The Holy Spirit Before Christianity

The Holy Spirit Before Christianity PDF Author: John R. Levison
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781481310789
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
With his latest book, The Holy Spirit before Christianity, John R. Levison again changes the face and foundation of Christian belief in the Holy Spirit. The categories Christians have used, the boundaries they have created, the proprietary claims they have made--all of these evaporate, now that Levison has looked afresh at Scripture. In a study that is both poignant and provocative, Levison takes readers back five hundred years before Jesus, where he discovers history's first grasp of the Holy Spirit as a personal agent. The prophet Haggai and the author of Isaiah 56-66, in their search for ways to grapple with the tragic events of exile and to articulate hope for the future, took up old exodus traditions of divine agents--pillars of fire, an angel, God's own presence--and fused them with belief in God's Spirit. Since it was the Spirit of God who led Israel up from Egypt and formed them into a holy nation, now, the prophets assured their hearers, the Spirit of God would lead and renew those returning from exile. Taking this point of origin as our guide, Christian pneumatology--belief in the Holy Spirit--is less about an exclusively Christian experience or doctrine and more about the presence of God in the grand scheme of Israel's history, in which Christianity is ancient Israel's heir. This explosive observation traces the essence of Christian pneumatology deep into the heart of the Hebrew Scriptures. The implications are fierce: the priority of Israelite tradition at the headwaters of pneumatology means that Christians can no longer hold stubbornly to the Holy Spirit as an exclusively Christian belief. But the implications are hopeful as well, offering Christians a richer history, a renewed vocabulary, a shared path with Judaism, and the promise of a more expansive and authentic experience of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Before Christianity

The Holy Spirit Before Christianity PDF Author: John R. Levison
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781481310789
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
With his latest book, The Holy Spirit before Christianity, John R. Levison again changes the face and foundation of Christian belief in the Holy Spirit. The categories Christians have used, the boundaries they have created, the proprietary claims they have made--all of these evaporate, now that Levison has looked afresh at Scripture. In a study that is both poignant and provocative, Levison takes readers back five hundred years before Jesus, where he discovers history's first grasp of the Holy Spirit as a personal agent. The prophet Haggai and the author of Isaiah 56-66, in their search for ways to grapple with the tragic events of exile and to articulate hope for the future, took up old exodus traditions of divine agents--pillars of fire, an angel, God's own presence--and fused them with belief in God's Spirit. Since it was the Spirit of God who led Israel up from Egypt and formed them into a holy nation, now, the prophets assured their hearers, the Spirit of God would lead and renew those returning from exile. Taking this point of origin as our guide, Christian pneumatology--belief in the Holy Spirit--is less about an exclusively Christian experience or doctrine and more about the presence of God in the grand scheme of Israel's history, in which Christianity is ancient Israel's heir. This explosive observation traces the essence of Christian pneumatology deep into the heart of the Hebrew Scriptures. The implications are fierce: the priority of Israelite tradition at the headwaters of pneumatology means that Christians can no longer hold stubbornly to the Holy Spirit as an exclusively Christian belief. But the implications are hopeful as well, offering Christians a richer history, a renewed vocabulary, a shared path with Judaism, and the promise of a more expansive and authentic experience of the Holy Spirit.

Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Doctrine of the Holy Spirit PDF Author: George Smeaton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Holy Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description


On the Early History of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

On the Early History of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit PDF Author: H. B. Swete
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 336817942X
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 110

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Book Description


We Believe in the Holy Spirit

We Believe in the Holy Spirit PDF Author: Joel C. Elowsky
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830825347
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
This volume offers patristic comment on the first half of the third article of the Nicene Creed. Readers will gain insight into the history and substance of what the early church believed about the Holy Spirit and his work.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit PDF Author: Kevin DeYoung
Publisher: Gospel Coalition Booklets
ISBN: 9781433527678
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This Gospel Coalition booklet presents the Holy Spirit as our ultimate gift. DeYoung details the Spirit's role in our lives, including his activity in conviction, conversion, glorification, and the imparting of gifts.

