The Charisms of the Holy Spirit in the Life of Churches
Theological and practical considerations of charisms in the life of the Christian churches have always been essential to the task of describing the essence of the Church. How different Christian traditions have defined and delineated their self-understanding throughout history has, in large part, hinged on how charisms were theologically understood and practiced. Indeed, the theological justification of charisms in a given tradition is always closely related to the development of theological justifications of church structure and approved ministry forms. Thus, a clear understanding of both charisms and the organizational structure and ministry of one’s tradition is needed to construct a coherent and consistent theological perspective of what makes the church the Church. The purpose of this essay is to explore and reflect on the following aspects of Christian self-understanding. First, I will survey and comment on the testimony of the New Testament concerning the Church (or Body o