By condensing and popularizing the core ideas from his seminal trilogy on the Powers into one highly readable volume, Walter Wink has done for theology what E = mc(2) did for physics — he has transformed our conception of the universe.<P>Old religious images such as a heaven "above" and a hell "below", while certainly a part of the popular imagination, have lost their value as a way of understanding the spiritual realm. Yet we are at a loss to know what will replace them. In "The Powers That Be", Walter Wink helps us reformulate our ancient concepts — such as God and Satan, angels and demons, principalities and powers — in light of our modern experience. Based on his understanding of the Bible, Wink creates a whole new way of viewing the world, and offers us a language for talking about and to God. This popularized abridgment of Naming the Powers, Unmasking the Powers, and Engaging the Powers radically reorients our perspective on life by creating new lenses through which we see reality. Equipped with this fresh outlook, we can embark on a new relationship with God and our world that will serve us well into the next millennium.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [201]-207) and index.