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This commentary brings the stimulating insights of world-renowned theologian Stanley Hauerwas to the first Gospel. This volume, like each in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible, is designed to serve the church--through aid in preaching, teaching, study groups, and so forth--and demonstrate the continuing intellectual and practical viability of theological interpretation of the Bible.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Stanley Hauerwas
168 books287 followersStanley Hauerwas (PhD, Yale University) is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of numerous books, including Cross-Shattered Christ, A Cross-Shattered Church, War and the American Difference, and Matthew in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible.
America's Best Theologian according to Time Magazine (2001), though he rejected the title saying, "Best is not a theological category."
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 18, 2021
Serious, practical theology. Live the Sermon on the Mount.
November 20, 2023
Didn’t read all the way through, used as an occasional resource while preaching RCL year A. I love Hauerwas’ meaty voice and fresh take on scripture.
April 27, 2023
I began reading this commentary in preparation for a Bible Study I was doing with my congregation on the Gospel of Matthew. As of the end of November 2022, we had entered into year A of the lectionary - and I thought it would be an interesting exercise to simply read through the Gospel of Matthew. The church publishing industry offers us all sorts of Bible Studies/Subject Studies we can do with our congregations. These come complete with all the bells and whistles: videos, teacher's guides, student guides, children's guides, etc.
So, what if we simply read through the gospel. Feeling the need to do a bit of prep. I chose two commentaries, this and a more conventional commentary by A. Culpepper.
Hauerwas' commentary is definitely the more readable. His grasp of the church as well as synagogue tradition is extremely helpful. The fact that it is a theological commentary also serves to make it more readable. Hauerwas also challenges the reader. For instance, in his chapter on Matthew 19, 20 he raises the issue of what is marriage? Initially, I was a bit concerned about where he was going with this as Hauerwas states: "The church's sexual ethic, moreover, can be understood only against this background. The church will be and is composed of the singe and the married. Both are called to a life of faithfulness. Both are called to the ovation of parenting so that children will rightly be brought up in the faith." This gets dangerously close to the notion that "sex" is simply for the purpose of procreation. In the next paragraph Hauerwas writes, "It therefore becomes crucial that such a people are able to distinguish between friendship and marriage." Now this was written in 2007, but it prefigures the explosive debate now going on over transgender issues.
That said, Hauerwas does raise an important question worthy of our attention: 'How do we draw a distinction between marriage and friendship?' Marriage has changed so much in the last two centuries. In the present age, marriage has taken on more commitments than it ever had before. One's spouse is caregiver, the ultimate love of one's life, best friend, fellow parent. For those entering into such a covenant there is merit in attempting to understand the commitment we are signing up for.
This is only a page or two in the commentary. Hauerwas' work carefully works through the entire idea of discipleship - including the demands Jesus makes which feel impossible.
Because this is a theological commentary Hauerwas has more freedom to pick up lines of thought in other scriptures (Hebrew Scriptures as well as Christian Testament).
When I began I believed that Hauerwas' commentary would give me material to move my Bible Study along. Oh, I was of little faith. Hauerwas was helpful; but only in that he anticipated many of the questions my classes raised. Indeed, Hauerwas was just one of many voices which contributed to the reading of the text which is Matthew's Gospel.
Too often, we have taken a passage and turned it to serve our own voice. For instance, when Lincoln in the Lincoln Douglas debates observed that "a house divided cannot stand"; he was using Jesus' words to carry his own argument. Reading the entirety of Matthew's Gospel allows us to read the text within its own context.
For instance, among millenialists Jesus last of his five sermons given in Matthew contains the passage from which we derive the idea of the rapture. Read in context, this idea of the rapture loses value. The last illustration in this gospel provides a scene of judgement which runs. counter to much of Protestant theology. In the only judgment scene Jesus gives in the New Testament people are divided into sheep and goats. The sheep enter into heaven not because they have claimed Jesus as their savior but rather because they have practiced mercy. The goats enter into damnation because they did not practice the mercy. As Jesus tells the story he repeats a litany of merciful actions four times (feeding the hungry, offering water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and visiting those in prison. This entire litany is repeated four times in Jesus telling of the last judgment. If Jesus felt it was necessary to repeat the litany four times then isn't that something we ought to pay attention to? For rapture enthusiasts attention this detail is not important. Indeed, those of us who pay attention to this detail will be accused of practicing works' righteousness.
