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When the Powers Fall: Reconciliation in the Healing of Nations
Repressive authoritarian regimes are falling and fragile new democracies are emerging around the globe. How are long-standing conflicts and deep divisions to be healed and enemies reconciled without breeding further injustices?To answer this question, Walter Wink here applies his compelling analysis of "the Powers," as they appear in the New Testament, to the global scene. Surveying the wrenching religious and ethical dilemmas involved in transitions from despotism to democracy, Wink neatly summarizes key concepts from his Fortress Press trilogy on the Powers, including sections on "Jesus against Domination" and "Nonviolence." He then shows how central concepts in the teaching of Jesus can clarify true and false ideas of forgiveness and reconciliation and apology - without sacrificing justice. The personal, political, and geopolitical pertinence of Wink's ideas shines in his discussion of specific situations in Africa and Latin America. And what of the churches? "Jesus" proclamation of God's domination - free order," Wink claims, "providesa framework for dealing with the role of the churches in helping nations move from autocracy to democracy. Far more is at stake than merely an orderly transition to a more representative form of governance: suchmoments in history open up to heavenly potentials. ... In such times, it is the vision of God'sdomination-free order that prevents us from acquiescing to unworthy visions, or accepting political compromises as anything more than temporary pauses on the path to fuller justice."Wink's new work demonstrates the power, promise, and practicality of Jesus' ethic of nonviolence for today.
- GenresTheologySpirituality
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 1998
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About the author
Walter Wink
54 books70 followersDr. Walter Wink was Professor Emeritus of Biblical Interpretation at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. Previously, he was a parish minister and taught at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In 1989-1990 he was a Peace Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace.
His newer works include:
The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man
(Fortress Press, 2001.)
Peace Is The Way: Writings on Nonviolence from the Fellowship of Reconciliation. (Edited by Walter Wink. Orbis Books, 2000.)
The Powers That Be:Theology for a New Millennium
(New York: Doubleday, 1999)
Homosexuality and Christian Faith: Questions of Conscience for the Churches (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999)
He is author of a trilogy, The Powers:
Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984)
Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986)
Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of
Domination (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992)
His other works include:
When the Powers Fall: Reconciliation in the Healing of Nations
(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998). Swedish edition: Healing a Nation's Wounds: Reconciliation on the Road to Democracy (Uppsala, Sweden: Life and Peace Institute, 1997)
Cracking the Gnostic Code: The Powers in Gnosticism (Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1993)
Violence and Nonviolence in South Africa (Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1987). (Out of print)
Transforming Bible Study, second edition (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990) (Out of print)
The Bible in Human Transformation (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973). (Out of print)
John the Baptist in the Gospel Tradition (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1968). (Out of print)
Proclamation 5: Holy Week, Year B (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993). (Out of print)
His newer works include:
The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man
(Fortress Press, 2001.)
Peace Is The Way: Writings on Nonviolence from the Fellowship of Reconciliation. (Edited by Walter Wink. Orbis Books, 2000.)
The Powers That Be:Theology for a New Millennium
(New York: Doubleday, 1999)
Homosexuality and Christian Faith: Questions of Conscience for the Churches (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999)
He is author of a trilogy, The Powers:
Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984)
Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986)
Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of
Domination (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992)
His other works include:
When the Powers Fall: Reconciliation in the Healing of Nations
(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998). Swedish edition: Healing a Nation's Wounds: Reconciliation on the Road to Democracy (Uppsala, Sweden: Life and Peace Institute, 1997)
Cracking the Gnostic Code: The Powers in Gnosticism (Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1993)
Violence and Nonviolence in South Africa (Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1987). (Out of print)
Transforming Bible Study, second edition (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990) (Out of print)
The Bible in Human Transformation (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973). (Out of print)
John the Baptist in the Gospel Tradition (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1968). (Out of print)
Proclamation 5: Holy Week, Year B (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993). (Out of print)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2015
The Powers of the title refer to political structures, governments, corporations, church authorities. They do not refer to any aspect of the spiritual hierarchy that Paul mentions in Ephesians. For that, Clinton Arnold's books including Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians and 3 Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare are, to my mind, some of the very best.
In this book, Wink tackles the complex questions of forgiveness and reconciliation in the context of the fall of political regimes which held on to power through use of unbridled murder, torture, rape and "disappearances". There is not always an easy answer when justice and truth are compromised.
On the personal level, Wink relates a number of anecdotes and stories to illustrate his points.
