Fifty-two pages of chunky pneumatological goodness, by Michel Rene Barnes. The paper is the first chapter in a monograph on the theology of the Holy Spirit until the time of Tertullian and Origen. Its thesis is that early Christian pneumatology continues and develops Jewish pneumatology.
Archive for the ‘Holy Spirit’
The Holy Spirit and the Angel
Below are two interesting articles that relate some familiar Binitarian categories and terminology to the Holy Spirit. Naturally, there is much fodder here for triangulating (pardon the pun) to a tri-nitarian godhead, perhaps even in the Hebrew Bible. The author of both articles is Bogdan G. Bucur:
The Son of God and the Angelomorphic Holy Spirit: A Rereading of the Shepherd’s Christology (the article deals with the Shepherd of Hermas, a writing included in that body of ancient Christian literature known as the Apostolic Fathers)
The Angelic Spirit in Early Christianity: Justin, the Martyr and Philosopher
New Book with Two Powers Research Value
I just received information from a book wire about a new Brill title (so start applying for a loan):
Bogdan Gabriel Bucur, Angelomorphic Pneumatology: Clement of Alexandria and Other Early Christian Witnesses
Here’s the Brill abstract:
This book pursues the occurrence of angelomorphic pneumatology in early Christian literature—that is, the use of angelic imagery in early Christian discourse about the Holy Spirit—by taking as its entry-point Clement of Alexandria’s less explored writings, Excerpta ex Theodoto, Eclogae propheticae, and Adumbrationes. Clement’s angelomorphic pneumatology occurs in tandem with spirit christology, within a theological framework still characterized by a binitarian orientation. This complex theological articulation, supported by the exegesis of specific biblical passages (Zech 4:10; Isa 11:2-3; Matt 18:10), reworks Jewish and Christian traditions about the seven first-created angels, and constitutes a relatively widespread phenomenon in early Christianity. Evidence to support this claim is presented in the course of separate studies of Revelation, the Shepherd of Hermas, Justin Martyr, and Aphrahat.
The clear mention of binitarianism leads me to believe this would be a worthy contribution to two powers research . . . but I think I’ll wait till SBL to even think about buying it.
