Life In The Spirit

Including essays from 2009 Wheaton Theology Conference keynote speakers Dallas Willard and Gordon Fee as well as contributing essays by noted presenters such as Chris Hall, David Gushee, Linda Cannell, Cherith Fee Nordling and Lawrece Cunningham, this book offers a stimulating exploration of the historical, biblical and theological dimensions of spiritual formation.

"In The Spirit Lives in the Mind the renowned storyteller and historian of the Omushkego shares teachings and stories of the Swampy Cree [Winisk Northern Ontario region] people that have been passed down from generation to generation as part of a rich oral tradition. Cree spiritual beliefs revolve around the sacred places and rich landscape of the Hudson Bay lowlands. [James Bay region also.] The beautiful narratives in The Spirit Lives in the Mind illuminate the meaning and value of spiritual maturity and power, the parallels between Omushkego morality and Roman Catholic teachings, and the importance of maintaining the traditional stories. Bird also offers explanations of shamanism and demonstrates how Catholicism affected Cree tradition. Bird collaborated with Susan Elaine Gray, who worked from many years of learning about and teaching Aboriginal culture and traditions in compiling his narratives and personal testament for The Spirit Lives in the Mind. It is a remarkable evocation of aboriginal storytelling about the Cree peoples, their landscape, and their places in the sky."--Pub. website.

Hendrickson presents two classic works on the Holy Spirit by A. W. Tozer, together in one volume for the first time. A superb addition to the best-selling Hendrickson Christian Classics series, Life in the Spirit combines Tozer's How to Be Filled with the Spirit and The Counselor: Straight Talk About the Holy Spirit from a Twentieth Century Prophet. In Tozer's own words, How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit "was made available to the Christian public with the prayer that it may lead thirsty believers to the fountain of living waters." Since its publication, hundreds of thousands of copies of this practical yet deeply devotional guide have been sold. How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit will refresh and open the reader to the filling of the Holy Spirit. In The Counselor, Tozer speaks to the current conflict and confusion about the Holy Spirit from a balanced, biblical perspective--not academic, but practical. Tozer promises that the Holy Spirit "is willing--yes, willing--to do for us all that Jesus would do if He were here on earth." The chapters of this book were originally preached as sermons at Southside Alliance Church in Chicago. Whether spoken or written, Tozer's words were designed to "promote personal heart religion" among God's people.

Since the nineteenth century, many philosophical and theological commentators have sought to trace lines of continuity between the Trinitarian thought of Augustine of Hippo (354–430) and G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831). Many contemporary Christian theologians have also criticized Augustine's Trinitarian theology generally and his doctrine of the Holy Spirit more specifically through this historical lens. At the same time, Hegelian Trinitarian conceptual dynamics have come to exert a strong influence over contemporary Trinitarian theology. In Life in the Spirit, Douglas Finn seeks to redress several imbalances with respect to Augustine, imbalances that have one of their hermeneutic causes in a Hegelian-influenced theological tradition. Finn argues that common readings of Augustine focus too much on his De Trinitate, books 8–15, betraying a modern—and to some extent Hegelian—prejudice against considering sermons and biblical commentaries serious theological work. This broadening of Augustinian texts allows Finn to critique readings of Augustine that, on the one hand, narrow his Trinitarian theology to the so-called psychological analogy and thus chart him on a path to Descartes and Hegel, or, on the other hand, suggest he sacrifices a theology of the Trinitarian persons on the altar of divine substance. Augustine's Trinitarian theology on Finn's reading is one fully engaged with God's work in history. With this renewed understanding of Augustine's Trinitarianism, Finn allows Augustine to interrogate Hegel with his concerns rather than only the other way around. In this ambitious study, Finn shows that Hegel's rendition of Christianity systematically obviates whole swaths of Christian prayer and practice. He does this nonpolemically, carefully, and with meticulous attention to the texts of both great thinkers.

How are we to understand the Holy Spirit? In this enlightening presentation, Leonard Sweet examines the power, the divinity, the gifts, and the ecstasy of the Spirit. He tackles the question of speaking in tongues; the weaknesses and strengths of the charismatic movement; and the part that the Spirit plays in art, nature, history, and in other religions. With questions for discussion, this perceptive study opens our eyes to the role of the Holy Spirit in life today.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). The Holy Spirit empowers us, guides us, and enables us to grow and endure in our relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. Often the most misunderstood member of the Trinity, the person of the Spirit continues to attract attention today amidst church revivals and renewals. In this new edition of his classic Keep in Step with the Spirit, J. I. Packer seeks to help Christians reaffirm the biblical call to holiness and the Spirit s role in keeping our covenant with God. Packer guides us through the riches and depth of the Spirit s work, assesses versions of holiness and the charismatic life, and shows how Christ must always be at the centre of true Spirit-led ministry. A new chapter explores Christian assurance. With abiding relevance and significance, Keep in Step with the Spirit sets forth vital knowledge for healthy and joyous Christian living, through understanding and experience of God the Holy Spirit. Here is a book for every serious believer to read and re-read.

Mother Teresa shares the beliefs and spiritual insights that sustain her life and ministry to Calcutta's poor, with reflections on her personal experience of Christ, the impoverished and suffering of this world, and the fundamental Christian conviction