More Information
ISBN: 9781907713286
Imprint: Langham Monographs
Format: Paperback
Dimensions (mm): 229 x 152 x 14
Publication Date: 14/06/2012
Pages: 252
Language: English

The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the Major Reformed Confessions and Catechisms of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

£21.99

With the rise of Pentecostalism in the early twentieth century and growth in the charismatic movement since, a resurgence of interest in the Holy Spirit and Christian spirituality in both theology and the church’s life has become evident. Along with increased interest in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, there are criticisms of the treatment of the doctrine in church history for having neglected the Holy Spirit in both theology and the church’s life. Critical studies of the treatments of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in church history have been laboriously conducted. However, there have not been many studies on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Reformed orthodoxy, particularly in its confessional standards.

Recognizing the gap in the history of scholarship, this work explores and provides a systematic account of the person and some aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit as presented in the major Reformed confessions and catechisms of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Attention is particularly given to those aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit that have not been greatly explored but are pertinent to contemporary discussions.

Author Bios

Yuzo Adhinarta
(By)

YUZO ADHINARTA is a Langham Scholar and a missionary of Church of the Servant CRC, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM). He now serves as professor of systematic theology and Director of Th.M. Program at Reformed Evangelical Seminary Indonesia, while traveling widely among the churches in Indonesia to teach, preach, and develop Christian leaders in Indonesia.

Endorsements

After the Azusa Street revivals it has seemed to Pentecostal and charismatic evangelicals that Reformed theology, piety, and practice lacks sufficient appreciation of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The present work by Yuzo Adhinarta clarifies the picture treating the confessional documents on their own terms and by calling attention to the dynamic, mysterious, Trinitarian, and churchly character of the confessional Reformed understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Those inside and outside the Reformed tradition will benefit from Dr. Adhinarta's account of the confessional Reformed teaching.

R. Scott Clark
Professor of Church History and Historical Theology,
Westminster Seminary California


The Holy Spirit did not go to sleep between Montanus and Azusa Street and not only did churches of the Reformation experience the power of the Holy Spirit, they also proclaimed it to the world in their confessions. Yuzo Adhinarta’s careful textual study of the major Reformed Confessions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries will help put to rest for good the oft-repeated mischaracterization of the Reformation that it practically and theologically neglected the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a much needed corrective that will benefit both the church and the academy.

John Bolt
Editor of Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics in English translation,
Professor of Systematic Theology,
Calvin Theological Seminary


Finally a book on this so important topic! The doctrine of the Holy Spirit has been characteristic of Reformed Theology and has been one of the causes for the lasting influence, mainly through the Reformed confessions that were preached and taught to the congregations. Now with this study not only the influence of the pneumatology in Reformed confessions is demonstrated, but also its relevance for church and theology today. Dr. Adhinarta has served us with a well structured and source based study that I wish to be read and used by many.

Herman J. Selderhuis
Director Refo500, Professor of Church History,
Theological University Apeldoorn, Netherlands


In a masterful piece of research, Yuzo Adhinarta demonstrates from major confessions and catechisms that the doctrine of the Spirit truly fills the Reformed tradition. He investigates the pervasive place of the Spirit not only in the doctrines of the Trinity, Christ, salvation, and the means of grace, but also in the doctrines of creation, providence, church life, missions, and social justice. Adhinarta’s dissertation reminds us, as Calvin once said, that it is only by “the secret energy of the Spirit” that “we come to enjoy Christ and all his benefits,” for “the Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually unites us to himself” (Institutes, 3.1.1).

Joel R. Beeke
President and Professor of Systematic Theology, Church History, and Homiletics,
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary


Yuzo Adhinarta’s study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the Reformed Confessions is a major contribution to Reformation studies. As far as I know, there is nothing quite like it in any language. The analysis is balanced and perceptive and reads so well that non-specialists can also benefit from this excellent study.

I. John Hesselink
Past President and Emeritus Professor of Theology,
Western Theological Seminary

Table of Contents

  1. Foreword
  2. Abbreviations
  3. Abstract
  4. CHAPTER 1
    1. Introduction
      1. Thesis Statement
      2. Present Status of the Problem
      3. The Studies of the Confessional Documents in Reformed Orthodoxy
      4. The Importance of Confessional Documents
      5. The Major Reformed Confessions of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
      6. Proposed Method with Outline
  5. PART ONE
  6. CHAPTER 2
    1. Doctrinal Themes Commonly Associated with the Holy Spirit in the Reformed Confessions and Catechisms – Part A
      1. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Scripture
      2. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of the Trinity
      3. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Christ
  7. CHAPTER 3
    1. Doctrinal Themes Commonly Associated with the Holy Spirit in the Reformed Confessions and Catechisms – Part B
      1. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Salvation
      2. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of the Church
      3. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Sacraments
  8. PART TWO
  9. CHAPTER 4
    1. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Creation And Providence
      1. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Creation
      2. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Providence
  10. PART THREE
  11. CHAPTER 5
    1. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of the Church: The Church’s Unity and the Diversity of Spiritual Gifts
      1. The Holy Spirit and the Church’s Unity
      2. The Holy Spirit and the Diversity of Spiritual Gifts
  12. CHAPTER 6
    1. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of the Church: The Church’s Evangelistic Mission
      1. The Church’s Mission as the Missio Dei
      2. The Propagation of the Gospel by Human Ministries
  13. PART FOUR
  14. CHAPTER 7
    1. The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Good Works: Social Responsibility
      1. The Holy Spirit as the Cause of Good Works
      2. Acts of Good Works as the Manifestation of Social Concerns
  15. CHAPTER 8
    1. Conclusion
      1. The Doctrine in Review
      2. Final Reflections on the Treatment of the Doctrine in the Reformed Confessions
  16. Bibliography
    1. Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Reformed Confessions and Catechisms
    2. Books, Articles, and Essays

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