Moving and Poetic

books:


	• Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words Stanley Hauerwas Brazos Press, 2005 - 112 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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tiny gem

Here is a little book by one of our best theologians that makes for ideal reading at Lent. You could read it with great profit for personal meditations or in a church class. After a brief introduction, Hauerwas devotes one chapter each to the seven last words of Christ: (1) "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (2) "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (3) "Woman, behold thy son!" ... "Behold thy mother!" (4) "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (5) "I thirst." (6) "It is finished." (7) "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Each chapter is quite short at 6-8 pages, and is accompanied by wood block printings by Rick Beerhorst.

Hauerwas takes the title for his book from a poem called "Mercy" in Manhandling the Deity by John F. Deane, part of which reads:

Unholy we sang this morning, and prayed
as if we were not broken, crooked
the Christ-figure hung, splayed
on bloodied beams above us;
devious God, dweller in shadows,
mercy on us;
immortal, cross-shattered Christ--
your gentling grace down upon us.

The paschal mystery, says Hauerwas, is not an insoluble puzzle but a reality that we can love and embrace, even while it subverts all we think we know. We do not "possess" this truth in a self-serving manner, contrary to the ways we often think and act, but ought to beg God to be transformed by the truth of Good Friday. Repenting of our many presumptions, as we approach the foot of the cross we realize that our lives "can never return to normal."

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Moving and Poetic

Stanley Hauerwas writes with poetic passion that is moving and causes one to reflect deeply on the cross and God. This book is about the seven last sentences of Jesus from the cross. Hauerwas reflects on their meaning in a very deep, yet simple way. This is a short read, but not a shallow read. It is deeply devotional.

In Cross-Shattered Christ, theologian Stanley Hauerwas offers a moving reflection on Jesus's final words from the cross. This small and powerful volume is theologically poignant and steeped in humility. Hauerwas's pithy discussion opens our ears to the language of Scripture while opening our hearts to a truer vision of God. Touching in original and surprising ways on subjects such as praying the Psalms and our need to be remembered by Jesus, Hauerwas emphasizes Christ's humanity as well as the sheer "differentness" of God. Ideal for personal devotion during Lent and throughout the year, Cross-Shattered Christ offers a transformative reading of Jesus's words that goes directly to the heart of the gospel.

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