Pneumatology in the Service of Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue A Case of Neglect?

This article seeks to address the inherent ambiguity in the appeal to the Spirit and the danger that the ecumenical movement may become stalled by a lack of clarity concerning this appeal. It outlines a foundational theology of the Spirit, as a point of departure. It then provides the elements of a Spirit Christology, including a Spirit Ecclesiology, and addresses the issue of the ecclesial discernment of the Spirit. It concludes with a summary of some of the consequences for ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue flowing from a turn to the Spirit in theology. By advocating the adoption of a renewed theology of the Spirit, informed by a Spirit Christology, and applied to the Church, the article provides one way of moving beyond the existing impasse in ecumenism and also helps to address the new demands of inter-religious dialogue.