Pneumaformity - by Mark J Keown (Paperback)

About the Book

"Beliefs about the Holy Spirit have clear implications for all of Christian life. Pneumaformity surveys Paul's letters for clarity on these teachings. By incorporating Paul's Trinitarian framework behind teachings about God and Christ with specific mentions of the Spirit, New Testament scholar and longtime pastor Mark Keown gives readers eyes to see the expansive nature of Paul's pneumatology. Prominent recent studies elevate the themes of "Christoformity" and "Cruciformity" in Paul's writings, but few sufficiently account for the Holy Spirit, the instrument through whom radical living is possible. This study dives into Paul's teachings on the following aspects of the Spirit's agency: the Spirit's participation in conversion, role in forming Christian character, integrating work within the Christian community, missional engagement, place in the believer's final eschatological transformation. Keown shows how Paul infused his Christological language with pneumatological realities, offering readers a fuller understanding of the Spirit's work in individuals, the church, and the world"--

Book Synopsis

According to Paul, it is by the Spirit, through Christ, that God transforms people, communities, and the cosmos
Prominent recent studies elevate the themes of "Christoformity" and "Cruciformity" in Paul, but few sufficiently account for how a believer is actually transformed into the image of Christ. Pneumaformity fills the gap in Pauline studies by surveying Paul's letters for teachings on the Spirit's agency in the life of God' people. This study aptly demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is the instrument through whom such radical living is possible. This study dives into Paul's teachings on the following aspects of the Spirit's agency and more:

• the Spirit's participation in conversion
• the Spirit's role in forming Christian character
• the Spirit's integrating work within the Christian community
• the Spirit and missional engagement
• the Spirit's place in the believer's final eschatological transformation

Keown shows how Paul infuses his christological language with pneumatological realities, offering readers a fuller understanding of the Spirit's work in individuals, the church, and the world.

