I always have an old book on the go—something with theological depth that grounds me in tradition. Works of on the Spirit absolutely did the trick. This volume contains Letters to Serapion by Athanasius the Great and On the Holy Spirit by Didymus the Blind, two theologians from the late fourth century.

To be honest, I didn’t learn anything new about the Holy Spirit, but I gain a greater appreciation for the struggle the early church had crafting doctrine. If you’re looking to understand how the doctrine of the Holy Spirit was formed, I’d recommend How the Spirit Became God by Kyle R. Hughes instead.

Every time I read patristics, I’m struck by the harshness of their polemic. This volume was no exception. Regarding his opponents, Athansius writes: “In fact, everyone condemns them because they are in truth fighting against the Spirit, and soon enough they will be dead, being as they are deprived and devoid of the Spirit” (103). He ends his second letter to Sarapion by urging his opponents to repent of their blasphemy with a warning from Matthew (12:32)!

Didymus was slightly more tempered, but still blunt: “Nor do I think that anyone would be so foolish and insane as to consider a baptism given in the name of the Father and the Son complete without also adding the Holy Spirit” (175). I wonder what he would have thought of the Jesus Only movement?

Didymus beautifully connected learning with lifestyle in his treatise, as this warning shows: “Nonetheless, some have raised themselves up to investigate heavenly matters by a kind of recklessness rather than by living right” (143). This is a solid reminder for anyone seeking to learn about God. They way we live before God is essential to the task.

Works of the Spirit is yet another excellent volume from St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. You can think of their publications as devotional books for theologians.

Athanasius and Didymus. Works on the Spirit. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011. Popular Patristics Series 43.