And yet, when Jesus gives the great commission, he doesn't simply tell us to make disciples but he adds that we are to teach them to obey everything he has told us.
To conclude there is great value in simply reading the text and wrestling with it. There is even more value to reading it within a community which is free to question the text in any manner they deem fit.
So, what if we simply read through the gospel. Feeling the need to do a bit of prep. I chose two commentaries, this and a more conventional commentary by A. Culpepper.
Hauerwas' commentary is definitely the more readable. His grasp of the church as well as synagogue tradition is extremely helpful. The fact that it is a theological commentary also serves to make it more readable. Hauerwas also challenges the reader. For instance, in his chapter on Matthew 19, 20 he raises the issue of what is marriage? Initially, I was a bit concerned about where he was going with this as Hauerwas states: "The church's sexual ethic, moreover, can be understood only against this background. The church will be and is composed of the singe and the married. Both are called to a life of faithfulness. Both are called to the ovation of parenting so that children will rightly be brought up in the faith." This gets dangerously close to the notion that "sex" is simply for the purpose of procreation. In the next paragraph Hauerwas writes, "It therefore becomes crucial that such a people are able to distinguish between friendship and marriage." Now this was written in 2007, but it prefigures the explosive debate now going on over transgender issues.
That said, Hauerwas does raise an important question worthy of our attention: 'How do we draw a distinction between marriage and friendship?' Marriage has changed so much in the last two centuries. In the present age, marriage has taken on more commitments than it ever had before. One's spouse is caregiver, the ultimate love of one's life, best friend, fellow parent. For those entering into such a covenant there is merit in attempting to understand the commitment we are signing up for.
This is only a page or two in the commentary. Hauerwas' work carefully works through the entire idea of discipleship - including the demands Jesus makes which feel impossible.
Because this is a theological commentary Hauerwas has more freedom to pick up lines of thought in other scriptures (Hebrew Scriptures as well as Christian Testament).
When I began I believed that Hauerwas' commentary would give me material to move my Bible Study along. Oh, I was of little faith. Hauerwas was helpful; but only in that he anticipated many of the questions my classes raised. Indeed, Hauerwas was just one of many voices which contributed to the reading of the text which is Matthew's Gospel.
Too often, we have taken a passage and turned it to serve our own voice. For instance, when Lincoln in the Lincoln Douglas debates observed that "a house divided cannot stand"; he was using Jesus' words to carry his own argument. Reading the entirety of Matthew's Gospel allows us to read the text within its own context.
For instance, among millenialists Jesus last of his five sermons given in Matthew contains the passage from which we derive the idea of the rapture. Read in context, this idea of the rapture loses value. The last illustration in this gospel provides a scene of judgement which runs. counter to much of Protestant theology. In the only judgment scene Jesus gives in the New Testament people are divided into sheep and goats. The sheep enter into heaven not because they have claimed Jesus as their savior but rather because they have practiced mercy. The goats enter into damnation because they did not practice the mercy. As Jesus tells the story he repeats a litany of merciful actions four times (feeding the hungry, offering water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and visiting those in prison. This entire litany is repeated four times in Jesus telling of the last judgment. If Jesus felt it was necessary to repeat the litany four times then isn't that something we ought to pay attention to? For rapture enthusiasts attention this detail is not important. Indeed, those of us who pay attention to this detail will be accused of practicing works' righteousness.
And yet, when Jesus gives the great commission, he doesn't simply tell us to make disciples but he adds that we are to teach them to obey everything he has told us.
To conclude there is great value in simply reading the text and wrestling with it. There is even more value to reading it within a community which is free to question the text in any manner they deem fit.
January 31, 2025
Stanley Hauerwas’ *Matthew* (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible) is a profound and deeply characteristic work from one of the most influential theologians of our time. As expected, it is thoroughly Hauerwasian—unapologetically theological, ecclesially grounded, and resistant to the temptations of modern biblical scholarship that separate exegesis from the life of the church. Rather than approaching Matthew with historical-critical concerns, Hauerwas reads it as the church’s book, written to form disciples who are called to live in the new creation inaugurated by Jesus.