He makes some interesting, thought-provoking points: Jesus, he claims, was totally against the system of Domination prevalent in His era but He did not advocate passive acquiescence in violence: Turning the other cheek to a "superior" who has backhanded an "inferior" is an act of defiance, not submission; stripping naked when one demands one's outer garment brings down shame on the head of the creditor for causing the poor debtor's nakedness; carrying a soldier's pack a second mile would be in violation of military law (Matt 5:39-41). These acts do not at all mean passively acquiescing in evil, but are a studied and deliberate way of seizing the initiative and overthrowing evil by the force of its own momentum. The last supper and the crucifixion display Jesus' non-violent breaking of the spiral of violence by absorbing its momentum with his own body.
This is an intriguing interpretation of Jesus' command to do good.
Wink also says: Reconciliation is more than forgiveness... Forgiveness can be unilateral, reconciliation is always mutual.
Couldn't agree more with that.
Wink points out that, in country after country dominated by military powers, when those powers fall to democracy, the military has always opposed the process of reconciliation. He cites example after example and suggests a rule of thumb to aid in the healing catharsis of any nation: get all the truth and justice you can as soon as you can, because the longer it takes the less likely it is to occur.
Wink quotes South African theologian, Klaus Nürnberger, who says we are called not to be bridge builders for reconciliation but bridge crosses. Jesus has already built the bridge, we need to cross it.
He tackles thorny questions of true and false forgiveness, true and false reconciliation.
And perhaps his most incisive comment to modern western Christianity is this almost throwaway line, which wouldn't have been nearly as pertinent when he wrote the book as it is now: To the religionist's dream of being able to be "spiritual" and still amass wealth within an unjust system, Jesus pronounces an unconditional no: "You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matt 6:24/ Luke 16:13)
This is so relevant to so many twenty-first century Christians. To the idea that this doesn't apply because our societies are not unjust, Wink simply points to the overwhelming mass of evidence to the contrary.
In this book, Wink tackles the complex questions of forgiveness and reconciliation in the context of the fall of political regimes which held on to power through use of unbridled murder, torture, rape and "disappearances". There is not always an easy answer when justice and truth are compromised.
On the personal level, Wink relates a number of anecdotes and stories to illustrate his points.
He makes some interesting, thought-provoking points: Jesus, he claims, was totally against the system of Domination prevalent in His era but He did not advocate passive acquiescence in violence: Turning the other cheek to a "superior" who has backhanded an "inferior" is an act of defiance, not submission; stripping naked when one demands one's outer garment brings down shame on the head of the creditor for causing the poor debtor's nakedness; carrying a soldier's pack a second mile would be in violation of military law (Matt 5:39-41). These acts do not at all mean passively acquiescing in evil, but are a studied and deliberate way of seizing the initiative and overthrowing evil by the force of its own momentum. The last supper and the crucifixion display Jesus' non-violent breaking of the spiral of violence by absorbing its momentum with his own body.
This is an intriguing interpretation of Jesus' command to do good.
Wink also says: Reconciliation is more than forgiveness... Forgiveness can be unilateral, reconciliation is always mutual.
Couldn't agree more with that.
Wink points out that, in country after country dominated by military powers, when those powers fall to democracy, the military has always opposed the process of reconciliation. He cites example after example and suggests a rule of thumb to aid in the healing catharsis of any nation: get all the truth and justice you can as soon as you can, because the longer it takes the less likely it is to occur.
Wink quotes South African theologian, Klaus Nürnberger, who says we are called not to be bridge builders for reconciliation but bridge crosses. Jesus has already built the bridge, we need to cross it.
He tackles thorny questions of true and false forgiveness, true and false reconciliation.
And perhaps his most incisive comment to modern western Christianity is this almost throwaway line, which wouldn't have been nearly as pertinent when he wrote the book as it is now: To the religionist's dream of being able to be "spiritual" and still amass wealth within an unjust system, Jesus pronounces an unconditional no: "You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matt 6:24/ Luke 16:13)
This is so relevant to so many twenty-first century Christians. To the idea that this doesn't apply because our societies are not unjust, Wink simply points to the overwhelming mass of evidence to the contrary.
December 21, 2008
If you like the Politics of Jesus by Shane Claiborne, then you will enjoy Wink's When the Powers Fall. It applies the Gospel message of reconciliation and forgiveness to emerging nations and talks about the churches responsibility.
November 5, 2017
A shorter work by the author somewhat "updating" the trends noted in the final part of his trilogy on the Powers (Engaging the Powers).
