah's Child is the memoirs of Hauerwas that include his life with Ann, the family burden of mental illness and his efforts to try and make some theological sense out of mental illness. The memoirs address many other parts of his lifes journey and is beautifully written with zest, humor, sadness, struggle and Christian centered. Hauerwas was a faithful husband who tried to bring love and support to Ann even when most of her manic and depressed episodes were aimed at Stanley. As a Christian Hauerwas has no simple answers to the sorrow and heartache of mental illness except to return to Christian 101: be faithful to those given to you to love, find support for yourself, share your burdens, live to your fullest in the midst of the struggle and on and on. And most of all his belief that God was and is with Anne. She died in her late 50's of congestive heart failure. In the book he describes his mourning for Anne when she was alive and alone and when she was dead. He also addressed the impact Anne's illness had on Adam, their son. I could resonate with a particular statement: "I never felt sorry for myself. I thought that what Anne, Adam, and I were going through was hard. But I also thought that the only thing to do was to keep going. I had been given a job to do - I was a theologian.
As a mother to Lynda I was touched by another statement: My best advice for those who find that they must learn to live with someone who is seriously mentally ill is that their first duty is to survive. If you do not survive, no one will survive. Trying to survive is not selfish. You must strive to survive if you are to sustain any hope that life can go on. It was the anger, not the illness, at least insofar as those can be distinguished, that finally exhausted me. (less)
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Hannah Notess
Nov 19, 2010Hannah Notess rated it really liked it
I will admit that some of the more intricate theological parts of this book ("I used so-and-so's argument to prove such-and-such in response to so-and-so") were way over my head since I wasn't familiar with the discussions.
But this book answers a big question I always bring to any theology work: How does this person connect their life and their ideas? Where do these ideas come from? That's why I often struggle to read theology and philosophy in the first place - it often seems so divorced from stories and human beings who actually live in the world and have bodies.
I think I will be more interested in reading Hauerwas' theology now that I have a sense of him as a person. (less)
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Nate Pequette
May 02, 2019Nate Pequette rated it it was amazing
Hauerwas says many times in different ways something to the effect that he hopes his life doesn't make sense "If the one true God is not fully present in Jesus Christ." Jesus Christ has made all the difference for Stanley Hauerwas and he believes for the world. This memoir explores that difference from his views of the church as a alternative reality, to his long suffering marriage to Anne who was bipolar, to his changing views of ethics and becoming a pacifist. He continually gives thanks to God for the gifts of his friends that helped him become Stanley Hauerwas. Highly recommend this book! I was inspired and challenged as I usually am by Stanley Hauerwas to live as a Christian, to live as if Jesus Christ actually did rise from the dead. This has made all the difference. (less)
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David Szomor
May 12, 2020David Szomor rated it it was amazing
While reading this memoir. I cried, I laughed and I prayed. When Hauerwas talks about the importance of narrative in theology, this book embodies it. I’m thankful for this mans life and I’m thankful for his friends that got him through all his hardship. The image of theology as laying brick will forever be imprinted on my soul and I hope to grow in patience and virtue because of it.
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Tim
Jul 17, 2013Tim rated it it was amazing
Hauerwas's memoir, is really that of an extrovert, relating the books and especially the people that formed his thoughts and life. It was a little dry at times in its detailings and his recounting of his life with his mentally ill wife was horrific, but mostly it is a celebration of friendship and an invitation to the church to ignore fads, power, and the desire for control and live in the freedom and uncertainty of Jesus. His pacifism and refusal to bow to nationalistic or capitalistic distortions of ethics and faith are so necessary for the American church. I am proud to say that Hauerwas has sworn at me personally (when I noted I was a historian), but have not allowed his personal charm to overwhelm my thought processes. I appreciate the centrality of the church to his thought and the general humor and humility of his writing. I also appreciate his inability to withhold comment on administrative yahoos in the university or church leaders with horrible metrics of success. It all makes me want to go back to the Hauerwas I have read and not yet read. (less)
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Glenn Wishnew III
Jul 20, 2019Glenn Wishnew III rated it it was amazing
Shelves: hauerwas
Hauerwas at his best — bracing, hilarious and truthful down to the very last page.
