What do you think?
Rate this book
Life in the Spirit: Systematic Theology, Vol. Three
Life in the Spirit is the third volume of Thomas Oden's Systematic Theology. It considers the presence of the Holy Spirit in history, and his power in the lives and communities of present day believers.
560 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2006
About the author
Thomas C. Oden
161 books79 followersThomas C. Oden was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004. He remained faculty emeritus until his death. He was the general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and the Ancient Christian Doctrine series as well as the author of Classic Christianity, a revision of his three-volume systematic theology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 18, 2015
Finishing Oden's "Life in the Spirit" officially brings my reading of his three volume systematic theology to a close. Oden's irenic theology seeking that ecumenical consensus was the driving thesis of all three works. Admittedly, this was much harder for him to do in a volume where he has to discuss things like eschatology. Still, his work is an exhaustive attempt to bring the Fathers into a new ecumenical light discussing the Church, gifts of the spirit, and the last things. He takes Aquinas and Calvin, along with Greek Orthodox and modern Roman Catholic views into the consensus throughout his study. These were encouraging to go through, even if I felt like I slogged through the last volume. Worth the read, effort, and future reference.
September 3, 2022
I just finished "Life in the Spirit: Systematic Theology, Volume Three," by Thomas C. Oden, 1992.
This is it, the final volume in my Oden endeavor. Special thanks to the wonderful person who added Oden works to my "you really need to read this before you read Odens ST." I am indebted (and I am blessed, thankful and grateful).
High spots as I work my way through this Pneumatology.
At the beginning Oden makes a great point: the previous two volumes were concerned with "God for us," this third volume, the work of the Holy Spirit, is concerned with "God in us."
Also he is handling the Filioque in a gentle and Ecumenical way stating which was first in the Apostles Creed and how it was changed after time but not anchoring an opinion one one side or the other. More of this to draw the family from the east in.
This was interesting. Oden mentioned how speaking in tongues was appropriate for the Spirit because the Son (who has ascended) was the LOGOS, the Word and Thought. This LOGOS can only be expressed in a Spirit given language.
In the Salvation section when speaking to faith Oden states--based on Jn 7:17--that one has to choose to do God's will to find out if Jesus words are of God. This sounds a lot like faith = Allegiance. We need more faith = Allegiance and less faith = correct thoughts pertaining to doctrine. That's important too but Allegiance to Jesus is the pinnacle.
Oden quotes Clement in the Soteriology section in discussion with faith and works. It was simple and good: "We confess Him by our works," 2 Clement 4:3. That's good. Simple but quite good.
Ok, the first section "The Holy Spirit," which spends a lot of time in Soteriology/the ordo salutis (order of salvation), takes up over half the book. I was glad to see p 262 where Oden introduces...
Ecclesiology (The Church):
The church is seen as the body of Christ, the regenerate community, and the communion of the saints. Deeper in and definitive, the Church is the place where new life is coming into being, the context in which authoritative religious teachings are passed on, and a serving, reconciling visible community manifesting the love of God in the world. It was a good section but not a lot to comment on. Don't take that wrong but Oden kinda hates originality. So he talks about bishops or baptism and quotes Augustine. Cool, and I knew that coming in, but sometimes this approach makes it hard to focus.
Eschatology (Dem last things):
Airplanes falling out of the sky because the pilot ans co-pilot were raptured?--sorry to disappoint, but Naw.
Right off the bat Oden establishes that the forthcoming will be an inaugurated eschatology without stating it in those terms. He prefers already/not yet and he really spent time here so as to--I assume--avoid any future or realized eschatology. Farther on he calls for eschatological humility since this is one of the most vague subjects in theology (insert his comments about timelessness being stated in time constrained categories) while saying that it, at the same time, is a cornerstone of all theology since it is what faith hopes for with the coming of Jesus. I fully agree except for his continued insistence about timelessness.
Here is an issue I take with Oden speaking to eschatology: He makes what I believe is a simple mistake by drawing reference from the story of the rich man and Lazarus (which is based off of an apocryphal text). Jesus used a story or plot familiar with his audience to make the point to "take care of others out of your abundance," rather than dropping eschatological crumbs to be reassembled later. If this literalism is pressed it falls apart by using others eschatological texts.
Oden covers the resurrected body of mankind well. He also differentiates between the resurrected body and the state of the dead before the final coming of Christ very well. I take a bit of an issue with his statement (drawing from Tommy Aquinas) that the resurrected person will be immutable and unable to sin. I would rather state that the resurrected and glorified person will be even more free than now but we will be in the presence of the Lord and have no desire to sin. So much of his eschatology removes freewill from the person.
