Faith as Life in the Spirit : A Pneumatology of Belief, Affection, and Works

This incisive work shows that faith does not need to be understood as what one believes, does, or feels when faith is understood as being in Christ by being in the Spirit.The way in which Christians and Christian theology, at least in Western traditions, including the family of Pentecostals and renewal movements, engages with the idea of faith has a problem – faith is often defined as what people must do, whether that is to believe in a list of doctrines, to do “good” works, or to love properly, in order for God to respond with forgiveness and salvation. However, this work takes a new approach with a pneumatological trajectory in constructing a theology of faith understood as life in the Spirit, overcoming a stalemated discussion on faith as belief versus works.As such, “faith is being in Christ by being in the Spirit” is the theological recognition that faith is first relationality to the Spirit by which a person is invited into life with Christ and the triune God.Faith is not what one does (beliefs, works, affections) but rather what one is, in relationality with the Spirit.Beliefs, works, and affections are best understood as those things that are the outward expressions of the relationality rather than that which brings one into relationality with God.