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Neil Lettinga
Feb 05, 2017Neil Lettinga rated it really liked it
Stanley Hauerwas’s Hannah’s Child is Hauerwas’ memoir. Hauerwas tells a good story of a theologian who doesn’t really come to faith until well after he’s earned his PhD and has been teaching a writing for a while. He also faces up to some very difficult issues in his life, including marriage to a woman with bipolar disorder and the disintegration of that marriage. I found myself reading chunks of it aloud to my wife through the first two thirds of the book. Once he finds happiness in a second marriage and his career really stabilizes, Hauerwas kind of loses interest in the memoir, so the last third is fairly dull reading. Hauerwas describes himself as an essayist, who struggles writing books. That’s probably pretty accurate, and the essays that are the early chapters are well worth the price of the book. The last chapters just didn’t make very good essays. (less)
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Dave Fagg
Jun 03, 2017Dave Fagg rated it it was amazing
For those who love the work of Stanley Hauerwas, you will love this book. He combines personal narrative with reflections on friendship, God, church, theological education, all of which are suffused with his characteristic humour, lack of bullshit, and straight out refusal to use contractions (e.g. don't, wasn't, wouldn't etc).
The most powerful part of this book is the inclusion of details of his life married to a woman who experienced regular psychotic episodes, and the pain he and his son experienced because of that.
For those who haven't heard of him before, it's still worth reading for its engaging insights into the task of a theologian. (less)
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Nathan
Dec 30, 2019Nathan rated it really liked it
Shelves: theology, bio-memoir
I read this as I held my sick little 9 month old son. For a theologian's memior, I don't think you can ask for much better. I think I was disappointed with how little I disagreed with Hauerwas. His vulnerable honesty was endearing. Hopefully I can come back and share some of the many quotes I appreciated. (less)
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Ethan Zimmerman
Apr 12, 2022Ethan Zimmerman rated it it was amazing
4.5
I suppose this is the type of memoir one might expect from a theologian and one with the character of Hauerwas. It's both a "theologian's memoir" and a "theological memoir." Hauerwas often transitions seamlessly from telling his story to reflecting theologically on his story. It's full of both profundity and hilarity. The use of aphorisms with little explication can leave the reader wondering what he really means, but often the effect can bring the reader into reflection upon the truth expressed. I recommend the book as a way to see the world through another's eyes and simply as an enjoyable read. (less)
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Daniel
Feb 17, 2020Daniel rated it it was amazing
I very rarely find a book that I can't put down. This is one of those books. ...more
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Justin Lonas
Jun 20, 2021Justin Lonas rated it it was amazing
Simply luminous.
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Simon Robinson
May 24, 2020Simon Robinson rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I've never read a memoir, so i had no expectations. This was on the recommended read for a course i am doing. Not sure what relationship it bears to same, but it wound up being a bit of a page-turner. I imagine it could be a little boring to some, as it gets a bit bogged down at times in 'we were here, with these peeps...' But i found it fascinating to read about this world-renowned academic who began his working life at age 7 as a brickie's labourer to his 'white trash' bricklayer dad. Stanley wasn't sure about whether he was a Christian, yet went off to study theology because he found it 'just so damned interesting.' He tried to make a living while caring for a mentally ill wife and raising a son. He's rubbed shoulders, worked with, and turned out of his classroom some of the most compelling theologians of the last few decades. In the end, its all about friendship. Stanley shared with a bluntness and straighforwardness that i love, but find so lacking in church and theological discourse.
