The Holy Spirit has been slighted in the history and tradition of the Christian church. Most believers evidence only a hazy and fragmented view of the third member of the Trinity. As a result, a high wall still separates their perceptions of the sacred and the secular.
In The Spirit of Life, Jurgen Moltmann, professor of systematic theology at the University of Tubingen in Germany, presents a bold and daring vision of "the shy member of the Trinity." He uses insights garnered from ecology, ecumenism, feminism, the charismatic movement, and other arenas to explicate a refreshing theology of the Holy Spirit.
Moltmann laments that in both Protestant and Catholic theology and devotion, the Holy Spirit has been confined to the work of redemption and expurgated from bodily life, the realm of nature, and the messy world of politics. He suggests we take seriously the cosmic dimension of the Spirit's activity in everyday life: "We carry experiences of the world into the experience of God. Reverence for life is absorbed into reverence for God and veneration of nature becomes part of the adoration of God. We sense that in everything God is waiting for us."
Moltmann writes crisply about the historical, biblical, and Trinitarian experience of the Spirit before going on to muse poetically about the explicit links between God, freedom, justice, and regeneration. He is convinced the Spirit generates hope and a sense of the "unlimited possibilities ahead."
The author hits high stride in his discussion of sanctification. What does it mean for today? "Sanctification today means first of all rediscovering the sanctity of life and the divine mystery of creation, and defending them from life's manipulation, the secularization of nature, and the destruction of the world through human violence." It also means a celebration of the gifts of the Spirit in fellowship where "giving one another a share in ourselves" is operative.
Moltmann's expansive and holistic interpretation of the Spirit encompasses many metaphors (energy, mother, judge, light, fire, and fertility) and opens up paths in the wilderness for those seeking a God of new beginnings. The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation is a ground breaking work that couldn't have come at a better time.