James A. CORIDEN. The Holy Spirit and an Evolving Church. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2017. pp. 210. $28.00 pb. ISBN 978-1-6269-8263-5. Reviewed by Ryan MARR, The National Institute for Newman Studies, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

  James Coriden’s The Holy Spirit and an Evolving Church is really two different books under one cover. The first section of the book presents a detailed survey of the Holy Spirit as revealed in Scripture and as reflected upon by post-biblical theologians during the earliest centuries of Christian history—from Clement of Rome to the death of Augustine. The second half of the book, in contrast, is a work of constructive theology. Within this latter section, the central theme motivating Coriden’s reflection is his conviction that “the Spirit is driving the church toward … the reign of God proclaimed and inaugurated by Jesus of Nazareth” (199). Coriden’s preferred image for this process is an evolutionary one: the kingdom of God, he writes, is “a powerful attractive force pulling the church’s evolution forward toward its destiny” (125). In this respect, the endpoint that Coriden has in view sounds more like an inevitability than a goal. Certain persons in the church, even occasionally her leaders, may resist the gravitational pull of the reign of God, but ultimately God’s intentions for the church—and, branching outward, for all of creation—cannot be thwarted.

What the first half of the book lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with its thoroughness and care for the source material. If this section were excised out to comprise a single volume, it could best be described as a compendium of biblical and patristic theologies of the Holy Spirit. My primary complaint about this part of the book has to do with the level of depth at which Coriden conducts his study. On the one hand, it’s refreshing that the main discussion does not get bogged down with an abundance of footnotes. This decision to keep citations to a minimum enhances the readability of Coriden’s survey. On the other hand, there were a few places in the text where, as a reader, I was left wanting more. For example, when Coriden discusses a book of the Bible where the authorship is disputed, or when he engages a potentially contentious theological claim, it would be nice to have a brief reference to a respected monograph or monographs that go deeper into those issues. Also, I thought a bit more could have been done to connect the first and second halves of the book, even if that simply involved referring back to relevant points from the first section when developing the work of constructive analysis in the later chapters.    

Upon reaching Coriden’s constructive proposals, the reader enters entirely new theological territory. While the first two chapters of the book are summaries of what others have written about the Holy Spirit, chapters three through six (particularly five and six) advance a clear vision of what the evolution of the church should look like. Coriden’s suggestions, in some instances, are quite bold. He calls for an end to the discipline of priestly celibacy, predicts a coming day when women will be admitted to holy orders, and argues that reception of holy communion on the part of divorced and remarried Catholics should ultimately be left up to couples who find themselves in that situation. These are obviously hot button issues in contemporary church life, and, when treating them, Coriden arguably could have done more to defend his proposals. For instance, when he addresses the question of women in ministry, Coriden concludes that section with the following remark: “In my view, eventually the rule [excluding women from the sacrament of orders] will change, but again, only where the people of God (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit) and their local culture are willing and receptive” (172). This way of framing the matter assumes that the Holy Spirit is behind the movement towards change, but offers little to no theological rationale for that position. Those readers who are skeptical about the merits of such a change will likely find themselves wanting further elaboration on what would amount to a significant break from the received tradition. 

This book could be utilized for vastly different purposes. The survey at the beginning of the work could work well as an assigned reading in an undergraduate theology course for a lecture, or series of lectures, on pneumatology. The remainder of the book would work better as a discussion starter on a range of ecclesiological issues. At the parish level, and even in some university contexts, the use of the book might be limited by the fact that Coriden argues on behalf of positions that stand at odds with official church teaching. This book, for instance, would not be suitable for catechetical purposes. That being said, a great deal of what Coriden treats (e.g., how bishops are selected, synodality, inculturation, etc.,) does not bear so much on doctrinal content, but has to do more so with the best ways of structuring ecclesial existence so as to enable effective discernment of how God is at work in the world. Teachers and ministers who consider using this book will have to weigh the pros and cons of recommending a work that dissents from some points of accepted doctrine. There is a great deal in Coriden’s little volume that is quite helpful—particularly regarding historical perspectives on the Holy Spirit—but he may turn some readers off with the more radical proposals that he sets forth.