Along the way there were tender moments, astonishing prayers and great nuggets of true wisdom. Very much worth the time. Thanks for sharing, Stanley. (less)
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Jonathan Platter
Jun 07, 2015Jonathan Platter rated it it was amazing
Shelves: theology
This book has a large number of positive reviews, and my own ramblings will hardly contribute much. I simply want to add that though the writing may be "dry" for a memoir (a quality which unfortunately leads one reviewer to give a largely negative review) it is a fairly lively book of theology. And though the genre is "memoir", the subject is theology.
In an interview on youtube, Hauerwas even states that he wanted to subtitle the book "a theological memoir" but had to change it for the publisher so that it had a broader appeal. This book should be read as a work of theology, and in this vein is has two virtues:
1) It can serve as an excellent introduction to Hauerwas' theology. This is a great service on its own, considering the massive quantity of books he has written, some of which are fairly technical. For those who are unfamiliar with how Hauerwas thinks and why it is important, this book can act as a primer. Because it is also a "memoir" it is less dry, as theology goes.
2) It is an exemplar of reflecting theologically on one's own life. Hauerwas admits his book is not properly written in the "confessional" mode, like St. Augustine's _Confessions_, but it comes close! Though not explicitly written as a prayer, the book frames his self understanding in the context of the story of Christ and his Church. Consequently, Hauerwas shows what it might look like to learn to tell one's own story in a truly Christian mode. (less)
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Lyndon
May 17, 2010Lyndon rated it really liked it
I never imagined Hauerwas would write a memoir. I have no reason for thinking this other than I thought he already appeared in all his writings. At least, I thought he appeared. "Stanley Hauerwas" requires describing besides the many tales told by his students or the persona developed by his readers and interlocutors. This book is such a description. Worthwhile in how Stanley places himself in the landscape of Texas, Yale, South Bend and Duke, he provides an account of his life as understood through friendship, suffering and doubt. This is not a book about "Stanley Hauerwas". It is a personal tale of how the Christian life takes a life lived. Who we meet is someone who happens to be called Stanley Hauerwas, and by no fault of his own, is in via like the rest of us who try to worship God faithfully and truthfully. (less)
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Rod Buchanan
Dec 07, 2010Rod Buchanan rated it really liked it
In reading Hauerwas' books I wanted to know more about him. And get to know him I did. He holds nothing back and in his earthy style lets you in on his journey. Some may get bogged down with names and infighting of faculty at places they either don't know or care about, but for those somewhat aware of theological/academic figures it holds some interest. Some of these tales drag on a bit. Hauerwas is nothing if not honest, and his life is very interesting. As a side note, I thought it was interesting that he decries materialism while talking of his rather large collection of expensive art. (less)
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James
May 27, 2010James rated it it was amazing
Shelves: memoir
One of the things that mark's me out as abnormal is that I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of one of my favorite theologians memoirs for the past year. This book will likely not seen as his most important book (that would be the Peacable Kingdom), his most popular book (that would be Resident Aliens), but I found it refreshing to hear Hauerwas in his own words share some of his journey as a theologian and revealing the soil that his ideas came to fruition. (less)
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Chris Wermeskerch
Feb 04, 2021Chris Wermeskerch rated it really liked it
I've never read Hauerwas before, but now I feel like I know him deeply. To think so introspectively - despite his claims that he doesn't - is a gift and I am happy to see it shared with the church. His process of seeing himself as Christianized, instead of a typical converstion story, might speak to a lot of readers well, as will his time with his mentally ill ex-wife. (less)
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Judith
Jul 27, 2012Judith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Excellent book, the honesty, but lack of self pity, was very moving. It also communicated a real excitement about theology and why it is so important. Made me want to re-read what I have read of Hauerwas and read more that he has written.
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Chris Schutte
Sep 18, 2012Chris Schutte rated it it was amazing
A wonderful reflection on Christian growth and faithfulness from one of our most provocative theologians. He is also very humorous - I grinned and chuckled quite a bit, and even laughed out loud several times - not typical responses to theological writing . . .
