"The
Spirit, like the wind, blows where it wills,"
Jesus told Nicodemus, according to the Gospel
of John. But where is it at work and how can we
tell? The recent resurgence in work on the Holy
Spirit suggests that the question is of continuing
relevance. Furthermore, it seems possible that
pneumatology could provide for a new religious
orientation in general, as well as interdisciplinary
conversation about central theological concerns.
Contemporary Pentecostal movements, which together
comprise the second largest communion of Christians
in the world, claim renewal of the spectacular
gifts—speaking in tongues, supernatural
healing, prophecy embodying new revelations—associated
with the apostles’ personal ministry. Earlier,
Reformers and Puritans developed a doctrine of
sanctification linked to belief in the power of
a sovereign Spirit to stir Christians to will
and act in God-pleasing obedience. Catholic and
Orthodox traditions have always affirmed the creative
activity of the Holy Spirit in the world. Some
twenty-first century theologians speak of its
breath driving the primordial energy of the universe
towards complexity and order. They hope to discover
the Spirit’s work through the lenses of
social dynamism, ontology in information, and
the psychology of creativity. Fourteen scholars
and scientists gather at The Yale Club in New
York City to explore the most pressing questions
in pneumatology that have to be dealt with by
contemporary Pentecostal theologians, as well
as the revision of basic pneumatological concepts
and ideas in classic theology and the quest for
a realistic pneumatology that will be related
to lived experience and our evolving understanding
of creation. Their conversation takes place under
the aegis of the John Templeton Foundation. |