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Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness
How are Christians to live in a violent and wounded world? Rather than contending for privilege by wielding power and authority, we can witness prophetically from a position of weakness. The church has much to learn from an often overlooked community--those with disabilities. In this fascinating book, theologian Stanley Hauerwas collaborates with Jean Vanier, founder of the worldwide L'Arche communities. For many years, Hauerwas has reflected on the lives of people with disability, the political significance of community, and how the experience of disability addresses the weaknesses and failures of liberal society. And L'Arche provides a unique model of inclusive community that is underpinned by a deep spirituality and theology. Together, Vanier and Hauerwas carefully explore the contours of a countercultural community that embodies a different way of being and witnesses to a new order--one marked by radical forms of gentleness, peacemaking and faithfulness. The authors' explorations shed light on what it means to be human and how we are to live. The robust voice of Hauerwas and the gentle words of Vanier offer a synergy of ideas that, if listened to carefully, will lead the church to a fresh practicing of peace, love and friendship. This invigorating conversation is for everyday Christians who desire to live faithfully in a world that is violent and broken.
117 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2008
67 people are currently reading
904 people want to read
About the author
Stanley Hauerwas
167 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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June 16, 2019
Summary: Essays by the two authors reflecting on the practice of gentleness in the L'Arche communities where assistants and the disabled live in community, and the theological and political significance of this witness in a violent world.
Stanley Hauerwas has been named "America's best theologian" by Time magazine, known for his advocacy that the church embody its social ethic, that it be itself, in its communal life, and for his critique of liberal democracy, capitalism, and militarism, and the church's often unthinking endorsement and adoption of these ideologies. Jean Vanier, deceased in 2019, was the founder of L'Arche, a network of communities where helpers and the disabled live and share life together in "houses" or communities. Until 2006, they had never met, although Hauerwas had commended the work of L'Arche. They were invited to a conference by the Center for Spirituality, Health, and Disability at the University of Aberdeen, where they spent two days conversing and speaking. This book, recently reissued in an expanded edition with study guide, reflects those conversations.
Other than introductory and concluding essays by John Swinton, this book consists of four alternating essays by Vanier and Hauerwas. The first, by Vanier is a narrative of the beginnings and development of L'Arche. Drawn by the work of Father Thomas Philippe with the disabled in France, he moved there, began to live with two disabled men who had been institutionalized, and soon found himself leading the community. He describes L'Arche as fragile, subject to government regulations and the question of whether people will always choose to live with them. He also describes L'Arche as a place of transformation, both for assistants and the disabled, transformations that reflect the mystery of the Spirit's work. He describes three crucial activities in their community, all requiring gentleness and patience: meals together, prayer and communion, and celebration of everything from birthdays and holidays to deaths of members. The message in all of this is, "You are a gift. You're a gift to the community."
Hauerwas responds by discussing how L'Arche is a "modest proposal" in a violent world that is a witness to the church of its call to gentleness and non-violence. It is a witness of care for those who cannot be cured, of patience in a particular place. For this reason, Hauerwas also believes that L'Arche needs the church as a reminder that they need to worship with the larger body that is not L'Arche. It is not only as a witness to the church, amplified through the church, but also support and sustenance from the church that makes its life possible.
Vanier then writes of L'Arche as a place that in a small way addresses the woundedness of the world by recognizing in weakness and wounds a way to God. He speaks of the connection of fear and violence, and the power of surrendering our fears to love--the love of God and the present love of the community, both the abled and the disabled. Grieving the sentiment that would abort all those with Down syndrome and the message that leaves the disabled feeling, "I am no good" Vanier writes:
"The heart of L'Arche is to say to people, 'I am glad you exist.' And the proof that we are glad that they exist is that we stay with them for a long time. We are together, we can have fun together. 'I am glad you exist' is translated into physical presence" (p. 69).
Hauerwas's concluding essay explores the politics of gentleness in an extended engagement with the thought of John Rawls and Martha Nussbaum, both who labored to articulate a rationale for the rights of the disabled to help. He summarizes how L'Arche went beyond this:
"Nussbaum wants to give Jean justifications for helping the disabled. What she can't do is give him a reason to live with them. But that is exactly what Jean says he needed. He had to be taught how to be gentle. It is not easy to learn to be gentle with the mentally disabled. As Jean has already said, they also suffer from the wound of loneliness. They can ask for too much. Which means gentleness requires the slow and patient work necessary to create trust. Crucial for the development of trust is that assistants in L'Arche discover the darkness, brokenness, and selfishness shaped by their own loneliness.... According to Jean, through the struggle to discover we are wounded like the mentally disabled, we discover how much 'we need Jesus and his Paraclete..." (p. 90).
There is a gentleness that flows out of this awareness before God of our mutual weakness, exemplified in the practice of mutually washing one another's feet, transformative to assistants and disabled alike, that is a witness in a violent world.
This slim volume is an extraordinary testament, a witness as it were, to the power of gentleness that flows from weakness, both in its description of the quiet wonder taking place within L'Arche, and the record of the conversation between Vanier and Hauerwas, as they opened minds and hearts to each other to explore the significance of the "modest proposal" that is L'Arche in an impatient and violent world.
Stanley Hauerwas has been named "America's best theologian" by Time magazine, known for his advocacy that the church embody its social ethic, that it be itself, in its communal life, and for his critique of liberal democracy, capitalism, and militarism, and the church's often unthinking endorsement and adoption of these ideologies. Jean Vanier, deceased in 2019, was the founder of L'Arche, a network of communities where helpers and the disabled live and share life together in "houses" or communities. Until 2006, they had never met, although Hauerwas had commended the work of L'Arche. They were invited to a conference by the Center for Spirituality, Health, and Disability at the University of Aberdeen, where they spent two days conversing and speaking. This book, recently reissued in an expanded edition with study guide, reflects those conversations.
