A Book on the Holy Spirit That Will Deepen Your Experience of God
Raniero Cantalamessa has given readers a tremendous gift—a lifetime of reflecting on the Third Person of the Triune God in a single volume that is academically rigorous, historically informed, and spiritually nourishing.
Taking the medieval Veni Creator Spiritus as his point of departure, the author offers a delightful and surprisingly thorough treatment of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Simple structure
Following a brief introduction to the Veni Creator complete with his own translation, Cantalamessa explores the meaning of the hymn one or two lines at a time.
The structure of each chapter is similar:
- a brief comment on the wording and translation of the Veni Creator;
- an analysis of biblical teaching that undergirds the hymn;
- a summary of how this particular teaching was understood by the early church and councils;
- where necessary, an exploration of debates around the teaching; and
- a pointed application to the Christian’s life here and now.
Most chapters conclude with a benediction, a prayer, or a hymn from one or another stream of the Christian church throughout history, leading the reader to pray in adoration or confession or surrender.
The breadth of expressions presented enriches the reader’s appreciation for the church universal and draws the heart upward in reverence and delight in the Holy Spirit.
Threading the needle
Depending on one’s perspective, Come, Creator Spirit is either a readable theology or a rigorous devotional. There is nothing trite about this book; it is serious theology. Yet even the academic arcs return to earth quickly, exposing us to ourselves and to the great work of God’s redemption in us.
The book’s 22 chapters make it an ideal three-week companion to deepen the reader’s appreciation of, love for, and devotion to the Holy Spirit. For slower readers like myself, one can expect a chapter to take about 45 minutes. One may wish to plan an extra 15 minutes of silence afterwards to absorb, to meditate, to be still.
Ecumenical in spirit
Cantalamessa is a Roman Catholic cardinal and theologian; in fact he has been the Preacher to the Papal Household since 1980. Yet as they hymn predates the Reformation by at least 500 years, so the book traces the Scriptures and conciliar history with exacting care and absent polemical argument.
In fact Roman Catholic readers might sense that Cantalamessa has given too much away by his celebration of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements, his appreciation for the Orthodox perspective, and his frequent quotation of Reformers like Luther and Calvin.
In the spirit of Vatican II Cantalamessa traces a broader story of the person and work of the Holy Spirit than one might expect.
Final recommendation
I highly commend Come, Creator Spirit to you. It will deepen your understanding of Scripture, your awareness of God’s work through the centuries, and your appreciation of how the Spirit is at work in you and around you right now.