Spirit Communion

Based firmly on Scripture and Church teachings, The Basic Book of the Eucharist will help you understand what means to receive Communion worthily.

This volume is a compilation of messages given by noted Chinese pastor/author Watchman Nee at various times and places during his illustrious ministry. All relate to the communion of the Holy Spirit.

In The Holy Spirit as Communion, Leon Harris examines the pneumatologies of Colin Gunton and Frank Macchia. For both theologians, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is foundational to understanding their doctrine of God, Christology, and ecclesiology. Drawing on the theme of communion, The Holy Spirit as Communion expresses the concept that the Holy Spirit is the person who perfects the divine nature and personhood of the Father and Son. It is the Holy Spirit who perfects the eternal communion within the divine Trinity, which is the source of the divine action that also perfects the communion in creation as an expression of the Father's will through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit as Communion explores the essentiality of the Holy Spirit through a unique approach to Spirit Christology: Gunton is represented by a radicalized version of Chalcedon Christology, and Macchia formulates his account through the overarching metaphor of ""Spirit baptism."" Therefore, the doctrine of God, Christology, ecclesiology, and eschatology cannot be construed without a proper account of pneumatology that takes into consideration the eschatological perfecting work of the third person of the Trinity--who perfects creation's koinonia as a gift from the Father through the grace of Jesus Christ. ""An excellent study. Harris has invited two outstanding theological minds to a constructive dialogue about the Holy Spirit. Having followed their lively exchange with attentive and gracious insight, Harris advances his own nuanced pneumatology: one focused on the Spirit's active, personal agency--along with Father and Son--not only in individual soteriology, but throughout the created order, both in the church now and also in the age to come."" --Rob Price, Associate Professor of Theology, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University; translator of Hermann Cremer's The Christian Doctrine of the Divine Attributes ""One of the most important frontiers in contemporary ecumenical theology is the one on which historic Protestantism and global Pentecostalism encounter one another. Harris' comparative study of the distinctive contributions of Colin Gunton and Frank Macchia to contemporary pneumatology promises to inform this ecumenical encounter in valuable ways, not least by its careful exploration of how our account of the Holy Spirit can and must give shape to our doctrines of God, creation, reconciliation, and redemption."" --Philip G. Ziegler, Professor of Christian Dogmatics, University of Aberdeen ""Harris' exposition of these two theologians is lucid and illuminating. Gunton and Macchia receive a fair hearing, and their unique contributions are clearly spelled out. What especially stands out to me in this volume is Harris' examination of the influences on Gunton's pneumatology--Richard of St. Victor, Owen, Irving, and others. In taking his time to explore these key figures and their influence on Gunton, Harris has done us a great service. This is the most thorough and penetrating treatment of Gunton's doctrine of the Spirit available, and a wonderful contribution to conversations surrounding 'third article theology, ' as well as discussions of pneumatology more broadly. A fine work!"" --Uche Anizor, Associate Professor of Theology, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University I. Leon Harris (University of Aberdeen, Scotland) is Assistant Professor of Theology at Biola University, Talbot School of Theology. He has written several articles and presented papers at theology conferences internationally. He resides with his family in southern California.

This book innovatively explores the notion of koinonia for understanding the nature and function of the Church. Since the Scriptures assert that the Church is the Church of God, God's communal mode of existence is looked at namely, God who is a communion of three hypostases relating to one another in an interpenetrating koinonia of infinite love as a way of understanding the very being of the church as communion. Such a notion of koinonia, far from having anything to do with socio-political understandings, suggests that it is a foundational gift bestowed from above to the world as the solution par excellence to the impasse of isolationism. More often than not, however, such an ecclesiology of communion has not taken seriously the historical reality of the Church living within the fallen world along with its ceaseless temptations, divisions and even sins in history. In this way, it becomes apparent that a dialectic needs to be acknowledged in the notion of communion as both foundational gift from God, and yet one still to be fully realised. Accordingly, this work shows that the Church is not only as the gift of God's miraculous presence here on earth. The Church is also constantly striving to exist epicletically until such time as it will fully experience the final consummation in Gods eschatological kingdom. An examination of this double dimensionality of the Church is undertaken in order to assess if this is in line with the Scriptural witness of the ekklesia. Having established the gift-goal dialectic in the notion of koinonia in the New Testament Church, the study then traces the trajectory of this dynamic approach to koinonia in the Churchs worship and authoritative structures. This promises to cast both a deeper light on, and a more realistic solution to ecclesiological problems within the life of the Church today, allowing for the Churchs constant renewal.

Does it make a difference that the God Christians claim to worship has revealed himself as triune-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Does this fundamental truth of biblical authority have an effect on a believer's personal fellowship with God? Puritan theologian John Owen recognized the great need for every believer to understand the triune God. Communion with the Triune God revisits the truth presented by John Owen and challenges all believers to truly recognize and appreciate the ministry that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have in their lives. This work of John Owen encourages Christians to enjoy true communion with each person of the triune God.

Communion with God, or in full, "Of communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost each person distinctly, in love, grace, and consolation; or, the saints' fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost unfolded," is John Owen's finest devotional treatise. This work expounds "the most glorious truth that believers may have distinct communion with the three persons Father, Son, and Spirit," and being addressed to the "Christian reader" is simpler than much of Owen's theology. (Unabridged. Includes all footnotes.)