The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation

by Moltmann, Jurgen

• ISBN13: 9780800634247
• ISBN10: 0800634241
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-01
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Pub

Summary

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.

Veteran readers will find here a rich and subtle extension of Moltmann's trinitarian and christological works, even as he makes bold use of key insights from feminist and ecological theologies, from recent attention to embodiment, and from charismatic movements. Newcomers will find a fascinating entree into the heart of his work: the transformative potential of the future.

Moltmann develops a theology of the Holy Spirit that links the Christian community's experience of the Spirit to the sanctification and liberation of life. He brilliantly displays the ecological and political significance of Christian belief in the Trinity.

Author Biography

Jurgen Moltmann is Professor of Theology Emeritus at the University of Tubingen, Germany

Table of Contents

Preface	x
Abbreviations	xiv
Translator's Note	xv
Introduction: Approaches in Pneumatology Today	1	(2)
The Ecumenical and Pentecostal Invitation to the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit	3	(2)
Overcoming the False Alternative between Divine Revelation and Human Experience of the Holy Spirit	5	(3)
The Discovery of the Cosmic Breadth of the Divine Spirit	8	(2)
The Question about the Personhood of the Holy Spirit	10	(7)
PART ONE: EXPERIENCES OF THE SPIRIT
Experience of Life - Experience of God	17	(22)
Dimensions of Experience	18	(10)
Experience Subjectified and Methodologized in Modern Times: God in the Determining Subject	28	(3)
Immanent Transcendence: God in All Things	31	(8)
Historical Experience of the Spirit	39	(19)
Spirit - the Divine Energy of Life	40	(3)
God's Presence in the Spirit Among His People	43	(4)
God's Spirit and His Shekinah	47	(4)
Messianic Expectations of the Spirit	51	(7)
The Messiah of the Spirit	53	(1)
The Rebirth of the Messianic People from the Spirit	54	(4)
Trinitarian Experience of the Spirit	58	(25)
The Christ of the Spirit: the Spirituality of Jesus	60	(5)
The Spirit of Christ: the Spirituality of the Community of his People	65	(6)
Trinitarian Mutuality between God's Spirit and His Son	71	(2)
The Expectation of the Spirit in Hoping and Lamenting	73	(10)
The Positive Dimension	74	(1)
The Negative Dimension	75	(8)
PART TWO: LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
The Spirit of Life	83	(16)
Spirituality or Vitality?	83	(3)
The Conflict between the `Spirit' and the `Flesh'	86	(3)
The Gnostic Misunderstanding of the Apocalyptic Conflict	89	(5)
New Vitality: Life against Death	94	(5)
The Liberation for Life	99	(24)
Experience of God as Experience of Liberation: Exodus and Resurrection	99	(6)
The Modern Alternative: God or Freedom?	105	(9)
The Revolutionary Principle of Freedom	106	(3)
Latin American Libration Theology	109	(5)
Spirit that Liberates for Life	114	(6)
Liberating Faith: Freedom as Subjectivity	114	(3)
Liberating Love: Freedom as Sociality	117	(2)
Liberating Hope: Freedom as Future	119	(1)
The Experience of Freedom as Experience of God: The Lord is the Spirit	120	(3)
The Justification of Life	123	(21)
The Justification of Sinners: General or Specific?	124	(5)
The Righteousness and Justice of God which Creates Justice for Victims	129	(3)
The Justifying Righteousness and Justice of God for the Perpetrators	132	(6)
The Rectifying Righteousness and Justice of God for Structures	138	(4)
The Spirit as Judge	142	(2)
The Rebirth to Life	144	(17)
Biblical Interpretations	145	(2)
The Discussion in Systematic Theology	147	(6)
Regeneration Complements Justification	147	(2)
Justification is Regeneration	149	(1)
The Regeneration of Men and Women took place on Golgatha	150	(1)
Those Who Have Been Born Again Live From What Comes to Meet Them	151	(1)
Regeneration makes Christ's Resurrection Present and is the Opening of Eternal Life	152	(1)
Personal Experience in Regeneration: incipit vita nova	153	(4)
The Experience of God in Regeneration: the Spirit as the Mother of Life	157	(4)
The Sanctification of Life	161	(19)
Justification and Sanctification in Luther and Wesley	163	(8)
Sanctification Today	171	(3)
The Sanctifying God	174	(1)
The Holy Life	175	(2)
The Holy Spirit as the Power of Life and the Space for Living	177	(3)
The Charismatic Powers of Life	180	(18)
The Charismatic Vitality of the New Life	181	(4)
Speaking with Tongues	185	(1)
The Awakening of Charismatic Experience	186	(2)
The Healing of the Sick	188	(4)
The Charisma of the Handicapped Life	192	(1)
Everyone according to his Abilities, Everyone according to his Needs	193	(2)
The Holy Spirit as Source of Energy and Field of Force	195	(3)
Theology of Mystical Experience	198	(19)
Action and Meditation	199	(3)
Meditation and Contemplation	202	(3)
Contemplation and Mysticism	205	(3)
Mysticism and Martyrdom	208	(3)
The Vision of the World in God	211	(6)
PART THREE: THE FELLOWSHIP AND PERSON OF THE SPIRIT
The Fellowship of the Spirit	217	(51)
Experience of the Spirit - Experience of Fellowship	217	(12)
The Trinitarian Concept of Fellowship	217	(4)
The Unitarian Concept of Fellowship	221	(4)
Fellowship as Process	225	(3)
The Spirit of Life and the Consciousness	228	(1)
Christianity in the Fellowship of the Spirit	229	(19)
Spirit and Word	230	(6)
The Community of the Generations	236	(3)
Community between Women and Men	239	(2)
Action Groups	241	(2)
Self-Help Groups	243	(2)
Social Forms of the Church	245	(3)
The Theology of the Social Experience of God	248	(20)
Neighbourly Love and Self-Love in the Love of God	248	(3)
Ego-mania and Self-Dispersion in Society	251	(3)
Open Friendship	254	(5)
Experiences of Love	259	(4)
The Body Language of Social Experience of God	263	(5)
The Personhood of the Spirit	268	(44)
Metaphors for the Experience of the Spirit	269	(16)
Personal Metaphors: Lord - Mother - Judge	270	(4)
Formative Metaphors: Energy - Space - Gestalt	274	(4)
Movement Metaphors: Tempest - Fire - Love	278	(3)
Mystical Metaphors: Light - Water - Fertility	281	(4)
The Streaming Personhood of the Divine Spirit	285	(4)
The Trinitarian Personhood of the Holy Spirit	289	(23)
The Monarchical Concept of the Trinity	290	(5)
The Historical Concept of the Trinity	295	(3)
The Eucharistic Concept of the Trinity	298	(3)
The Trinitarian Doxology	301	(5)
Is the Filioque Addition to the Nicene Creed Necessary or Superfluous?	306	(4)
Veni Creator Spiritus	310	(2)
Notes	312	(35)
Index of Names	347	(7)
Index of Confessions, Creeds and other Documents	354	(1)
Index of Biblical References	355