Matthew (Brazos Theological Commentary | BTC)

by Stanley Hauerwas

Publisher:

Brazos

, 2006

Overview

Stanley Hauerwas’ commentary on Matthew is not your typical commentary. Though most commentators approach a book for its theological aspects, Hauerwas’ Matthew focuses on the “how-to” of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. With the use of current Matthean scholarship and the wisdom of various scholars and theologians, including Augustine, Barth, and Bonhoeffer, Hauerwas is able to address relevant topics like homosexuality, politics, and abortion—not normally discussed in other commentaries on Matthew.

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Key Features

• Contains an in-depth introduction
• Offers theological analysis of Scripture
• Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Contents

Top Highlights

“Prior to Constantine it took exceptional conviction to be a Christian. After Constantine it takes exceptional courage not to be counted as a Christian.” (Page 62)

“Our task is not to understand the story that Matthew tells in light of our understanding of the world. Rather, Matthew would have our understanding of the world fully transformed as the result of our reading of his gospel. Matthew writes so that we might become followers, be disciples, of Jesus. To be a Christian does not mean that we are to change the world, but rather that we must live as witnesses to the world that God has changed. We should not be surprised, therefore, if the way we live makes the change visible.” (Page 25)

“Jesus is to be subjected to Israel’s testing in the wilderness, a testing in which Israel proved her inability to live faithfully despite God’s good gifts. The Son, however, will be obedient, but we cannot overlook the cost of his obedience. His obedience depends on his trusting the Father’s faithfulness to Israel through the scripture. Jesus is able to resist the devil, a devil able to quote scripture, by being a superior exegete to the one who would tempt him. Jesus, the faithful interpreter of Israel’s scripture, teaches us how to read so that we might know how to resist the devil.” (Page 50)

“How can it be that the one long expected, the Messiah, the one Israel believes will free it from political servitude, will not triumph as kings do with their armies? To be trained as a disciple is to learn why this Jesus, the son of David, the one true king, must suffer crucifixion. Matthew’s gospel is meant to train us, his readers, just as Jesus had to train his disciples, to recognize that the salvation wrought in the cross is the Father’s refusal to save us according to the world’s understanding of salvation, which is that salvation depends on having more power than my enemies.” (Page 27)

Praise for the Print Edition

A fresh perspective on Matthew that is aberrantly insightful, colorful, compelling, and powerful. Well-written, fast-paced, and accessible to laity, Hauerwas delivers thoughtful and thought-provoking conversation between Matthew’s gospel and American culture.

—Thomas Seat, Princeton Theological Review

What’s nice to see is that the individual commentators have been allowed to retain their own voices in this series; Hauerwas is as delightfully irascible and hard-hitting as ever. . . . Insightful and provocative, Hauerwas adds a valuable theological perspective to the Gospel of Matthew.

—Publishers Weekly

Product Details

• Title: Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: Matthew
• Author: Stanley Hauerwas
• Editor: R. R. Reno
• Publisher: Baker
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 272

About Stanley Hauerwas

Stanley Hauerwas is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke University. Prior to that, he was a professor at the University of Notre Dame. In 2001, he was named “America’s Best Theologian” by TIME Magazine. Hauerwas is the author of numerous books, including Unsettling Arguments, Hannah’s Child: A Theologian’s Memoir, Christian Existence Today, and Living Gently in a Violent World.