Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence

Walter Wink

Fortress Press, Mar 1, 1993 - Religion - 240 pages

Angels, Spirits, principalities, powers, gods, Satanthese, along with all other spiritual realities, are the unmentionables of our culture. The dominant materialistic worldview has absolutely no place for them. But materialism itself is terminally ill, and, let us hope, in process of replacement by a worldview capable of honoring the lasting values of modern science without succumbing to reductionism. Therefore, we find ourselves returning to the ancient traditions, searching for wisdom wherever it may be found. We do not capitulate to the past and its superstitions, but bring all the gifts our race has acquired along the way as aids in recovering the lost language of our souls. In Naming the Powers I developed the thesis that the New Testament's principalities and powers is a generic category referring to the determining forces of physical, psychic, and social existence. In the present volume we will be focusing on just seven of the Powers mentioned in Scripture. Their selection out of all the others dealt with in Naming the Powers is partly arbitrary: they happen to be ones about which I felt I had something to say. But they are also representative, and open the way to comprehending the rest. They are: Satan, demons, angels of churches, angels of nations, gods, elements, and angels of nature.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - deusvitae - LibraryThing

The author's second volume in his trilogy on the Powers. Whereas Fortress Press has released Kindle editions for volumes #1 and #3, there is no such edition for the all-critical volume #2, which is ...

Excellent engaging book

User Review  - alrk - Overstock.com

This is a very intelligent insightful look at how modern educated people might grasp the interior spirit of the people and institutions they encounter. Its a fascinating progressive way of approaching ...

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• Satan: 9
• The Demons: 41
• The Angels of the Churches: 69
• The Angels of the Nations: 87
• The Gods: 108
• The Angels of Nature: 153
• Epilogue: 172
• Notes: 174
• Index of Authors: 218
• Index of Passages: 221

About the author

Walter Wink was professor emeritus of biblical interpretation at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. He also taught at Union Theological Seminary. From 1989 to 1990, he was a Peace Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace. He authored several books, including the award-winning Fortress Press trilogy: Naming the Powers, Unmasking the Powers, and Engaging the Powers.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence; Volume 2 of The Powers
• Author: Walter Wink
• Publisher: Fortress Press, 1993
• ISBN: 150645383X, 9781506453835
• Length: 240 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Theology / Angelology & Demonology; Religion / Christian Theology / Liberation; Religion / Religion, Politics & State