scholarly journals The doctrine on God, as demonstrated and confessed in the Heidelberg Catechism

2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carel F.C. Coetzee
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Concept Of God ◽  
Bodily Resurrection ◽  
Triune God ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
African Context ◽  
Many Sources ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Heaven And Earth

Although the Heidelberg Catechism (HC) does not deal with a systematic doctrine on God and although there are not many sources available on the specific subject, it is a most important subject when dealing with the theology of the HC (W. van ’t Spijker). Due to the prescribed length of the article, it only focuses on two aspects of the doctrine on God, namely the Trinity and the relationship between God and the cosmos (reality). Futhermore, today there is an emphasis on a new concept of God, known as Panentheism. In this concept, God and his creation are identified with each other. In the South African context, the article deals very shortly with the viewpoints of Spangenberg, Van Aarde and Müller in this regard. The God confessed in the HC is the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the closest and most logical coherence with this, the HC confesses the deity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit. The HC also proceeds from the premise of the historical, bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead. As far as the relationship between God and creation is concerned, the HC, in agreement with the church of the first centuries, confesses and teaches a personal God, the Father of Jesus Christ, who for the sake of Christ is the Father of the elect. This God is the almighty creator of heaven and earth. He lives in a covenant relationship with his creation, which he sustains and governs at every moment. He is both transcendent and immanent.Alhoewel die Heidelbergse Kategismus (HK) nie ’n sistematiese Godsleer bevat soos sommige van die ander belydenisskrifte nie en bronne oor die spesifieke onderwerp betreklik skaars is, is dit tog een van die belangrikste onderwerpe wanneer daar oor die teologie van die HK gehandel word (W. van ’t Spijker). Vanweë die voorgeskrewe lengte, word daar in hierdie artikel slegs op twee aspekte van die Godsleer gefokus, naamlik die Drie-eenheid en die verhouding van God tot die kosmos (werklikheid). Hierdie twee aspekte is juis besonder relevant in die lig van standpunte wat die leer van die Drie-eenheid in gedrang bring deur onder andere die Godheid van Christus en sy liggaamlike opstanding te bevraagteken. Verder word daar vandag gepleit vir ’n nuwe Godsbegrip, bekend as Panenteïsme, waardeur die grens tussen God en sy skepping vervaag. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks word hier kortliks aandag aan die standpunte van van Spangenberg, Van Aarde en Müller gegee. Die God wat in die HK bely word, is die drie-enige God: Vader, Seun en Heilige Gees. In die nouste en logiese samehang hiermee bely die HK die Godheid van Christus en van die Heilige Gees. Wat die verhouding tussen God en die skepping betref, bely en leer die HK, in ooreenstemming met die kerk van die eerste eeue, ’n persoonlike God − die Vader van Jesus Christus wat ter wille van Christus die Vader is van die uitverkorenes. Hierdie God is die almagtige Skepper van hemel en aarde. Hy leef in ’n verbondsverhouding met sy skepping wat Hy elke oomblik onderhou en regeer. Hy is tegelyk transendent en immanent.

scholarly journals Discursive investigation into John’s internalised spirit identity and its implication

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zorodzai Dube
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Gospel Of John ◽  
Good Work ◽  
Boundary Making ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
African Context ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Ethnicity And Gender ◽  
Johannine Community

What does it mean to live in a society where everything good is located within one ethnicity, and geography? In reading the gospel of John, one gets the impression that faithful disciples, the Holy Spirit and morality are exclusively located within the Johannine community and can only permeate to the outside through the good work of the insiders – the disciples. Everything is asymmetric – morality, ideal disciples and good virtues – these originate from within John’s community. Outside John’s community, it is darkness that awaits the illuminating lights of John’s disciples, without which they will remain in perpetual darkness. Despite recent theories that position John as a missionary and an open community, still it does not remove the asymmetric nature of the gospel. The study builds on views inspired by scholars such as Jonathan Draper (1992:13) to argue that John used the Holy Spirit to naturalise identities. From this perspective and if read from the South African context of racism, ethnicity and gender, John makes the reader think about the consequences and implications of exclusive social boundaries.Keywords: Spirit, identity, boundary making, modernity, Social cohesion

Pentecostal Power for a Pentecostal Task: Empowerment Through Engagement in South African Context

2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (16) ◽  
pp. 102-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wynand de Kock
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Receive Power ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
African Context

AbstractTo these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, 'Which,' He said, 'you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, 'Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.'And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.' Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.Acts 1.3-12, NASBAnd when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rush ing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.Acts 2.1-4, NASB

Dua Tangan Allah Merangkul Semesta

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-41
Author(s):  
Joas Adiprasetya
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Triune God ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Universe

