In Baptism in the Holy Spirit James Dunn argues that water baptism
is only one element in the New Testament pattern of conversion
and initiation. The gift of the Spirit, he believes, is the central
element. For the writers of the New Testament only those who had
received the Holy Spirit could be called Christians. For them the
reception of the Spirit was a very definite and often very dramatic
experience - the decisive and climactic experience in conversion -
initiation - to which Christians were usually recalled when reminded
of their Christian faith and experience. In this book James Dunn
uncovers the place of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the total complex
event of becoming a Christian. His conclusions will help readers to
deepen their understanding of the sacrament of baptism.
Since its original publication in 1970 Baptism in the Holy Spirit has
become a classic of New Testament scholarship. This new edition,
published on the fortieth anniversary of its original publication,
includes a new extended Preface in which James Dunn engages
with the debates about Baptism in the Holy Spirit since it was first
published.
James D. G. Dunn was Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the
University of Durham. He is the author of numerous best-selling
books and acknowledged as one of the world's leading experts on
New Testament study.