scholarly journals The Ecclesiastical Role of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confi rmation in the Teaching of Benedict XVI

1970 ◽  
Vol 14 (2(26)) ◽  
pp. 199-210
Author(s):  
Marek Kluz

Formation of an ecclesial community constitutes the basic moral call arising from reception of the sacrament of confi rmation. Formation of the person should also aim at accomplishing this objective. The Holy Spirit given in the sacrament of confi rmation plays a fundamental role in building the Church. Opening up to the gift of the Holy Spirit and submission to His direction allows to fi nd the proper place in the Church and accept full responsibility for destiny of the Church. The ecclesial role of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of conformation sounds signifi cantly in the teaching of Benedict XVI. In his speeches and documents, the Pope repeatedly brought the truth about the special power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts into building the community dimension of the life of the Church. Therefore, in this refl ection – based on allocations of Pope Benedict XVI – the ecclesiological role of the Holy Spirit, coming in the sacrament of confi rmation, was presented.

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Izabella Smentek

The theology of grace focuses on God’s self-giving. In this mystery God gives not a thing but Himself. He invites human being to participate in His trinitarian life and makes this possible. The teaching of contemporary Popes - St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI involves the personalistic issues while dealing with the mystery of grace. In this personalistic language is spoken rather about choice of person than (pre-)destination. The response for God’s gift comes from reason and will, but it’s pointed that it goes through paths of truth and freedom. Biblical examples show the rules of God’s grace. These are: Mary - full of grace, Paul and Cornelius. These cases present the intrinsic way of God’s self-giving. It’s to realize that the mystery of grace reveals the truth about the condition of person who is to accept the gift of salvation. In the light of the Holy Spirit one learns clearly about the God’s intentions and is invited to follow them. The grace acts in the light of the truth and gives an impulse to freedom. It can be accepted only voluntarily, is fulfilled within the Church and brings ecclesial fruits.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Jerzy Lewandowski

In a contemporary, secularized society, faith is undervalued and marginalized.How can we find the “joy of faith” nowadays? A deepening response to this questionis found in “Joy of Faith,” which is a type of catechesis by Pope Benedict XVI connected to the Year of faith. A re-reading of Pope’s thought gives a specialopportunity to realize the apparent truth that modern theology serves to awakenthe “joy of faith.” Turning this thought aside: believers need contemporary theologyso that their faith can be deepened, joyful and courageous in the discourse with“apostles” of religious indifference and moral relativism. Reading of papal catechesisreveals that faith gives a renewed glimpse into human existence, enables usto discover in God the source of truth, introduces in the experience of the action ofthe Holy Spirit and of the Church, and finally gives assurance of salvation, whichfor the Christian is the foundation of the ultimate (eschatological) joy.


2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-345
Author(s):  
Klaus B. Haacker

Since 1950, studies of Luke–Acts have been influenced by a downgrading of eschatology (at least of the expectation that the goal of history would be near). Conzelmann's slogan ‘Die Mitte der Zeit’ (the earthly mission of Jesus as the ‘centre of history’) suggested a long ‘time of the Church’ with the gift(s) of the Holy Spirit as a substitute (and not a foretaste) of the kingdom of God. The present study challenges this influential view of Luke's theology and its impact on definitions of the genre of Acts.


Author(s):  
Paul McPartlan

The chapter explores three deeply interlinked aspects of John Zizioulas’s highly influential ecclesiology: the relationship between the church and the Trinity; the relationship between the church and the Eucharist; and finally the consequences of those relationships for the structure of the church. The church is a communion through its participation in the life of the Trinity. In Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, it receives and re-receives the gift of communion in every Eucharist, and communion has a shape that reflects the life of God. The Trinity is centred on the Father, and so in the church at various levels the communion of the many is centred on one who is the head. This is the purely theological reason why the synodality of the church requires primacy at the local, regional, and universal levels. The chapter concludes that, while prompting many questions and needing further development, Zizioulas’s proposal has great ecumenical value.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-132
Author(s):  
DAVID B. GARNER

