Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God

A manuscript of the author's Schaff Lecture on Christianity and the Powers.

The author begins by exploring the concept of the powers and principalities and traces out modern exploration of the theme. She offers insightful and beneficial critiques to Wink's magisterial trilogy in terms of its emphasis on nonviolent resistance in socio-political terms as well as the denial of the embodiment of the Powers.

The author offers a persuasive case that Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 spoke of Jesus' work as coming to completion in Paul through weakness; in fact, God as "tabernacling" with believers in their weakness to overcome the forces arrayed against them. She then applies the concept to churches as powers in and of themselves, perhaps corrupted by show more the appeal of worldliness in its projections of strength, and better off glorifying God in weakness. She engages in a productive expansion on the work of the church as seen in Acts 2:42-47 as reflecting how the church could grow outside of the cult of leadership and strength prominent in much of Evangelicalism. Later on she also spends time working through Ephesians 6:10-18, considering them less in terms of "defense" as is commonly done, but with Yoder Neufeld seeing how God can work through the believer in the manifestation of the various elements of the "armor of God" to actively resist the Powers and uphold truth.

She is highly influenced by Jacques Ellul and quotes him extensively and frequently. Definitely a thought-provoking and well-argued work, and challenging in terms of the current status quo within many churches. show less

Marva has given me (1) the overall scheme of the demonic and how they work in the world; (2) a better understanding of my own frustrations with involvement in church; (3) a better focus on where to direct my energies in living the life of a believer in Christ.

This book should be required reading for every pastor, a reading that should be studied and discussed with other leading members of one's community. But I would not leave out the regular guy; he, too, should carefully read it.

The most personally convicting read was when Marva quotes a father Valentine Sventitsky, where the last part of it reads, "Anything wrong, distorted, and impure that we see within the Church is not the Church. To avoid associating with it we do not have to show more leave the Church enclosure, we must simply refuse to participate in that which is evil. Then will be fulfilled the words 'to the pure all things are pure' (Titus 1:5)" (p.122).

Her discussion on the "armour of God" and hospitality are excellent reads. show less