The author recapitulates the premises of the trilogy, the existence of powers and principalities as the spiritual interiority of groups and nations, the existence of the Domination System, and the roles of the powers and principalities in perpetuating it. Most of the book features discussions of how the Domination System might be overcome in individual national circumstances through nonviolence and how reconciliation could possibly take place through truth-telling, forgiveness, and repentance. Many examples from Eastern Europe and Africa are provided.
This work is very light on Biblical theology and very heavy on progressivist assumptions about the benefits of democracy and perhaps even a bit of triumphalism. It would be interesting to see how the author would consider the changes that have taken place ever since, both globally and in regards to the specific countries of which he spoke.
Without a doubt the ways of nonviolence should mark the followers of Jesus. There is a desperate need to rehabilitate this view. There is a desperate need to confess the existence of the Powers and repent of our participation in their schemes. But considering the success of the Powers in human history, the author's confidence that powers are falling because of nonviolence and reconciliation is overly idealistic.
The author recapitulates the premises of the trilogy, the existence of powers and principalities as the spiritual interiority of groups and nations, the existence of the Domination System, and the roles of the powers and principalities in perpetuating it. Most of the book features discussions of how the Domination System might be overcome in individual national circumstances through nonviolence and how reconciliation could possibly take place through truth-telling, forgiveness, and repentance. Many examples from Eastern Europe and Africa are provided.
This work is very light on Biblical theology and very heavy on progressivist assumptions about the benefits of democracy and perhaps even a bit of triumphalism. It would be interesting to see how the author would consider the changes that have taken place ever since, both globally and in regards to the specific countries of which he spoke.
Without a doubt the ways of nonviolence should mark the followers of Jesus. There is a desperate need to rehabilitate this view. There is a desperate need to confess the existence of the Powers and repent of our participation in their schemes. But considering the success of the Powers in human history, the author's confidence that powers are falling because of nonviolence and reconciliation is overly idealistic.
November 27, 2011
This is a brief treatment on what happens when 'the powers' fall. For Wink 'the powers' are completely demythologized and simply stand for social structures and political entities. In this book, Wink means oppressive regimes.
Wink's purpose is articulate the appropriate response in the wake of the fall of oppressive regimes. Wink argues that the kingdom of God (reign of God)articulates a whole new way of being in the world characterized by non-domination, forgiveness and reconciliation. He spends sometimes painting a picture of what that means by recounting stories of reconciliation and examples of international situations where reconciliation is needed (mid 1990's was publication date, but these could be easily updated). Wink closes the book with a passionate plea for democracy as the ultimate expression of non-domination.
I think this book has some interesting insights, and certainly believe the vision of Jesus and the Kingdom of God should have an effect on our politics. Yet, Wink's analysis is rather shallow in this treatment (more suggestive than substantive). His conjecture that democracy is the form of government which most fully embodies the values of the kingdom of God, is suspect. It may be true that non-domination is characteristic of the reign of God but democracies are not always hospitable to voices on the margins. Totalitarianism is wrong, but so is mob-rule. Certainly Wink would allow as much, but I wonder if he puts too much hope in democracy. Democracy is not the hope for the world. Jesus is. Democracy is a better alternative than dictatorship, but not the ultimate expression of all that the reign of God means.
Wink's purpose is articulate the appropriate response in the wake of the fall of oppressive regimes. Wink argues that the kingdom of God (reign of God)articulates a whole new way of being in the world characterized by non-domination, forgiveness and reconciliation. He spends sometimes painting a picture of what that means by recounting stories of reconciliation and examples of international situations where reconciliation is needed (mid 1990's was publication date, but these could be easily updated). Wink closes the book with a passionate plea for democracy as the ultimate expression of non-domination.
I think this book has some interesting insights, and certainly believe the vision of Jesus and the Kingdom of God should have an effect on our politics. Yet, Wink's analysis is rather shallow in this treatment (more suggestive than substantive). His conjecture that democracy is the form of government which most fully embodies the values of the kingdom of God, is suspect. It may be true that non-domination is characteristic of the reign of God but democracies are not always hospitable to voices on the margins. Totalitarianism is wrong, but so is mob-rule. Certainly Wink would allow as much, but I wonder if he puts too much hope in democracy. Democracy is not the hope for the world. Jesus is. Democracy is a better alternative than dictatorship, but not the ultimate expression of all that the reign of God means.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews