The study of supernatural powers is fraught with vexing hermeneutical challenges, which aggravate further in the African context. While on the one hand Western anthropology tends to discount the idea of supernatural powers by attempting to 'explain them away', on the other Western biblical scholarship has mainly worked from the premise of 'demythologizing' them. But none of these approaches make tangible sense to African scholars for whom supernatural powers constitute an integral component of their spiritual psyche. This book, based on an examination of over a thousand documentary sources (both classic and modern), attempts to address the issue of interpreting supernatural powers from an African worldview. The author analyzes, identifies, and critiques major hermeneutical errors and offers a 'bridging hermeneutic' using the method of reader-response criticism.
The study of supernatural powers is fraught with vexing hermeneutical challenges, which aggravate further in the African context. While on the one hand, Western anthropology tends to discount the idea of supernatural powers by attempting to "explain them away," on the other, Western biblical scholarship has mainly worked from the premise of "demythologising" them. But none of these approaches makes sense to African scholars, for whom supernatual powers constitute an integral component of their spiritual psyche. This book, based on an examination of over a thousand documentary sources (both classic and modern), attempts to address the issue of interpreting supernatural powers from an African worldview. The author analyzes, identifies, and critiques major hermeneutical errors and offers a "bridging hermeneutic," using the method of reader response criticism.
The study of supernatural powers is fraught with vexing hermeneutical challenges, which aggravate further in the African context. While on the one hand Western anthropology tends to discount the idea of supernatural powers by attempting to 'explain them away', on the other Western biblical scholarship has mainly worked from the premise of 'demythologizing' them. But none of these approaches make tangible sense to African scholars for whom supernatural powers constitute an integral component of their spiritual psyche. This book, based on an examination of over a thousand documentary sources (both classic and modern), attempts to address the issue of interpreting supernatural powers from an African worldview. The author analyzes, identifies, and critiques major hermeneutical errors and offers a 'bridging hermeneutic' using the method of reader-response criticism.
Excerpt from The Supernatural The teacher in the medical school teaches physiology and anatomy and hygiene; but when we get sick and send for a doctor, we do not send in order that we may receive a lec ture on physiology or anatomy or hygiene. We send for the doctor that he may use his knowledge of physiology or anatomy or hy giene to make us well. You break a bone you do not want the doctor to tell you about bones, you want him to set the bone. So the object of ministers is not to lecture us on the philosophy of religion; neither is it to ignore the philosophy of religion; it is to use the philosophy of religion to help men and women to live better, nobler, diviner lives. The truth, says Christ, shall make you free. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. Truth is, then, an instrument. The object of truth is to set men free; it is to sanctify men, to make them holy. The minister who simply expounds the truth does not understand his mission. His mission is so to use truth that men shall be made free; that men shall be made holy. His ministry is, therefore, to be determined by fruits in the life. That is the best sermon, not which is a great pulpit effort, but which is helpful. If, young men, you have preached a sermon and some one comes up to you and says that was a great pulpit effort, hide your head in shame and go home and never write another like it. But if some one comes to you, with a little'quaver in the voice and a little moisture in the eye, and says, Thank you; you have helped me this morning, thank God and go home and try to write another like it. That is the end of preaching - to use theology to help life. The test of the sermon is its fruitfulness in life; and that is the test of theology. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Guy Williams beleuchtet die Rolle der Geistwesen in den echten paulinischen Briefen. Entgegen der weit verbreiteten Ansicht, Geister und spirituelle Wesen seien für Paulus unbedeutend und trivial gewesen, vertritt Williams die These, dass diese inhärente Merkmale der Briefe darstellten. Die Berücksichtigung ihres historischen und kulturellen Hintergrundes zeigt, dass die Vorstellung von den »Einwohnern der paulinischen Geistwelt«, den Engeln, Dämonen, Kräften und Satan, denen des allgemeinen Gedankenguts entspricht.Schließlich bezieht Williams die Ergebnisse seiner Untersuchung auf drei Bereiche: Paulus Christologie, seine Soteriologie und seine Vorstellung von Gemeinschaft. Sein Ansatz erlaubt einen frischen Blick auf Ort und Bedeutung von spirituellen Wesen bei Paulus, nicht im Sinne einer neuen Doktrin, aber als allgemeines und kulturelles Idiom der paulinischen Texte.
This book will complete you with knowledge and wisdom on how I was chosen to access Gods supernatural power and use it for His Glory. I was positive about sharing this information being inspired by the Spirit of the Living God, extremely concerned how the people of God can be encouraged through my testimony. The Supernatural Power is awesome. It gets you right at the entry gate, into areas of life that no man on earth came close. Only through Jesus Christ who has the key that opened the door, and when he trusts you enough to receive it, you must follow instructions. There comes with a list of dos and donts included.