Review Quotes

"Building upon the pioneering works of scholars such as Gordon Fee, Michael Gorman, Scot McKnight, and Jimmy Dunn, Mark Keown rightly suggests that, in the Corpus Paulinum, the Holy-Spirit-empowered apostle issues a clarion call to his hearers and readers toward what Keown has coined "Pneumaformity." For Keown, 'Pneumaformity' is not merely some catchy buzzword or specialized 'lens' through which to read and understand Paul and his letters, but is the diachronic, ethical, and Pauline basis for living the Christian life--a life that is to be lived, led, conformed, and transformed by God's Spirit and fully realized in the eschaton. While Keown gives sufficient detail and precision when necessary, Keown helpfully synthesizes big-picture concepts, so readers do not miss the proverbial 'forest' for the 'trees.' An example of such synthesis is Keown's holistic treatment of the Spirit's work, which serves as a beneficial corrective to myopic, imbalanced pneumatological perspectives. Thus, Keown clarifies the Spirit's cosmic scope in Christian living--simultaneously impacting individuals, churches, communities, and the world. Moreover, Keown explores the entirety of Paul's epistles and not just his larger letters, which are so often the focus in delimited surveys of the Spirit. In sum, Keown's readers--scholars, students, and busy pastors alike--will greatly benefit from his keen, yet approachable, exegetical insights throughout this work. I highly recommend this book for all those wishing to 'keep in step' with the Holy Spirit!"--Gregory Lamb "Adjunct Professor of New Testament Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Building upon the works of Gorman and McKnight on Cruciformity and Christoformity respectively, Keown continues the conversation by placing the rightful emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit in the process of transformation of God's people. By coining a new terminology, Pneumaformity, Keown traces the work of the Spirit in a thematic fashion drawn from the thirteen letters of Paul. Written in an engaging and inspiring manner, Keown guides the reader into deeper insights of the role the Spirit plays in a believer's life, with special attention given to suffering and mission engagement, themes rarely touched on by studies in pneumatology. Keown's Pneumaformity is a rare gift and I am excited to recommend it to pastors and students who desire a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit and how to live a Christian life in total submission to God's Spirit."--Kar Yong Lim "Lecturer in New Testament Studies, Seminari Theoloji Malaysia" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Following in the footsteps of Gordon Fee and Michael Gorman, Keown forges a new path in Pauline studies by focusing on the Holy Spirit as central to Christian spiritual formation. By expanding the study to passages where the Spirit is not specifically mentioned, he shows that it is through the Holy Spirit that the Father transforms his people into the image of his Son. In this clear and scholarly work, Keown challenges Pneumaform people to be devoted to worship and to participate in God's mission in the world. I highly recommend this thorough study of the Holy Spirit in Paul's letters."--Phillip J. Long "Professor of Biblical Studies, Grace Christian University (Grand Rapids, MI)" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"In Pneumaformity the reader is presented with the riches of a believer and scholar who has immersed himself for years in Paul's letters and strived to uncover both their historical meaning and contemporary significance. Mark Keown stands on the shoulders of giants like Gordon Fee and Michael Gorman, but brings his own passion and insights to the exegetical and theological task in order to present a compelling vision of the Christian life as one shaped from beginning to end by the Spirit of Christ. This book lays out a cohesive and wide-ranging discussion of Christian conversion, sanctification, discipleship, witness, and future hope in Paul's letters, all under the unifying theme of pneumaformity. Not just a work of scholarship, this book is an exhortation to Christian life and community that is more fully shaped by the work of God's Spirit."--Jonathan Robinson "Lecturer in New Testament at Carey Baptist College, New Zealand, Author of Markan Typology" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"In this inspiring work, Mark Keown focuses on the amazing breadth and depth of the Spirit's work. Written with verve and great clarity, and with a strong concern for the church and its witness, this book leads us to a much deeper understanding of the Spirit's role in transforming those who place their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Packed with scriptural insight and wisdom, this book discusses the fullness of the Spirit's work in our lives, in the Church and in the world. But it is also written with the hope that it will encourage us all to be filled with the Spirit and to live by the Spirit, that we might be conformed to Christ. May it be so!"--Paul Treblico "Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"In this monumental work, Mark Keown convincingly demonstrates that Paul's understanding of the Christian life is thoroughly pneumatological. Building on the prior studies of notable scholars such as Michael Gorman, Scot McKnight, and Gordon Fee, Keown offers fresh insight related to Paul's understanding of the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer. Readers will appreciate his careful exegetical analysis, thoughtful theological reflection, and the impressive breadth of subjects explored in the volume that together provide a fuller picture of the role of the Spirit in Paul's thinking. Thoroughly researched yet accessible, this impressive volume will serve as a valuable resource for the study of Pauline theology and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit."