Holy Spirit

The article on Wikipedia is licensed under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, and may have been edited to reflect more or different information. In Abrahamic religions, the Holy Spirit is an aspect or agent of God, by means of which people become his messenger or servant.

Etymology[edit]

The word spirit (from the Latin spiritus meaning "breath") appears either alone or with other words, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament. Combinations include expressions such as the "Holy Spirit", "Spirit of God", and in Christianity, "Spirit of Christ".^[1]

The word spirit is rendered as רוּחַ (ruach) in Hebrew-language parts of the Old Testament.^[2] In its Aramaic parts, the term is rûacḥ.^[3] The Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, translates the word as πνεῦμα (pneuma - "breath").^[2] This is the same word that is used throughout the New Testament, written originally in Greek.^[4]

The English term spirit comes from its Latin origin, spiritus, which is how the Vulgate translates both the Old and New Testament concept.^[5] The alternative term, "Holy Ghost", comes from Old English translations of spiritus.^[6]

Comparative religion[edit]

The Hebrew Bible contains the term "spirit of God" (ruach hakodesh) in the sense of the might of a unitary God. This meaning is different from the Christian concept of "Holy Spirit" as one personality of God in the Trinity.^[7]

The Christian concept tends to emphasize the moral aspect of the Holy Spirit more than Judaism, evident in the epithet Holy Spirit that appeared in Jewish religious writings only relatively late but was a common expression in the Christian New Testament.^[8]

According to theologian Rudolf Bultmann, there are two ways to think about the Holy Spirit: "animistic" and "dynamistic". In animistic thinking, it is "an independent agent, a personal power which like a demon can fall upon a man and take possession of him, enabling him or compelling him to perform manifestations of power" while in dynamistic thought it "appears as an impersonal force which fills a man like a fluid".^[9] Both kinds of thought appear in Jewish and Christian scripture, but animistic is more typical of the Old Testament whereas dynamistic is more common in the New Testament.^[10] The distinction coincides with the Holy Spirit as either a temporary or permanent gift. In the Old Testament and Jewish thought, it is primarily temporary with a specific situation or task in mind, whereas in the Christian concept the gift resides in man permanently.^[11]

On the surface, the Holy Spirit appears to have an equivalent in non-Abrahamic Hellenistic mystery religions. These religions included a distinction between the spirit and psyche, which is also seen in the Pauline epistles. According to proponents of the History of religions school, the Christian concept of the Holy Spirit cannot be explained from Jewish ideas alone without reference to the Hellenistic religions.^[12] However, according to theologian Erik Konsmo, the views "are so dissimilar that the only legitimate connection one can make is with the Greek term πνεῦμα [pneuma, Spirit] itself".^[13]

Another link with ancient Greek thought is the Stoic idea of the spirit as anima mundi—or world soul—that unites all people.^[13] Some believe that this can be seen in Paul's formulation of the concept of the Holy Spirit that unites Christians in Jesus Christ and love for one another, but Konsmo again thinks that this position is difficult to maintain.^[14] In his Introduction to the 1964 book Meditations, the Anglican priest Maxwell Staniforth wrote:

Another Stoic concept which offered inspiration to the Church was that of 'divine Spirit'. Cleanthes, wishing to give more explicit meaning to Zeno's 'creative fire', had been the first to hit upon the term pneuma, or 'spirit', to describe it. Like fire, this intelligent 'spirit' was imagined as a tenuous substance akin to a current of air or breath, but essentially possessing the quality of warmth; it was immanent in the universe as God, and in man as the soul and life-giving principle. Clearly it is not a long step from this to the 'Holy Spirit' of Christian theology, the 'Lord and Giver of life', visibly manifested as tongues of fire at Pentecost and ever since associated – in the Christian as in the Stoic mind – with the ideas of vital fire and beneficent warmth.^[15]

Abrahamic religions[edit]

Judaism[edit]

The Hebrew language phrase ruach ha-kodesh (Hebrew: רוח הקודש, "holy spirit" also transliterated ruacḥ ha-qodesh) is a term used in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish writings to refer to the spirit of YHWH (רוח יהוה).^[16] The Hebrew terms ruacḥ qodshəka, "thy holy spirit" (רוּחַ קָדְשְׁךָ), and ruacḥ qodshō, "his holy spirit" (רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ) also occur (when a possessive suffix is added the definite article ha is dropped).