Other than introductory and concluding essays by John Swinton, this book consists of four alternating essays by Vanier and Hauerwas. The first, by Vanier is a narrative of the beginnings and development of L'Arche. Drawn by the work of Father Thomas Philippe with the disabled in France, he moved there, began to live with two disabled men who had been institutionalized, and soon found himself leading the community. He describes L'Arche as fragile, subject to government regulations and the question of whether people will always choose to live with them. He also describes L'Arche as a place of transformation, both for assistants and the disabled, transformations that reflect the mystery of the Spirit's work. He describes three crucial activities in their community, all requiring gentleness and patience: meals together, prayer and communion, and celebration of everything from birthdays and holidays to deaths of members. The message in all of this is, "You are a gift. You're a gift to the community."
Hauerwas responds by discussing how L'Arche is a "modest proposal" in a violent world that is a witness to the church of its call to gentleness and non-violence. It is a witness of care for those who cannot be cured, of patience in a particular place. For this reason, Hauerwas also believes that L'Arche needs the church as a reminder that they need to worship with the larger body that is not L'Arche. It is not only as a witness to the church, amplified through the church, but also support and sustenance from the church that makes its life possible.
Vanier then writes of L'Arche as a place that in a small way addresses the woundedness of the world by recognizing in weakness and wounds a way to God. He speaks of the connection of fear and violence, and the power of surrendering our fears to love--the love of God and the present love of the community, both the abled and the disabled. Grieving the sentiment that would abort all those with Down syndrome and the message that leaves the disabled feeling, "I am no good" Vanier writes:
"The heart of L'Arche is to say to people, 'I am glad you exist.' And the proof that we are glad that they exist is that we stay with them for a long time. We are together, we can have fun together. 'I am glad you exist' is translated into physical presence" (p. 69).
Hauerwas's concluding essay explores the politics of gentleness in an extended engagement with the thought of John Rawls and Martha Nussbaum, both who labored to articulate a rationale for the rights of the disabled to help. He summarizes how L'Arche went beyond this:
"Nussbaum wants to give Jean justifications for helping the disabled. What she can't do is give him a reason to live with them. But that is exactly what Jean says he needed. He had to be taught how to be gentle. It is not easy to learn to be gentle with the mentally disabled. As Jean has already said, they also suffer from the wound of loneliness. They can ask for too much. Which means gentleness requires the slow and patient work necessary to create trust. Crucial for the development of trust is that assistants in L'Arche discover the darkness, brokenness, and selfishness shaped by their own loneliness.... According to Jean, through the struggle to discover we are wounded like the mentally disabled, we discover how much 'we need Jesus and his Paraclete..." (p. 90).
There is a gentleness that flows out of this awareness before God of our mutual weakness, exemplified in the practice of mutually washing one another's feet, transformative to assistants and disabled alike, that is a witness in a violent world.
This slim volume is an extraordinary testament, a witness as it were, to the power of gentleness that flows from weakness, both in its description of the quiet wonder taking place within L'Arche, and the record of the conversation between Vanier and Hauerwas, as they opened minds and hearts to each other to explore the significance of the "modest proposal" that is L'Arche in an impatient and violent world.
May 13, 2018
Raises such important questions and contains such important insights. I wish this book were longer.
May 28, 2020
A quick, eye-opening look into the Christian witness from the perspective of "weakness" - primarily through L'Arche, an organization that serves the disabled community.
Only downside: the last chapter seems out of place with its tone and subject matter, though its discussion is relevant.
Highly recommended.
Only downside: the last chapter seems out of place with its tone and subject matter, though its discussion is relevant.
Highly recommended.
November 21, 2009
I picked this one up after Laura's recommendation, and I've been thinking about a "theology of disability," so I was intrigued to see what Vanier and Hauerwas had to say on the subject. The book was definitely too short, and I liked Vanier's chapters more than Hauerwas', but it was a good intro into the topic. Here are a few of my take-away favorites:
-There are three activities that are absolutely vital in the creation of community. The first is eating together around the same table. The second is praying together. And the third is celebrating together.
-Another person in L'Arche in Australia was working with people in the world of prostitution, and she had been walking with a particular young man for quite some time. One day she was going through a park in Sydney and found him dying of an overdose. As she knelt beside him, he said to her, "You have always wanted to change me. You have never accepted me as I am." Can we accept and love people with disabilities as they are?
-I know a man who lives in Paris. His wife has Alzheimer's. He was an important businessman - his life filled with busyness. But he said that when his wife fell sick, "I couldn't put her into an institution, so I keep her. I feed her. I bathe her." I went to Paris to visit them, and this businessman who had been very busy all his life said, "I have changed. I have become more human." I got a letter from him recently. He said that in the middle of the night his wife woke him up. She came out of the fog for a moment, and she said, "Darling, I just want to say thank you for all you're doing for me." Then she fell back into the fog. He said, "I wept and wept."
-As we live with people who have been crushed, as we begin to welcome the stranger, we will gradually discover the stranger inside of us. When we welcome the broken outside, they call us to discover the broken inside. We cannot really enter into relationship with people who are broken unless somehow we deal with our own brokenness.
-Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, compares the human body to the body of Christ, and he says that those parts of the body that are the weakest and least presentable are indispensable to the body. In other words, people who are the weakest and the least presentable are indispensable to the church. I have never seen this as the first line of a book on ecclesiology. Who really believes it? But this is the heart of faith, of what it means to be the church. Do we really believe that the weakest, the least presentable, those we hide away - that they are indispensable? If that was our vision of the church, it would change many things.
-There are three activities that are absolutely vital in the creation of community. The first is eating together around the same table. The second is praying together. And the third is celebrating together.
-Another person in L'Arche in Australia was working with people in the world of prostitution, and she had been walking with a particular young man for quite some time. One day she was going through a park in Sydney and found him dying of an overdose. As she knelt beside him, he said to her, "You have always wanted to change me. You have never accepted me as I am." Can we accept and love people with disabilities as they are?
