This little book, the first by Hermann Gunkel, shattered the reigning images of the New Testament idea of the Spirit. Gunkel's argument not only revolutionized the theology of his time but has continued to be foundational for most subsequent studies on the subject. As he did in so much of his work, Gunkel not only explores the milieu of the New Testament but also demonstrates the dependence of the biblical message upon its religious environment.
Philip A. Quanbeck II is Associate Professor and Chair of Religion at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hermann Gunkel (late Professor of Old Testament at the university in Berlin, Giessen, and Halle, Germany) is one of the most important figures in the history of Old Testament research. He is best known as the founding figure of form criticism and as a member of the History of Religion School.
Roy A Harrisville is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota.