THE HOLY SPIRIT

“In addition to that, the notion that the Spirit is present in the world religions is heard more loudly today. D’Costa writes that, ‘… the claim that the Spirit is at work in their religions should be taken neither as a phenomenological socio-historical description of a religion, no[r] as a claim that will necessarily be well-received by a non-Christian. Rather it constitutes a theological evaluation that must spring from and lead to fresh practices within the church if the claim is to have any credence.’ The recognition of the Spirit in other religions allows the church the possible discernment of Christ-like practice in the other, and in so much as Christ-like activity takes place, then this can also be through the enabling power of the Spirit. That means, as Alan Jones writes, ‘The Spirit is calling us out of our tribal and national manifestations into a way of being in the world that truly expresses the universal good news of love and reconciliation.’ The Spirit and other religions is also an area where this research will be focusing.”