Holy Spirit and Religious Experience in Christian Literature Ca. Ad 90-200

by John Eifion Morgan-Wynne, James D G Dunn (Foreword by)

Overview

Holy Spirit and Religious Experience seeks to find out how far the centrality of the Holy Spirit in Christian experience during the earliest period of the church was maintained or diminished in the third to the fifth generations (ca. AD 90-200). Three themes are explored. First, the sense of encounter with the divine presence, the numinous, a sense of being caught up into the divine being or being overwhelmed by the One who is beyond us. Secondly, a sense of being illuminated in respect to the truth, given deeper understanding of God's purpose, whether for the individual or the congregation, or guided in decision-making. Thirdly, a sense of ethical empowerment, an awareness of being helped by divine power, assisted in a course of action or development of character, in grappling with temptation, or in the ultimate test of loyalty, martyrdom. This book is arranged geographically, from Syria and Asia Minor in the East to Rome and Gaul in the West, including North Africa and Egypt. Christian authors within these areas are examined chronologically, from the later New Testament writers through the second century to Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian of Carthage, for the evidence they supply. The variegated picture which emerges, it is contended, reflects second-century Christianity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597527248
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	06/01/2006
Series:	Studies in Christian History and Thought
Pages:	412
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

John Eifion Morgan-Wynne was born in Old Colwyn, North Wales, He gained degrees in history and theology at Oxford, and was ordained to the Baptist Ministry in 1962. He was awarded an Oxford BD (thesis on the atonement in John's Gospel and his First Epistle) in 1966. He was tutor at Regent's Park College, Oxford, 1965 to 1987, Principal of Bristol Baptist College, 1987 to 1993, and minister at Ilkley Baptist Church, 1994 to 2002.

Table of Contents

Foreword   James D.G. Dunn     xv
Preface     xvii
Abbreviations     xix
Introduction     1
The Present State of Research     1
I     1
II     2
III     3
Excursus     3
A Brief Survey of the Experience of the Spirit in the First Two Generations     9
Summary     14
Problems and Aims     15
Syria     20
Gospel of John     22
Divine Presence     24
Summary     30
Divine Illumination     30
Summary     34
Divine Power     34
Summary     34
The Johannine Epistles     35
Divine Presence     36
Divine Illumination     39
Divine Power     42
Summary     43
The Didache     44
Divine Presence     45
Divine Illumination     47
Divine Power     47
Summary     48
Matthew's Gospel     49
Divine Power     53
Summary     53
Ignatius of Antioch     53
Divine Presence and Illumination     53
Divine Power     56
Summary     58
The Odes of Solomon     58
Divine Presence     59
Divine Illumination     73
Divine Power     74
Other Features     76
Summary     78
Excursus     78
Tatian     80
Divine Presence     81
Divine Illumination     82
Divine Power     82
Summary     83
Conclusion     83
Asia Minor     87
John of Patmos     89
Divine Presence and Illumination     90
Summary     92
Divine Power     92
Other Features and Summary     95
The Pastoral Epistles     96
Divine Presence     96
Divine Illumination     99
Divine Power     102
Summary     103
Jude     104
2 Peter     105
Summary     108
The Letter of Barnabas     109
Divine Presence     110
Summary     115
Divine Illumination     116
Divine Power      116
Summary     117
Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians     118
Summary     119
The Martyrdom of Polycarp     119
Summary     120
Asia Minor Montanism     120
Divine Presence     121
Divine Illumination and Power     123
Summary     124
Excursus     125
Conclusion     126
Greece     128
Corinth and 1 Clement     129
2 Clement     130
Summary     133
Conclusion     134
Rome     135
1 Peter     139
Divine Presence     140
Summary     143
Divine Power     143
Summary     145
1 Clement     146
Divine Presence     147
Summary     150
The Shepherd of Hermas     150
Divine Presence and Illumination     152
Divine Power     154
Summary     162
Justin Martyr     164
Divine Presence     165
Summary     169
Valentinian Gnosticism     170
The Author of the Gospel of Truth      171
Divine Presence and Illumination     172
Divine Power     176
Summary     176
Heracleon     177
Summary     180
Ptolemaeus     180
Summary     182
Excursus     182
Conclusion     185
Southern Gaul     189
The Letter of the Church at Lyons and Vienna     190
Divine Presence     190
Divine Illumination     192
Divine Power     192
Summary     195
Irenaeus     195
Divine Presence     199
Summary     210
Divine Illumination     211
Summary     211
Divine Power     212
Summary     217
Summary     218
The Valentinian Marcus     218
Summary     219
Conclusion     219
Northern Africa     222
The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas     223
Divine Presence     224
Divine Power     224
Summary     225
Tertullian     226
Divine Presence     229
Summary      236
Divine Illumination     236
Summary     239
Divine Power     239
Summary     249
Conclusion     249
Egypt     252
Clement of Alexandria     253
Divine Presence     255
Divine Illumination     256
Divine Power     258
Summary     261
Theodotus     262
Divine Presence     262
Divine Power     267
Conclusion     268
Conclusion     269
Conclusion     271
I     271
II     274
III     277
IV     281
V     282
VI     285
VII     287
VIII     290
Who were the Spiritual? A Second-Century Debate     292
Justin Martyr     292
Irenaeus and the Valentinian Gnostics     293
Tertullian and the Catholics     297
Conclusion     300
The Meaning [Characters not reproducible] in Ignatius' Letter to Polycarp 1.3     302
Summary     306
The Experience of the Spirit in the Odes of Solomon      307
I     307
II     308
III     309
IV     310
V     311
The 'Delicacy' of the Spirit in the Shepherd of Hermas and in Tertullian     313
The Shepherd of Hermas     313
Tertullian     314
Concluding Remarks     316
The Cessation of the Holy Spirit from Judaism in Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Tertullian     317
Justin Martyr     317
Irenaeus     319
Tertullian     319
Other Evidence     321
Older Roots     322
Conclusions     322
Select Bibliography     325
Author Index     351
Scripture Index     357

