Stanley Hauerwas on Sentimentality

Stanley Hauerwas is a once in a generation mind. He has a dual appointment at Duke Law & Duke Divinity School. He has said on many occasions that the true enemy of the Christian faith is not atheism, but sentimentality. He’s a brilliant provocateur whose talents are on full display in this clip. Here, as always, Hauerwas is trying to get Christians to believe that their faith should matter in a deeper way than most Americans have the imagination for. That the teachings of Jesus on subjects like war and violence, or materialism and greed are so blatantly ignored by most American Christians has produced a form of Christianity which is much more notable for its sentimentality than its radicality. This sort of move requires some sort of shocking rhetoric, and as always the venerable Stanley Hauerwas does not disappoint!