The Powers That Be Theology for a New Millennium

By condensing and popularizing the core ideas from his seminal trilogy on the Powers into one highly readable volume, Walter Wink has done for theology what E = mc(2) did for physics -- he has transformed our conception of the universe.Old religious images such as a heaven "above" and a hell "below", while certainly a part of the popular imagination, have lost their value as a way of understanding the spiritual realm. Yet we are at a loss to know what will replace them. In "The Powers That Be", Walter Wink helps us reformulate our ancient concepts -- such as God and Satan, angels and demons, principalities and powers -- in light of our modern experience. Based on his understanding of the Bible, Wink creates a whole new way of viewing the world, and offers us a language for talking about and to God. This popularized abridgment of Naming the Powers, Unmasking the Powers, and Engaging the Powers radically reorients our perspective on life by creating new lenses through which we see reality. Equipped with this fresh outlook, we can embark on a new relationship with God and our world that will serve us well into the next millennium.

Walter Wink (1935–2012) was an influential American biblical scholar, theologian, and activist, and was an important figure in progressive Christianity. He was well known for his advocacy of, and work related to, nonviolent resistance. Wink earned his PhD at the Union Theological Seminary, where he taught for nine years, and in 2010 was honored with the Unitas Distinguished Alumni Award. He went on to spend much of his career teaching at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. Wink wrote more than 16 books as well as hundreds of scholarly articles, and is recognized for coining the phrase "the myth of redemptive violence." With his wife, June Keener Wink, he held workshops around the world that combined religious-themed pottery, dancing, and biblical interpretation. Wink died in 2012 from complications of dementia.