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54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Understand the Holy Spirit in Paul's letters, February 22, 2002
This review is from: Gods Empowering Presence (Paperback)
God's Empowering Presence is not a small book, nor light reading. In developing an article for the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Fee realized very little secondary literature existed on the topic of the Holy Spirit as seen in the letters of Paul of Tarsus. Because of the dearth of Pneumatological studies in general, no one had ever thought to write a text specifically focused on how Paul viewed the person and work of the Holy Spirit. So, Fee sought to remedy this. In doing so he realized that he could not simply make assertions without first having a firm foundation of Biblical analysis with which he could base his findings. Understanding that this had not been done in a way which focused on the broader understanding of the Holy Spirit in the Pauline corpus, he felt he had to create his own body of textual analysis which went through the various letters and analyzed verse by verse, use by use, Paul's understanding of pneumatology. It is this textual analysis which comprises the great bulk of God's Empowering Presence. Having exegeted the great bulk of the Pauline Epistles, Fee then feels able to make some observations and conclusions about Paul's general pneumatology in the last 100 pages of this nearly 1000 page book. He concludes that the Spirit was for Paul more real and evident than we can possibly imagine in our day and age, that the presence of the Spirit was an assumed reality, because of which specific theological discussion is limited. But in the off hand remarks, asides, benedictions, and other such casual comments Gordon Fee is able to discover and lay out eight primary conclusions about Pauline pneumatology. These conclusions are not meant as simply academic points of interest, but are in keeping with Fee's profound pastoral sensitivity and seek to point out ways in which the modern church can regain some of the liveliness and fullness that is found in Paul's understanding of the Holy Spirit. If you don't care about the exegesis (though as a reference I can't imagine not caring) Fee has another book called Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God which consists of just his conclusions and insights.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A comprehensive book on the Holy Spirit, January 13, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Gods Empowering Presence (Paperback)
This large and carefully written book would be a superb gift
for your pastor. Fee, one of the leading contemporary New
Testament scholars--in evangelical and non-evangelical
circles--high-lights, analyzes, exegetes, and summarizes
every mention of the Holy Spirit in Paul's writings.
This outstanding book is not marred by a dry-as-dust treatment
of this aspect of God's empowering Presence in the life of
the church. No better book on the subject is on the market
today.
As a gift for your pastor, Fee's work will be at his side when
he prepares for Sunday's proclamation, for it was written, the
author says, to get to "the heart of Paul's view of things
regarding the Spirit." (p. 896) Fee succeeds admirably.
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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, but be ready to trudge through tons of stuff, September 25, 2001
This review is from: Gods Empowering Presence (Paperback)
This was the most excellent book I have read discussing the work of the Holy Spirit,and it's importance to the Christian. Fee caused me to do a lot of thinking about my previous beliefs. He challenged me. THe one problem with the book, and Fee admits as much in the introduction is that the first section of the book is absolutely exhaustive. Not only is it an exhaustive discussion of the Pauline texts dealing with the Spirit, but it will "exhaust" you in reading through it. However, don't let that stop you from reading this fantastic work. It could change your life and appreciation for the wisdom of GOd.
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