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Amy
Jun 15, 2019Amy rated it liked it
I admire Stanley Hauerwas, but I do not particularly admire this memoir. The early part of the book about his family and upbringing comes across as superficial, and the sections about how he developed his theology require an advanced philosophical education. If you don’t already know the debate between Barth and Brunner—and there are dozens more examples like this—don’t bother with this part. Of course, there are plenty of people who have deeply considered these distinctions, but Hauerwas could have made this book more accessible by briefly explaining what he took from each philosopher, instead of simply name-dropping them. (An important exception is John Howard Yoder, whose work inspired Hauerwas’s pacifism.)
For me, the memoir became more compelling when Hauerwas discussed his own theology, which he details in the text, rather than relying on his audience to make connections with outside readings. As a writer, I was particularly drawn to his explanation of time and narrative in the context of the Resurrection. He writes:
“The world simply cannot be narrated – the world cannot have a story – unless a people exist who make the world the world. That is an eschatological claim that presupposes we know there was a beginning only because we have seen the end. That something had to start it all is not what Christians mean by creation. Creation is not ‘back there,’ though there is a ‘back there’ character to creation. Rather, creation names God’s continuing action, God’s unrelenting desire for us to want to be loved by that love manifest in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.”
For much of the book, Hauerwas treats his first wife, Anne, who had bipolar disorder, primarily as a burden who disrupted an otherwise idyllic life. I’m not sure that he means to be so dismissive of what it must have been like to have her illness, but it’s hard to say. He presumes to blame himself for having been too good, too energetic, so that Anne did not, in his words, have to take responsibility for herself. The fact that she failed to thrive after their marriage ended undercuts this hypothesis, as he admits. I softened toward him as the book went on – his home life sounds like it was extraordinarily difficult – but I felt he failed to fully explore the dynamics of his first marriage. (less)
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Richard Ranger
Oct 17, 2021Richard Ranger rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
It is uncommon for theologians to write memoirs. Usually they write works of theology. 'Hannah's Child' affords a reader interested in the creative work of theology a visit to the artist's studio or the craftsman's workshop, so to speak, to ask the artist or craftsman about his personal story, and to learn how life informs his work. There is much more to 'Hannah's Child' than that, but the beauty of the book is that it allows the reader to leave the auditorium with Stanley Hauerwas after he has given his lecture, to follow him somewhere for dinner or drinks and to learn what drives, inspires, or frustrates him. The beauty of this book is that it leaves a reader asking MORE questions about the discipline of theology and, more importantly, about the interweaving of faith and experience. It is to listen to the thoughts of a teacher and student of the Christian faith and how it operates in an imperfect and fallen world who has himself never ceased inquiring, never ceased questioning. One of my favorite quotes from the book presents the scenario any serious Christian faces when life throws challenges to which faith does not present simple answers:
"Such "'answers' cannot help but turn Christianity into an explanation. For me, learning to be a Christian has meant learning to live without answers. Indeed, to learn to live in this way is what makes being a Christian so wonderful. Faith is but a name for learning how to go on without knowing the answers. That is to put the matter too simply, but at least such a claim might suggest why I find that being a Christian makes life so damned interesting."
Faith is but a name for learning how to go on without knowing the answers. For me that sentence alone justified picking up this book. 'Hannah's Child' contains many other "stop-you-in-your-tracks" moments like that. Plus one damned interesting and well-told story. Highly recommended. (less)
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Luke
Feb 08, 2022Luke rated it really liked it
Hauerwas notes in the Epilogue that he wanted this memoir to be different than his usual heady theological books. He wanted to use short, to-the-point sentences like Hemingway. He wanted the reader to be able to move through the book without re-reading sections or pausing for lengthy contemplation. In this, he has overwhelmingly succeeded. Only a few short spots get bogged down in theological minutiae (though he does name-drop theologians and schools of thought throughout). I found myself reading large stretches at a time, and cackling out loud at his earthy, blue collar humor – afterall, he muses, that language is "of the job." That is to say that Hauerwas is a bricklayer in theological disguise.
