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Product description A 1997 Christianity Today Book of the Year In what may be regarded as his magnum opus, Clark Pinnock here turns attention to the vital Christian doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Writing out of wide learning and deep personal passion, he shows us the way to restore the oft-neglected Spirit to centrality in the life and witness of the church. Pinnock explores the doctrine of the Spirit in relation to other key doctrines such as the Trinity, creation, Christology and the church. Never one to duck the difficult or sensitive questions, he also examines issues of the Spirit's universality, gender language for the Spirit, and charismatic gifts. Pinnock intends his book to be catholic (in the sense of respecting the beliefs and worship of the historic church) and evangelical (drawing particularly on the heritage of the Reformation). Always in sight is the mission of the church, for "people want to meet the real and living God and will not be satisfied with a religion that only preaches and moralizes." He concludes, "Only by attending to the Spirit can we move beyond sterile rationalist religion in the direction of recovering the sense of intimacy and immediacy for which our generation--and every generation--longs." Review "I greet Clark Pinnock's book with praise for his seriousness and intellectual courage. Flame of Love is evangelical: a biblically grounded systematic theology for our time with an ecumenical openness to the truth about the Holy Spirit in other Christian traditions and the newer Pentecostal movements." (Jürgen Moltmann, University of Tübingen) "Recently a rapprochement has been occurring between evangelical Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Flame of Love advances the meeting and is bound to deepen understanding. . . . Pinnock's book is not only a comprehensive and profoundly trinitarian work, it is also beautifully written, filled with grace and a joy to read." (Vigen Guroian, Loyola College in Maryland) "Clark Pinnock's Flame of Love is a timely book for American evangelicalism, bringing its doctrines into the mainstream of classical Christian faith and teaching. . . . It reaps a vast harvest of recent developments in theology--trinitarian doctrine, Spirit-Christology, theosis-soteriology, sacramental spirituality, charismatic renewal and interreligious dialogue, among others." (Carl E. Braaten, Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology) "At last the Christian community has a sound Pentecostal theology to guide the still growing renewal movement of the Holy Spirit. Flame of Love is solidly biblical, ecumenical in appeal, evangelical in spirit. . . . Most important, it prophetically challenges tendencies toward quenching of the Spirit and toward excessive enthusiasm that have plagued this spiritual renewal." (Roger E. Olson, George W. Truett Theological Seminary) "This is an impassioned, yet reasonable and sometimes lyrical tribute to the Holy Spirit. In surely his most important and ecumenical work, Clark Pinnock picks up the Spirit-longings of a culture. . . . This work will stand as an important contribution to a neglected subject and may well become a theological bridge between mainstream, evangelical and charismatic understandings." (Linda A. Mercadante, Methodist Theological School in Ohio) " Flame of Love is vintage Clark Pinnock. . . . Above all, the book reveals his passion for the triune God, and it shows how deeply he has drunk from the well of the Spirit about whom he writes. It provides a way not only into Pinnock's head--indeed it is the best summary to date of his entire theological odyssey--but also into his heart." (Stanley J. Grenz, Carey/Regent College) "Drawing upon Eastern Orthodox, Wesleyan, Roman Catholic and Reformed traditions, Clark Pinnock forges an ecumenical, evangelical theology of the Spirit that deserves serious consideration by the whole church. Even those who take different positions on some of these questions will appreciate the author's willingness to dialogue in the spirit of Christian love." (Donald G. Bloesch, emeritus professor of theology, Dubuque Theological Seminary) About the Author Clark Pinnock was Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario. Widely regarded as one of evangelicalism's most stimulating theologians, he produced several widely discussed books, including The Wideness of God's Mercy and (with four other scholars) The Openness of God. He passed away in August, 2010.