The The Struggle between the powers

Ef 6,10-20 in postcolonial approach

Abstract

The post-colonial approach to the Letter to the Ephesians is here centered on its concluding pericope. This pericope, identified a peroratio in terms of rhetorical analysis, is considered the conclusion not only of chapter sixth, but of the entire second part of the Letter, which is exhortatory its nature. Among the different methods and approaches, the post-colonial one is current, useful and necessary, converging in the different ways between the authors. Here, one of the possible itineraries is proposed, but in a previous text by the author, in this journal, which is cited, the origin, conceptualization, slight variants, the relationships drawn and a comprehensive bibliography of this approach were exposed. In this text, the consensual exegesis identifies the struggle of Christians against spiritual, cosmic, supernatural, hostile powers, but there are authors already considered classics and others, as recent as significant, who identify terrestrial social and political powers, centered on the power of Rome and the emperor cult. It is identified that the kingdom proposed in Ephesians is contra imperial, contra cultural and should not be simply spiritualized. The hermeneutic consequences can inspire with notable relevance the action of families, communities, social and popular movements.