Differing Christian Views on Beliefs about the Holy Spirit (Cambridge International IGCSE Religious Studies)

Different views on Christian beliefs about the Holy Spirit

• All Christians who believe in the Trinity believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, along with God the Father and God the Son

• They also all believe that the Holy Spirit:

  • Is the **spirit **or “breath” of God
  • Gives life to all things
  • Is equal in power and glory to God the Father and God the Son
  • Is the presence of God working in the world today
  • Inspires people to let them know the** will of God**

• There is some variation in the emphasis that different Christian churches place on how the Holy Spirit is conferred to Christians today

• Catholic and Anglican Christians believe that although the Holy Spirit is present at all times, it is passed on in a very special and significant way through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and ordination

  • They also include prayer and worship of the Holy Spirit throughout their* liturgy in Sunday Mass and Eucharistic *services
  • Examples include prayers, such as the Sign of the Cross and the Creed*

• *Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians place great emphasis on the events of Pentecost(Acts 2:1–6)

  • This was proof that God sent the Holy Spirit to inspire all Christians to spread the Gospel of Jesus
  • When these Christians gather together for worship, they believe the Holy Spirit is present, just as at the first Pentecost
  • This inspires the preacher and the worshippers to directly experience the Holy Spirit
  • This can lead to less formal services, using non-liturgical *prayer
  • These Christians believe that the experience of the Holy Spirit during these services can help them to live as good Christians throughout their daily lives

Beliefs about the Holy Spirit and Christians’ daily life

• Believing in the Holy Spirit should have a great impact on each Christian’s daily life

• Christians believe the Spirit of God is with them in everything they do

• God is not transcendent but is present as an invisible but real force, moving with them through all their actions

  • This can reassure them that God is truly present and truly cares about them

  • Christians will be aware of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, helping them to cope with life’s challenges. For example:

    • If they are being persecuted for their faith, they have the gift of courage to help them stand firm
    • If they are facing difficult moral choices, they have the gifts of wisdom and counsel to help them make the correct decisions

• Christians will be aware of the need to live in a way that pleases God

  • They are aware of their need to spread the good news, just as the first Christians did after Pentecost

  • They are aware that they should show the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their daily behaviour. For example:

    • If they are getting frustrated, they should be full of the Holy Spirit and be able to show patience
    • If they are tempted to do the wrong thing, they should show the Holy Spirit’s fruit of self-control and be able to resist wrongdoing

Worked Example Give two situations where Christians believe the Holy Spirit is present

[2 marks]

Final answer: Answer:

In church, when everyone is gathered together for worship [1 mark]

In the sacrament of confirmation [1 mark]

Exam Hint This section will help you to answer b-type and c-type questions, where you may be asked to show understanding of why the Holy Spirit is important to Christians or to evaluate its importance as part of the Trinity. Revise this information with the previous page to help you answer these sample questions:

(b) Explain why Christians might consider the Holy Spirit to be important in their daily lives [6 marks]

(c) Evaluate the importance of the Holy Spirit for different groups of Christians. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. Your response should consider different points of view when you evaluate the question [8 marks]