Week 3
German theologian, second half of 20 th century. Prisoner of War in Britain. He ‘discovers’ Christian faith. Theology of Hope; The Crucified God; The Trinity and the Kingdom of God; The Way of Jesus Christ Openness to global trends, liberation theology, ecumenism, feminism, ecology.
Biblical evidence points in two directions: the Spirit as a force, the Spirit as a person. Method: Start with the ‘effects’ of the Spirit, then move to what the Spirit ‘is’. Presents 4 sets of metaphors.
Lord: related to the old Hebrew confession, a God that liberates (‘The Lord is the Spirit; where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’, II Cor. 3:17). Mother: In John the Spirit ‘comforts’; we are born into a new life (Jn. 3:3-6). Judge: The Spirit comes as a Judge, not to condemn but to save, rectify, establish justice (Jn. 16:8; 3:17).
Energy, vital power: Fills life with a new vitality, body and soul. Space: The Spirit does not only energizes, but creates a space where living beings may relate to each other and thus flourish. Gestalt: creates new forms; we are formed by the Spirit to con-form to Christ.
Tempest, Fire, Love: being seized and possessed by something overwhelmingly powerful, the beginning of a new movement in ourselves that lead us out of ourselves (Cfr. Luther’s The Freedom of a Christian).
Light: clarity, illumination, en-lightenment, consciousness. Water: source of life (at the border of chaos). Fertility: fruits.
The Spirit signifies the presence of God in us, and at the same time, it is a counterpart to our old self. Spirit is the self-communication and outpouring of divine life. In the Spirit God acts on the world, but also, the world acts on God (reciprocity).
Praxis of Life Formation in/of Christ God is glorified
Father: hypostasis Holy Spirit Christ: gestalt