-I know a man who lives in Paris. His wife has Alzheimer's. He was an important businessman - his life filled with busyness. But he said that when his wife fell sick, "I couldn't put her into an institution, so I keep her. I feed her. I bathe her." I went to Paris to visit them, and this businessman who had been very busy all his life said, "I have changed. I have become more human." I got a letter from him recently. He said that in the middle of the night his wife woke him up. She came out of the fog for a moment, and she said, "Darling, I just want to say thank you for all you're doing for me." Then she fell back into the fog. He said, "I wept and wept."
-As we live with people who have been crushed, as we begin to welcome the stranger, we will gradually discover the stranger inside of us. When we welcome the broken outside, they call us to discover the broken inside. We cannot really enter into relationship with people who are broken unless somehow we deal with our own brokenness.
-Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, compares the human body to the body of Christ, and he says that those parts of the body that are the weakest and least presentable are indispensable to the body. In other words, people who are the weakest and the least presentable are indispensable to the church. I have never seen this as the first line of a book on ecclesiology. Who really believes it? But this is the heart of faith, of what it means to be the church. Do we really believe that the weakest, the least presentable, those we hide away - that they are indispensable? If that was our vision of the church, it would change many things.
August 8, 2016
A beautiful book written by people with a beautifully vulnerable heart. Very challenging and thought provoking. How do you be fully present with people in a world where walls of fear are the drive behind the power separation we see all around us? How do we live gently within a wounded world?
A must read for all those seeking to live incarnationally with the vulnerable, the least, the lost and the lonely. Warning, this book will challenge your perspective and change your outlook in life.. What an exciting adventure, I invite you to join me in living gently in this wounded world, are you up for the challenge?
A must read for all those seeking to live incarnationally with the vulnerable, the least, the lost and the lonely. Warning, this book will challenge your perspective and change your outlook in life.. What an exciting adventure, I invite you to join me in living gently in this wounded world, are you up for the challenge?
January 2, 2020
This brief series of reflections by Hauerwas and Jean Vanier considers the importance of L'Arche (a shared community between the abled and the "dis"abled) as a vision for hope in a world full of pain. It is much more a reflection on L'Arche and the witness of God's love through people with disabilities than the title suggests.
My highlighter got a lot of traction here, as the wisdom between these two powerhouse thinkers (of very differing styles) is dense. It is the kind of reading the makes you breathe deeper, slow your neurons, and listen deeply to the gentleness inherent in a God-soaked world. Perhaps the greatest gift of this book is its immunity to offering solutions. It merely sits with the reality of pain and invites you to do the same, realizing the joy and peace that is possible when our white-knuckled need for improvement abates.
Probably oversold in its titling, but deeply valuable nonetheless, the book was a great way to kick off 2020.
My highlighter got a lot of traction here, as the wisdom between these two powerhouse thinkers (of very differing styles) is dense. It is the kind of reading the makes you breathe deeper, slow your neurons, and listen deeply to the gentleness inherent in a God-soaked world. Perhaps the greatest gift of this book is its immunity to offering solutions. It merely sits with the reality of pain and invites you to do the same, realizing the joy and peace that is possible when our white-knuckled need for improvement abates.
Probably oversold in its titling, but deeply valuable nonetheless, the book was a great way to kick off 2020.
November 27, 2025
3.5⭐️
“We are oddly comfortable with truths that, on reflection, are deeply dissonant… we seem quite comfortable with the knowledge that up to twenty thousand children die each day from preventable disease… we develop policies and practices that welcome people with disabilities into our communities, offering them rights and responsibilities, and at precisely the same time we develop forms of genetic technology designed to prevent the from entering society in the first place.”
“Disabled people are living icons of the crucified Son. They reveal the mysterious beauty of the One who emptied himself for our sake and made himself obedient unto death.”
“We live in a time when people believe they have no story except the story they chose when they thought they had no story… if you don’t believe that’s true of you, just ask yourself whether you believe someone should held responsible for a decision they made when they didn’t know what they were doing. Most of us don’t; this ethos of freedom is deep in our souls… The problem with this way of thinking is that it makes marriage unintelligible. How do we ever know what we are doing when we promise lifelong monogamous fidelity? Christians are required to marry before witnesses in church so we can hold them to promises they made when they didn’t know what they were doing.”
“We are oddly comfortable with truths that, on reflection, are deeply dissonant… we seem quite comfortable with the knowledge that up to twenty thousand children die each day from preventable disease… we develop policies and practices that welcome people with disabilities into our communities, offering them rights and responsibilities, and at precisely the same time we develop forms of genetic technology designed to prevent the from entering society in the first place.”
“Disabled people are living icons of the crucified Son. They reveal the mysterious beauty of the One who emptied himself for our sake and made himself obedient unto death.”
“We live in a time when people believe they have no story except the story they chose when they thought they had no story… if you don’t believe that’s true of you, just ask yourself whether you believe someone should held responsible for a decision they made when they didn’t know what they were doing. Most of us don’t; this ethos of freedom is deep in our souls… The problem with this way of thinking is that it makes marriage unintelligible. How do we ever know what we are doing when we promise lifelong monogamous fidelity? Christians are required to marry before witnesses in church so we can hold them to promises they made when they didn’t know what they were doing.”
May 19, 2019
This is a powerful little book and the conclusions will keep me thinking for a long while. We are in dire need, as a culture, to revamp our understanding of the disabled and suffering.
January 26, 2021
The title of this collection of essays is captivating. The world *does* seem violent and chaotic. Our souls *do* long for gentleness and peace. Hauerwas, Vanier and Swinton elevate the image of God among his created people by focusing on ministry to the physically and mentally imperfect, using Vanier’s exemplary L’Arche ministry as a prototype for community life.