In what is commonly the most debated issue in eschatology, the Millennium, Oden shows some grace. He lists the three main schools, realized Millennium (Amillennialism), a premillennium, and a postmillennium view and gently weighs in on which way he and the tradition are drawn. He is honest here that those before Augustine often leaned Premillennial because then it was often that the pre Constantinian church which was persecuted. This naturally leans Premillennial in a "Hes got to come back and resuce us soon" kind of way.
This was a really good ST grounded in the Patristics. I wish I had read it years ago even though there are placed I greatly disagree with Oden.
#PatristicTheology #Wesleyan #ArminianTheology #Arminian #Theology #SystematicTheology #ThomasCOden #ThomasOden #Oden #Pneumatology #Ecclesiology #Soteriology #Eschatology
This is it, the final volume in my Oden endeavor. Special thanks to the wonderful person who added Oden works to my "you really need to read this before you read Odens ST." I am indebted (and I am blessed, thankful and grateful).
High spots as I work my way through this Pneumatology.
At the beginning Oden makes a great point: the previous two volumes were concerned with "God for us," this third volume, the work of the Holy Spirit, is concerned with "God in us."
Also he is handling the Filioque in a gentle and Ecumenical way stating which was first in the Apostles Creed and how it was changed after time but not anchoring an opinion one one side or the other. More of this to draw the family from the east in.
This was interesting. Oden mentioned how speaking in tongues was appropriate for the Spirit because the Son (who has ascended) was the LOGOS, the Word and Thought. This LOGOS can only be expressed in a Spirit given language.
In the Salvation section when speaking to faith Oden states--based on Jn 7:17--that one has to choose to do God's will to find out if Jesus words are of God. This sounds a lot like faith = Allegiance. We need more faith = Allegiance and less faith = correct thoughts pertaining to doctrine. That's important too but Allegiance to Jesus is the pinnacle.
Oden quotes Clement in the Soteriology section in discussion with faith and works. It was simple and good: "We confess Him by our works," 2 Clement 4:3. That's good. Simple but quite good.
Ok, the first section "The Holy Spirit," which spends a lot of time in Soteriology/the ordo salutis (order of salvation), takes up over half the book. I was glad to see p 262 where Oden introduces...
Ecclesiology (The Church):
The church is seen as the body of Christ, the regenerate community, and the communion of the saints. Deeper in and definitive, the Church is the place where new life is coming into being, the context in which authoritative religious teachings are passed on, and a serving, reconciling visible community manifesting the love of God in the world. It was a good section but not a lot to comment on. Don't take that wrong but Oden kinda hates originality. So he talks about bishops or baptism and quotes Augustine. Cool, and I knew that coming in, but sometimes this approach makes it hard to focus.
Eschatology (Dem last things):
Airplanes falling out of the sky because the pilot ans co-pilot were raptured?--sorry to disappoint, but Naw.
Right off the bat Oden establishes that the forthcoming will be an inaugurated eschatology without stating it in those terms. He prefers already/not yet and he really spent time here so as to--I assume--avoid any future or realized eschatology. Farther on he calls for eschatological humility since this is one of the most vague subjects in theology (insert his comments about timelessness being stated in time constrained categories) while saying that it, at the same time, is a cornerstone of all theology since it is what faith hopes for with the coming of Jesus. I fully agree except for his continued insistence about timelessness.
Here is an issue I take with Oden speaking to eschatology: He makes what I believe is a simple mistake by drawing reference from the story of the rich man and Lazarus (which is based off of an apocryphal text). Jesus used a story or plot familiar with his audience to make the point to "take care of others out of your abundance," rather than dropping eschatological crumbs to be reassembled later. If this literalism is pressed it falls apart by using others eschatological texts.
Oden covers the resurrected body of mankind well. He also differentiates between the resurrected body and the state of the dead before the final coming of Christ very well. I take a bit of an issue with his statement (drawing from Tommy Aquinas) that the resurrected person will be immutable and unable to sin. I would rather state that the resurrected and glorified person will be even more free than now but we will be in the presence of the Lord and have no desire to sin. So much of his eschatology removes freewill from the person.
In what is commonly the most debated issue in eschatology, the Millennium, Oden shows some grace. He lists the three main schools, realized Millennium (Amillennialism), a premillennium, and a postmillennium view and gently weighs in on which way he and the tradition are drawn. He is honest here that those before Augustine often leaned Premillennial because then it was often that the pre Constantinian church which was persecuted. This naturally leans Premillennial in a "Hes got to come back and resuce us soon" kind of way.
This was a really good ST grounded in the Patristics. I wish I had read it years ago even though there are placed I greatly disagree with Oden.