This article proposes a Trinitarian imagination that demonstrates the embrace of the whole universe by the Son and the Holy Spirit, the two hands of God, through the creation and perfection of the universe. Both divine acts take place in the incarnation of the Son and the inhabitation of the Holy Spirit. The Trinitarian perichoretic principle also applies to the relationship between God and creation in such a way that, not only is the whole universe in the Son (panentheism), but so too the Holy Spirit permeates the whole universe (theenpanism). As a result, Christian theology offers a comforting pastoral message, namely, that the universe is never entirely separable from the loving communion of the Triune God.

scholarly journals N. F. S. Grundtvigs syn på forholdet mellem skabelse, åbenbaring og nærværelse belyst ved en sammenligning med Jürgen Moltmann

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-120
Author(s):  
Betina Hjorth Præstegaard
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Concept Of God ◽  
Specific Analysis ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Protestant Theologian ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Theological Task ◽  
The Trinity

N. F. S. Grundtvigs syn på skabelse, åbenbaring og nærværelse belyst ved en sammenligning med Jürgen Moltmann [N. F. S. Grundtvig's views upon creation, revelation and presence in the light of a comparison with J. M. ]Af Betina HjorthIn this article N. F. S. Grundtvig is compared with the living German protestant theologian Jürgen Moltmann and Grundtvig’s continuous and actual ecumenical relevance is emphasized.Unlike most Western theologians both Grundtvig and Moltmann show an interest in the trinitarian and liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church. Instead of the typical western focus on the revelation of Christ and the difference between revelation and history, Grundtvig and Moltmann as well as most Orthodox theologians focus on the Trinity and the nearness of God in everyday life.Because of their ontological concept of theology, which is related to Grundtvig’s and Moltmann’s desire to avoid the western distinction between Gott and sich and Gott für mich, they both stress the investigation of the relationship between the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit as the most important theological task. God is recognized as an open and integral fellowship of three divine persons - that is as love instead of as a transcendent subject. Most interesting is their analysis of the Holy Spirit whom they, in contrast to the western filolioque-tmdition, conceive as a person equal to the Father and the Son. In the first part of the article the similarities between Grundtvig and Moltmann are described by means of the old Orthodox concept of Perichoresis.Even though there are many similarities between the two theologians a more specific analysis of their literature on the Eucharist also reveals many differences between them. While Grundtvig’s theology is inspired by Luther, Moltmann shows what trinitarian and Orthodox theology looks like in a Calvinistic context. Furthermore the second part of the article describes how the inter-subjective concept of God as a fellowship causes a new social concept of theology: Theology is no longer a private reflection but a social experience - taking place in a historical (Moltmann) or liturgical and doxological (Grundtvig) context.Finally the article contains a discussion on strengths and weaknesses of the two theologians. Although the analysis shows that especially Grundtvig’s concept of the Trinity makes God living and present, both theologians offer a fruitful new understanding of theology which makes it possible to avoid the common distinction between theologia prima and theologia secunda. If one believes that Christianity is relevant in everyday life outside the university, the distinction should be avoided (though not completely eliminated).

Martin Luther’s View of Atonement and Reconciliation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibylle Rolf
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Communicative Action ◽  
The World ◽  
Triune God ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Human Aspect ◽  
The Relationship

The inquiry into the nature of atonement (or reconciliation) presupposes a broken relationship. Atonement (or reconciliation) brings about the restoration of the relationship, creating both a change in and renewal of it. Hence, atonement is recognized as a communicative and open-ended process, which needs continual repetition and renewal. Indeed, God reconciled the world with Himself once and for all (2 Cor. 5:19), but this atonement event is reappropriated in faith and put into effect again and again. In Luther’s theology, atonement designates the communicative disclosure of God’s salvation revealed to believers in the person and work of Jesus Christ in two ways: in the proclamation of the gospel and in the existential impartation of the person of Jesus Christ to the believer, who in turn is freed to enter new life, trusting in God, in the process of reconciliation. In this atonement event mediated by the work of the Holy Spirit, sin is overcome; the death and life of Jesus Christ are appropriated by God for the believer, and the person is separated from his or her sin. Therefore, atonement rests completely on the creative, communicative action of the triune God. However, there is also a human aspect involved that anticipates the believer’s death in baptism and transfers the believer into a new life (2 Cor. 5:17–19).

Erasmus and Luther

2021 ◽  
pp. 38-46
Author(s):  
Miikka Ruokanen
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Fair Play ◽  
Human Being ◽  
New Creation ◽  
Moral Decisions ◽  
Triune God ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Two Kingdoms ◽  
Eternal Salvation ◽  
The Relationship