He wants you to know that he was born to work hard with his hands – which sounds anachronistic coming from a theologian – but I assure you, it is not. Hauerwas believes that the concrete experiences of life matter and shape us, that if Jesus did not live, die, and bodily rise from the dead, what's the point? Just as laying brick makes you a better bricklayer, practicing prayer and going to church very likely form you into a Christian.
One of the things I most loved about Hauerwas' recounting of his life as a theologian is that he did not start out as a Christian – or more accurately, he was not sure if he was a Christian. He simply thought that there was nothing more important than trying to find out if God was real, and if so, what should he do about it.
What is Hannah's Child ultimately about then? It is certainly about the key role of friendship in the Christian life. It is also about explaining what he believes to be the most important roles of the theologian. However, it is primarily – and Hauerwas says as much in the final chapter – the (very funny and readable) testimony of a Christian. (less)
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David
Oct 30, 2019David rated it it was amazing
Someone shared a quote from this book in a sermon, and I wrote down the title and decided to read it. I knew Hauerwas taught at Duke, but what I didn't know is that he also taught at Notre Dame with the author of the Politics of Jesus, John Howard Yoder. Not only does Hauerwas count Yoder as a friend, but their friendship had a profound impact on his thinking. For instance, he credits Yoder with his decision to become a pacifist.
Since I live in South Bend I found it very interesting to read about his time at Notre Dame. Of particular interest was mention of Dr. Roland Chamblee. Over 20 years ago I met Roland, and his first wife had died and he wanted to know if I would conduct a private wedding ceremony at Tippecanoe Place. My wife was a registered nurse, and worked in the same office as Roland. So I was happy to be of service. Moving forward a few years I attended the funeral for Dr. Chamblee at Little Flower Catholic Church.
Over the years I've lived in South Bend I had an opportunity to visit Broadway Community Church, and numerous times I have taken friends for a walking tour of Sacred Heart Basilica. So it was a very pleasant surprise to learn of the author's time in South Bend.
His journey with his wife Anne, and her struggle with mental illness was hard to read at times. I was happy to read on, and learn of his marriage to Paula and follow his spiritual pilgrimage from a small town in Texas, to the halls of Yale, Notre Dame and Duke. (less)
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Chris Williams
Dec 03, 2020Chris Williams rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Very Honest and Insightful
Hauerwas offers a human account of his life. The honesty makes the reader feel comfort and discomfort because it affirms his/her own humanness but forces them to evaluate it. If you embrace this, you will love the journey he takes you on through his life story. Along the way, he drops bombs of insight relating dense theological ideas to the nitty gritty of human experience. Admittedly, some of the abstract theological concepts he uses escape my comprehension. The ones I do grasp push my worldview theologically, which I believe necessary for all theists. Practically speaking, what Hauerwas inspires me to do is be truthful. If we seek and embrace a truthful life we will be Christian. This is what I think he discovered in his life. (less)
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Rachel
Jul 29, 2021Rachel rated it really liked it
What an interesting memoir. I have never read his other works, but I am certainly intrigued after having read his life story of a wife who was mentally ill, blue-collar upbringing, and insatiable desire for bridge building and friendship.
I resonated with him saying, “When you are trying to change the questions, you have to realize that many people are quite resistant to such a change. They like the answers they have.”
One last note though. Having never heard about the abuse controversy with John Yoder, I investigated more. He should never have put Yoder's personal influence in his life over Yoder's victims. A huge missed opportunity for a diverse audience that would have listened. (less)
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Adam Shields
Oct 10, 2017Adam Shields rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Short Review: I have been on a memoir kick lately. I have been actively seeking out memoirs of elder christians to glean wisdom. I have been wanting to read more Hauerwas for a while and so I picked this up. It makes me want to read more of Hauerwas' work, so that clearly did some of its job.
He is a fascinating character. He does not like being boxed in to a position, and is outside of many traditional boxes.
We do need more memoir like this, especially from people like Hauerwas that have not had either traditional or easy lives.
my full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/hannahs-child/ (less)
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