Walter Wink | |
|---|---|
 Wink preaching at theFellowship of Reconciliation | |
| Born | (1935-05-21)May 21, 1935 Dallas,Texas,United States[1] |
| Died | May 10, 2012(2012-05-10) (aged 76) Sandisfield,Massachusetts,United States[1] |
| Occupation | minister, theologian, author |
| Language | English |
| Spouse | June Keener Wink[1] |
| Children | Rebecca Wink, Steve Wink,Chris Wink and Stepchildren: Kim Bergland, Kurt Bergland[1] |
| Website | |
| walterwink | |
Walter Wink (May 21, 1935 – May 10, 2012) was an AmericanBiblical scholar,theologian, andactivist who was an important figure inProgressive Christianity. Wink spent much of his career teaching atAuburn Theological Seminary inNew York City. He was well known for his advocacy of and work related tononviolent 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), andThe Powers that Be (1999), all of them commentaries on theApostle Paul's ethic ofspiritual warfare described here:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
— Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
Breaking with Christian hermeneutic tradition ofChristian demonology, he interprets Paul's hierarchy of "rulers" to refer to imperial powers, with corresponding andpolitical 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 "themyth of redemptive violence".
Wink earned a B.A. fromSouthern Methodist University 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 fromUnion Theological Seminary inNew York City. Ordained as aMethodist minister in 1961, he served as Pastor of First United Methodist Church, inHitchcock, Texas 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 atAuburn Theological Seminary, remaining there until his death, when he was Professor Emeritus. His faculty discipline wasBiblical interpretation. In 1989–1990, he was a Peace Fellow at theUnited States Institute of Peace.[2]
He was known for his work onpower structures, his commentary on current political and cultural matters, and his contributions to the discourse onhomosexuality and religion,pacifism, the relationship betweenpsychology andbiblical studies, and research related to thehistorical Jesus.Neal Stephenson likens some of Wink's ideas to "anepidemiology of power disorders", aphenomenology ofoppression.[3] AuthorPhilip Yancey references Wink frequently in his work.[4][5]
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 theBlue Man Group.
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