Stanley Hauerwas

Stanley Martin Hauerwas (born July 24, 1940) is an American Protestant theologian, ethicist, and public intellectual. He taught at the University of Notre Dame and Duke University, where he was the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics. Hauerwas is recognized globally as a highly influential theologian, named "America's Best Theologian" by Time magazine in 2001. His academic work spans theological ethics, Christian ethics, ecclesiology, philosophical theology, political theology, and more. He is known for his sharp criticism of liberal democracy, capitalism, and militarism, as well as fundamentalist and liberal Christianity. He draws from Methodist, Anabaptist, Anglican, and Catholic traditions. His key contributions include promoting virtue ethics and postliberal theology. His book 'A Community of Character' was named among the century's most important religious books, and 'Resident Aliens' (co-authored) is widely recognized. Hauerwas was born in Dallas, Texas, and his early life experiences, including working as a bricklayer, influenced his theological perspectives. He received his education from Southwestern University and Yale University. He is known for his engagement with thinkers like Aristotle, Aquinas, Barth, and Wittgenstein, and his work is debated across various academic disciplines.