The Holy Spirit As Person And Power

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS PERSON AND POWER: Charismatic Renewal and Its Implications for Theology. In just over one hundred years, the Pentecostal-charismatic movement has transformed world Christianity. Noted for their rediscovery of spiritual gifts and commitment to world evangelization, 700 million Pentecostals and charismatics now account for more than 27 percent of the global Christian movement. The Pentecostal-charismatic movement has been more noted for its activism than for theological reflection. But this may be changing. The Holy Spirit as Person and Power challenges traditional theology to take account of what has been disclosed in the dynamism and variety of charismatic experience. The author is a theologically-trained practitioner, impacted in mid-life by a transforming experience of the Holy Spirit. He has been a hands-on leader in the renewal movement. Now, in his later years, he reflects on the meaning of the grace imparted to the church by the renewing activity of God’s Spirit. This is not the work of an enthusiast claiming a new revelation. Rather, the author draws attention to many nuances in the Bible?s description of the Spirit that have been overlooked in traditional pneumatology. By relating these insights to Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and evangelical theology, he has produced a book with ecumenical implications for all branches of world Christianity.