Inspired: The Holy Spirit and the Mind of Faith

by John R. Levison

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2013

Overview

Eugene Peterson calls Jack Levison “the clearest writer on the Holy Spirit that I have known.” In this book, Levison speaks a fresh prophetic word to the church, championing a unique blend of serious Bible study and Christian spirituality. With rich insight, he shows Christians of any church or denomination how they can take the Spirit into the grit of everyday life. Levison argues for an indispensable synergy between spontaneity and study, ecstasy and restraint, inspiration and interpretation. Readable and relevant, winsome and wise, Levison’s Inspired sets a bold agenda for today’s church that will replace quick-fix spiritualities with a vibrant, durable experience of the Holy Spirit.

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Key Features

• Speaks a fresh prophetic word to the church
• Presents a unique blend of serious Bible study and Christian spirituality
• Sets a bold agenda for today’s church that will replace quick-fix spiritualities

Contents

• The Benign Betrayal of Translations
• Spirit-Breath in Israelite Literature
• Spirit within in the World of Early Judaism
• Spirit-Breath within in Early Christianity
• The Significance of the Spirit-Breath
• The Rise and Demise of Ecstasy
• Speaking in Tongues
• The Holy Spirit and the Power of Reflection
• The Significance of Putting Ecstasy in Its Place
• Inspired Interpretation in Israelite Literature
• The Inspired Interpretation of Scripture in Judaism
• The Inspired Interpretation of Scripture in the New Testament
• The Significance of the Inspired Interpretation of Scripture
• A Pneumatology of Creation
• The Significance of a Starting-Point
• The Bible and the World That Shaped It
• A Model of Inspiration and a Unified Future for the Church

Praise for the Print Edition

This book on the place of the Holy Spirit in the church and the Christian life is a tour de force. Jack Levison is, in my experience, the most competent scholar and clearest writer on the Holy Spirit that I have known. But he is far more than a scholar; he is a Christian who is passionate to bring biblical clarity and understanding to the church worldwide. . . . I have been on the lookout for colleagues like this as I have worked to counter the dichotomizing of the church over Holy Spirit issues. Levison has become for me the major voice, thoroughly scriptural and non-combative, in this company.

—Eugene Peterson, emeritus professor of spiritual theology, Regent College

Levison here gives us a brilliant line of argument that is lucidly and almost affectionately delivered—brilliant in that it scintillates with insight after insight and connection after connection, lucid in that Levison writes with the simplicity and directness of genuine authority, and affectionate in that he approaches both his content and us as his readers with the warmest regard. Beyond all that, ‘An Agenda for the Future of Pneumatology,’ which serves as the concluding section of Inspired, should be required reading for every thoughtful Christian today.

—Phyllis Tickle, founding editor of the Religion Department, Publishers Weekly

Jack Levison probably considers himself neither a prophet nor the son of one. Yet he does what prophets do—identify the presence and activity of the spirit of God in the world and then discern with remarkable clarity the implications such work can and should have for our future. Inspired, aptly titled, will not only inform readers about the spirit but activate, nurture, and enable a spirit-filled way of life, learning, and virtue.

—Amos Yong, J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology, Regent University

Product Details

• Title: Inspired: The Holy Spirit and the Mind of Faith
• Author: John R. Levison
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2013
• Pages: 260
• Christian Group: Evangelicals
• Resource Type: Topical
• Topic: Theology

About John R. Levison

Jack Levison (PhD, Duke University) is W. J. A. Power Professor of Old Testament Interpretation and Biblical Hebrew at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas. He previously taught at Duke Divinity School and Seattle Pacific University. Levison is the author or editor of numerous books, including Filled with the Spirit, Fresh Air: The Holy Spirit for an Inspired Life, 40 Days with the Holy Spirit, and Inspired: The Holy Spirit and the Mind of Faith. He has also been a featured blogger for HuffPost.