The Spirit of Jesus in Scripture and Prayer

Though often invoked in Christian prayer, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, has been neglected in much of Christian theology and spirituality. Over time, the Holy Spirit has been described as 'the unknown God.' Devotion to the Spirit has most often taken the form of requests for guidance and inspiration, but the Spirit remains neglected and elusive rather than vital and personal in Christian life and practice. This may be due, in part, to the doctrinal disputes involving the Holy Spirit in both the split between Eastern and Western Christianity and, later, in the Reformation. In this careful and compelling exploration, James Kinn offers a remarkable and new appreciation of the importance of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology and personal spirituality today. He begins by guiding the reader to a rediscovery of the Holy Spirit in Scripture, especially in the writings of Paul, Luke and John. He shows how they focus on Jesus as the author and cause of our salvation and on the Spirit as the principal of all grace and the reality of God dwelling in us. Salvation is Trinitarian: our spiritual life has its origin in the Father, its center in the Son, and its individual presence in the Holy Spirit. By concentrating on the Holy Spirit in Scripture, prayer, and the Christian tradition, Kinn is able to show how the Spirit becomes our personal contact with Christ and the one who continues the work of Christ in us. Explicitly grasping the role of the Spirit can only lead to an enriched experience of the divine in our lives.

James Kinn is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago who has served as a professor, pastor, and chaplain. He has published two other books on spirituality.