The Holy Spirit and religious experience in Christian literature c.90-200 AD
The thesis explores whether religious experience and the Spirit are linked in Christian literature between c90 and 200. Three spheres of religious experience were chosen as illustrations - a sense of being personally encountered/overwhelmed by the divine; of divine illumination/guidance; and of being divinely empowered for ethical conduct. The Introduction reviews previous research: since Weinel. There has not been a comprehensive survey covering both the New Testament and early Patristic evidence, in what is the transition period between the subapostolic church and the emergence of the Catholic Church by the early third century. A brief survey of the evidence before c90 sets the background for the study. Thereafter, the thesis is divided into a further seven parts, surveying the literature on a geographical basis, viz Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Southern Gaul, Northern Africa and Egypt. The final part draws together the conclusions of the study. Whether the Spirit was at different moments a part of Christian distinctiveness over against the world, Judaism and internal opponents, whether deemed ~heretical~ or not, is explored. The evidence for a continuing sense of being overwhelmed by an encounter with
Morgan-Wynne, John Eifion
Philosophy
The Holy Spirit and religious experience in Christian literature c.90-200 AD. The thesis explores whether religious experience and the Spirit are linked in Christian literature between c90 and 200. Three spheres of religious experience were chosen as illustrations - a sense of being personally encountered/overwhelmed by the divine; of divine illumination/guidance; and of being divinely empowered for ethical conduct. The Introduction reviews previous research: since Weinel. There has not been a comprehensive survey covering both the New Testament and early Patristic evidence, in what is the transition period between the subapostolic church and the emergence of the Catholic Church by the early third century. A brief survey of the evidence before c90 sets the background for the study. Thereafter, the thesis is divided into a further seven parts, surveying the literature on a geographical basis, viz Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Southern Gaul, Northern Africa and Egypt. The final part draws together the conclusions of the study. Whether the Spirit was at different moments a part of Christian distinctiveness over against the world, Judaism and internal opponents, whether deemed ~heretical~ or not, is explored. The evidence for a continuing sense of being overwhelmed by an encounter with
holy_spirit religious_experience christian literature explore_whether religious_experience spirit link christian literature sphere religious_experience choose illustration sense personally encountered divine divine illumination guidance divinely empower ethical conduct introduction_review previous since comprehensive_survey cover new_testament early patristic evidence transition_period church emergence catholic_church brief_survey evidence set_background study thereafter divide_seven part survey_literature geographical basis viz syria asia_minor greece_rome southern gaul northern africa egypt final_part draw_together conclusion study whether spirit different moment part christian distinctiveness world judaism internal opponent whether deem heretical explore evidence continue sense overwhelm encounter