For Erasmus, the relationship between God and the human being is rationally and morally acceptable fair play in which both parties have their responsibilities. He follows the teaching of Nominalism: God has promised to grant his grace to anyone who does the minimum that he/she naturally can for receiving grace. “Free choice” means that the human being has the capability of applying him/herself to the things which lead to eternal salvation or turning away from them.Impenitence is a sin that can never be forgiven; moral deeds “attract” grace. For Luther, freedom in moral decisions plays a crucial role in the human community “in front of the world and people,” in relation to the “things below oneself.” But the human being is not free in his/her relation to the “things above oneself,” “in front of God,” or facing the power of unfaith, sin, and demonic evil. Should there be any change in the human’s relation to the realities “above oneself,” it is always a work of God’s prevenient grace effected by the Holy Spirit. Faith is a “new creation” infused into human hearts by God’s Spirit; sola fide is fully a Pneumatological reality for Luther—a fact overlooked in Luther research. The Spirit establishes an intimate union between the Triune God and the human being. Luther creates a massive defense of God’s sovereign grace, sola gratia. The doctrine of two “kingdoms” is the backbone of Luther’s thinking. Erasmus did not make such a distinction; consequently, law and gospel get mixed.

The Relationship between Christ and the Spirit in a Christian Theology of Religions

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-280
Author(s):  
Benno Van Den Toren
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Theology Of Religions ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Triune God ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The One ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

This article explores the recent turn in the theology of religions, visible in diverse quarters, to pneumatology as a way to foster a greater openness to the work of God the Holy Spirit in non-Christian religions. It gives particular attention to the work of Jacques Dupuis (Roman Catholic), George Khodr (Orthodox) and Clark Pinnock (Evangelical Protestant). It argues that recognition of the work of the Holy Spirit allows for an exploration of a variegated activity of God outside the boundaries of the church that cannot be reduced to his presence as Creator or as non-incarnate Word. It, therefore, also allows for dialogue in which commitment to God's supreme revelation in Christ can be combined with an openness to learn from other religious traditions. It does at the same time point to the need to frame the attention for the wider work of the Spirit in the context of the one plan of salvation of the triune God such as not to separate the “two hands of God.” It argues that the work of the Spirit outside the boundaries of the church remains directed to the eschatological salvation inaugurated by Christ and, therefore, also to the church as the “first fruits” of the eschaton and as the community where this salvation is proclaimed and embraced.

Providence, Power and the Holy Spirit

Horizons ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-93
Author(s):  
Anne E. Carr
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
New Synthesis ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTThis essay envisions the meaning of providence according to recent feminist and process theologies of power and attempts to distinguish the meaning of providence from the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It compares the classical meaning of providence with those elements in modern and contemporary thought that warrant changes in our understanding of these themes, while it maintains the continuity of Christian tradition. In doing so, it offers some reflection on the relationship between theology and spirituality, and suggests a new synthesis between the immanence and transcendence of God in the experience of Christians today. In light of the biblical idea of justice as right relations, the mystical and political are integrated.

scholarly journals God’s Love in the Teaching of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-47
Author(s):  
Sylwester Jaśkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Inner Life ◽  
Son Of God ◽  
The Third ◽  
God's Love ◽  
Triune God ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Theological Thought

The article presents the subject of God’s love in Cardinal Wyszyński’s teaching. Primate Wyszyński puts God’s love at the very center of his theological thought. The theme of God’s love is discussed in seven sections: the first of them refers to the most famous words of Saint John’s “Deus Caritas est” (1 Jn 4:8,16), which are a short and brief definition of God; the second section develops Cardinal Wyszyński’s statement that there was a “time” in which only Love existed; the third section concerns the impartation of God’s love; fourth section describes the love of the Father; fifth section speaks of the greatest Love, which is the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ; section six focuses on the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Love; the last section speaks of Mary, Mother of Beautiful Love. The whole ends with the summary. In his teachings on the love of God, Cardinal Wyszyński started with the inner life of the Triune God, with the Person of the Father, and then focuses on the salvific mission of the Son of God and the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit. In this way, he appreciates both the category of God the Father and God as a Father full of love.

scholarly journals Political Theology as Theodicy: The Holy Spirit’s Performance in the Economy of Redemption

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-219
Author(s):  
Martin Grassi
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Political Theology ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
The Political ◽  
Inner Life ◽  
Political Dimension ◽  
Political Performance ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Relationship

Although Political Theology examined mainly the political dimension of the relationship between God-Father and God-Son, it is paramount to consider the political performance of the Holy Spirit in the Economy of Redemption. The Holy Spirit has been characterized as the binding cause and the principle of relationality both referring to God’s inner life and to God’s relationship with His creatures. As the personalization of relationality, the Holy Spirit performs a unique task: to bring together what is apart by means of organisation. This power of the Spirit to turn a plurality into a unity is manifested in the Latin translation of oikonomía as disposition, that is, giving a special order to the multiple elements within a certain totality. Within this activity of the Spirit, Theodicy can be regarded as the way to depict God’s arrangement of the world and of history, bringing everything together towards the eschatological Kingdom of God. The paper aims at showing this fundamental activity of the Holy Spirit in Christian Theology, and intends to pose the question on how to think on a theology beyond theodicy, that is, how to think on a Trinitarian God beyond the categories of sovereignty and totalization.

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