The Spirit of God: The Exegesis of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Pneumatomachian Controversy of the Fourth Century (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae) [Hardcover]

Michael A. G. Haykin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1994 | ISBN-10: 9004099476 | ISBN-13: 978-9004099470

This text examines the use of 1 and 2 Corinthians by two 4th-century Greek Christian authors, Athanasius and Basil of Caesarea, especially as it relates to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The controversy over the nature and status of the Spirit during the latter half of the 4th century is detailed in order to place in context the way in which the theological concerns of Athanasius and Basil shaped their pneumatological interpretation of the Corinthian correspondence. This examination should be useful for patristic scholars interested in the way Scripture was employed in the 4th century to hammer out doctrine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'"Although Haykin does not work on unexplored grounds, his lucidly written book doubtlessly testifies to his mastery of the complex material. ...valuable and trustworthy study...'
J. Van Oort, "Vigiliae Christianae, 1996.
'"This is a useful piece of work. All the importance ancient discussions are taken up...this is a worthwile exercise in fieldwork, which students of patristic doctrine and exegesis should consult.'
L.R. Wickham, "Journal of Theological Studies, 1996.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 253 pages
• Publisher: Brill Academic Pub (August 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9004099476
• ISBN-13: 978-9004099470
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,562,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael A. G. Haykin (PhD, University of Toronto) is professor of church history and biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has authored or edited more than twenty-five books, including The Emergence of Evangelicalism: Exploring Historical Continuities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Treatment of Pneumatological Exegesis, February 11, 2003

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H. Campbell (houston, texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Spirit of God: The Exegesis of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Pneumatomachian Controversy of the Fourth Century (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae) (Hardcover)

Haykin has done an admirable job in summarizing the essential elements of the Nicene response to the Pneumatomachian rejection of the Holy Spirit as God. What emerged from this controversy was not, as some might believe, an unimitigated triumph for catholic orthodoxy, but a diluted, compromise acknowledgment in the Constantinopolitan creed (so called "Nicene" creed recited in the Ctaholic and Orthodox Church today)that the Holy Spirit deserves the same worship as the Father and Son, but no explicit equation of the three as being God. And even this required the Emperor Theodosius to issue an edict requiring that the three be equally worshipped. I would have liked a little more of the Pneumatomachian view than Haykin provided, but his exposition of the exegesis used to marginalize them adequately describes why the heresy met the fate it met.