#PatristicTheology #Wesleyan #ArminianTheology #Arminian #Theology #SystematicTheology #ThomasCOden #ThomasOden #Oden #Pneumatology #Ecclesiology #Soteriology #Eschatology
November 21, 2022
Without sounding too contentious I think it’s unfortunate and distressing that in low church non-denominational settings the Holy Spirit is usually only mentioned in relation to a) some experience that is alleged to be a “gift/work of the Spirit” or b) whatever somebody “FEELS like the Holy Spirit spoke to them” the other night. It leaves me wondering if this really captures the essence of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ? Is that where the emphasis should be? I personally am not persuaded and I think Oden is a good corrective for us without being antagonistic or reactionary, helping contemporary Christians recover from theological amnesia. If you are looking for a an author who focuses primarily on engaging with other modern voices and is committed to letting contemporary issues and debates set the agenda for theology then this is not the book for you. If instead you are looking to gain an appreciation for the faith Christians have held in common between catholics, protestants and the orthodox across 20 centuries, then Tom Oden is without equal.
Everyone who preaches or teaches in any capacity should have Oden’s systematic theology on hand if only the condensed one volume “Classic Christianity”. It’s insightful, we’ll written, I’ve found it more helpful than any other work I’ve read and in many places it reads like a devotional. If anyone can find a better systematic theology in the modern era please let me know but for now Tom Oden is kind of the GOAT.
Everyone who preaches or teaches in any capacity should have Oden’s systematic theology on hand if only the condensed one volume “Classic Christianity”. It’s insightful, we’ll written, I’ve found it more helpful than any other work I’ve read and in many places it reads like a devotional. If anyone can find a better systematic theology in the modern era please let me know but for now Tom Oden is kind of the GOAT.
Read
January 28, 2023Oden's 3-volume Systematic Theology offers a unique contribution. For every point he incorporates not only the relevant biblical data, but he provides summaries and quotes from the history of Christian thought. This includes collections from the breadth of Christian tradition: Apostolic and Early Church Fathers, Creeds and Councils, Medieval Theologians, Reformation/Counter-Reformation, modern mainline Protestants, Evangelicals, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic.
I most benefit from Oden making the Apostolic and Early Church Fathers' thoughts accessible.
I most benefit from Oden making the Apostolic and Early Church Fathers' thoughts accessible.
August 3, 2011
Thomas Oden, a professor of Theology, as written a great three-volume systematic theology. It is very consciously an orthodox and historical look at the broad consensus of the Christian faith. Oden's strength is that he draws extensively on the Church fathers and major theologians from the past, as well as the biblical material, to cite the important developments and aspects of theology. He divides the doctrines up in a useful way that helps to illumine the important facets and discussions. This book is a great textbook that provides important background and helps to teach the basics in a thorough yet straightforward way.
I've not yet read all three volumes cover to cover, though I've been through a good bit of this third volume and his discussion on salvation. He starts off with a great discussion of repentance and its character and importance in salvation, and then moves to a thorough discussion of justification by grace through faith, outining the major developments of the doctrine. He espouses a carefully-reasoned Arminian-leaning position, and defends it very well both biblically and historically. His work is in no way a polemic against Calvinism, but it does show the importance of many aspects of Arminianism to the historic faith.
I have enjoyed delving into Oden's exploration and exposition of the faith, and look forward to going deeper and further into this work. I highly recommend it, and have found it useful for teaching as well as reading and edification.
I've not yet read all three volumes cover to cover, though I've been through a good bit of this third volume and his discussion on salvation. He starts off with a great discussion of repentance and its character and importance in salvation, and then moves to a thorough discussion of justification by grace through faith, outining the major developments of the doctrine. He espouses a carefully-reasoned Arminian-leaning position, and defends it very well both biblically and historically. His work is in no way a polemic against Calvinism, but it does show the importance of many aspects of Arminianism to the historic faith.
I have enjoyed delving into Oden's exploration and exposition of the faith, and look forward to going deeper and further into this work. I highly recommend it, and have found it useful for teaching as well as reading and edification.
January 12, 2009
Oden finishes off his three-volume systematic theology with a work on the Holy Spirit, the church, and the end times. As with the first two books, his approach is to seek consensus between various Christian traditions, isolating those doctrines which are accepted almost universally by Christians and developing the thought behind them. He does this pretty well, though he sometimes offers opinions that, to my knowledge, are far from consensual. Still, his overall theology is good and mind-expanding. For class reading this wasn't bad at all. Oden is a clear writer and at times expresses theological truth in a way that is quite beautiful. On the other hand, he is very thorough (it's a big book) and often repetitive, and I doubt the casual reader will have the patience to work through the entire volume.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews