ANGELS AND PRINCIPALITIES

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Refutes the notion that early Christians believed that mighty forces of evil were ranged against man.St Paul and his contemporaries so runs a commonly accepted scholarly opinion inhabited a world believed to be dominated by hostile superhuman powers of whom Jews and Gentiles alike liked in fear. Dr Carr concludes that the notion of mighty forces of evil ranged against man was not part of the earliest Christian understanding of the world and the gospel.St Paul and his contemporaries so runs a commonly accepted scholarly opinion inhabited a world believed to be dominated by hostile superhuman powers of whom Jews and Gentiles alike liked in fear. Dr Carr concludes that the notion of mighty forces of evil ranged against man was not part of the earliest Christian understanding of the world and the gospel.St Paul and his contemporaries so runs a commonly accepted scholarly opinion inhabited a world believed to be dominated by hostile superhuman powers of whom Jews and Gentiles alike liked in fear. Dr Carr challenges this widespread assumption by means of a detailed examination of various kinds of evidence. First there is the New Testament itself. The general Mediterranean cultural background of the first century is also important and the author looks at evidence from the early Church Fathers and gnostic material. He concludes that the notion of mighty forces of evil ranged against man was not part of the earliest Christian understanding of the world and the gospel. His argument has special significance in the light of the belief that a presentday interpretation may be given to the idea of hostile powers and their conquest by Christ thus supporting political social and ethical thinking within the Christian Church.Preface: Abbreviations: General introduction: Part I. The Background to Pauls Thought on the Powers: 1. The environment in which Paul worked: 2. The powers in Jewish and pagan thought: Part II. Exegesis of Pauline Texts: 3. The powers and Christ triumphant: 4. The powers and the spiritual world: 5. The powers and the political world: Part III. The PostPauline Development: 6. Texts within the New Testament: 7. Ignatius of Antioch: 8. The angelomorphic Christology of early Jewish Christianity: 9. The Greek apologists: 10. Clement of Alexandria: 11. The influence of gnosticism: 12. Origen: Part IV. Final Remarks: Notes: Select bibliography: Index.

Data Publikacji: 2005-08-22
Wymiary: 216 mm 138 mm 16 mm 340 gr