Domination or Empowerment?

“This is a fascinating study of Paul’s use of power language in his Corinthian correspondence informed by an extraordinary breadth of resources including Esther Cen’s inspiring autobiography. For students of Discourse Analysis or post-colonial exegesis generally, or for those who are spiritual leaders interested in the disposition of power within a Christian setting, Cen’s monograph is a must read.”


—Robert W. Wall, professor emeritus of Scripture and Wesleyan studies, Seattle Pacific University and Seminary





“Esther Cen is not naive about the role that power plays in society, nor is she unaware that scholarship is itself an exercise of power. She provides a description of Paul’s uses of power in 1 and 2 Corinthians that is theoretically informed and empirically grounded. When she finally offers her own evaluations of Paul, she unfolds important nuances that should give each of us pause as we each seek to arrive at our own understanding.”


—Christopher D. Land, associate professor of New Testament and linguistics, McMaster Divinity College





“Esther Cen makes a convincing case that Paul seeks to empower the Corinthians rather than to dominate them through the development and application of a rigorous and sophisticated methodology based on socio-linguistic criteria. This book is an excellent resource for Pauline studies and for pastoral theology, and it is an invaluable demonstration of the use of methodology in biblical scholarship.”


—Cynthia Long Westfall, associate professor of New Testament, McMaster Divinity College





“Esther Cen presents a powerful socio-linguistic analysis of Paul’s discourse of authority and power, rooted in an excellent awareness of the social location of thought, ancient and contemporary. She demonstrates in a differentiated way that the Corinthian correspondence is evidence of Paul’s exercise of power through empowering leadership, making a highly relevant contribution to Pauline scholarship and its relevance for society and church today.”


—Kathy Ehrensperger, research fellow, University of Basel