The Holy Spirit

by William H. Willimon, Stanley Hauerwas

Do you realize what baptism really means?
Through the Holy Spirit we become part of the Body of Christ! The work
of the Spirit is often thought of as "inspirational," but it's more than
a personal experience and this book challenges some of those
individualistic and subjectivist accounts. You'll come to understand
that the Holy Spirit is who God is and what God does as the Trinity. And
you'll learn how to prayerfully embrace this gift that created the
church and become empowered to live out holy love and friendship in the
world.
"Hauerwas and Willimon
are among the most reliable teachers of the church. Ours is a time when
faithful teaching is urgent in the church that is compromised,
bewildered and domesticated. This study by these trustworthy teachers on
the Holy Spirit is a robust affirmation of the way in which core claims
made concerning God's Spirit matter concretely in the life of the
church. This book is an invitation to fresh learning, to repentance, and
to the recovery of missional nerve."
-Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary



"For
too long many Christians have neglected the Holy Spirit; some even fear
the Holy Spirit. Hauerwas and Willimon challenge them to rediscover the
Comforter, the Advocate, for the renewal of the Christian church and
the world. This is a welcome and much needed corrective to common
Christian forgetfulness of the Spirit."
-Roger E. Olson, Foy
Valentine Professor of Christian Theology and Ethics, George W. Truett
Theological Seminary, Baylor University

"The Holy Spirit is too
often considered the junior partner of the Trinity. Therefore, this book
by two eminent churchmen is a cause for celebration, reminding us of
the importance and vitality of an orthodox view of God's Spirit."
-Tony
Jones, author of Did God Kill Jesus? andtheologian-in-residence at
Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis. He teaches theology at Fuller
Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.

"When
these two long-time theologian-friends and disciples of Jesus, gather
in a room to write, you can be sure that you will hear a sound of a
rushing mighty wind, feel the heat of holy fire, and be ignited by
dynamite on the page as you read. Whether it be theTrinity, Pentecost,
holiness, or the last things, this is not just another book, this is
literary bread from heaven fed to you by anointed servants of the Holy
Spirit. Take, eat and be filled with the Spirit of Christ!"
-Luke A. Powery, Dean of the Chapel and Associate Professor of Homiletics, Duke University

This
engaging and accessible pneumatological overview, written by two leading
voices of theological wisdom and church renewal, is a rich
collaborative discussion, which weaves together poignant and
wide-ranging doctrinal insight (from the historic creeds, to the
Wesleyan heritage, to contemporary Pentecostalism), punctuated by
perceptive liturgical applications, fresh biblical expositions,
memorable testimonial observations, and passionate pastoral appeals -
all driving toward the earnest prayer of its authors, "Come, Holy
Spirit!"
-Rickie D. Moore, Associate Dean of the School of Religion, Professor of Old Testament, Lee University

Genres: Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Church

112 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

The Reverend Dr. William H. Willimon is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at the Divinity School, Duke University. He served eight years as Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he led the 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors in North Alabama. For twenty years prior to the episcopacy, he was Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Evie Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be caught up into the life of God is to be made holy, friendship is the risky but blessed playground of the Spirit's work, prayer is participation in the life of God, and the Holy Spirit, as He always has, reveals and gestures towards Christ. Could have been shorter and it felt a bit repetitive, but good bits sprinkled throughout.

[James Klagge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment to me--much more "holy" than "spirit." It seemed like its main purpose was to disabuse us of all our misconceptions about the holy spirit. Thus it was a lot of theology (holy) and not much spirituality.
A few things I was surprised NOT to find here:
-The authors have an understanding of the Trinity as the nature of God all along. Thus they see the operation of the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Testament as well as the Greek Testament. They see the Trinity as the essential and communal nature of God. So I was surprised there was no mention or discussion of the passage in Genesis (3:22) after Adam and Eve have eaten the fruit where Yahweh says: "See, the man has become like one of US, with his knowledge of good and evil." Now I think this is a surviving fragment of a pre-historical polytheism, but I would think the authors should see this as the first manifestation of the Trinity. I was surprised to see the blurb on the back of the book by Brueggemann endorsing the book, since he opposes the Christianizing of the Hebrew Testament.
-I am no Greek or Biblical scholar, but there seem to be places in the Greek Testament where "holy spirit" is used (as philosophers and linguists would put it) as a "mass noun" rather than as a "count noun." Count nouns refer to things that are separable entities, like 5 bricks; mass nouns refer to stuff, like some mortar. I have only seen this come up in the Jesus Seminar's translations of the gospels, but there we find:
Mark 1:8: "I have been baptizing you with water, but he will baptize you with holy spirit."
Luke 11:13: "…isn't it much more likely that the heavenly Father will give holy spirit to those who ask him?"
John 20:22: "And at this he breathed over them and says: 'Here's some holy spirit. Take it.' "
I especially like that last one. I can't find any discussion of this by the Jesus Seminar, but it is an interesting idea--that holy spirit is not a thing but a stuff. Of course that would create lots of problems for the Trinity of 3 persons. I was hoping the authors might say something about this.
-Famously, the Gospel of John discusses the "Paraclete" while the other books of the Greek Testament discuss the "Epiclesis." These are both generally thought to refer to the Holy Spirit, though the former is translated as the "advocate." The authors are careful to distinguish the names, but it would have been nice to have a discussion of this issue and whether it is just a different name for the same thing.
In general, my main feeling about the book is that it really does not convey a sense of why people might get excited about the holy spirit. That's why it was disappointing.

[Alex English · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good, short volume that builds from one of my favorite books, Resident Aliens. I will likely return to passages in this book for years to come.

