Of contemporary Protestant theologians, Jürgen Moltmann stands among giants as he is considered one of the most influential and widely read systematicians of his time.[1] Though Moltmann was Professor of Theology at Tübingen from 1967 to 1994, he spent a number of his early years as a pastor at the Evangelical Church of Bremen-Wasserhorst.[2] This is likely why he is both an influential academic theologian and a “man of the church.”
Moltmann has written many popular and influential volumes, including Theology of Hope (1964) and Crucified God (1972). Due to “the fact that he draws from so many different sources,” Moltmann’s theology is “not only contemporary but also contextually relevant.”[3] As an ecumenical dialogue participant,[4] Moltmann’s engagement with the Eastern Orthodox Church, especially Eastern spirituality, has had tremendous influence upon his pneumatological development.[5] Additionally, Moltmann’s prestigious academic career has included serious interest in the contribution of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.[6] In fact, Moltmann’s proposed “Messianic ecclesiology”[7] is robustly pneumatological, having common points of interest with current Pentecostal theologies addressing the Spirit and the Church. [Read more…]