At a Glance
Theme:
Life in the Spirit: The Church as a Witness
Faculty Speaker:
Dr. Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe professor of theological ethics
Lectionary Texts:
Deuteronomy 6; Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 84; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Acts 1:1-8
Students and staff explore praying with icons |
DYA students and staff during morning prayer |
Reflections on the Lecture
In today's plenary, we once again found ourselves confronted with challenges and questions which give birth to deep reflection and discovery of who we are as people who worship the Triune God. Dr. Stanley Hauerwas challenged us to remember that as Christians we are part of a story that is not of our own choosing. Even the very person, nature and worship of Jesus Christ are revealed to us through the particular community known as the church. He argued that the practices of the church, such as baptism, our prayers and Eucharist, are what make us who we are. Through baptism we are grafted into a body in which our body is no longer our own; we have become a new creation in Christ, and this permeates every aspect of the Christian life.
After concluding his remarks, Professor Hauerwas was kind enough to answer questions regarding just war theory, Christological non-violence, and Christians in politics.
Quotable Quotes
"You only know Jesus Christ by having the story told to you by someone else."
— Dr. Stanley Hauerwas during plenary
“The deepest enemy of Christianity today is not atheism. It’s sentimentality.”
— Dr. Hauerwas, warning against the threats to Christianity
“Your pledge of allegiance is the Apostles’ Creed.”
— Dr. Hauerwas, on how to prioritize our allegiances
Other Activities
Today’s theme of “The Church as a Witness” was threaded throughout day, beginning with morning prayer, a challenging morning plenary with Dr. Hauerwas, and our second afternoon prayer practices session exploring how the church has experienced prayer over time. After some free time on campus, we welcomed the Rev. Bill Lamar and the Rev. Nathan Kirkpatrick, staff members with Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, as our leaders in worship.
What’s Ahead...
Tomorrow Dr. Ellen Davis will lecture on the church as a community of reconciliation. In the afternoon, students and staff will disperse around the Durham-Chapel Hill area to serve in local agencies and community organizations. In the evening, students will again lead us in worship, and we’ll welcome the Rev. Jeremy Troxler to the pulpit.
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