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The Lord and Giver of Life: The person and work of the Holy Spirit in the trinitarian theology of Colin E Gunton

01 Jan 2008-
About: The article was published on 2008-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 47 citations till now.
Citations
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01 Jan 1992
TL;DR: The fourth book in Jurgen Moltmann's systematic theology is a full-scale theology of the Spirit that also marks a personal religious quest as mentioned in this paper, where the author brings his characteristic audacity to this traditional topic and cuts to the heart of the matter with a simple identification.
Abstract: The fourth book in Jurgen Moltmann's systematic theology is a full-scale theology of the Spirit that also marks a personal religious quest. Moltmann, "the foremost Protestant theologian in the world" (Church Times), brings his characteristic audacity to this traditional topic and cuts to the heart of the matter with a simple identification: What we experience every day as the spirit of life is the spirit of God. Such considerations give Moltmann's treatment of the different aspects of life in Spirit a verve and vitality that are concrete and existential: . "When I love God I love the beauty of bodies, the rhythm of movements, the shining of eyes, the embraces, the feelings, the scents, the sounds of all this protean creation . . . The experience of God deepens the experiences of life . . . It awakens the unconditional Yes to life." Part One probes "Experiences of the Spirit" in daily life as well as in biblical and theological traditions. In Part Two Moltmann takes up the roles of the Spirit in the order of salvation under the aegis "Life in the Spirit." And Part Three concludes the volume with discussions of "The Fellowship and Person of the Spirit." Veteran readers of Moltmann will find here a rich and subtle extension of his trinitarian and christological works, even as he makes bold use of key insights from feminist and ecological theologies, from recent stress on embodiment, and from charismatic movements. Newer readers will find a fascinating entree into the heart of Moltmann's work: the transformative potential of the future. In an age of planetary peril, in a culture often hostile to human, animal, and plant life, Moltmann's emphatic insistence on the Spirit is a clear call toconscience: The one indispensable element for human survival, he asserts, is an "unconditional affirmation of life" quickened by the Spirit.

158 citations

Book
01 Jan 1964

137 citations

DissertationDOI
01 Jan 2015
TL;DR: The trinitarian culture and corporate Worship practices of Canadian Pentecostals: A Contribution from the Theology of Colin Gunton as discussed by the authors is an analysis of an important corporate worship practice among the Pentechal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), the largest Evangelical denomination in Canada.
Abstract: The Trinitarian Culture and Corporate Worship Practices of Canadian Pentecostals: A Contribution from the Theology of Colin Gunton Michael A. Tapper Thesis advisor: Catherine E. Clifford This thesis represents a unique analysis of the trinitarian impulses of an important corporate worship practice among the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), the largest Evangelical denomination in Canada. It considers whether an inconsistency exists between the PAOC’s trinitarian statement of faith and formative expressions of this denomination’s belief conveyed in 82 of the most commonly used contemporary worship songs from April 2007 to March 2013. Lyrical music, it is defended, represents a forming, measurable, and confirming indicator among the PAOC of contemporary religious understanding. In order to assess the trinitarian dispositions of the PAOC music lyrics, Colin Gunton’s theology is utilized as a framework for this evaluation. Gunton was a leading figure in the advancement of trinitarian theology before his untimely death in 2003. His balanced integration of the notions of relationality, particularity, and perichoresis provides the rationale for eight qualitative content analyses that are original to this project and intended to verify the trinitarian views in the PAOC lyrics. This analysis is oriented around three major areas of trinitarian assessment: the doctrine of God, human personhood, and cosmology. The data from these content analyses are compiled, presented, and carefully analysed. Then, returning to the trinitarian work of Gunton, implications and considerations for the PAOC are offered. This study shows that Gunton’s trinitarian theology provides a resource to identify and correct the trinitarian deficit and individualistic and cosmologically dualistic orientation of PAOC commonly used songs. Ultimately, this thesis proposes that Gunton, in accordance with several key Pentecostal and worship studies interlocutors, can serve as a helpful theological source for the dynamic practice of a trinitarian faith among the PAOC. DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners.

63 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The double procession of the Holy Spirit was a major factor in the schism between East and West, and it has since then remained an obstacle to all attempts to reconcile the Eastern and Western Churches as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The doctrine of the ‘double Procession’ of the Holy Spirit, in spite of all the controversy it has caused in the past, is today probably regarded as one of the more trivial elements in our Western theological heritage—slightly more important perhaps than the conclusions reached in the medieval arguments over the number of angels who could stand on the point of a pin, but still of no great intrinsic significance. Yet this doctrine was a major factor in the schism between East and West, and it has since then remained an obstacle to all attempts to reconcile the Eastern and Western Churches. Western theologians have clearly felt that something of importance was being affirmed in the ‘Filioque’ clause in the Nicene Creed, while their Eastern counterparts have been equally convinced that what the ‘Filioque’ affirms is wrong, even blasphemous. The questions of what it is that the ‘Filioque’ is intended to affirm, and of whether what is affirmed should be affirmed, are therefore of some importance, particularly in an age of ecumenical dialogue. On these grounds alone, the doctrine demands to be seriously examined: we are not entitled simply to ignore it, or—what is worse—to cast around for superficial reasons for getting rid of it in the hope of thereby reaching an agreement with Eastern theologians.

11 citations

Book
01 Jan 1997
TL;DR: Particular prominence is given to discussion of creation 'out of nothing', the relation of eternal creator to temporal creation, the trinitarian construction of the doctrine and its ethical implications as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Particular prominence is given to discussion of creation 'out of nothing', the relation of eternal creator to temporal creation, the trinitarian construction of the doctrine and its ethical implications. Opens up new dimensions to an important topic.

10 citations