Women in the Struggle for Power

Abstract

An unbroken line of Christian understanding of power faces the reader of the Bible, of Augustine, of Dante and medieval theologians. Many tributaries run into the river. Not all are polluted, and whatever happens the river must run into the ocean. In short, power comes from God and returns to God. Dynastic struggles, brotherly contests, fatal aggressions, even barbaric invasions and other upheavals, cannot alter the rhythm of Christian affirmations: ‘The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice’; ‘Let the peoples tremble’ (Psalms 97:1; 99:1). This sovereignty extends not only to this world, but also to the world to come. Both individuals and nations stand under the same judgement. The Christian iconography never fails to demonstrate the triumph of God visibly, and the music of the centuries, from the Renaissance until the modern age, echoes the same Messianic theme.