The principalities and powers are legion.

According to the Bible, the principalities are legion in species, number, variety and name. They are designated by such multifarious titles as powers, virtues, thrones, authorities, dominions, demons, princes, strongholds, lords, angels, gods, elements, spirits…

And if some of these seem quaint, transposed into contemporary language they lose quaintness and the principalities become recognizable and all too familiar: they include all institutions, all ideologies, all images, all movements, all causes, all corporations, all bureaucracies, all traditions, all methods and routines, all conglomerates, all races, all nations, all idols. Thus, the Pentagon or the Ford Motor Company or Harvard University or the Hudson Institute or Consolidated Edison or the Diners Club or the Olympics or the Methodist Church or the Teamsters Union are principalities. So are capitalism, Maoism, humanism, Mormonism, astrology, the Puritan work ethic, science and scientism, white supremacy, patriotism, plus many, many more—sports, sex, any profession or discipline, technology, money, the family—beyond any prospect of full enumeration. The principalities and powers are legion.
-William Stringfellow

Gehenna

In the New Testament, every reference to “hell” in the English is a reference either to Hades, Tartarus, or Gehenna. Gehenna is used 12 times.

It’s well known that Gehenna was the dump outside Jerusalem where trash was burned. And many times, Gehenna could be well translated as “trash dump”.

Some references for later...

Anger, Raca, Moreh, and Gehenna in Mt. 5:21-22

The blogger, the tenth Leper is doing a review of Rob Bells forthcoming book, 'Love Wins'. Yes, he has an advance copy. Surely Gehenna will be addressed.

The book promo.


What the Hell? A site about hell with many resources. What the Hell is Hell? Clearly against the modern notion of hell.

And Jason Goroncy's older post, Hell, the nemesis of Hope?

Slacking

The slacktivist and the vindication of Democracy