The Power of Biblical Authors

Abstract

New Testament authors claim immense (interpretive) power and generate strong asymmetrical dependencies between themselves and the communities they address. They are convinced that they have the resource of ‘salvation’, the authentic interpretation of the Christ event and access to the congregation. In research, this mostly hidden and sometimes even veiled establishment of pronounced power and dependency structures has hardly been systematically investigated. This is all the more surprising as biblical texts continue to be used in Christian churches worldwide to consolidate and legitimise structures of power and authority. Against this background, I inquire about the susceptibility of ‘living’ sacred texts to abuse, and I examine these texts with regard to their potential for risk and danger.