I am studying the Trinity at the moment, writing a 3-part course that I could present in my church context, and then writing a reflection on what I have chosen to include and why.
I've been really moved by some of what I've read in Ian Mobsby's book 'The Becoming of G-d: What the Trinitarian nature of God has to do with a deep Spirituality for the Twenty First Century'.
He speaks of how the Eastern Church has a more balanced understanding of the person of the Holy Spirit, comparing it to our Western model that thinks mostly of the Father and Son, with the Spirit being “the faceless power of God”. His discomfort with much charismatic Christianity reflects my own, where too often the touch of the Spirit is emphasised as something sent from God rather than God himself.
The Eastern church sees the Holy Spirit as being not 'the Spirit of Jesus' but instead sees Christ as 'the Christ of the Holy Spirit' - "the life of Jesus Christ is seen as the greatest work of the Holy Spirit: Christ is incarnate by the Spirit, commissioned at his baptism by the Spirit, driven into the wilderness by the Spirit, empowered in his mighty works by the Spirit and raised from death by the Spirit” (Mobsby p42, citing other authors)
With this in mind the gospels, in particular Luke, have suddenly made far more sense to me, and have led me to celebrate the Holy Spirit in my prayer life. I no longer have to choose between the false dichotomy of either invoking the “dynamo” of God or focussing on God the Creator or Redeemer, and I've been swept up again into the graceful movement of God the Spirit.
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Heather, thanks for this insight. I am very encouraged that you were able to connect in this way, which was the purpose for me, to write the book. I hope other elements are as helpful.
Ian Mobsby
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