The Lord Is the Spirit. John A. Studebaker

Читать онлайн книгу.

The Lord Is the Spirit - John A. Studebaker


Скачать книгу
presents the truth of God in propositional form, and that the theological task is simply “to exhibit the content of biblical revelation as an orderly whole.”147 Such an approach to doctrinal development adopts a modern or scientific hermeneutic in that it excludes the possibility of any interference from (or need to reference) tradition or culture. Indeed the theologian can interpret Scripture and develop a doctrinal system in isolation from such influences. Henry’s thinking, in a real sense, mirrors that of modern philosophers Descartes and Kant with respect to their confidence in the mind’s ability to know truth and to make rational decisions without needing to recognize the influence of tradition. The Spirit, as a result, can aid the systematic theologian in the correct interpretation of Scripture through the use of rational exegetical methods alone.

      Other Contributors

      Karl Barth’s view of the Spirit departs from many of the evangelical theologians of his day, particularly those who attempt to precisely define the Spirit’s nature. According to Barth,

      Barth says that the verification of God’s truth is provided by the Holy Spirit alone (not by reason, the individual, or the Church itself). Thus, interpretation of Scripture is a function of the Spirit’s work in shaping the Church, and is a very practical endeavor.

      The Veracious Authority of the Spirit—Definition and Storyline

      In response to enlightenment humanism, which granted supreme authority to the human intellect and moral conscience, modern theologians began searching for ways to define and establish a Christian understanding of authority, to establish that Christianity was indeed the highest form of rationality or the most rational system, and to determine the ultimate methodology in the determination of truth. Though many theologians attempted to employ the doctrine of the Spirit in their methodologies, they often became victims of “modern” reductionism. In particular, the Spirit’s veracious authority—his work with respect to the determination of truth—seems to be essentially reduced to a work of humanization (Schleiermacher), human or enlightened rationality (Henry), or personal encounter (Barth). Borrowing from Kantian philosophy—which divides the “noumenal” realm of spiritual knowledge from the “phenomenal” realm of experiential knowledge—Schleiermacher reduces the Spirit’s work to religious experiences, and particularly to the role of interpreter of religious experiences within the Christian community. The Spirit has authority only in that he helps the interpreter to get behind the printed words to the author’s wider social context, and then relate to that context as a manifestation of universal life. The Spirit’s veracious authority to inspire the written Word of God as a historical document, however, begins to be questioned. Schleiermacher’s “liberal” followers reduced the Spirit to humanity’s highest religious or moral aspirations and the Spirit’s authority to a moral authority that allows believers to enter the Church community and function as moral beings.


Скачать книгу