The Holy Spirit in Judaism generally refers to the divine aspect of prophecy and wisdom. It also refers to the divine force, quality, and influence of the Most High God, over the universe or over his creatures, in given contexts.^[17]

Christianity[edit]

For the large majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost, from Old English gast, "spirit") is the third^[18] member of the Trinity: The "Triune God" manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each Person being God.^[19]^[20]^[21] Two symbols from the New Testament canon are associated with the Holy Spirit in Christian iconography: a winged dove, and tongues of fire.^[22]^[23] Each depiction of the Holy Spirit arose from different historical accounts in the Gospel narratives; the first being at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River where the Holy Spirit was said to descend in the form of a dove as the voice of God the Father spoke as described in Matthew, Mark, and Luke;^[22] the second being from the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Pascha where the descent of the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as tongues of fire as described in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1–31.^[24] Called "the unveiled epiphany of God",^[25] the Holy Spirit is the One who empowers the followers of Jesus with spiritual gifts^[26]^[27] and power^[28]^[29] that enables the proclamation of Jesus Christ, and the power that brings conviction of faith.

Islam[edit]

The Holy Spirit (Arabic: روح القدس Ruh al-Qudus, "the holy spirit") is mentioned four times in the Qur'an,^[30] where it acts as an agent of divine action or communication. The Muslim interpretation of the Holy Spirit is generally consistent with other interpretations based upon the Old and the New Testaments. On the basis of narrations in certain Hadith some Muslims identify it with the angel Gabriel (Arabic Jibrāʾīl).^[31] The Spirit (الروح al-Ruh, without the adjective "holy" or "exalted") is described, among other things, as the creative spirit from God by which God enlivened Adam, and which inspired in various ways God's messengers and prophets, including Jesus and Abraham. The belief in a "Holy Trinity", according to the Qur'an, is forbidden and deemed to be blasphemy. The same prohibition applies to any idea of the duality of God (Allah).^[32]^[33]

References[edit]

↑ Bultmann 2007, p. 153.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Caulley, Thomas Scott (2001). "Holy Spirit". In Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. p. 568. ISBN 978-1-4412-0030-3. Search this book on
↑ Levison, John R. (2009). Filled with the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-8028-6372-0. Search this book on
↑ Bultmann 2007, p. 154.
↑ Harper, Douglas. "spirit (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
↑ Harper, Douglas. "ghost (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
↑ Espín, Orlando O. (2007). "Holy Spirit". In Espín, Orlando O.; Nickoloff, James B. An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies. Collegeville: Liturgical Press. p. 576. ISBN 978-0-8146-5856-7. Search this book on
↑ Dunn, James D. G. (2006). "Towards the Spirit of Christ: The Emergence of the Distinctive Features of Christian Pneumatology". In Welker, Michael. The Work of the Spirit: Pneumatology and Pentecostalism. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-8028-0387-0. Search this book on
↑ Bultmann 2007, p. 155.
↑ Bultmann 2007, pp. 156–157.
↑ Bultmann 2007, pp. 157.
↑ Konsmo 2010, p. 2.
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 Konsmo 2010, p. 5.
↑ Konsmo 2010, p. 6.
↑ Aurelius, Marcus (1964). Meditations. London: Penguin Books. p. 25. ISBN 0-14044140-9. Search this book on
↑ This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Holy Spirit". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
↑ Alan Unterman and Rivka Horowitz, Ruah ha-Kodesh, Encyclopaedia Judaica (CD-ROM Edition, Jerusalem: Judaica Multimedia/Keter, 1997).
↑ Gilles Emery (2011). The Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God. Catholic University of America Press. ISBN 978-0-8132-1864-9. Search this book on
↑ Erickson, Millard J. (1992). Introducing Christian Doctrine. Baker Book House. p. 103. Search this book on
↑ Hammond, T. C. (1968). Wright, David F., ed. In Understanding be Men: A Handbook of Christian Doctrine (6th ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. pp. 54–56, 128–131. Search this book on
↑ Grudem, Wayne A. (1994). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. p. 226.
↑ ^22.0 ^22.1 Luke 3:22, NIV
↑ Acts 2:3, NIV
↑ Williams, Charles (1950). The descent of the Dove : a short history of the Holy Spirit in the church. London: Faber. Search this book on
↑ Kasemann, Ernst (1960). The Beginnings of Christian Theology [W.J. Montague, New Testament Questions of Today] (in German). 102: Philadelphia: Fortress. ISBN 978-1-316-61990-2.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
↑ I Corinthians 13:4-11, NIV
↑ Wesley, John (2003). The Holy Spirit and power. Keefauver, Larry., Weakley, Clare G. ([Rev. and updated ed.] ed.). Gainesville, Fla.: Bridge-Logos. p. 107. ISBN 088270947X. OCLC 53143450. Search this book on
↑ Acts 1:8
↑ Johnson, Bill. When Heaven Invades Earth. Destiny Image, 2005
↑ Qur'an search: روح القدس. searchtruth.com.
↑ "What Is Meant by the Holy Spirit in the Qur'an?". Islam Awareness. Sheikh Ahmad Kutty. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
↑ Griffith, Sidney H. Holy Spirit, Encyclopaedia of the Quran.
↑ Thomas Patrick Hughes, A Dictionary of Islam, p. 605.

