A 400-page book on pneumatology (theology of the Holy Spirit) by a systematic theologian may sound like an unlikely candidate for international acclaim. But the Rev. Dr. Robert D. Hughes III, author of Beloved Dust: Tales of the Spirit in the Christian Life (Continuum, 2008), has already won the inaugural des Places-Libermann Award in Pneumatology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and the book has been shortlisted for the 2011 Michael Ramsey Prize.
Hughes is professor of systematic theology and Norma and Olan Mills Professor of Divinity at the University of the South’s School of Theology.
“I was very grateful for that kind of recognition,” Hughes said in an interview with The Living Church. “It meant someone was reading the book and getting it.”
Good morning, all. When I tried to read the rest of this article, I was redirected to a local paper’s article on the Vatican’s new rules on sex abuse being inadequate. Where’s the rest of the Living Church article? Thanks.
(I think the links got mixed up. The one above leads to a news story about the Vatican.)
Is this the volume for which Rev. Dr. Leander Harding wrote the Forward or Preface?
The Living Church article can be found here.
Here’s the [url=http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2011/5/16/restarting-spiritual-theology]link[/url].
She. I don’t think so. Ivory tower mumbo jumbo.
The important thing, nay, the key point in any “new” theology is the question of whether or not the author of said belief system demonstrates in day to day life the realization of the truth the theology explicates. If I were to read this book, I would be on my guard for the simple fact that Mr Hughes prefers to call the Holy Spirit “she”.
I’m sure Kendall can correct me if I’m wrong here, but I believe my studies indicated that historically the Holy Spirit was often used and thought of in the feminine gender, the same as God the Father and the Son were masculine. Not sure there is anything wrong with that usage. But I’m open to correction, obviously.
See the lectures at HTB London on Holy Spirit and the World Conference with Moltmann, Volf, Rowan Williams, David Ford, et al, http://www.stmellitus.org/resources.
Hughes? Hmmm. Said a prayer over me once with words ‘Motherly Heavenly Father . . .’ But I will take a look at it with a few hunches that I will try to keep from determining my response.
#7 As I understand it – feminine metaphors for the Spirit – are especially significant in the early Syriac Christian tradition. See http://www.salvationhistory.com/documents/scripture/9_Kani_low.pdf
With respect, carissimi, we all know very well that language usage choices are political statements these days. Winkling out miniscule exceptions from previously unnoticed corners of the past (corners which are not even part of one’s own received tradition) are a favorite way to deconstruct anything in modern Christianity. And none of us commenting here are members of an extinct Syrian quasi-gnostic faith community, though I have worshiped with modern Syrian Orthodox (Non-Chalcedonian though they are) a few times in the Middle East. In my parish church we even use a Syriac chant mode half the year, but I don’t revise theological language to advantage of a notional theological loophole. And, friends, in the article driver8 cited it points out, “We know that Jewish Christian groups with gnostic affinities also held a similar concept of considering the Spirit as a mother.” Reading the article, it points out that this Holy Spirit as “She” in the context of the study is most closely linked to gnostic notions embedded in Apocryphal writings, such as The Gospel of the Hebrews, Acts of Thomas and Odes of Solomon.