The policy of nonviolence in the theology of Stanley Hauervas

Urgency of the research. Modern political and economic programs have not only proved incapable of building a peaceful society but, on the contrary, are often built on particular principles, tolerate hate speech and even more polarize societies. All of these processes have sharpened the value and importance of peace and yet serve as a special challenge for Christian denominations and communities. The topical question for the church remains: Are Christians capable of peace in the context of conflict and enmity? All this encourages the search for and development of possible ways to reconcile and overcome the conflict. In this article, we will consider the work of one of the most famous American Protestant theologians, who considers the virtue of peace as a necessary prerequisite for Christian praxis.

Target setting. The prevailing liberal discourse led to the marginalization of the theme of pacifism through its reductionist interpretation and demonstration of it as an idealistic or even sectarian character. S. Hauerwas has a significant role in returning the theme of nonviolence as the core of Christian ethics and practice. First, we will consider the preconditions of S. Hauerwas ' policy of non-violence, identify his key themes and ideas, and in the second part of the article, we will focus on possible implications and challenges on the way to peace.

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. The church's capacity for peace is a topic that attracts the attention of many modern theologians and philosophers. Among them: R. Soloviy, R. Tatsyun, M. Cherenkov. Of particular importance for this article are the works of S. Hauervas, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, J. H. Yoder, R. Bainton, J. Vanier, M. Nussbaum, and others.

The research objectives . The aim of the article is to review the role and place of nonviolence policy in the theology of S. Hauerwas, in his dialogue with J. H. Yoder, R. Bainton, J. Vanier, and others.

The statement of basic materials. The article analyzes the place and role of pacifism in the political theology of S. Hauerwas. In his work, the American theologian convincingly demonstrates the inseparability of nonviolence from the Christian life and ecclesial space. In dialogue with J. Yoder, R. Bainton, and M. Nussbaum, S. Hauerwas explores nonviolence through the prism of the Christian community and the dignity of the other and reveals the limitations of the modern liberal order in building a society of peace and overcoming various forms of violence.

Conclusions. An overview of S. Hauerwas' key ideas and themes regarding the policy of nonviolence demonstrates the author's conviction that such a policy is inseparable from the life of both the Christian community and the individual. S. Hauerwas's approach is to holistically understand and overcome the erroneous dualism that pacifism is one of the theories or propositions of Christian ethics. The versatility and ultimatum of nonviolence unite individual and community practice, and make its application unalterable. For S. Hauerwas, the capacity for peace is not the solution to the problem of war all over the world, but an important sign for the society in which the church is located. However, this does not mean that pacifism has a particular, limited meaning, because the "politics of meekness," as the theologian puts it, requires recognition of the dignity of the other.