The Spirit of Life [Paperback]

Jurgen Moltman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1992

Moltmann, "the foremost Protestant theologian in the world" (Church Times), brings his characteristic audacity to this traditional topic and cuts to the heart of the matter with a simple identification: What we experience every day as the spirit of life is the spirit of God. Such considerations give Moltmann’s treatment of the different aspects of life in the Spirit a verve and vitality that are concrete and existential.

Veteran readers will find here a rich and subtle extension of Moltmann’s trinitarian and christological works, even as he makes bold use of key insights from feminist and ecological theologies, from recent attention to embodiment, and from charismatic movements. Newcomers will find a fascinating entrée into the heart of his work: the transformative potential of the future.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Jürgen Moltmann is Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Among his other works: The Trinity and the Kingdom of God (1981), God in Creation (1985), The Way of Jesus Christ (1990), and The Coming of God (1996).

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers (January 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800634241
• ISBN-13: 978-0800634247
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pneumatology That is Both Constructive and Faithful, May 11, 2000

By 

Paul C. Edgerton (Wilson, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation (Hardcover)

Moltmann has long been recognized as the premier current Christian theologian. This volume, the third in his systematic theology, adresses the important issues of pneumatology to the questions of our time. The Spirit as the Divine Energy of Life is the theme which dominates the discussion. Life prevails in the face of death and darkness. The activity of God's Spirit is reviewed both within and outside of the realm of the Church. This stroke will appear dangerous to some and refreshing for others.

Although Moltmann's universalism is balanced by his other work (particularly "The Crucified God") there is room for concern here on the part of many coservative evangelicals. "Universal" Spirit is emphasized somewhat to the neglect of "Holy" Spirit. Surely one must not necessarily preclude the other, but this is not as well defined as I would have hoped.

Pentecostal and Charismatic believers will find material here both for support and for critique. It is remarkable to find such a thorough and balanced treatment of the charismatic giftings from an author outside of our ranks. His recognition of Pentecostal insights is accompanied by observation of our areas of shortsightedness.

The concern of the Spirit for the redemption of the whole creation is well represented here. Moltmann is critical of mainstream Christianity's neglect of this crucial issue in the realm of pneumatology. If Spirit is directly involved in the creation of the world, so would be the case with the maintainance and redemption of the created order. Ecological concern is an important element of Moltmann's thesis.

The blending of various streams of Christian thought into a constructive theology is impressive. This is a trans-Protestant work which takes seriously the broadness of the Spirit's work as well as the broadness of Christian experience.

No contemporary study of the subject should fail to take seriously this landmark work. As readable as it is scholarly, this incomparable contribution to the study of the Spirit is required reading for students and teachers of theology today.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for our times, May 22, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation (Hardcover)

In The Spirit Of Life: A Universal Affirmation, Jurgen Moltmann (Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Tubingen, Germany) offers a rich and subtle extension of his trinitarian and christological thought, making bold use of key insights from feminist and ecological theologies, and from recent charismatic movements and a stress on embodiment. The Spirit Of Life is written for a readership that must currently exist in an age of planetary peril, in cultures often hostile to human, animal, and plight life. With his emphatic insistence on the Spirit, Moltmann's clear call to conscience as the one indispensable element for human survival is essential reading for our times and highly recommended for Christians and other truth seekers in search of an enhanced and motivational understanding of spirituality within the context of a contemporary and secular world.