Comments from Hauerwas

I ran across this interview with the well-known and provocative theologian at Methodist-related Duke Divinity School. I like what I have read from Hauerwas, we'll see what I think this weekend as I am reading one of his books. But this is an intriguing quote, that is probably appropriate pondering material for Lent, which began on Wednesday with ministers telling us "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return; Repent and believe the Gospel," as they rubbed ashes on our heads.

Q: The title of your lecture is intriguing: "Why No One Wants to Die in America." What does that mean?

A: It means that we live in a society that's in deep death denial. Assuming that most Christians live like other people, thinking they can get out of life alive. It's not going to happen. People care more about who their doctor is today than who their priest or minister is. Most Christians live lives of practical atheism. ... Atheism isn't explicitly a denial of God, it's to live in a way that God does not matter.