This value of all people, as created in God’s image, is a strong theme that is explored from many perspectives, particularly in advocacy for the disabled of the L’Arche community. But service within the community as emotional rejuvenation, spiritual healing, and/or criminal rehabilitation is also discussed. Another concept that particularly stood out to me was Vanier’s discussion of being minimized by the world. He developed the idea that when we invest ourselves wholly in the kingdom of God, the world passes us by with its accolades and power.
While Hauerwas gives the discussion academic weight (and he probably has more of those accolades and power), Vanier’s writing embodies a humility, meekness and servanthood that is inspiring. The presentation is deep and meaningful, which makes it seem longer than its 115 pages.
I have so many highlights from each chapter, nuggets of wisdom, too many to include in a review. Here is a sample of one…
“There are three activities that are absolutely vital in the creation of community. The first is eating together around the same table. The second is praying together. And the third is celebrating together.” Living Gently in a Violent World, Hauerwas, Vanier & Swinton
From a Christian perspective, one topic was concerning. The ecumenical direction of L’Arche in extending their communities to Hindus, Muslims, etc was troubling to me. Is the power of the community found in the presence of Almighty God? If so, then how can that be replicated without Him? Are we merely teaching unbelievers how to "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:5) Even when run by his people, these precious safe ministries are difficult to preserve, why think that non-believers can accomplish them? Why think the God of Israel will share that glory with another, either gods or humans? Is that not a violation of the First Commandment?
Christian faith has lead to many individuals and organizations embracing missions of mercy through time throughout the world. Yet, non-believers claim they can do them ‘just as well’ and merely take them over while minimizing their power and concealing their witness. The organizations to which this has happened are too numerous to account. Though I did not know of L’Arche before reading this book, I would hate to see another ministry lost.
Isaiah 42 comes to mind…
5 Thus says God the LORD,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its [d]offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,
6 “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 “I am the LORD, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to [e]graven images.
9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
This is an important publication for disabled people and those that love them. It is a wonderful resource for advocacy, not only through the encouragement of the text as presented, but also for the copious references and footnotes. Recommended.
Update 2021....
Recently, it has come to my attention that Jean Vanier passed away in 2019 at the age of 90. After his death, accusations came to light that he had abused his position of spiritual leadership to engage in illicit sexual relationships with women. Furthermore, Vanier's co-founder at L'Arche was complicit in these activities as an advocate of some sort of sexual spiritual mysticism. However, "The statement from L’Arche notes that the “inquiry made no suggestion that Jean Vanier had inappropriate relationships with people with intellectual disabilities.” While his ministry to the disabled remains unsullied, Vanier's struggle with immorality seems to have been documented to 2005 (Vanier age: 76). For more information on how he strayed, you can start with this article....
https://aleteia.org/2020/02/24/sorrow...
This value of all people, as created in God’s image, is a strong theme that is explored from many perspectives, particularly in advocacy for the disabled of the L’Arche community. But service within the community as emotional rejuvenation, spiritual healing, and/or criminal rehabilitation is also discussed. Another concept that particularly stood out to me was Vanier’s discussion of being minimized by the world. He developed the idea that when we invest ourselves wholly in the kingdom of God, the world passes us by with its accolades and power.
While Hauerwas gives the discussion academic weight (and he probably has more of those accolades and power), Vanier’s writing embodies a humility, meekness and servanthood that is inspiring. The presentation is deep and meaningful, which makes it seem longer than its 115 pages.
I have so many highlights from each chapter, nuggets of wisdom, too many to include in a review. Here is a sample of one…
“There are three activities that are absolutely vital in the creation of community. The first is eating together around the same table. The second is praying together. And the third is celebrating together.” Living Gently in a Violent World, Hauerwas, Vanier & Swinton
From a Christian perspective, one topic was concerning. The ecumenical direction of L’Arche in extending their communities to Hindus, Muslims, etc was troubling to me. Is the power of the community found in the presence of Almighty God? If so, then how can that be replicated without Him? Are we merely teaching unbelievers how to "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:5) Even when run by his people, these precious safe ministries are difficult to preserve, why think that non-believers can accomplish them? Why think the God of Israel will share that glory with another, either gods or humans? Is that not a violation of the First Commandment?
Christian faith has lead to many individuals and organizations embracing missions of mercy through time throughout the world. Yet, non-believers claim they can do them ‘just as well’ and merely take them over while minimizing their power and concealing their witness. The organizations to which this has happened are too numerous to account. Though I did not know of L’Arche before reading this book, I would hate to see another ministry lost.
Isaiah 42 comes to mind…
5 Thus says God the LORD,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its [d]offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,
6 “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 “I am the LORD, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to [e]graven images.
9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
This is an important publication for disabled people and those that love them. It is a wonderful resource for advocacy, not only through the encouragement of the text as presented, but also for the copious references and footnotes. Recommended.
Update 2021....
Recently, it has come to my attention that Jean Vanier passed away in 2019 at the age of 90. After his death, accusations came to light that he had abused his position of spiritual leadership to engage in illicit sexual relationships with women. Furthermore, Vanier's co-founder at L'Arche was complicit in these activities as an advocate of some sort of sexual spiritual mysticism. However, "The statement from L’Arche notes that the “inquiry made no suggestion that Jean Vanier had inappropriate relationships with people with intellectual disabilities.” While his ministry to the disabled remains unsullied, Vanier's struggle with immorality seems to have been documented to 2005 (Vanier age: 76). For more information on how he strayed, you can start with this article....
https://aleteia.org/2020/02/24/sorrow...
July 16, 2018
There is no reason at all why you couldn't read this book in one sitting. It's short and makes a compelling point by meditating on the lessons learned from L'Arche, a community where people with and without intellectual disabilities live together. It's really an elegant idea and this book offers such a small glimpse of what they do there, I was left eager to see the ideas of this book in action.
