Stanley Hauerwas' theology of suffering

Abstract

This dissertation is a reflection on the work of Stanley Hauerwas in relation to the various experiences of suffering. The issue of why suffering exists in this world is an eternal question which has always been asked but to which no one has an answer. In his writings, Hauerwas tried to explore this problem from a narrative perspective. The first chapter focuses on the narrative approach of Stanley Hauerwas' writings and on his arguments to justify this approach. A discussion then follows in chapter two regarding Hauerwas' approach to the challenges that the various experiences of suffering pose. This leads him to consider the various forms and types of suffering that humanity faces. Thirdly this dissertation then considers human emotional reactions evoked in the various stories that Hauerwas narrated. This chapter leads to a discussion of the beneficial impact of suffering on our sense of solidarity and its values as a community building catalyst. As a conclusion, a discussion follows on how Hauerwas managed to create an educational exercise to maintain the integrity of behaviour using narration as the tool to deliver the Christian message of suffering as a source of empowerment.