Wilderness Wanderings: Probing Twentieth-Century Theology and Philosophy (Radical Traditions)

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Summary: Great Essays on 20th Century Theolgians and Philosophers
Review: For those familiar with the works of Stanley Hauerwas, this collection of essays will be yet another treat, boasting some fascinating engagements with many diverse theologians and philosophers that have contributed to theological discussions in the last century.

There is a certain disjointedness to this collection as there are with many of Hauerwas's books, but nevertheless, the material contianed herein is vital, both to understanding Hauerwas and to understanding many key theologians and ethicists. Hauerwas's essays on Neibhur and Gustafson in particular are very helpful in shedding light on how they may be best understood (although the should of course be read on their own as well).

In particullar, Hauerwas's treatment of the doctrine of creation through Milbank's famous trinitarian ontology of peace is an excellent contribution. While many of Hauerwas's critics argue that he has no place for the doctrine of creation, this excellent essay shows just how developed his understanding of creation is. Likewise, Hauerwas's critique of O'Donovan's "The Desire of the Nations" is incisive and exposes some of the key problems that are inherent in O'Donovan's fascinating work. Finally, Hauerwas's essay on Martin Luther King is also very enlightening. It's unfortunate that Hauerwas's reccommendation of King as an example of Christian social action goes unheeded by his critics who seem content simply cry 'sectarian' all the day long rather than doing any actual engagement with the substance of Hauewas's thought.

In sum, this is a very good collection of essay by Hauerwas that engage with many key thingers. For those interested in Hauerwas's work and contemporary theology, it is a very helpful book.