The Holy Spirit in the Ancient Church

The Holy Spirit in the Ancient Church PDF Author: Henry Barclay Swete
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 0965351785
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 439

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Book Description
In this volume, the study of the history of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is carried on from the sub-apostolic writers to the end of the patristic period, which is generally held to terminate with Gregory the Great in the West and John of Damascus in the East. This is an early classic study in doctrinal development by one of the foremost exegetes of the late 19th/early 20th century.

The Age of the Spirit

The Age of the Spirit PDF Author: Phyllis Tickle
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 9780801014802
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A thousand years ago, the church experienced a time of tremendous upheaval called the Great Schism. The one faith became two churches, East and West, and the course of world history was forever changed. And it all swirled around one Latin word in the Nicene Creed, filioque, that indicated the Holy Spirit proceeded both from God the Father "and from the Son." From the time that phrase was officially instituted onward, the Holy Spirit's place in the Trinity and role in the lives of believers would be fiercely debated, with ramifications being felt through the centuries to this very day. In this fascinating book, readers will encounter not just the interesting historical realities that have shaped our faith today but also the present resurgence of interest in the Holy Spirit seen in many churches across the theological spectrum. Tickle and Sweeney make accessible and relevant the forces behind the current upheaval in the church, taking readers by the hand and leading them confidently into the Age of the Spirit.

The Century of the Holy Spirit

The Century of the Holy Spirit PDF Author: Vinson Synan
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1418587532
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 1259

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Book Description
A definitive history of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement and an intriguing reference for persons outside the movement, The Century of the Holy Spirit details the miraculous story of Pentecostal/Charismatic growth--in the U.S. and around the world. This book features five chapters by the premier Pentecostal historian, Vinson Synan, with additional contributions by leading Pentecostal/Charismatic authorities--David Barrett, David Daniels, David Edwin Harrell Jr., Peter Hocken, Sue Hyatt, Gary McGee, and Ted Olsen. Features include: Explains and analyzes the role of all major streams, including women, African-Americans, and Hispanics Thoroughly illustrated with photographs, charts, figures, maps, and vignettes 4-color fold-out timeline/genealogy tree 16 full-color pages, plus black-and-white photos throughout Includes bibliographies and indexes

A Brief History of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Early Church

A Brief History of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Early Church PDF Author: Franz Dünzl
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 0567031934
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Franz Dünzl gives an account of the formation of the doctrine of the Trinity in a narrative based on contemporary sources: as he remarks in the preface, he wants to describe the human struggle over the truth of the Christian image of God and as far as possible let the early Christians speak for themselves. His main concern is to describe the dynamic of the disputes over the theology of the Trinity in a vivid way which is easy to follow, pointing out the foundations of the doctrine and the decisive shifts in its development. He tries to see the often bitter discussion not as a barren dispute but as an evolutionary process in which the rivalry is a necessary and positive factor in moving the debate forward. After an introduction to the problem, the book describes the beginning of christology and the first models of the relationship between 'Father' and 'Son': it then describes the controversies leading up to the Council of Nicaea, which are discussed at length, going on to show how Nicaea didn't settle the question and continuing the account up to the Council of Constantinople in 381. It brings out the political influences which governed this second stage of the discussion in an illuminating way. A survey and bibliography round the book off.

Theology in America

Theology in America PDF Author: E. Brooks Holifield
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 030010765X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 627

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Book Description
A magisterial work of American theological history--authoritative, insightful, and unparalleled in scope This book, the most comprehensive survey of early American Christian theology ever written, encompasses scores of American theological traditions, schools of thought, and thinkers. E. Brooks Holifield examines mainstream Protestant and Catholic traditions as well as those of more marginal groups. He looks closely at the intricacies of American theology from 1636 to 1865 and considers the social and institutional settings for religious thought during this period. The book explores a range of themes, including the strand of Christian thought that sought to demonstrate the reasonableness of Christianity, the place of American theology within the larger European setting, the social location of theology in early America, and the special importance of the Calvinist traditions in the development of American theology. Broad in scope and deep in its insights, this magisterial book acquaints us with the full chorus of voices that contributed to theological conversation in America's early years.