Where Resident Aliens Live: Exercises for Christian Practice

by Stanley Hauerwas, William H. Willimon

Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon return with spirited offensive strategies for feisty resident aliens. A resident alien knows who the enemy is, and here is a guide to the Christian initiation, practice, and discipline that is required for a people at war with the world.

Some Christian liberals think that resident aliens are sectarian, and that they wish to withdraw from engagement with the world. God forbid! The book is thus full of stories of resident aliens who have been baptized, trained, and conditioned -- like Marines in boot camp -- to be new citizens and find a new home in the distinctly Christian community.

Some Christian conservatives want a "to do" list that lays out the program for becoming a congregation or small group of resident aliens. Or perhaps they want a list of beliefs that might be defended. You won't find that here, for these desires are what ails the disestablished church. A list of options and choices, or an elective program for "wannabe" resident aliens, is an accommodation to the false god of freedom. Resident aliens are imitated and understood by telling their stories, by enfleshing their practices in the narrative that becomes part of the unfolding Christian story.

Genres: Theology

124 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 1996

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

[Matthew McBirth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good sequel to "Resident Aliens." Willimon and Hauerwas display, even more so than the first, their personalities. What I liked most about the book is that it includes published criticisms (and compliments) of their previous work, and they spend time responding to the criticism. Either clarifying what they meant or just doubling down - which was fun. It also includes interviews that they did after "Resident Aliens" was published and gained notoriety. One could think this is just an easy way to make another book. It doesn't come across that way. It is all utilized to further what it looks like for the church to be the church in America. What's it mean? As Willimon says in an interview recorded near the end of the book: "The Gospel is weird. And if you believe the Gospel, then you're weird too." Christians should stop trying NOT to be weird when it comes to what we believe.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the wake of George Floyd's murder and the riotous reaction of brothers and sisters across the country, "Where Resident Aliens Live" is a sobering reminder of the great call upon the church to be the body of Christ, chosen, blessed, broken and given, in order that the world might know God. It's also a sad reminder of how impotent the church has been of late to respond to its call to save the world because, in large part, the church embraces the world and tries to be friendly with it--friendly to nationalists, and consumer capitalists, and progressives/conservatives, and every other way of life the church idolizes over the way of Jesus.

Hauerwas and Willimon are such a wonderful balance to each other and manage to share a word that is both convicting and comforting, despairing and inspiring. They argue that the church is, above all, supposed to be true, which doesn't mean it's always going to be warm and welcoming. "We seek not to be many, but to be true. If, however, we are a truthful community, we believe it will be attractive to many."

Probably should've re-read "Resident Aliens" to be familiar with the foundational arguments again, but this book is just as powerful on its own.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hauwerwas and Willimon argue that the Church needs to be at war with the world. Its not language I would choose to use but I think they are right that the Church tends to be too accommodating these days and the Church always ends up losing. The best story was about a Southern Baptist Church that was totally integrated. The pastor was asked how he had achieved that. The pastor came into the church and preached on pastor that came in to a Southern Baptist Church. His first sermon was on the verse "As many as you as has been baptized into Jesus has put on Jesus and there is no longer any Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, males or females, because you is all one in Jesus." After reading it, he said to the congregation "If you one with Jesus, you one with all kind of folks. And if you ain't, you ain't." After the sermon the deacons asked him not to preach that kind of sermon anymore. So he fired the deacons and preached that Church down to four members. Then it grew and grew and grew. The preacher closes by saying "I found out that revival sometimes don't mean bringin' people in but gettin' people out that don't love Jesus."

The authors argue that the Church needs to find its identity and stick to it, whether other people think that's OK or not. It probably won't make the Church popular but that that is not the Church's job. They also argue that we need to stop believing lies like "its OK to believe whatever you want (except for believing that that is a lie.)

Interesting book that made me think of quite a few things.

[Michael Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A follow up to their Resident Aliens, this book is an attempt to answer objections to the first book. I appreciate their intellectual honesty in quoting many of the critical reviews in order to address them. However, I believe that some of the criticism was due to the sometimes ambiguous or amorphous language the authors used in both books. It is easily misunderstood, if understood at all. At times it is just obtuse and vague to the point of meaninglessness. But when it is clear and cogent, it is spot on and inspiring.