In post-Reformation dogmatics, the role of the Holy Spirit in relation to the doctrine of Scripture has often received insufficient attention. Contemporary treatments have erred in different directions, subjugating the doctrine of Scripture to communal hermeneutics or individual experience. By contrast, the magisterial Reformers offer a vital doctrine of the Holy Spirit for the doctrine of Holy Scripture in conjunction with the stewardship of that Scripture by the Spirit-birthed, confessing church. Drawing upon certain reformational insights, this paper will present a high doctrine of Scripture, in a manner that integrates the ministry of the Holy Spirit for illumination with the essential role of the Spirit within the confessing church for handling doctrine—particularly the doctrine of Scripture.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 3-16
Author(s):  
Albert I Ketut Deni Wijaya

A catechist can be called a missionary and saint. This call is very appropriate considering their role in the missionary work of the Church. This research will answer two questions: (1) What is the role of catechists in the missionary work of the Church? (2) What is the professional catechism model in the midst of the needs of the world today? This study uses a qualitative method of literature study. Through this paper, it will be explained that in the mission of the Church, the catechist acts as a spokesman for the Christian congregation, a prophet, an educator and a witness. Where as the professional catechists needed are catechists who always present the Holy Spirit as their soul and missionary spirit while equipping themselves with skills and knowledge.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredy Simanjuntak ◽  
Alexander Djuang Papay

The history of the church notes that to this day the Protestant Church is a family whose history is most often divided. Nevertheless the development is quite significant in the present. The process of developing the church resulted in various streams in the church such as Lutheran, Calvinist, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Evangelical, Adventist, until Jehovah's Witnesses, in the course of the Pentecostal & Charismatic flow so fertile in today's growth. The flow of Pentecostalism and Charismaticism, in its origin and method, has a unique and phenomenal history in Indonesia. The uniqueness of Indonesia's spiritual context is illustrated by rapid growth. The Pentecostal and Charismatic movements felt their influence in various churches around us. Phenomena such as the ability to speak in tongues, healing, and prophecy and aspects of emotional experience that are so prominent in this movement make the public wonder, is it true that all of this is the work of the Holy Spirit? The purpose of this paper is to provide an observation of facts, spiritual life background, the meaning of faith, and understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit adopted by followers of the Pentecost-Charismatic Movement in the context of the challenges of contextualization and syncretism in the relationship between Pentecostal-Charismatic and Christian spirituality in Indonesia. In light of the significant regional diversity in Indonesian religious thought and experience, the scope of this research is limited to the idea of contextualization also limited to its use in the missiological context.


Author(s):  
William J. Abraham

This chapter examines the spiritual theology of Symeon the New Theologian. It examines Symeon’s thought on the role of human agents in providing forgiveness of sins in the life of the church, ordination in priesthood, divine equipping of the laity to speak on God’s behalf to those seeking salvation, and the deeper questions these questions raise about divine action in salvation. The questions about the mediation of divine forgiveness among the laity inevitably raise questions about the nature of the action of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life, whether one can know that God is present in the personal life of the believer, and how these claims can be defended epistemologically.


Author(s):  
Martha L. Moore-Keish

This chapter on Presbyterians, religious diversity, and world religions offers a few important caveats and then describes major themes in Presbyterian engagement of religious diversity: the sovereignty and freedom of God, the significance of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the nature of revelation, the role of scripture, and the church. It then walks through the five centuries of Presbyterianism, noting how Presbyterians have engaged with and interpreted the changing world of many religions, drawing from philosophical, theological, and historical sources. It briefly describes Presbyterian interaction with the particular religious traditions of Judaism, Islam, African traditional religions, and Hinduism. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of contemporary challenges and theological trajectories.


Author(s):  
William J. Abraham

The church can be identified either as the church universal (all believers through space and time and beyond time) or as a local congregation (and clusters of local congregations). It should be distinguished but not separate from the kingdom of God. There is no agreement on its identity because “church” is an essentially contested concept. All that use the term cannot agree on its content or referent. It is best seen as the gift of the Holy Spirit and its varied descriptions (both adjectives and images) should be seen aspirationally as promises of what the church can be in the wisdom and power of the Spirit.


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