Book examines the affections in the Christian tradition

Dale M. Coulter, associate professor of historical theology at Regent University, and Amos Yong, professor of theology and mission at Fuller Theological Seminary, have edited a new book titled The Spirit, the Affections, and the Christian Tradition. The contributors to this volume explore the role of emotions and affections in the Christian tradition from historical and theological perspectives, especially related to the work of the Holy Spirit. Although historians and scholars from a range of traditions—including Wesleyan, Pentecostal, and Pietist—have engaged these issues, there has yet to be a sustained examination of the role of emotions and affectivity across the Christian tradition. By retrieving the complex discussion about affectivity in Christian tradition and bringing its many voices into dialogue within a contemporary ecumenical context, the contributors also point toward a number of new research trajectories.

“When Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley described the renewal of the heart, they did so in terms of holy affections. As this book amply demonstrates, they were drawing on a rich tradition. By examining how an array of significant theologians have understood the affections throughout history, these essays not only correct modern misunderstandings and provide fresh insights, but give us a glimpse of Christianity itself as a story of renewal. This is an indispensable resource for all historians and theologians who study and seek renewal.” —Henry H. Knight III, Donald and Pearl Wright Professor of Wesleyan Studies, Saint Paul School of Theology

The Spirit, the Affections, and the Christian Tradition is available in hardback and numerous digital editions from the University of Notre Dame Press.

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