As our society grapples with how best to deal with people whose intellectual disabilities present challenges, L'Arche offers an alternative way of viewing our vulnerable neighbors. We learn patience as we watch their lives and work to serve them. We receive love and help one another to celebrate the best things in life. We find new opportunities to be woven together in community as we serve.
L'Arche doesn't consider itself a solution but a "sign that a society to be fully human must be founded on welcoming the weak and downtrodden." Christians can set an example by learning "to be hope in a world where there is no solution."
At the heart of this book is the recognition that we are generally most uncomfortable with disabilities for which we have no cure. We can work to cure cancer, but there is no treatment for Down's syndrome. It must be lived with. And If we can't cure people, we feel we can't help them at all. But L'Arche communities demonstrate a way that we can love, can "'help' by simply being present" (56) and reminding people that they are valued, loved, seen by God and by us. As founder Jean Vanier says, we show to our neighbors "I am glad you exist" through our physical presence.
We are also uncomfortable with anyone who lacks the full power of free will and reason. In fact, arguments are being made that people who won't develop their full intellectual capacity are not actually persons at all, that their lives will be not worth living out and too burdensome on their neighbors. Vanier reminds us that in 1 Corinthians 12, the weakest and least presentable parts of the body are actually indispensable to the body. "Maybe what we need most is to rejoice and to celebrate with the weak and the vulnerable. Maybe the most important thing is to learn how to build communities of celebration. Maybe the world will be transformed when we learn to have fun together" (75).
This little book invites us all to join the celebration, and it is an invitation that seems pretty silly to refuse.
As our society grapples with how best to deal with people whose intellectual disabilities present challenges, L'Arche offers an alternative way of viewing our vulnerable neighbors. We learn patience as we watch their lives and work to serve them. We receive love and help one another to celebrate the best things in life. We find new opportunities to be woven together in community as we serve.
L'Arche doesn't consider itself a solution but a "sign that a society to be fully human must be founded on welcoming the weak and downtrodden." Christians can set an example by learning "to be hope in a world where there is no solution."
At the heart of this book is the recognition that we are generally most uncomfortable with disabilities for which we have no cure. We can work to cure cancer, but there is no treatment for Down's syndrome. It must be lived with. And If we can't cure people, we feel we can't help them at all. But L'Arche communities demonstrate a way that we can love, can "'help' by simply being present" (56) and reminding people that they are valued, loved, seen by God and by us. As founder Jean Vanier says, we show to our neighbors "I am glad you exist" through our physical presence.
We are also uncomfortable with anyone who lacks the full power of free will and reason. In fact, arguments are being made that people who won't develop their full intellectual capacity are not actually persons at all, that their lives will be not worth living out and too burdensome on their neighbors. Vanier reminds us that in 1 Corinthians 12, the weakest and least presentable parts of the body are actually indispensable to the body. "Maybe what we need most is to rejoice and to celebrate with the weak and the vulnerable. Maybe the most important thing is to learn how to build communities of celebration. Maybe the world will be transformed when we learn to have fun together" (75).
This little book invites us all to join the celebration, and it is an invitation that seems pretty silly to refuse.
July 8, 2016
Great little book that stops you in your pragmatism track. Modern society is obsessed with ease and power, yet this is not the concern of Jesus, who says things like, "Blessed are the weak, those who mourn..." and "Weep with those who weep; rejoice with those who rejoice."
But how can I do that and climb the socio-economic ladder at the same time? You can't.
This book takes you inside the minds and hearts of two thoughtful Christian theologians well acquainted with the disabled communities. They uphold the virtues of gentleness, patience, peace, love, and faithfulness--i.e., the fruits of the spirit--and turn the burden of disability on its head: If the body is to grow up in every way into the full measure of Christ, and each of us has a role in that, what role do those who suffer from mental and physical disabilities play? A huge one; they help us come closer to the beatitudes. In this way their dignity is defended, because dignity isn't grounded in our "usefulness" in the man-centered sense, but in the Christ-centered sense. We cannot look down at our disabled brothers and sisters when we realize that they hold a valuable place in the kingdom. We look across at them, share their burdens and joys, and so come closer to the heart of God.
A great read. It will help you not to fear weakness.
But how can I do that and climb the socio-economic ladder at the same time? You can't.
This book takes you inside the minds and hearts of two thoughtful Christian theologians well acquainted with the disabled communities. They uphold the virtues of gentleness, patience, peace, love, and faithfulness--i.e., the fruits of the spirit--and turn the burden of disability on its head: If the body is to grow up in every way into the full measure of Christ, and each of us has a role in that, what role do those who suffer from mental and physical disabilities play? A huge one; they help us come closer to the beatitudes. In this way their dignity is defended, because dignity isn't grounded in our "usefulness" in the man-centered sense, but in the Christ-centered sense. We cannot look down at our disabled brothers and sisters when we realize that they hold a valuable place in the kingdom. We look across at them, share their burdens and joys, and so come closer to the heart of God.
A great read. It will help you not to fear weakness.
March 30, 2009
I thought that this work would showcase the 'softer side of Hauerwas'. I'm glad it didn't. Even in dialogue with Vanier, the theological and political place of the disabled cannot be reduced to sentimental accounts of 'compassion'. To hold weight, there must be more to it than that. Stan and Jean lead us to the place of gift (life as gift, the disabled as gift, community as gift) and in doing so, narrate the central Christian appeal to hope and peace as how we live in a world without either. A good and important read.
January 29, 2016
I probably wouldn't have picked this book up had it not been part of the IVP series that I'm committed to read: Resources for Reconciliation. However, what a powerful read in these relatively few pages. Using the L'Arche community as a paradigm, both Vanier and Hauwerwas urge us to a peaceful way of living through the cultivation of a gentle way of living. This is a book that should be on the reading list of anyone looking for inspiration and direction for living in the countercultural ways of Jesus.
