It is the Spirit who gives life (John 6:63): Experience and the Formulation of Theology

This paper was presented at the international conference “Theology of the Holy Spirit: Personal Experience and Charismatic Movements in Contemporary Churches” held in Sibiu (2014). Although the role of the charismatic experience in the history of Christianity is a well-known fact it is still of particular interest for today due to the growth of Pentecostalism and charismatic movements worldwide. By turning to Hildegard of Bingen and to Martin Luther for a better understanding of the “faith of the heart”, this study aims to emphasize faith not just as a matter of understanding God but rather as experiencing the real presence of the Holy One. A particular focus is on clarifying terms and seeking the understanding of one another’s positions on the issue of the Holy Spirit.