An Unconventional God

In An Unconventional God: The Spirit according to Jesus, Jack Levison aims to examine how the Holy Spirit was present in Jesus' life and ministry as documented in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While the Spirit's presence is not as prevalent in the Gospels as in the Pauline Epistles, Levison argues convincingly that the enduring depictions of the Spirit in the Gospels are essential for grasping the significance of the Holy Spirit. He navigates through the life story and teachings of Jesus, from His birth to His final words, showing the Spirit’s presence every step of the way to: (1) elucidate the connection between the Spirit and Jesus' life and mission, and (2) clarify Christ's teachings about the Spirit for both His immediate disciples and all subsequent generations.

Levison examines the content of the Synoptic Gospels primarily in chapters 1 through 7. His topics include the evidence of the Holy Spirit's works following baptism, including a life of repentance, purification, and praise (chapter 2), the Holy Spirit as the core of the relationship between Israel and Jesus in the Old and New Testaments (chapter 4), and the Spirit as the source of Jesus’ authority and power (chapter 5), to name a few. Levison contends that “the Fourth Gospel offers a fresh understanding of the Holy Spirit,” devoting chapters 8 and 9 to exploring the Spirit’s work in the Gospel of John alone (137). Understanding the Holy Spirit as a paraclete who bears witness to Christ and provides His disciples with insights into His teachings is central to these two chapters.

In chapter 10, Levison highlights Christ's concluding remarks in the four Gospels. In doing so, it is evident that Christ points towards the eschaton, speaking of the outpouring of the Spirit to proclaim the good news to the world. In the concluding chapter, Levison interweaves the various interpretations of the Spirit in all chapters, thus making An Unconventional God a cohesive read.     

This book is Levison’s attempt to refute “the errant belief that the New Testament is the testament of the Holy Spirit and the Old Testament is not" (93) and demonstrate how intertwined the Gospels are with the framework of the Old Testament. The seeming discrepancies between each of the four Gospels and their respective Old Testament foundations provide additional insight into concerns commonly classified as the “synoptic problem” and the way the Gospels “did not uncover Jesus [but] interpreted Jesus” (205).

Thinking of the virgin birth as “less an impregnation than a cosmic creation” (13) may be an unsettling (if fascinating) suggestion for many readers, but the author reiterates that his intention is not “to undermine a cherished Christian belief” (12). So, as the Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and through the overshadowing by the power of the Most High, the conception is no longer just a virgin birth myth because her baby is the harbinger of salvation: fully human, fully God, guided through the Spirit who hovers over the waters in Genesis 1. The author illuminates the birth story—connecting the entire book’s discussion—with instances in which the Holy Spirit was active or mentioned in the Gospels so that the reader can fully comprehend the Holy Spirit's engagement with Jesus and the Gospels.

Levison has provided scholars and students alike with noteworthy insights. Firstly, by examining the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life and ministry in the Gospels, Levison has demonstrated clearly the ongoing revelation of God in the Old and New Testaments. “The Jewish Scriptures are essential for interpreting the Holy Spirit in the New Testament,” writes Levison in his conclusion (198), reminding readers that there is much to gain in our understanding of the Gospels by referring to the Jewish Scriptures in their own context. He recognizes that the Spirit who was working with Jesus Christ in the New Testament is the same Spirit who was at work in the creation narrative and throughout the Old Testament.  

Secondly, this volume, rich in detailed biblical exegesis, serves as a good resource for examining and comprehending the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life and ministry in the overarching divine redemptive plan of the Trinitarian God. The author's use and interpretation of Greek and Hebrew words, phrases, and sentences enable readers to understand the flow and intent of Scripture. For instance, the often-used NIV version of John 4:24 reads, “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” However, the author interprets the Greek phrase “en pneumati kai alētheia,” or “in Spirit and truth” (Levison’s emphasis), to underscore the inseparability of truth and Spirit: the absence of one nullifies the other. Hence, the Greek phrase means “in a truthful Spirit or Spirit inspired truth.” (145)

Thirdly, this work has a poignant and perceptive applicational message. It does not whisk Jesus away from his temptation and prevent him from being put to the test by Satan in the desert. Instead, as the Synoptic Gospels attest, the Spirit guides Jesus to the wilderness for a trial and is with Him during that trial. Likewise, the assurance of the Spirit given to the disciples on their missions as told in the Gospels is framed by tribulations and persecutions. And the disciples will be delivered to those who oppose the Gospel, and eventually, many will be martyred (122). Christians today who accept the promise of the Holy Spirit as an enduring guarantee of security and prosperity, or a trouble-free spiritual journey, are challenged by this unusual view of the Spirit in the Gospels. This reminds Christians that to share the gospel with all people, the Spirit may take them to unexpected locations and put them in challenging circumstances.        

Levison has given us thought-provoking and inspiring views of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels. In portraying the Spirit as the “unconventional God,” Levison has left some intriguing questions unanswered: do Jesus and God share the same unconventionality as the Spirit? Or when Levison considers Jesus’ promise to His disciples of the Spirit coming upon them as evocatively, how does this empowering presence differ from the Spirit’s involvement with Mary, who only pondered the angel’s proclamation in her heart?  

Perhaps in his next book on pneumatology, Levison could also address pneumatological questions raised by more traditional understandings of the Spirit—the Spirit of love, joy, and grace—as seen in the Pauline Epistles. 

Kris H.K. Chong is a lecturer in theology, and theology and cultural studies at Baptist Theological Seminary, Singapore.                                                                                     

Kris Chong

Date Of Review:

July 26, 2024