Unleashing the Scripture: Freeing the Bible from Captivity to America

Rating:
Summary: Some great stuff, some problematic stuff
Review: I am a huge Hauerwas fan (although I think he'd hate the idea that he has fans), so its hard for me to write a critical review of any of his books. Nevertheless, I have a number of reservations about some of the claims made in the first section of this book. In short, Hauerwas proposes that the Bible can only be rightly read by those that have undergone the hard task of disciplship. Claims that the Bible has any objective "meaning" either by fundamentalists or liberals are both claims bound to a politics foriegn to the politics of Jesus. What is important is not the "meaning" of Scripture, but the ways in which the Christian community, trained in discipleship desire to put the Scriptures to use in their community. Hauerwas follows Stanley Fish in maintianing that there is no meaning in texts as such, rather all claims to a text's meaning are the political aims of a particular community. Thus, it is vital for the Bible to be taken away from most North American Christians who, having not committed themselves to discipleship are bound to a politics (liberalism) that is bound to make them read Scripture wrongly.

Now, there is much that I agree with here. I ceratinly think that Hauerwas is right that many or even most of the readings of Scripture to come from fundamentalists and liberals are determined by a politics other than the politics of Jesus. Thus, it may be right in some cases that the Bible should be temporarily taken away from some Christians until they have had their politics reoriented to those of Jesus. That said, I think that there are substantial problems with Hauerwas's abandoning of any concept of the Bible as having meaning. He ties the meaning of Scripture so closely with the uses to which the church wishes to put Scripture that there seems to be no way in which Scripture could prophetically critique the Church. In other words, Hauerwas seems to not even consider the idea that the Triune God himself could be involved with Scripture such that he actaully communicates to the Church through Scripture in all his otherness. Hauerwas's conception of the meaning of Scripture seems thoroughly immanent (and thus, curously liberal), leaving no room for the transcendent voice of God speaking through Scripture. This is, I think the chief flaw of the book.

That said, there is much in this book that is vital, important and extremely helpful. The first section of the book, which I have just raised questions about comprises about a third of the total volume. The remainder of the book is composed of various sermons by Hauerwas. These are as helpful as any of Hauerwas's work. In particular his, "Sermon on the Sermon on the Mount" is excellent. Other sermons of note include "The Insufficiency of Scripture", "The August Partiality of God's Love" and "On Having the Grace to Live Contingently."

Despite its methodological shortcomings, this book is an important read that will provoke almost any reader into thinking about Scripture and its function in the life of the church. Strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A book worth reading!
Review: I have read one review that conveys the notion that not many solutions are provided by Stanley Hauerwas' writings. This kind of review only highlights the very things that Dr. Hauerwas is combating; somehow, "American values" are equated with Christian values to the point were the average person cannot discern between the two. One must try to eliminate this type of thinking before one can see that Stanley Hauerwas is offering feasible and necessary solutions.

This book will certainly challenge one's way of thinking. If one will remain open to Hauerwas' assertions, then one just might find that this book is not so "shocking."

Rating:
Summary: Not Hauerwas' best work.
Review: Sometimes one wonders whether or not Hauerwas is trying merely to shock his audience into hearing the truth of the gospel. Few proposals are more shocking than the one Hauerwas opens with in this book. In short, Hauerwas argues that the best thing to happen to the American church would be were the Bible to be taken out of the hands of the laity, people so corrupted by a lack of Christian virtue that they have lost the ability to read scripture rightly. If one can get beyond the hyperbole of Hauerwas' appeal, the substance of the opening essay is well worth reading. The American church needs to let go of the notion that church and state, cross and flag can go neatly hand in hand without God's kingdom being utterly distorted. Hauerwas also argues that Protestant churches need to reclaim the teaching office, taking a lesson from our Catholic brothers and sisters.

The opening essay is worth reading. The sermons that make up the last half of the book, however, are a mixed assortment of engaging gospel proclamations and weak, disembodied mumbo-jumbo. It is difficult to see how Hauerwas' intends (or does he even expect?)his sermonic form to fashion an alternative community that is living the life of virtue he rightly pleads for in church. But then perhaps this weakness is one reason why Hauerwas is behind a seminary desk, not a church pulpit. One hopes that Hauerwas will continue calling the church to remain true to God's kingdom.

Rating:
Summary: Not Hauerwas' best work.
Review: Sometimes one wonders whether or not Hauerwas is trying merely to shock his audience into hearing the truth of the gospel. Few proposals are more shocking than the one Hauerwas opens with in this book. In short, Hauerwas argues that the best thing to happen to the American church would be were the Bible to be taken out of the hands of the laity, people so corrupted by a lack of Christian virtue that they have lost the ability to read scripture rightly. If one can get beyond the hyperbole of Hauerwas' appeal, the substance of the opening essay is well worth reading. The American church needs to let go of the notion that church and state, cross and flag can go neatly hand in hand without God's kingdom being utterly distorted. Hauerwas also argues that Protestant churches need to reclaim the teaching office, taking a lesson from our Catholic brothers and sisters.

The opening essay is worth reading. The sermons that make up the last half of the book, however, are a mixed assortment of engaging gospel proclamations and weak, disembodied mumbo-jumbo. It is difficult to see how Hauerwas' intends (or does he even expect?)his sermonic form to fashion an alternative community that is living the life of virtue he rightly pleads for in church. But then perhaps this weakness is one reason why Hauerwas is behind a seminary desk, not a church pulpit. One hopes that Hauerwas will continue calling the church to remain true to God's kingdom.

Rating:
Summary: Easily digestible, not particularly filling.
Review: The main idea of the book is that the average American Christian has no business reading and interpreting the Bible for himself, and that the corporate church body needs to do all the interpreting (e.g., a Magisterium).

There aren't many theological books I'd take to the beach, but one can do that with Hauerwas' books (and there are plenty from which to choose). Prof. Hauerwas, who seems committed to publishing every stray thought he ever had, continues in his tradition of making bold statements, as if he hopes to shock and offend. He has a point, however, that some Christians need to be shocked and offended.

It would seem that Hauerwas wrote this book to further confuse those who would pigeon-hole him. Here is a man who describes himself as a "high-church Mennonite," as if there could be such an animal. A Methodist layman, he states that a true church must be in communion with Rome. He declares abortion to be "something that Christians just don't do! ," but supports normalization of homosexuality. In short, don't think you know Stanley by reading a single book. Perhaps Stanley can never be completely known, and I think he likes it that way.

Daring and controversial ideas are great for getting books sold, but they don't make a particularly coherent theology. Hauerwas is a good author to get people talking about issues, but solutions will need to come from others.