Peter Lampe

Practices of Power

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“"Practices of Power is a significant, fresh study of the 'principalities and powers' in the Pauline tradition. Eschewing both simple word study and a demythologizing hermeneutic, Robert Ewusie Moses focuses on practices of the Pauline churches that respond to the world of spiritual powers. Moses also sketches a comparison between the practices of the ancient Pauline communities and the practices of African churches today. This important book by a compelling new scholarly voice reminds the churches that ‘our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh.'" —Richard B. Hays Duke Divinity School "Practices of Power is a thoughtful and engaging examination of the Pauline community and its practices. Robert Ewusie Moses’ analysis of the distinctiveness of the African approach to ‘the powers’ expands our understanding of significant religious trends in Africa and explores the idea that what we are witnessing in Africa is a syncretism of traditional religions and Christianity. A superb work!" —Bernard L. Richardson Howard University “Whether harmful ‘powers’ were toothless lions or those who exercised influence over early Christian groups depends on the group’s behavior—ranging from Christian ritual practices, such as baptism, to church discipline, preaching, or the degree of participation in pagan ritual and cult. In expertly analyzing this connection in Pauline Christianity and further illustrating it with comparative cross-cultural material, Robert Ewusie Moses’ outstanding book is anything but toothless—both content-wise and methodologically.””