A central theme of the commentary is that Matthew’s Gospel is fundamentally about discipleship—what it means to follow Jesus and belong to the community shaped by his teaching, life, death, and resurrection. Hauerwas emphasizes that Matthew is not just telling a story but is instructing the church in the politics of the Kingdom of God, contrasting the reign of Christ with the violent powers of the world. His Anabaptist and ecclesial commitments shine through as he insists that Jesus calls his followers into a concrete way of life, a visible and distinctive community that embodies the peaceable kingdom.
This commentary is not just about interpreting Matthew but about helping the church *be* the kind of people who can receive Matthew’s witness. Hauerwas critiques the individualistic and privatized readings of the Gospel that dominate Western Christianity, arguing instead that discipleship is inherently communal. He reads the Sermon on the Mount as central to Matthew’s theological vision, underscoring that Jesus’ teachings are not impossible ideals but the constitution of a new way of being in the world.
Hauerwas also engages with major theological voices, drawing from Augustine, Barth, and Bonhoeffer, among others, to situate Matthew’s message within the broader Christian tradition. His prose is sharp, provocative, and at times humorous, making this not only an insightful theological commentary but also an engaging read.
While some readers may wish for more engagement with historical-critical issues, Hauerwas’ commitment to reading Matthew *for* the church rather than merely *about* the church is what makes this commentary so compelling. It is not just an academic exercise; it is a work of theological formation. For pastors, theologians, and all who long to live as disciples in the world Jesus has remade, *Matthew* is a powerful and necessary companion.
A central theme of the commentary is that Matthew’s Gospel is fundamentally about discipleship—what it means to follow Jesus and belong to the community shaped by his teaching, life, death, and resurrection. Hauerwas emphasizes that Matthew is not just telling a story but is instructing the church in the politics of the Kingdom of God, contrasting the reign of Christ with the violent powers of the world. His Anabaptist and ecclesial commitments shine through as he insists that Jesus calls his followers into a concrete way of life, a visible and distinctive community that embodies the peaceable kingdom.
This commentary is not just about interpreting Matthew but about helping the church *be* the kind of people who can receive Matthew’s witness. Hauerwas critiques the individualistic and privatized readings of the Gospel that dominate Western Christianity, arguing instead that discipleship is inherently communal. He reads the Sermon on the Mount as central to Matthew’s theological vision, underscoring that Jesus’ teachings are not impossible ideals but the constitution of a new way of being in the world.
Hauerwas also engages with major theological voices, drawing from Augustine, Barth, and Bonhoeffer, among others, to situate Matthew’s message within the broader Christian tradition. His prose is sharp, provocative, and at times humorous, making this not only an insightful theological commentary but also an engaging read.
While some readers may wish for more engagement with historical-critical issues, Hauerwas’ commitment to reading Matthew *for* the church rather than merely *about* the church is what makes this commentary so compelling. It is not just an academic exercise; it is a work of theological formation. For pastors, theologians, and all who long to live as disciples in the world Jesus has remade, *Matthew* is a powerful and necessary companion.
April 14, 2018
This is a great series thus far. (just finished my 3rd) Each book requires getting in to the author's 'cadence' - but once there they do a wonderful job reviewing the scripture in a way that is relate-able, really insightful and educational in a way that brings a novice in to the world of theology.
The insights were often timeless and very applicable to our time... including this from my last session of reading as I finished the book:
(remarking about Jesus staying silent when charged by his opponents in Matthew 27)
"Not to answer the chief priests and elders is one thing. It is quite another thing to remain silent before Pilate. Jesus now confronts the power of Rome. That power has no capacity to acknowledge the truth that comes in the form of a suffering servant. That power, moreover, is the power of the old age exposed and rendered futile by the coming of the Son of God. Jesus' silence before Pilate, therefore, is the sign of the end of the power that the Pilates of the world represent. Pilate's power will crucify Jesus, but when power crucifies the truth, it signals to all the world that it [that power] has come to its effective end. Jesus is silent because he is the new order of truth on which a community of peace is possible. A community of peace is possible only when order does not rest on lies and injustice. Bonhoeffer [one of my faves!] observes that when a community of order is built on lies and injustice is confronted by a community of peace a battle must ensue."
timely, eh?
