A sensitive and evocative treatment of the role of the Holy Spirit in worship. With a keen awareness of the tradition of Syrian Christianity, Brock begins his exploration with the role of the Holy Spirit in the Syriac Bible. A striking aspect of this tradition is the imagery used for the Spirit, including: compassionate mother, fire, olive oil, as well as the more common image of dove. Brock also summarizes commentaries and other literature on the baptismal rite, touching on Syriac literature and works translated from the Greek.

• TABLE OF CONTENTS 6
• PREFACE 10
• ABBREVIATIONS 12
• METHOD OF CITATION 14
• 1. INTRODUCTION 16
• 2. THE SYMBOLS OF THE SPIRIT 28
• 3. THE SOURCES 38
• 4. THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT 62
• 5. THE INVOCATIONS TO THE SPIRIT 100
• 6. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE EUCHARIST 152
• 7. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND MARY 166
• 8. BAPTISM AS PENTECOST 172
• APPENDIX 1. THE TRANSITION TO A POST-BAPTISMAL ANOINTING IN THE ANTIOCHENE RITE 180
• APPENDIX 2. THE HOLY SPIRIT AS FEMININE IN EARLY SYRIAC LITERATURE 190
• INDEX OF BIBLICAL REFERENCES 204