Abstract
Trevor J. Burke and Keith Warrington (eds), A Biblical Theology of the Holy Spirit, SPCK: London, 2014; 312 pp.: 9780281066278, £25.00 (pbk)
Building on the work of Dunn, Fee and Levison, this volume is a valuable and welcome addition to studies in pneumatology. As the editors claim, it is an attempt ‘to provide a biblical theology of the Spirit by tracing the role and work of the Spirit across the entire biblical canon’ (p. xiv). In my view, they succeed. The book comprises twenty-one essays, from Genesis to Revelation, with short essays either on individual books or sections of the Bible. All, without exception, have points of interest. There are some, however, that stand out more than others for constructing a richer ‘biblical theology’, thus presenting fresh insights into biblical texts. The book has many strengths, one being the many contributors. This gives great breadth and variety to the subject matter which somehow seems fitting for a volume on the Holy Spirit. Although, on the one hand, the editors admit that the ‘Bible does not define or explore [the Holy Spirit] completely’ and therefore neither can the book (p. 268), on the other hand, the polyphonic nature of the book paints a picture of a complex and multifarious Spirit of God. In addition, one has a sense of a corporate ‘openness’ to the Spirit beginning with the Old Testament scholars’ assumption voiced by Bartholomew that ‘we find ample witness to the Spirit in the OT’ (p. 26), and then encountered throughout, as we are presented with a plethora of evidence of the Spirit's presence in the Bible. These two aspects of the book make for a volume that represents great strides forward in pneumatology. We encounter the Spirit who is both God's ‘hovering’ presence over creation and the one who is behind signs and wonders, miracles and healings. The Spirit empowers the judges of old while leaving them as characters whose ‘flaws are fully presented to us’ (p. 18). The Spirit leads and equips the people of God in righteous living that includes both social justice and sexual purity. Matthias Wenk views Luke's pneumatology as depicting a God who includes ‘those who were traditionally marginalized or had no power in society’ (p. 116). Burke explores the leading of the Spirit in Romans as ‘moral’, ‘putting to death the misdeeds of the body’ (p. 136). From creativity to exorcisms, from giving strength in weakness to mystical heavenly visions, from the cosmos to the individual, the Spirit is seen to be active. The Spirit restores cosmic harmony, effects koinonia, brings peace and reconciliation between enemies, people groups, the clean and the unclean.
For all the variety it was a shame not to hear more women's voices among the contributors. A further disappointment was to read Matthew Clark's theory that Timothy had developed as a gentler introverted Christian as a result of having been nurtured in the faith by women. Thus, in his view, the author of the letter desires to call Timothy to a stronger, more masculine expression of faith by using imagery such as ‘soldier’, ‘athlete’ and ‘artisan’ in order to ‘redress the balance’ (pp. 217–18). Notwithstanding this unnecessary inference and the implications stemming from it, this is an excellent, insightful and refreshing resource, and will open doors for extremely fruitful further reflections on the Spirit. It comes highly recommended.