Works cited[edit]

Bultmann, Rudolf (2007) [1951]. Theology of the New Testament. 1. Translated by Grobel, Kendrick. Waco: Baylor University Press. § 14. The Spirit: 1. ISBN 978-1-932792-93-5. Search this book on
Konsmo, Erik (2010). The Pauline Metaphors of the Holy Spirit: The Intangible Spirit's Tangible Presence in the Life of the Christian. New York: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-1-4331-0691-0. Search this book on
Marcus Aurelius (1964). Meditations. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14044140-9. Search this book on

Portals
Access related topics

Religion portal

Find out more on Wikipedia's
Sister projects

Media
from Commons
Definitions
from Wiktionary
Quotations
from Wikiquote
Data
from Wikidata

[FOOTNOTEBultmann2007153-1] Bultmann 2007, p. 153.

[Caulley2001-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Caulley, Thomas Scott (2001). "Holy Spirit". In Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. p. 568. ISBN 978-1-4412-0030-3. Search this book on

[Levison2009-3] Levison, John R. (2009). Filled with the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-8028-6372-0. Search this book on

[FOOTNOTEBultmann2007154-4] Bultmann 2007, p. 154.

[5] Harper, Douglas. "spirit (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved August 29, 2016.

[6] Harper, Douglas. "ghost (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved August 29, 2016.

[7] Espín, Orlando O. (2007). "Holy Spirit". In Espín, Orlando O.; Nickoloff, James B. An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies. Collegeville: Liturgical Press. p. 576. ISBN 978-0-8146-5856-7. Search this book on

[8] Dunn, James D. G. (2006). "Towards the Spirit of Christ: The Emergence of the Distinctive Features of Christian Pneumatology". In Welker, Michael. The Work of the Spirit: Pneumatology and Pentecostalism. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-8028-0387-0. Search this book on

[FOOTNOTEBultmann2007155-9] Bultmann 2007, p. 155.

[FOOTNOTEBultmann2007156–157-10] Bultmann 2007, pp. 156–157.

[FOOTNOTEBultmann2007157-11] Bultmann 2007, pp. 157.

[FOOTNOTEKonsmo20102-12] Konsmo 2010, p. 2.

[FOOTNOTEKonsmo20105-13] 13.0 ^13.1 Konsmo 2010, p. 5.

[FOOTNOTEKonsmo20106-14] Konsmo 2010, p. 6.

[15] Aurelius, Marcus (1964). Meditations. London: Penguin Books. p. 25. ISBN 0-14044140-9. Search this book on

[16] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Holy Spirit". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.

[Encyclopedia_Judaica-17] Alan Unterman and Rivka Horowitz, Ruah ha-Kodesh, Encyclopaedia Judaica (CD-ROM Edition, Jerusalem: Judaica Multimedia/Keter, 1997).

[Emery2011-18] Gilles Emery (2011). The Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God. Catholic University of America Press. ISBN 978-0-8132-1864-9. Search this book on

[Erickson103-19] Erickson, Millard J. (1992). Introducing Christian Doctrine. Baker Book House. p. 103. Search this book on

[Hammond-20] Hammond, T. C. (1968). Wright, David F., ed. In Understanding be Men: A Handbook of Christian Doctrine (6th ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. pp. 54–56, 128–131. Search this book on

[Systematic_theology-21] Grudem, Wayne A. (1994). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. p. 226.

[Luke_3:22,_NIV-22] 22.0 ^22.1 Luke 3:22, NIV

[23] Acts 2:3, NIV

[24] Williams, Charles (1950). The descent of the Dove : a short history of the Holy Spirit in the church. London: Faber. Search this book on

[25] Kasemann, Ernst (1960). The Beginnings of Christian Theology [W.J. Montague, New Testament Questions of Today] (in German). 102: Philadelphia: Fortress. ISBN 978-1-316-61990-2.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on

[26] I Corinthians 13:4-11, NIV

[27] Wesley, John (2003). The Holy Spirit and power. Keefauver, Larry., Weakley, Clare G. ([Rev. and updated ed.] ed.). Gainesville, Fla.: Bridge-Logos. p. 107. ISBN 088270947X. OCLC 53143450. Search this book on

[28] Acts 1:8

[29] Johnson, Bill. When Heaven Invades Earth. Destiny Image, 2005

[30] Qur'an search: روح القدس. searchtruth.com.

[31] "What Is Meant by the Holy Spirit in the Qur'an?". Islam Awareness. Sheikh Ahmad Kutty. Retrieved November 14, 2018.

[32] Griffith, Sidney H. Holy Spirit, Encyclopaedia of the Quran.

[33] Thomas Patrick Hughes, A Dictionary of Islam, p. 605.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]