June 24, 2015
Reading this, I'm reminded how much I am moved by Jean Vanier's words and the witness of the ministry of L'Arche. Beautiful reflections on the gift of every person; and, how the idea of the deep, intrinsic value of each individual as lived out and affirmed through the relationships at L'Arche is a subversive act.
I'm also reminded of how much I appreciate the intellectual rigor of Hauerwas, even as he engages in dialogue that I can barely understand.
Love the pairing.
I'm also reminded of how much I appreciate the intellectual rigor of Hauerwas, even as he engages in dialogue that I can barely understand.
Love the pairing.
March 13, 2017
The essays of both authors have been personally challenging to me because I don't live gently. Before reading this book, I might have thought that I did. I was fooling myself. I have to go back over the book and reexamine my life and see where I need to change my approach to people, starting with my approach to my own family members.
June 3, 2018
In a world full of pain and wounded, Jean Vanier stands as a real prophet to make anyone uneasy with his gentle way to conquer any battle with a single weapon: love.
June 25, 2017
Not what I expected...
...but a moving look at what living in a Christ-centered community looks like, regardless of where you live or your denomination.
...but a moving look at what living in a Christ-centered community looks like, regardless of where you live or your denomination.
April 19, 2021
Essays that are actually re-writes from other works by Jean Vanier and Stanley Hauerwas form the content of this short work. Chapters dwelled on the unique gift the disabled can bring to us if we can but see them as gifts to cherish instead of burdens to carry; that is, until the two sections that meander into the Politics of Gentleness. Contributed by Hauerwas, with the purpose of insert this wisdom of gentleness into the body politic with an admitted confrontational tone.
Hauerwas blames our lack of gentleness generally, but especially when that lack comes front and center with the "problem" of those who are disabled. He bases it upon a premise that "individuals are free to live their own lives as they prefer..." Freedom is the ability to chose a "story" of their own making, but it is chosen because they actually have "no story." Pointing to the fact we do not know precisely, the outcome of many of our decisions, that to marry or have children for example, is filled with uncertainty; we cannot know what the story will bring to us, thus we have no choice, really, of choosing; we have no story to design.
We carry this basic tenant within us when we consider the disabled, especially those who are mentally challenged to live in a competitive world, as Hauerwas' frames the argument. He states that communities and individuals are "wounded" because gentleness is lost as a source of strength to change our vision of the disabled. Our social cooperation in the communities we form are defective when we cannot see that the disabled bring an element to society to challenge us to see the value of those who are outside the "fictive bargaining process that establishes fundamental principles of mutual advantage." Hauerwas poses the question "By whom are society's basic principles designed? He then juxtaposes it by changing the initial word from "by" to "for"; for whom are society's basic principles designed.
He has a fair point here, but undercuts it by his basic principle that the ruthless passion fostered by a liberal view of freedom to cast our own futures is misplaced. The virtue of gentleness can be and I would proffer is, part and parcel of a liberal society comprised of individuals pursuing their own passions toward the "good" as the philosopher would say. It necessarily demands gentleness for gentleness includes consideration in our exchanges for the capacity of each to be brother and neighbor to each other. Hauerwas links the lack of consideration for the disabled, to be full members in society an infringement of justice because he proffers that liberal government as well as free enterprise prefers to "eliminate" that which it does not understand. He bemoans the fragmentation that necessarily follows in a free society, but does not consider that the free society also provides the ground where gentleness can guide, if not direct, the actions of individuals, communities and societies.
Both Vanier and Hauerwas are correct, I think, in there is great value for us individually and in our communities, for seeing that the apparent disabilities that afflict some so obviously are not theirs alone. We are all wounded, to use the authors emphasis, but our "disabilities" are not so apparent to us, hidden within us so we can function with our constructs. We lose something special and holy by failing to embrace those with disabilities for we will lose a large portion of what life is suppose to provide to us; signs of God's love in the world. Hauerwas wonders aloud in his writing if the gentleness he witnesses in L'Arche is possible with out God. I don't believe it is. It is a grace given by a loving creator to all who will allow themselves to see by the woundedness of others, we ourselves carry a woundedness of our own. Quoting Vanier, he ends with, "When the poor and weak are present, they prevent us from falling into the trap of power-even the power to do good-of thinking that it is we who are the good ones, who must save the Savior and his church."
We are not the Savior, but the connection to the poor and the considerations here are worth the time and effort to read and reflect upon the thoughts of these two "gentle" men.
Hauerwas blames our lack of gentleness generally, but especially when that lack comes front and center with the "problem" of those who are disabled. He bases it upon a premise that "individuals are free to live their own lives as they prefer..." Freedom is the ability to chose a "story" of their own making, but it is chosen because they actually have "no story." Pointing to the fact we do not know precisely, the outcome of many of our decisions, that to marry or have children for example, is filled with uncertainty; we cannot know what the story will bring to us, thus we have no choice, really, of choosing; we have no story to design.
We carry this basic tenant within us when we consider the disabled, especially those who are mentally challenged to live in a competitive world, as Hauerwas' frames the argument. He states that communities and individuals are "wounded" because gentleness is lost as a source of strength to change our vision of the disabled. Our social cooperation in the communities we form are defective when we cannot see that the disabled bring an element to society to challenge us to see the value of those who are outside the "fictive bargaining process that establishes fundamental principles of mutual advantage." Hauerwas poses the question "By whom are society's basic principles designed? He then juxtaposes it by changing the initial word from "by" to "for"; for whom are society's basic principles designed.
He has a fair point here, but undercuts it by his basic principle that the ruthless passion fostered by a liberal view of freedom to cast our own futures is misplaced. The virtue of gentleness can be and I would proffer is, part and parcel of a liberal society comprised of individuals pursuing their own passions toward the "good" as the philosopher would say. It necessarily demands gentleness for gentleness includes consideration in our exchanges for the capacity of each to be brother and neighbor to each other. Hauerwas links the lack of consideration for the disabled, to be full members in society an infringement of justice because he proffers that liberal government as well as free enterprise prefers to "eliminate" that which it does not understand. He bemoans the fragmentation that necessarily follows in a free society, but does not consider that the free society also provides the ground where gentleness can guide, if not direct, the actions of individuals, communities and societies.