The insights were often timeless and very applicable to our time... including this from my last session of reading as I finished the book:
(remarking about Jesus staying silent when charged by his opponents in Matthew 27)
"Not to answer the chief priests and elders is one thing. It is quite another thing to remain silent before Pilate. Jesus now confronts the power of Rome. That power has no capacity to acknowledge the truth that comes in the form of a suffering servant. That power, moreover, is the power of the old age exposed and rendered futile by the coming of the Son of God. Jesus' silence before Pilate, therefore, is the sign of the end of the power that the Pilates of the world represent. Pilate's power will crucify Jesus, but when power crucifies the truth, it signals to all the world that it [that power] has come to its effective end. Jesus is silent because he is the new order of truth on which a community of peace is possible. A community of peace is possible only when order does not rest on lies and injustice. Bonhoeffer [one of my faves!] observes that when a community of order is built on lies and injustice is confronted by a community of peace a battle must ensue."
timely, eh?
April 23, 2020
I have a great appreciation for Hauerwas, and I do like the Brazos series, but this books reads less like a theological commentary on the Gospel of Matthew and more like Matthew as a commentary for Hauerwas's (and Bonhoeffer's) theology. There are many valuable insights, but it's just too detached from the text in my judgment. It's having on the shelf but not if it's your only commentary on Matthew.
November 1, 2020
This commentary is good overall, especially for preaching. You will get your “Hauerwasian” concerns for nonviolence, the Church, and discipleship, but he does those things well and handles the text wonderfully.
He does essentially nothing in terms of historical/critical work, but this is because this is primarily a *theological* commentary.
Occasionally the author stray from proper theological reflection towards allegorical readings; when this happens it can be a little hit-or-miss.
He does essentially nothing in terms of historical/critical work, but this is because this is primarily a *theological* commentary.
Occasionally the author stray from proper theological reflection towards allegorical readings; when this happens it can be a little hit-or-miss.
April 25, 2022
This is a good commentary from Hauerwas, picking up on some anabaptist themes throughout Matthew's gospel. This is not the only Matthew commentary I've read within the past year and not the one that impacted me the most, but it certainly accomplished the goal Hauerwas set out to do, making me a more competent reader of the text.
March 16, 2020
The reason I rated this with 5 stars is Hauerwas demonstrates how in Matthew's Gospel, we are called to be disciples of Jesus. He shows with compelling clarity in a way that I have not found before. Having read this, I feel like I know Jesus more than I did before I read it.
January 16, 2019
** true rating 3.5
July 25, 2019
Super helpful commentary by Stan the man as I was preaching through Gospel of Matthew!
October 20, 2020
One of the most convicting books I’ve read this year. Hauerwas’ narrative-style commentary was such a beautiful exploration of the gospel of Matthew. Looking forward to other Brazos commentaries.
December 7, 2023
One of my favorite commentaries. Exegesis that helps the reader to remember that Matthew is trying to help readers to become faithful disciples.
July 14, 2009
This book does what many commentaries fail to do: it gets to the heart and soul of the text practically speaking. Instead of getting caught up in nit-picky details, or theological debates, or religion as we understand it today, it asks us more existential questions like how do i live a good life. We may say that this is a mere 'ethical' question best left for the philosophers to theorize about whether Aristotle or Kant was right (I can say this as a philosopher), and that The Bible and the gospels got it all wrong. But really books like Matthew (even for me who has read it a million times and feels like its all cliches) are such misunderstood texts. It is full of parables and stories, even seemingly contradictory advice. But what Hauerwas does is to provide clear and original ethico-political (but fundamentally practical and clear) interpretation of what may be the simplest good life of all good lives (one that carries so much cultural baggage, we can't even begin to see this fact for all the haze and chaos): Jesus´ life.
To read the beatitudes (which include such claims as 'Blessed are the poor, the meek, the peacemakers, etc.) while living in Bosnia is truly an eye and ear opening event.
