The Flesh/spirit Conflict in Galatians

Book excerpt: This book questions the long-standing and pervasive view that "flesh" is a force within the life of the Christian that he or she must continually struggle against and overcome only by choosing to walk in the power of God's "Spirit." This internal dualism between the forces of "flesh" and "Spirit" emerges as both a central paradigm for the spiritual life and a major construct in approaching Paul's theology. It is the central thesis of this book that this internal dualism, while accurate in some respects, is nonetheless significantly flawed in viewing "flesh" and "Spirit" as an internal polarity. Contents: ^I The Flesh/Spirit Conflict in Theology, Lexicography and History; A Rhetorical Analysis of Galatians and the Flesh/Spirit Conflict; The Social Dynamics of the Flesh/Spirit Conflict; A Thematic Analysis of the Flesh/Spirit Conflict in Galatians; The Flesh/Spirit Conflict in Galatians 5:13-26; The Flesh/Spirit Conflict in Galatians 6:1-18; Some Conclusions about the Flesh/Spirit Conflict; Works Cited; Index of Scripture References.