Walter Wink

Hypomone, definition

Author: Walter Wink
Book: Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament

"The early church began from the pole of steadfastness in prayer and the refusal of idolatry, manifesting that hypomone which the Book of Revelation regards as the highest Christian virtue. It is usually somewhat limply rendered "patient endurance," but it is in fact closer to "absolute intransigence," "unbending determination," "an iron will," "the capacity to endure persecution, torture, and death without yielding one's faith." It is one of the fundamental attributes of nonviolent resistance."

Evil runs roughshod through corporate boardrooms & even churches, unnamed...

Author: Walter Wink
Book: Unmasking the Powers: the Invisible Forces that Determine Human Existence

"Nothing commends Satan to the modern mind. It is bad enough that Satan is spirit, when our worldview has banned spirit from discourse and belief. But worse, he is evil, and our culture resolutely refuses to believe in the real existence of evil, preferring to regard it as a kind of systems breakdown that can be fixed with enough tinkering.

The importance of rigourous self-examination before confronting evil

Author: Walter Wink
Book: Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament, Page #130

"That is why we must not engage the Powers without rigorous examination of our own inner evil, which we often project onto our opponents. We must ask how we are like the very Power we oppose, and attempt to open these parts of ourselves to divine transformation. We must attempt to stop the spiral of violence both within ourselves and in our tactics vis-a-vis the Powers."

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