IT WAS 1700 years ago that leaders of the Church assembled at the town of Nicaea, just outside Constantinople, and put their prayers, worship, thinking, and discussing about the message of Bible into a series of statements of faith. These statements have been repeated ever since then in our worship, chiefly in the eucharist, and are known as the Nicene Creed. The first sections affirm that Jesus Christ is truly God, the son of the Father. Then, after the Council finished, attention moved to consider the person and action of the Holy Spirit.

This book takes us through a three-stage journey of exploration and encounter with the action and person of God the Holy Spirit. First, we are shown how the statements in the creed were formed. The language of the Bible shows that “Spirit” is not just a general term for God, but that the Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons in the one God. The thinking of theologians, including the Cappadocian Fathers — St Basil, St Gregory of Nazianzus, and St Gregory of Nyssa — and St Augustine lies behind this understanding of faith.

Then there are the series of statements in the creed which show how God, the Holy Spirit, works in our own experience of faith. It is the Spirit who was given to the apostles at Pentecost, creates the Church through the gifts given to believers, gives us life, and then leads us to the new life of the resurrection.

The third part takes us into the nature of God himself. The revelation of God and his action in the world — the “evangelical” Trinity — leads us into the life and love of God — the theological “Trinity”. The Spirit is encountered as the Love of God, which is at the heart of who God is and is given to us to bring us to share in that same love.

This is a simple book, in that the language used is clear and straightforward and discusses our experience. But it is also a demanding and challenging book, as it challenges us to reflect about our own faith and our encounter with God. Each chapter ends with questions for further thought and discussion, which help us to confront the issues raised. So it leads to new insights and into a deeper experience of God and our relationship with him. This was the purpose of the creed and is a fitting way to celebrate it.

The Revd Dr John Binns is Visiting Professor at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge.

Giver of Life: The Holy Spirit in the Creed and the Christian life today
Jane Williams
SPCK £15.99
978-0-281-09122-5
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