In this volume Lukas Ohly describes the phenomenon of the presence of the Holy Ghost, something human beings cannot escape. Since such presence is respected through mutual recognition, this can contribute to solving problems of church membership. In this volume Lukas Ohly uses a phenomenological approach to describe the Holy Ghost as one of presence. Presence is a dynamic event that human beings cannot escape when it appears. Ohly also shows that this phenomenon of presence fits in the traditional subthemes of pneumatology. He explains that such presence is respected through the mutual recognition of Christians. In this manner criteria are created that allow the reader to critically reflect on the problems of interconfessional ecumenism and church membership.

Dr. theol. Lukas Ohly ist apl. Prof. für Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie an der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main.

Understanding the Holy Spirit is a mystery for Christians and Non-Christians. Either they think of it as a fancy or they overdetermine it by identifying with historical events. Lukas Ohly examines a phenomenological reservation in order to describe spiritual events as precise as possible. After all the Holy Spirit is a phenomenon of presence and closeness. But closeness is not a property of entities. Even absent entities let closeness appear. For instance, dead people reveal closeness to their relatives. Closeness leads to recognition among the believers who recognise the power of closeness. So it becomes clear why the Holy Spirit leads to communal faith. The relationship between spiritual closeness and Christian recognition suggests how to deal with actual ecumenical developments.>