Stringfellow Series on the Demonic Principalities
A brief summary with links to the three parts of the series
“Demonic refers to death comprehended as a moral reality … Death rules … all … principalities and powers of this world … Death assumes … the … role of G-d … Death … incarnates [itself] in the traditions … of all … powers … Death as a moral power means death as a social purpose.” (pp. 67-70)
In his 1973 book An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land, William Stringfellow describes demonic power as death incarnated into institutions, systems, ideologies and other vehicles for the wielding and transacting of power in society, which he calls principalities. These principalities have modes of operation in Creation—Stringfellow calls these stratagems. Stringfellow sets out an ethical framework of resistance for Christians, he draws a comparison between the modern nation state and Babylon of the book of Revelations. Any Christian is an alien in Babylon, hence the title.
In the first part of the series I described the Stringfellow’s conception of the demonic, and explain the notion of principalities as part of the Fallen Creation. In the second part of the series I wrote about the strategems of the demonic principalities, relating them to present day discourse and culture, including social media. In the third and final part of the Stringfellow series, I discuss the Christian ethic of resistance to the demonic principalities.
Stringfellow writes about the politics impacting 1973 American society as he sets out to illustrate his conception of demonic principalities in his book, and I found it easy enough to relate his concepts to present day Canadian politics, and have provided examples for each of the stratagems of the demonic in part 2.
You can find links to the three parts of the series below. I want to give credit where it’s due. I heartily thank Chris EW Green Myles Werntz and David S Harvey for their conversation about Stringfellow’s book, because that’s where I first heard about this book, An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land, which ought to be read far and wide, as an important book for our time.
I urge readers to take the time to listen to the conversation, it’s well worth that hour of your time! And please do go and purchase the book and read it yourself. It’s a short book, easily read, quite engaging. For those wanting to purchase the book, I’ve linked to Amazon in each part of the series.
William Stringfellow and the Demonic
“Demonic refers to death comprehended as a moral reality … Death rules … all … principalities and powers of this world … Death assumes … the … role of G-d … Death … incarnates [itself] in the traditions … of all … powers … Death as a moral power means death as a social purpose.” (pp. 67-70)
Stringfellow: The Stratagems of the Demonic
“Demonic refers to death comprehended as a moral reality … Death rules … all … principalities and powers of this world … Death assumes … the … role of G-d … Death … incarnates [itself] in the traditions … of all … powers … Death as a moral power means death as a social purpose.” (pp. 67-70)
Stringfellow: The Word As An Ethic For Resistance to Death
“Demonic refers to death comprehended as a moral reality … Death rules … all … principalities and powers of this world … Death assumes … the … role of G-d … Death … incarnates [itself] in the traditions … of all … powers … Death as a moral power means death as a social purpose.” (pp. 67-70)