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Scholars have come to very different conclusions about the experience of the Spirit of Christianity in the early post-apostolic generations. Morgan-Wynne discusses all the evidence thoroughly, recognizes the diversity of the period, and reaches some well based conclusions. This will be a standard resource for its topic."
—Richard Bauckham, Professor of New Testament
Studies and Bishop Wardlaw Professor,
St. Mary's College, University of
St. Andrews, Fife, UK

"With his fine knowledge of ancient Greek and his well-honed skills in exegeting the nuances of New Testament Greek, Dr. Morgan-Wynne is ideally placed to fill this gap in scholarship on the Holy Spirit in the early patristic church."
—James D.G. Dunn, Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham, UK

"Morgan-Wynne's excellent book demonstrated the consistency, contrasts and developments in the early Christians' understanding of the experience of the Holy Spirit from around AD 90 to 200. Since there has been no book like this since 1899, this indispensable guide to a vital topic is even more to be welcomed."
—Paul Trebilco, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Otago, New Zealand

Editorial Reviews

"Scholars have come to very different conclusions about the experience of the Spirit of Christianity in the early post-apostolic generations. Morgan-Wynne discusses all the evidence thoroughly, recognizes the diversity of the period, and reaches some well based conclusions. This will be a standard resource for its topic."
—Richard Bauckham, Professor of New Testament
Studies and Bishop Wardlaw Professor,
St. Mary's College, University of
St. Andrews, Fife, UK

"With his fine knowledge of ancient Greek and his well-honed skills in exegeting the nuances of New Testament Greek, Dr. Morgan-Wynne is ideally placed to fill this gap in scholarship on the Holy Spirit in the early patristic church."
—James D.G. Dunn, Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham, UK

"Morgan-Wynne's excellent book demonstrated the consistency, contrasts and developments in the early Christians' understanding of the experience of the Holy Spirit from around AD 90 to 200. Since there has been no book like this since 1899, this indispensable guide to a vital topic is even more to be welcomed."
—Paul Trebilco, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Otago, New Zealand

From the Publisher