Both Vanier and Hauerwas are correct, I think, in there is great value for us individually and in our communities, for seeing that the apparent disabilities that afflict some so obviously are not theirs alone. We are all wounded, to use the authors emphasis, but our "disabilities" are not so apparent to us, hidden within us so we can function with our constructs. We lose something special and holy by failing to embrace those with disabilities for we will lose a large portion of what life is suppose to provide to us; signs of God's love in the world. Hauerwas wonders aloud in his writing if the gentleness he witnesses in L'Arche is possible with out God. I don't believe it is. It is a grace given by a loving creator to all who will allow themselves to see by the woundedness of others, we ourselves carry a woundedness of our own. Quoting Vanier, he ends with, "When the poor and weak are present, they prevent us from falling into the trap of power-even the power to do good-of thinking that it is we who are the good ones, who must save the Savior and his church."
We are not the Savior, but the connection to the poor and the considerations here are worth the time and effort to read and reflect upon the thoughts of these two "gentle" men.
July 9, 2018
This is an odd little book. I'm fascinated by L'Arche and Jean Vanier's work, and this did give me some insight into those things. However, the structure is a small collection of lectures written by both Hauerwas and Vanier, with an intro and conclusion by a third guy. It felt disjointed, and some of the concepts may have been simply over my head... I definitely didn't understand everything that they were trying to communicate.
They did have some wonderful, insightful things to say about the gospel lessons and witness of valuing mentally disabled people. Our culture's current focus on technology and "curing" people instead of caring for them may seem to be motivated by compassion, but it ends up convincing us that certain people are simply better off dead - we see this more and more with the mentally disabled, the elderly, children in the womb with any real or potential defect, and increasingly, anyone experiencing physical or mental distress of any kind. We've become so afraid of suffering and so inept at true compassion ("suffering with" others) that our solution to it is death via euthanasia, abortion or suicide. The L'Arche communities are a powerful witness to the importance of loving people who will never "get better" and to granting them dignity by investing in their quality of life.
They did have some wonderful, insightful things to say about the gospel lessons and witness of valuing mentally disabled people. Our culture's current focus on technology and "curing" people instead of caring for them may seem to be motivated by compassion, but it ends up convincing us that certain people are simply better off dead - we see this more and more with the mentally disabled, the elderly, children in the womb with any real or potential defect, and increasingly, anyone experiencing physical or mental distress of any kind. We've become so afraid of suffering and so inept at true compassion ("suffering with" others) that our solution to it is death via euthanasia, abortion or suicide. The L'Arche communities are a powerful witness to the importance of loving people who will never "get better" and to granting them dignity by investing in their quality of life.
June 5, 2021
"The vision of Jesus was extraordinary. He appeared on this earth in a world filled with immense hatred and warfare. Peace was being imposed by the armies of Rome—the great Pax Romana. But there was conflict everywhere. We live in a world where groups close up, thinking that they and their traditions are the best. They oppose others, either to bring them to the so-called truth or to take more land. It's the reality of history. Jesus entered into this world to love people as they are." (62-3) –Jean Vanier
"Long story short: we don't get to make our lives up. We get to receive our lives as gifts. The story that says we should have no story except the story we chose when we had no story is a lie. To be human is to learn that we don't get to make up our lives because we are creatures. Christians are people who recognize that we have a Father whom we can thank for our existence. Christian discipleship is about learning to receive our lives as gifts without regret. And that has the deepest political implications. Much of modern political theory and practice is about creating a society where we do not have to acknowledge that our lives are gifts that we receive from one another." (92-3) –Stanley Hauerwas
"Long story short: we don't get to make our lives up. We get to receive our lives as gifts. The story that says we should have no story except the story we chose when we had no story is a lie. To be human is to learn that we don't get to make up our lives because we are creatures. Christians are people who recognize that we have a Father whom we can thank for our existence. Christian discipleship is about learning to receive our lives as gifts without regret. And that has the deepest political implications. Much of modern political theory and practice is about creating a society where we do not have to acknowledge that our lives are gifts that we receive from one another." (92-3) –Stanley Hauerwas
January 31, 2018
What a beautiful little book. Vanier’s chapters in particular were particularly profound and moving. Even via the medium of text his heart comes across so clearly and all the while his words offer a gentle invitation to abundant life marked by love for others and a deeper awareness of the presence of Jesus which allows us to move from fear to freedom. It is clear that living his life in close proximity with people who have severe disabilities has helped him to discover deep truths about the brokenness that is within all of us and the ways it can keep us apart if we are not reminded by Jesus and our community that we are important, that we are precious. “Those who are rejected by society... If we welcome them, they lead us progressively out of the world of competition and the need to do great things towards a world of communion of hearts, a life that is simple and joyful where we do small things with love.” Do small things with love might just be one of the new core values of my life. I’m grateful for this book.
November 1, 2019
Loved this book. One of my favorite quotes:
When we want to change people, we have power. We have goodness. But we create a cleavage when we want to do good things for people. The vision of Jesus was extraordinary. He appeared on this earth in a world filled with immense hatred and warfare. Peace was being imposed by the armies of Rome--the great Pax Romana. But there was conflict everywhere. We live in a world where groups close up, thinking that they and their traditions are the best. They oppose others, either to bring them to the so-called truth or to take more land. It's the reality of history. Jesus entered into this world to love people as they are.
