Towards a Theology of the Intercession of the Holy Spirit. Pneumatological and ecumenical inspirations of Augustine of Hippo in letter 130

Kazimierz Pek

doi:10.36124/rt.2024.25

Published: 2024-12-301

Vol. 66 No. 4 (2024)

Towards a Theology of the Intercession of the Holy Spirit. Pneumatological and ecumenical inspirations of Augustine of Hippo in letter 130

Kazimierz Pek

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1492-6747

https://doi.org/10.36124/rt.2024.25

Abstract

In Catholic theology and ecclesial practice, the intercession of the angels, of the Mother of Jesus, and of the saints is particularly apparent. The justification for this position often do not satisfy Christians from other communities. Yet, the letter of St. Paul to the Romans, particularly 8:27, draws attention to itself: “The Spirit intercedes for us.” Augustine of Hippo proposed a very interesting interpretation of this biblical text in Letter 130. He pointed to the Spirit of the Lord as Intercessor. In a short explanation, he attempts to convince the addressee of the letter that the mission of the Spirit is to enable man to pray. His activity is to remove obstacles in man, not in God the Father, so that he may listen. This small text of Augustine constitutes an important inspiration for a pneumatological-ecumenical interpretation of the intercession of the angels, the Mother of Jesus and the saints as intercessors in the Intercessor. This theological approach preserves the primacy of God’s action.

Keywords:

letter of St. Augustine to Proba (130), Spirit Intercessor, theology of intercession

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Pek, K. (2024). Towards a Theology of the Intercession of the Holy Spirit. Pneumatological and ecumenical inspirations of Augustine of Hippo in letter 130. Theological Yearbook, 66(4), 673–689. https://doi.org/10.36124/rt.2024.25

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