Angels and Principalities
The Background, Meaning and Development of the Pauline Phrase hai archai kai hai exousiai

Refutes the notion that early Christians believed that mighty forces of evil were ranged against man.

A. Wesley Carr (Author)

9780521018753, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 August 2005

256 pages
21.7 x 14 x 1.6 cm, 0.34 kg

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 present-day 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 Paul's 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 Post-Pauline 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.

Subject Areas: Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG]