Pneumatology

An internationally respected scholar offers a biblical, historical, and theological assessment of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, focusing on the ecumenical and contextual experiences of the Spirit. This comprehensive review of pneumatology in global perspective examines various theological and denominational understandings of the Spirit, assesses key contemporary theologians of the Spirit, and inquires into several contextual approaches. The new edition has been substantially updated throughout to account for major developments in theology over the past decade and includes added coverage of interfaith issues.

Finny Philip inquires into Paul's initial thoughts on the Holy Spirit. Paul's conviction that he was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles and that God bestowed the Spirit upon the Gentiles apart from Torah obedience is the basis for any inquiry on this subject. Central to Philip's argument is Paul's conviction that God graciously endowed his Gentile converts with the gift of the Spirit, an understanding that is rooted primarily in his conversion experience and secondarily in his experience with and as a missionary of the Hellenistic community in Antioch. In examining the range of expectations of the Spirit that were present in both Hebrew scripture and in the wider Jewish literature, the author comes to the conclusion that such a concept is rare, and that it is usually the covenant community to which the promise of the Spirit is given. Furthermore, Paul's own pre-Christian convictions about the Spirit, a result of his own self-perception as a Pharisee and persecutor of the church, display continuity between his thought patterns and those of Second Temple Judaism. Paul's Damascus experience was an experience of the Spirit. His experience of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:1-4:6) provided him with the belief that there was now a new relationship with God, which was possible through the sphere of the Spirit. In addition, Paul was influenced by the Hellenists, whose theological beliefs included the perception of the church as the eschatological temple in which the Spirit of God is the manifest presence of God. It is in these notions that one may trace the origins of Paul's thoughts on the Holy Spirit.

This handbook provides an interdisciplinary and diverse reference work to the Holy Spirit. Daniel Castelo and Kenneth M. Loyer gathered together a wide range of voices that are religiously, geographically, and ethnically diverse, bringing theology into conversation with biblical studies, ethics and morality, and global Christian studies. The T&T Clark Handbook of Pneumatology examines the Holy Spirit in a variety of sources, such as the Synoptic Gospels, the Catholic Epistles, the Old Testament, and the Hebrew Scriptures. It also includes chapters on key concepts in the field, such as mediation and sacramentality, ecology, and creation. This broad scope enables readers to appreciate how nuanced the field of Pneumatology is, and how it can be relevant for other Christian discourses.

Oliver B. Langworthy examines the interaction of soteriology and pneumatology in Gregory of Nazianzus' thought. He shows that this interaction, Gregory's soteriological pneumatology, is a coherent, significant, but under-examined area of Gregory's thought. His study engages in a chronological treatment of a wide range of Gregory's prose and poetic works. This allows for the particular character of Gregory's soteriological pneumatology to emerge, notably his emphasis on the experience of the Spirit. The result is a more complete and nuanced picture of Gregory's theological investment in a divine and "truly holy" Spirit that is operative in the salvation of the believer.

This book brings pneumatology and indigenous voices to the study of mission by comparing Wesleyan ideas about mission and the Holy Spirit with Pentecostal/charismatic and Latin American understandings.

The geographical extent of the orient and occident is a validation of the cultural and ideological differences that have existed with constancies between the two hemispheres throughout the ions of time. Ideological pluralism has been the common practice of the inhabitants of both spheres but with unique manifestations. Christianity along with other religions are warmly embraced and pragmatically characterized by the orientals and occidentals with reserved peculiarities. Oriental Christians viewed pneumatology as being a significant particle of their theological and liturgical lives, while Occidental Christians see Christology as the primal substance in Christianity. Although both groups have a history of singling out this distinction, over the years, theologians and theology have helped both sides understand the importance of both pneumatology and Christology in Christianity. It is concertedly understood that neither of the two can be studied or taught without the other. Their inseparable existence makes Christianity a complete whole. The authors exploration and literary expedition through myriad of sources allow him to compile data relevant to understanding the importance of the Holy Ghost and Spiritual gifts within the Christian community. Whether a secular or non-secular intellectual, you will find the information in this book to be rewarding, resourceful and informative. You will come across comments from some of humanitys and Christendoms finest and brightest academics in an eclectic form. Join the author now on his literary expedition. Welcome!

Recent thinking in Christian theology of religions has taken a “pneumatological turn” which asks how the doctrine of the Holy Spirit can contribute to the interreligious dialogue and to the emerging discourse of comparative theology. Pneumatology and the Christian-Buddhist Dialogue. Does the Spirit Blow through the Middle Way? tests the viability of this approach as applied to the Christian-Buddhist dialogue. Various Christian and Buddhist traditions are compared and contrasted within a pneumatological framework. Is the Holy Spirit to be found along the Buddha’s middle way? Some Christians say yes, while others demur. The thesis of this volume is that such a pneumatological perspective opens up possibilities for the deepening and transformation of Christian theology in the religiously plural world of the twenty-first century.

How does the Spirit of God relate to the Bible, to the Christ, to the human person, to the church and to the world? This volume probes these questions in light of the recent worldwide revival of pneumatological reflection and debate.