Rev. Felipe Gomez S.J.

THE SPIRIT OF LOVE  

by Brian Gaybba
London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1987 Pp, 290, $12.95 

This book is a short theology of the Holy Spirit in a readable style. The author is a Catholic theologian, professor at the University of South Africa. He is advisor to the Bishops of his country and well know in ecumenical circles. 

Nowadays we hear a lot about the Holy Spirit but seldom take pain to study a little about Him (or Her! now some people refer to the Holy Spirit as feminine). An yet, the doctrine on the Holy Spirit must be the backbone of any spirituality. That is why this book can be useful for people trying to go deeply into Christian religious experience. 

The book is divided into two parts: the historical development of the doctrine on the Holy Spirit and the systematic exposition of the same. In Part One, the roots of the doctrine are traced back to the Old Testament. The author studies the various meanings of the word "spirit" as how it appears in various contexts, especially in the context of prophecy. The term "Holy Spirit" appears shortly before the Christian era, among the rabbis, probably to avoid naming God's Name. The Jews did not dare to pronounce the Name of YAHWEH, so they used to say "God" in several ways, for example "The Holy One. And so, "God's Spirit" became "Holy Spirit". Obviously the New Testament is given a longer treat in the book , studying the concept of the Holy Spirit and his role in Jesus' life and in the Church's development, as well as in the individual and the cosmos. Finally, the Spirit is studied as person. This point as well as the divinity of the Spirit is traced through centuries of tradition, dealing successively with the Apostolic Fathers until Athanasius, the Cappadocians and Augustin, the Middle Ages, and finally from Luther to the present time This history is full of controversies, given the nature of the subject, the Spirit who is invisible, free and unbound. In this search East and West followed different paths, which at times crossed and parted again. The author develops more extensively some points, like for example the quarrels about the Filioque, (the sentence we have in the Creed of the solemn masses, confessing that the Spirit proceeds "from the Father and the Son"), the Scholastic lucubrations, medieval "spiritual" movements and modem pentecostalism. 

Part Two builds a systematic theology of the Holy Spirit, beginning by the trinitarian questions the person, procession and divinity. The mission of the Holy Spirit is then studied and the role of the Spirit in the Incarnation of the Word and in Jesus' unity with God. As regards the Church, the author offers long studies on the Spirit's role as maker of unity and giver of truth, as well as the creator of the double structure of the Church namely hierarchico‑sacramental and charismatic. He then deals with the Spirit in the individuals, touching interesting points such as justification, grace, the gifts and experience of the Spirit, etc . He develops briefly the role of the Spirit in the world and society, concluding, for example, that Liberation Theology can be considered as a theology of the Holy Spirit (p. 266). Finally, he touches the questions of the spectacular signs and discernment of the Spirit. The book ends, with a selected bibliography and indexes of biblical references, names and topics. 

This work is very well thought of and pedagogically presented. Each chapter ends with a series of questions and recommended readings. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is complete (if at times succinctly presented), both traditional and modem, Catholic and yet very open to other views, especially to Orthodox pnematology, which the author believes coincides dogmatically with the Catholic one, although‑each side may hold different "theologumena". (This term means a theological explanations of dogma, held as true and binding, but not as dogma of faith). The book is recommended for students of theology, even for those without formal preparation, since the style avoids technicalities when possible. Groups can benefit from it, because each chapter is accompanied by questions (like a simple test) and books for a deeper study of the topics. It is somewhat a review of the whole Catholic theology from the viewpoint of the Holy Spirit. In times of renewed interest in the Spirit, this book is very welcomed.