To read the beatitudes (which include such claims as 'Blessed are the poor, the meek, the peacemakers, etc.) while living in Bosnia is truly an eye and ear opening event.
May 11, 2014
Hauerwas writes clearly and directly; he consistently says things that make me think about familiar passages in entirely new ways. Flipping back through my journal, I don't have the patience to count how many quotes I copies out from this commentary.
Here is just one quote of the many that stood out to me: [About Matthew ch.18]: "Peter rebukes Jesus because he fears Jesus will be humiliated, but without humiliation few of us will ever find the way to be one of Jesus's little ones. Humiliation is the name rightly given to the recognition of our sin" (186).
One thing I found slight odd, however, was how insistent Hauerwas was on not referring to Mark or Luke. In several places Mark and Luke add clarifying details to Matthew's account and Hauerwas refused to bring anything from them into his discussion. Maybe I only find that odd because I read more devotional literature about the Bible than academic.
Here is just one quote of the many that stood out to me: [About Matthew ch.18]: "Peter rebukes Jesus because he fears Jesus will be humiliated, but without humiliation few of us will ever find the way to be one of Jesus's little ones. Humiliation is the name rightly given to the recognition of our sin" (186).
One thing I found slight odd, however, was how insistent Hauerwas was on not referring to Mark or Luke. In several places Mark and Luke add clarifying details to Matthew's account and Hauerwas refused to bring anything from them into his discussion. Maybe I only find that odd because I read more devotional literature about the Bible than academic.
March 6, 2016
What better way to understand Christian ethics than grounded in discipleship following Christ? And what better theologian than Hauerwas to bring it all together with the help of Bonhoeffer, Barth and Yoder? Bringing the teaching of Hauerwas to the narrative of the Gospel of Matthew was a very enriching experience and one I highly recommend. Instead of trying to understand the sermon on the mount as a separate set of principles from which to live, Hauerwas grounds all of Jesus' teachings in who He is and what He was doing. Being a disciple of Christ is the only way to make sense of these teachings and the life of Christ, for Christianity does not consist of believing a set of doctrines but in following of the One who calls each of us to new life in Him.
August 19, 2008
If you are into commentaries or want to think along with Hauerwas as he reads Matthew this is user friendly text. To me, maybe a little too friendly. Hauerwas' perspective as a post-liberal orthodox theologian gives in too much at times to the text of Matthew. Hauerwas challenges the reader but not the writer of Matthew, at least not enough for me. Hauerwas is strong on feeding the poor, he stays true to being a pacifist, however, he wobbles on a few other social issues that concern me - however, his writings in general and this book specifically has deeply effected my preaching.
September 1, 2014
This is an excellent theological commentary on the book of Matthew. If you are expecting the typical verse by verse commentary you will need to look elsewhere. However, I really enjoyed Hauerwas' deep theological insights into Matthew's gospel and the Christian faith. I used this commentary as I preached through Matthew during Year A in the Revised Common Lectionary and found it to be a wonderful theological companion for preaching and personal growth.
January 16, 2021
Hauerwas is an essential read. This text is structured as a commentary on Matthew, but Hauerwas draws heavily from Bonhoeffer’s writings on non-violence and his own critiques of capitalism and consumerism. Hauerwas’ persistent critique of Christian nationalism and the compromises that the American church makes for the sake of political (and cultural) power make this a particularly timely (and refreshing) read!
October 27, 2014
One of those guys with whom I disagree quite strongly on some matters (his anti-Constantinianism chiefly) and yet still feel I'm very much on his side. The commentary is penetrating, not verse-by-verse but makes you think afresh about each chapter as a whole, powerfully bringing alive again the radical nature of what is being said.
July 17, 2012
Rather than a commentary on Matthew this is an anthology of Hauerwasian thinking through the paradigm formed by the Matthew text. Once that is accepted, it becomes a forceful, and perhaps resourceful, read.
July 30, 2008
great read. It was fun to be able to read through a whole commentary. Hauerwas was himself, sometimes profound, sometimes quoting profundity, sometimes not and making you feel better about yourself.
March 10, 2010
Great bit of Hauerwas on Matthew.
December 25, 2015
Excellent. What a great commentary on the gospel of Matthew.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews