The Truth About God: The Ten Commandments in Christian Life

by Stanley Hauerwas, William H. Willimon

Two popular authors consider not only what the Ten Commandments say about the people who observe them, but what they say about God. They are not some set of universal rules-they simply offer ways for a certain people to know a certain God-our God. What truths about God can be known through the Ten Commandments? God cares how we treat other people. God cares how we behave in marriage. God cares about the importance of being truthful. God wants people to take a day off from work each week. Readers will encounter Willimon and Hauerwas at their best as they explore the overarching question-What does it mean for people and the way they behave when they know some of these truths about God?

Genres: Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Biblical Studies

112 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

Stanley 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."

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book almost by accident, and what I found was a delightful surprise. This was a throwback to Hauerwas and Willimon in their prime, when they challenged the culture on all fronts. As they made their way down the list of the commandments (I’m not sure what happened to the second command), the admonitions got stronger, not weaker. Twenty five years after it was written, this book challenged me in healthy ways.

[Wade Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book on the Ten Commandments. I used this as a primary resource for a short series that I will be doing in a few weeks. Very insightful!

[David Campton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did since I usually enjoy the writing of both authors but this is definitely an example of something being less than the sum of its parts. There are glimmers of both here... including a distinct impatience with the intellectual laziness of some liberal church leaders, but despite its relative brevity there is a lack of focus. I also found it strange that although they broadly followed the Catholic/Lutheran numbering of the commandments, rather that a Jewish/Reformed pattern, they increasingly drew on Calvin's perspectives, rather than their own Wesleyan tradition. This together with the intensely American tone of the book meant that it didn't particularly resonate with the context in which I am ministering.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on the 10 Commandments! A tough read at times and I didn't agree with everything, but very thought provoking. This book really illustrates the fact that the commandments are so much more than "don't do this" but rather it encourages the reader to look inside ourselves to ask what we CAN do. Well worth reading. It was a great book for my Bible Study group!

[Daniel Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truth About God brings the Ten Commandments, those ancient laws carved in stone, to bear on the lives of modern readers. They are no longer a handful of obvious rules alongside strangely outdated precepts, but they are revelatory, life-changing words from God.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Hauerwas/Willimon team. This is a close examination of the ten commandments with the same wit and prophetic wisdom that characterized Resident Aliens. Mostly one long reminder that we are God's people and these words from God help us to be God's people well.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of typical Hauerwas hubris, but dead on more often than not.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good study for better understanding the Ten Commandments and how they apply to modern Christian life.

[Kristina.nyberg]

I don't know yet this book . I never read the book before .