The heart of the vision of Jesus is to bring people together, to meet, to engage in dialogue, to love each other. Jesus wants to break down the walls that separate people and groups. How will he do this? He will do it by saying to each one, "You are important. You are precious." There can be no peacemaking or social work or anything else to improve the world unless we are convinced that the other is important. (Jean Vanier)
When we want to change people, we have power. We have goodness. But we create a cleavage when we want to do good things for people. The vision of Jesus was extraordinary. He appeared on this earth in a world filled with immense hatred and warfare. Peace was being imposed by the armies of Rome--the great Pax Romana. But there was conflict everywhere. We live in a world where groups close up, thinking that they and their traditions are the best. They oppose others, either to bring them to the so-called truth or to take more land. It's the reality of history. Jesus entered into this world to love people as they are.
The heart of the vision of Jesus is to bring people together, to meet, to engage in dialogue, to love each other. Jesus wants to break down the walls that separate people and groups. How will he do this? He will do it by saying to each one, "You are important. You are precious." There can be no peacemaking or social work or anything else to improve the world unless we are convinced that the other is important. (Jean Vanier)
May 13, 2020
The book poses a beautiful question, "How do we as Christians live gently in a violent world?", but fails to answer it. This book was much more a meditation on the theology and practices of the L'Arche communities, undoubtedly a worthy subject for a book, however, not what the title of the book suggested. Jean Vanier and Stanley Hauerwas offer excellent meditations on the L'Arche communities as a reflection of God's love. Hauerwas also defines a "violent world" as a world enslaved to speed and placelessness. But the only solution offered as to how not to live in speed and placelessness, that is to live gently, is the L'Arche commmunities. To me this does not so much seem to be how to live gently IN a violent world as it does how to live gently APART FROM a violent world. In the end, I felt that the book offered too niche an option for Christians seeking to live gently in a violent world.
One thought I will definitely take from the book is this from Hauerwas: "Until we learn to see our enemies as wounded people who are loved by God, gentleness is not possible."
One thought I will definitely take from the book is this from Hauerwas: "Until we learn to see our enemies as wounded people who are loved by God, gentleness is not possible."
November 12, 2021
The best book so far that i have read that deals with the theology of disability. The contributers of the book have both engaged with the disability both in academia and on the practical level. The book does not answer the traditional question that states, "How can a good loving God allow deformity or suffering? but rather it takes the reader into the corridor of the daily reality of living with the people that are facing disability. However, reading this book made me realize that we perceive the world through two theoritical frameworks which are 1) the disabled and 2) the people that have the full capacity to live in this world without restraits on thier bodies. The disabled might be seen as the victim of our society, in the sense, that we treat them as less people. This book encourages the reader to depict a form of tenderness, mercy, and sacrifice of service to those who are living with disability. Consequently, the prophetic voice in this book is to live gently with the disabled in this world which is bend towards oppressing them.
January 18, 2023
I was very much drawn to the title of this book, particularly the sub-title, "The Prophetic Witness of Weakness" and picked it up from my local library without knowing much about it. Overall, the content is good and I align with much of it, particularly the idea of God revealing His strength and wisdom through those some in society would deem "unworthy" or "less than" because they may be unable to work or conribute in the way(s) some would define as worthy contributions.
I felt disconnected from the style of writing as it read more like essays. Which is okay, but not what I gravitate towards as a reader. It is a good resource for those who may not be familiar with the L'Arche communities Jean Vanier originated or who may want to move towards a deeper understanding and love of people who live with cognitive disablities.
I felt disconnected from the style of writing as it read more like essays. Which is okay, but not what I gravitate towards as a reader. It is a good resource for those who may not be familiar with the L'Arche communities Jean Vanier originated or who may want to move towards a deeper understanding and love of people who live with cognitive disablities.
July 14, 2019
Theologian Stanley Hauerwas co-wrote this book with Jean Vanier, Catholic philosopher who founded L'Arche, a world-wide community wherein people with and without disabilities live together, sharing their lives, meals, and responsibility for each other. They challenge the reader to consider being with each other in a different way, one which is marked by deep listening and gentleness with each other and which embodies peace and an understanding of our own deepest fears. There is a lot to think about here.
August 11, 2020
It's hard to rate this one. On one hand it's largely ecumenical and virtue centric, which I can't hang with very long. To get virtue right and to miss the good news of Jesus may be an improvement of some things, but a sad result in the end.
On the other hand I really appreciate the beautiful and rare things sad about the weak and the needy. I appreciate this voice for love and gentleness.
I'm challenged and helped, yet I'm deeply thankful for the gospel of Jesus that is largely assumed or overlooked here.
On the other hand I really appreciate the beautiful and rare things sad about the weak and the needy. I appreciate this voice for love and gentleness.
I'm challenged and helped, yet I'm deeply thankful for the gospel of Jesus that is largely assumed or overlooked here.
July 8, 2018
Love the idea implied by the title more than the words inside. Vanier’s chapters were stronger. Hauerwas was not his strongest, I thought. His ideas were poorly structured and unclear. The theme of gentleness was his to stitch and it never came together for me.
That being said, still a fragrant reminder of the richness of weakness, humility, community, and peace.
The fundamental principle of peace is a belief that each person is important (Jean Vanier)
That being said, still a fragrant reminder of the richness of weakness, humility, community, and peace.
The fundamental principle of peace is a belief that each person is important (Jean Vanier)
May 6, 2019
Good book on the value of those with disabilities and the importance of working with them as equals rather than helping them, which comes from a place of power. Vanier has many lovely lines, but he tends to write/speak in aphorisms (something I found surprising given that he's a former professor of philosophy). Hauerwas was far more intellectually rigorous in looking at the theory behind the need to include--even privilege at times the place of the disabled in society, the value of weakness.
April 5, 2021
This book is a beautiful tragedy. It is beautiful in its call for peace, appreciating the weakest among us, seeing Jesus in those with disabilities, and practicing gentleness in a violent world. However, it’s a tragedy because we now know of Jean Vanier’s predatory sexual abuse, which twists many of his words in this book into blatant hypocrisy and manipulation. There are powerful truths in this book, but we cannot separate this book from Vanier’s violence.
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