[Jerry Peace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting discussion of the much neglected, in mainline Protestantism (United Methodist here), Holy Spirit. We are pretty strong on Father and Son but kind of run out of breath by the time we hit Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the weakest chapter is the first. If you get past this, and the surprisingly hidebound defenses of boundaries (which thankfully are refuted later on), the rest of the book is worth it. I particularly like the argument that the presence of sin in the church evinces the churches' holiness. Just don't read the first chapter if you're sleepy.

[Wayne Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me look at the Holy Spirit in a more comprehensive light.

[Russeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

short and accessible. clear and concise, thought provoking.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

For a book that is supposed to reignite Christians with love for the Holy Spirit, the book seems to be lacking the heart and we'll, enthusiasm, to meet its stated goal.

They say it's a book by Christians for Christians although it also is reading like an "intro to Holy Spirit" for a seminary classroom...although that's not a bad thing. My intro to the Holy Spirit book was "Spirt of Life" by Moltmann. Which, despite being an assigned reading, I remember having the Spirit speak to me through it. There are some very provoking and profound statements on the Holy Spirit in this book...but they are not given the room to breathe and to cause the reader to find the Spirit's presence in the wonder the words could provoke. The next sentences rush past ideas that would be lovely to explore.

Still, it seems like it's an introductory text and only 90 some pages. The book is at its best when discussing Methodist holiness and at its worst when wading through piles of heresies.

[Nate Pequette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in preparation for preaching on Pentecost. I can always count on these two. I always come way feeling challenged and encouraged. They continue to stress that the church is not just some caring institution in the world, but is the body of Christ in the world. It can only be that because the Holy Spirit comes to us in our bodies. The Holy Spirit is not just some emotional feeling I get about God. But the Holy Spirit is at work in creating community of diverse peoples into his one church. Community is at the heart of what the Holy Spirit is up to as a part of the work of the friendship of the Trinity "To be made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit is to be made part of the community of truth that makes friendship possible in a world of violence and lies." Amen.

[J. Alfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

"People come to the church saying, 'I want to be more spiritual.' The church responds, 'Have some bread; take some wine.' This is the response one might expect from a faith that sees the Holy Spirit as resting upon a body."
Biblical spirituality is always embodied spirituality. Spirit-controlled churches are not going to be people-controlling churches.
"Christians would be forced to learn the language of the stranger, Christ, because they also would be strangers to the world as a people of peace in a world of violence."
This is a strong little book. Read it.

[Cameron Roxburgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short... but insightful. Hauerwas and Willimon are a gift to the church today. Their reflections upon the text are reflective, deep and crucially important for us to recapture a biblical foundation for the church, and to learn to live on mission with God. I recommend this for anyone who either wants to just reflect more deeply not he role of the Spirit, or to preach through a series on the role of the Spirit in the church.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim volume is a an orthodox, Trinitarian, explanation of the nature of the Holy Spirit. It is grounded in a well-founded analysis of the relevant scripture. This is the basic answer to the question, "what do Christians believe about the Holy Spirit." One can certainly delve deeper, but this is an excellent starting point.

[David Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, challenging, and comforting. Thankful to have read this book.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read this for my daughter's confirmation class. It seemed like the author just tried to throw in a bunch of big words and references.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come Holy Spirit - And kindle in us the fire of your love!

[Bennett Holloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda lost its footing beyond chapter 1, but still some good things to take away.

[Ryan Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, short book on the Holy Spirit, but also misses out on some of the bigger conversations regarding the neglected third person of the Trinity.

[Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Resident Aliens, and I enjoyed Hauerwas and Willimon's book on the Ten Commandments, but this one was a disappointment. Part of the problem is that writing for popular audiences exacerbates the authors' tendency to overstate their case. Another problem is that they don't actually spend enough time talking about the Holy Spirit himself. The chapter on the trinity is valuable. The chapter on Pentecost I found less helpful. Frequently I thought that the authors fell victim to the common mistake of identifying the Spirit with human emotion or subjectivity. Still, the book was short, accessible, and has some value despite its shortcomings.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a worthwhile read for those who are familiar with Hauerwas and Willimon. This new reflection on the life of the church further encourages the church to be who she was made to be, a community created by the Spirit. Throughout the book, a scriptural theology is developed. This theology encourages the church to integrate virtues, like truth and love, into our life together. Trusting go'to continue to be active in the world making truthfulness possible, in a world of violence and lies. I am thankful for this encouragement by these important thinkers and writers.

[Fred Eisenhut · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting study of the The Holy Spirit. Both authors seek to bring together the most important aspects of early Christian thinking about the Trinity with the understanding of Wesleyan teachings of Holiness and servanthood. A worthwhile read for Christians of all kinds. hould get a good conversation going.

[Kristian Kilgore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for Pentecostals or nons. Hauerwas and Willimon do a phenomenal job of approaching the topic, the Spirit, from a useful and honorable perspective...but with plenty of challenge and healthy agitation for a more personal and communal understanding.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starting place for thinking big thoughts on the third person of the Trinity. Not the groundbreaking, soul-exploding work that Resident Aliens was for me, but definitely well worth the read.

[Shaun Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice accessible introduction to the Holy Spirit by two imminent theologians and friends. Also serves as a nice follow up and supplement to their previous work, together--particularly Resident Aliens.

[Nelson Banuchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on any aspect of Christian theology is one that brings clarity and new insights into what is believed. An even better Christian book is one that challenges assumptions and forces the reader to rethink concepts and values taken for granted.

This is a better book.

[Alice Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, which caused great discussions in our Bible Study class.