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READING HAUERWAS IN THE CORNBELT: The Demise of the American Dream and the Return of Liturgical Politics
Author(s) -
Northcott Michael S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of religious ethics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.306
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1467-9795
pISSN - 0384-9694
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9795.2012.00521.x
Subject(s) - liberalism , politics , militarism , criticism , democracy , economic justice , sociology , demise , reading (process) , american exceptionalism , law , religious studies , environmental ethics , philosophy , political science
ABSTRACT In this paper I examine criticism of Hauerwas's critique of American democracy and liberalism, and of American violence and war, as sectarian and politically irrelevant. This twin account has the merit of engaging his critics from left and right. I show that his critique of American Christians, and their support of America's ways of promoting justice and freedom at home and in the world, has analogies with Foucault's genealogical project in France, and represents a more powerful critique of American imperialism and militarism, and of a compliant church, than efforts to sustain the purchase of rights talk or liberal justice in contemporary theological ethics.