Walter Wink (May 21, 1935 – May 10, 2012) was an American biblical scholar,

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, and activist who was an important figure in Progressive Christianity. Wink spent much of his career teaching at Auburn Theological Seminary in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. He was well known for his advocacy of and work related to nonviolent resistance and his seminal works on "The Powers", ''Naming the Powers'' (1984), ''Unmasking the Powers'' (1986), ''Engaging the Powers'' (1992), ''When the Powers Fall'' (1998), and ''The Powers that Be'' (1999), all of them commentaries on the Apostle Paul's ethic of

spiritual warfare Spiritual warfare is the Christian concept of fighting against the work of preternatural evil forces. It is based on the biblical belief in evil spirits, or demons, that are said to intervene in human affairs in various ways. Although spir ...

described here: Breaking with christian hermeneutic tradition of

christian demonology Christian demonology is the study of demons from a Christian point of view. It is primarily based on the Bible (Old and New Testaments), the interpretation of these scriptures, the writings of early Christianity philosophers, hermits and t ...

, he interprets Paul's hierarchy of "rulers" to refer to imperial powers, with corresponding and political theologies and ideologies of state violence. Giving examples from ancient Babylon through the popular media of today, these are supported by, in a phrase he coined "the myth of redemptive violence".

Career

Wink earned a B.A. from

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , ...

in 1956, majoring in history, and minoring in philosophy and English. He completed his Master of Divinity in 1959 and his Ph.D. in 1963, both from Union Theological Seminary in

. Ordained as a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

minister in 1961, he served as Pastor of First United Methodist Church, in

Hitchcock, Texas Hitchcock is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,961 at the 2010 census. History Hitchcock was created as a station of the railroad between Galveston and Houston in 1873 and around the turn of the 20th century ...

from 1962–67. He then returned to Union Seminary as an Assistant Professor of New Testament, then Associate Professor of New Testament, from 1967–1976. After being denied tenure at Union, he began teaching at Auburn Theological Seminary, remaining there until his death, when he was Professor Emeritus. His faculty discipline was

Biblical interpretation Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles of interpretation concerning the books of the Bible. It is part of the broader field of hermeneutics, which involves the study of principles of interpretation, both theory and methodology, for ...

. In 1989–1990, he was a Peace Fellow at the

United States Institute of Peace The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American federal institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other pea ...

. He was known for his work on

power structure In political sociology, but also operative within the rest of the animal, animal kingdom, a power structure is a hierarchy of competence or aggression (might) predicated on power (social and political), influence between an individual and other ...

s, his commentary on current political and cultural matters, and his contributions to the discourse on homosexuality and religion,

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

, the relationship between

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...

and biblical studies, and research related to the

historical Jesus The term "historical Jesus" refers to the reconstruction of the life and teachings of Jesus by critical historical methods, in contrast to religious interpretations. It also considers the historical and cultural contexts in which Jesus lived. ...

. Neal Stephenson likens some of Wink's ideas to "an

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evide ...

of power disorders", a

phenomenology Phenomenology may refer to: Art * Phenomenology (architecture), based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties Philosophy * Phenomenology (philosophy), a branch of philosophy which studies subjective experiences and a ...

oppression Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power, often under the guise of governmental authority or cultural opprobrium. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. Oppression refers to discrimination ...

. Author

Philip Yancey Philip Yancey (born November 4, 1949) is an American author who writes primarily about spiritual issues. His books have sold more than 15 million copies in English and have been translated into 40 languages, making him one of the best-selling con ...

references Wink frequently in his work. One of Wink's major avenues for teaching has been his leadership of workshops to church and other groups, based on his method of Bible study (''The Bible in Human Transformation'', 1973), and incorporating meditation, artwork, and movement. These workshops were often presented jointly with his wife, June Keener-Wink, a dancer and potter. One of Walter Wink's sons—Chris Wink—is known as a founding member of the

Blue Man Group Blue Man Group is an American performance art company formed in 1987. It was purchased in July 2017 by the Canadian company Cirque du Soleil. Blue Man Group is known for its stage productions, which incorporate many kinds of music and art, bot ...

Power Disorders and Christian Response

Partial bibliography

*''John the Baptist in the Gospel Tradition'', Cambridge Univ. Press, 1968. (out of print) *''The Bible in Human Transformation'', Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973. (out of print) *The Powers Trilogy: **''Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament'', Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984. **''Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence'', Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986. **''Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination'', Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992. *''Violence and Nonviolence in South Africa'', Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1987. (out of print) *''Transforming Bible Study'', second edition, Nashville: Abingdon, 1990. (out of print) *''Proclamation 5: Holy Week, Year B'', Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993. (out of print) *''Cracking the Gnostic Code: The Powers in Gnosticism'', (Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series), Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1993. *''When the Powers Fall: Reconciliation in the Healing of Nations'', Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998. ; Swedish edition: ''Healing a Nation's Wounds: Reconciliation on the Road to Democracy'' (Uppsala, Sweden: Life and Peace Institute, 1997) *''The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium'', New York: Doubleday, 1999. *''Homosexuality and Christian Faith: Questions of Conscience for the Churches'' (editor), Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999. *''Peace Is The Way: Writings on Nonviolence from the Fellowship of Reconciliation.'', (editor), Orbis Books, 2000. *''John the Baptist in the Gospel Tradition'', Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2001. *''The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man'', Fortress Press, 2001. *''Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way'', Augsburg Fortress, 2003. *''Just Jesus: My Struggle to Become Human'', Image, 2014. *''The System Belongs to God DVD'', UMCom Productions, http://secure.umcom.org/Store/the-system-belongs-to-god.

References

External links

Personal website
*
Walter Wink, Presente!
" obituary by Richard Deats,

Fellowship of Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR or FOR) is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries. They are linked by affiliation to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR). ...

, 11 May 2012
Review of ''The Human Being,'' by D. Seiple, ''Union Seminary Quarterly Review,'' Vol 55 (3-4), 2001, pp. 178-183
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wink, Walter American non-fiction writers Christian writers American Christian theologians American biblical scholars Peace and conflict scholars Nonviolence advocates American Christian pacifists American Methodist clergy Union Theological Seminary (New York City) alumni Christian radicals 1935 births 2012 deaths Auburn Theological Seminary faculty Southern Methodist University alumni People from Dallas 20th-century Christian biblical scholars 21st-century Christian biblical scholars Methodist biblical scholars Methodist pacifists Methodist theologians Members of the Jesus Seminar