Paul and the Dynamics of Power

Rezensionen / Stimmen

Mention - New Testament Abstracts, Vol. 52 No. 3, 2008 "Overall the book is well written and extremely well researched. The author particularly shines when discussing contextual backgrounds for the various topics in the study. Ehrensperger's understanding of Paul's Jewish background and the context out of which Paul fulfills his apostolic calling is especially beneficial. The book is worth reading alone for the backgrounds provided on ancient education, family groups, and social networks. Ehrensperger integrates sociological and exegetical methods into seamless explanation of Paul's communications with the early Christ-following communities...Perhaps the book's greatest strengths are the implications that it provides for Christian leaders today. Leaders who seek to imitate Paul by embodying and demonstrating the values of the kingdom will be in position to empower their communities. When these values are demonstrated through discourse of grace and trust, communities are transformed. If pastors and other Christian leaders follow a model built on trust and mutual respect, demonstrated partially through weakness rather than dominance, then their organization will be better prepared to survive. Rather than attempting to build long-term hierarchies, Christian leaders ought to plan for obsolescence, preparing ministries to survive beyond their temporary presence." - Kenneth R. Solomon, Criswell Theological Review, Fall 2008 -- Kenneth R. Solomon 'This is a beautifully written and immensely stimulating book, with which every serious student of Paul ought to engage. One of its greatest merits is to show that even asymmetrical power relationships are not necessarily relationships of domination/ subordination, nor temporally permanent, nor lacking in mutuality and interdependence. Not only might this encourage a rethinking of our images of Paul; it also represents a challenge for Christian life and practice within contemporary Church and society.' Ian Boxall, St Stephen's House, Oxford, UK in Scripture Bulletin -- Ian Boxall Review in International Review of Biblical Studies, vol. 54:2007/08 'Ehrensperger's study is an excellent (re)consideration of the Pauline exercise of power in light of contemporary thought. Impressively, she takes seriously both the historical context of the early church and the language and concepts of recent studies on power (e.g. Derrida, Arendt and Foucault). The result is a well-balanced reading of the Pauline discourse of power which will benefit those interested in the social dynamics of early Christianity and Paul in general.' - Derek R. Brown, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK, in The Expository Times -- Derek R. Brown