Hi all,

I am searching for a good simple book on the Holy Spirit. Something that explains who He is, and how He works. Something that is very down to earth, that your regular everyday garden variety Christian can read and understand.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks, Tony :)

A classic that is excellent is “Owen on the Holy Spirit”, by the puritan writer John Owen.

You’ll find some good stuff in Bible dictionaries like the ones that are on-line at bible.net or crosswalks.com

In all seriousness, I suggest just getting a concordance and your Bible and pouring prayerfully over all the passages in which the Spirit is referred to. It won’t take any longer than reading another person’s book and it will help you have your own clear ideas and unanswered questions before you let other voices get into your head.

Memo to self - apply this advice more often in your own life!

G’day Tony,

Two books I would recomend for lightish reading are,

1. The Holy Spirit of Promise, by J Oswald Sanders - it is an older book and you more than likely would need to get an old copy of it.

2. The Holy Spirit in You, by Derek Prince. You should be able to read though it fairly easily.

A third book I have has a good section on Him, by T.C. Hammond - In understanding be Men - though I do find it is a little incomplete in regards to how the Holy Spirit actually tranforms and empowers us.
Though he is not a real light read, he is fairly easily understood.

craig

J I Packer has 2 books that I’ve found helpful at various times
Keep in Step with the Spirit and Life in the Spirit (shorter than 1st)

Tony,

I’ve got the same questions.  I’ve been bugging my priest about The Holy Spirit of late.  Chapter 5 God as Spirit, The Orthodox Way, Ware, St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, ISBN 0-913836-58-3 will give you an Eastern Orthodox understanding.

There is another book my priest will bring me in two weeks for our next chat.  I think it is The Mystical Theology of the Orthodox Church, Lossky, St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, ISBN 0-913836-31-1, which will have a chapter on it.  Best to head to your library for it and The Orthodox Way.

God bless,
Ian.

Another book Tony is by Charles Spurgeon, Holy Spirit Power, a good easy read.

craig

Thanks for all your suggestions so far everyone.

Certainly I have followed the concordance and Bible suggestion in the past, and that is helpful.

I have just started reading “Keep in step with the Spirit” by J I Packer to see what it is like, but it is probably too long and in depth.

What I am looking for is something simple and shortish (like I said earlier) that I can give to someone who has questions about Him (the Holy Spirit) and how He works.

Thanks, Tony :)

Keep in step with the Spirit

Just thought I’d revive this thread, and recommend the new edition of Keep in Step with the Spirit

Packer has added a new preface and has written a concluding essay, but the rest of the book is substantially the same.

It is a great book, and well worth your time.
I’m sorry I took 20 years to read it!

I have also enjoyed stuff by Gordon Fee. While he is a Charismatic, he does not teach a 2 stage conversion, and his exegesis is usually solid.
His commentary on 1 Corinthians and his book God’s Empowering Presence [on the Holy Spirit in Paul’s letters] are stimulating and helpful.