Once, years ago, after having successfully taught courses on the Holy Trinity to Jesuit theologians, the author was asked to deliver a short course on the Trinity to a group of high school boys. Students refused to accept names such as “ghost.” “dove” and “pigeon.” For if two of the divine persons had personal names. Then, from their viewpoint, why should not the third person have a personal name? Activities of The Holy Spirit includes the author’s proposal for that personal name. But the book contains much more.
Father Fortman takes up the popular questions (e.g. What does it mean to be a born again Christian?), but he is concerned with the many activities of the Holy Spirit, activities such as Christifying, indwelling and divinizing. The third person of the Trinity is the Spirit of life, of love, of holiness; an ecclesial and sacramental Spirit; active in the baptism of the Spirit and the gift of tongues.
Approaching each activity of the Spirit primarily from Scripture, the author adds the various interpretations and explanations given by the fathers, councils , popes and theologians.
For anyone interested in learning in a very systematic way the latest in scholarship concerning the Holy Spirit, The Activities of The Holy Spirit is not a book to miss.