--Benjamin P. Laird "Associate Professor of Biblical StudiesJohn W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"In this stimulating new book, Pauline scholar and seminary professor Mark Keown, builds on Michael Gorman's work on cruciformity and Scot McKnight's work on christoformity. For Keown, pneumaformity expresses the Spirit's work in producing both cruciformity and christoformity in the lives of believers. Another conversation partner is Gordon Fee and his classic work God's Empowering Presence, now thirty years old. In updating Fee's work, Keown approaches the work of the Spirit in Paul not by working through Paul's letters chronologically, as Fee did, but topically. This is a systematic biblical theology of the work of the Spirit in Paul. Those who are familiar with Mark Keown's writings will be eagerly waiting to get their hands on this superb book. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the work of the Spirit in the theology of Paul (and that should be all of us)."--Philip Church "Senior Research Fellow, Laidlaw College" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"It is one thing to talk of how our lives as Christians should reflect Christ's life. It is another to explore exactly how we can increasingly live that way. Through coining the terminology of pneumaformity, and exploring its many aspects and implications, Keown brings the Spirit's role in our ongoing transformation to the forefront of our consideration. His exploration of this theme is biblically grounded, thorough, at times controversial, and often compelling. May an increased understanding and application of the Spirit's crucial role in our ongoing transformation lead to us enjoying more and more the fullness of life that God has for us."--Gregory J. Liston "Senior Lecturer in Theology, Laidlaw College, Author of The Anointed Church and Kingdom Come" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Mark Keown has written an interesting and challenging book that thoroughly examines the importance of the Holy Spirit in Paul's thought and writing. We know about Paul's God and the importance of Jesus Christ, but Keown gives us a strong endorsement of the centrality of the Holy Spirit in Paul's theology. More than that, Keown calls us to think again about what it means to live the Christian life in conformity to the Spirit."--Stanley E. Porter "President, Dean, and Professor of New Testament, Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview, McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Mark Keown's Pneumaformity: Transformation by the Spirit in Paul is a comprehensive discussion of the Spirit's intersection with all areas of cruciform life. It is full of theological detail which will enrich learning for both scholars and students. I highly recommend this valuable work."--Sarah Harris "Research Fellow, Carey Baptist College and Graduate School" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"The idea that the Christian life is one of "cruciformity" and "Christoformity" has become prominent in conversations about Paul's understanding of God's goal for people in Christ. In the tradition of Gordon Fee's God's Empowering Presence, Keown brings to the conversation a welcome emphasis on the agency of the Holy Spirit in this process and demonstrates well-nigh exhaustively the importance of the Spirit in Paul's understanding of the Christian life. Readers will find here both a summons and guide to becoming more attuned to, and zealous for, what the Spirit--and only the Spirit--can accomplish in them and through them."--David A. DeSilva "Trustees' Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"The most influential scholar of the last generation on the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, and he was without rival, was Gordon Fee. Mark Keown's Pneumaformity distinctly and pastorally carries forward the work of Fee, extending and expanding it, to the distinctive need for so many of us. Keown probes the question of What the Spirit does and How the Spirit does what the Spirit does. And how much the Spirit does. Pneumaformity, taking a cue many have taken, turns to Michael Gorman and his thesis of "cruciformity," and then explores how cruciformity occurs in the life of the believer: only in the power of the Spirit. At once academically respectable and pastorally useful, Pneumaformity will be a generational book. Those conformed to the Spirit will be formed into the Christ of the cross."--Scot McKnight "Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Themes such as "cruciformity" (conformity to the crucified Christ) and "Christoformity" (conformed to Christ) are most certainly helpful. But so is Keown's important emphasis on "pneumaformity," which focuses on the Spirit's transformational role in the life of the believer. Readers will benefit from the rich exegesis of relevant Pauline texts and application to the Christian life!"--Miguel E. Echevarría "Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"This book is a follow-up to Michael Gorman's "Cruciformity" and Scot McKnight's "Christoformity," with the focus on Paul's teaching of the Holy Spirit. Keown's analysis of Paul's pneumatology is broader than linguistic research that is usually limited to the word Pneuma ("Spirit"). His reading of Paul is constructed upon Paul's trinitarian view of God. This extends the scope of pneumatology to include segments of Paul's writing that were previously ignored. As such, Keown provides an integrated study of Pauline pneumatology in relation to the works of the Father and the Son. He carefully and systematically presented the roles of the Spirit in every stage of the Christian life by drawing connections within the Pauline corpus and beyond. This book is an excellent addition to Pauline's scholarship and pneumatology research."--Rev. Dr Tat Yan Lee "President of the Bible College of Malaysia" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"We have heard about "cruciformity" and being "Christo-centric," but "pneumaformity" is quite another thing! Or is it? Keown brings a complementary Spirit perspective to Paul's Christological work and in doing so revives what Irenaeus spoke of as God's two hands at work in the world. Keown's work makes for a welcome biblical companion to the many theological works on the Trinity, updating in many ways the seminal work of its stated inspiration, Gordon Fee's God's Empowering Presence."--Myk Habets "Head of Theology, Laidlaw College, Auckland, New Zealand" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)