What's the difference between 'Divine Providence' and 'Holy Spirit' in this statement?
Upvote:0
In the Christian tradition, the "Holy Spirit" refers specifically to the "advocate" Jesus promises God will send to his followers after Jesus' crucifixion, see John 14:26.
While it seemingly makes sense to equate the Holy Spirit with the Old Testament manifestations of God's presence, I assume the neither the Catholics nor the Jews who prepared the paper you quote wanted to make a leap of that magnitude.
Upvote:2
One Theory: It's possible that the Jews (which Jews? There's not just one body of "orthodox" Jews.) do not wish to endorse the Christian idea of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is not exactly described as a divine person in the OT. "Spirit" and "Spirit of God" are used, but not really in the same sense as "Holy Spirit" is used in the NT.
Perhaps alluding to the Holy Spirit is not a concession that the Jews wish to make, and for the sake of expressing positive things in common, "Divine Providence" was something both groups could agree on.
Upvote:2
To answer the O.P.’s question directly, there is no ontological difference between Divine Providence and the Holy Spirit. God (or, if you will, the Divine Essence) is identical with His attributes—including Providence—and also with each one of the Persons. (The best exposition of this idea is St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa theolgia, I, q. 3, a. 3; and I, q. 39, a. 1.)
I expect, however, that “Holy Spirit” was not used because Jews in general do not, of course, accept the dogma of the Holy Trinity, and “Holy Spirit” in Catholic theology specifically refers to the Third Person of the Trinity. In order to achieve a consensus, a term acceptable to both parties in the joint statement was used.
More post
- 📝 Did John know Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God during Jesus's baptism?
- 📝 What does a returning Catholic who contracted marriage in a Protestant church need to do when the spouse wants to remain Protestant?
- 📝 Is the date of final compilation of the books of the Old Testament an integral feature of the Wellhausen Documentary Hypothesis?
- 📝 According to Catholics (and Mark 7:19) what happens to Jesus' flesh after it is ingested?
- 📝 Can the grace of God depart from a Christian?
- 📝 Is the use of rosary by Catholics a pagan practice?
- 📝 Did Adam and Eve ever practice animal sacrifice?
- 📝 When did the practice of Confession in the Catholic Church begin?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Tradition, Are People in Heaven Waiting for Other People to Die?
- 📝 In the parable of the ten minas, why does the king kill his enemies?
- 📝 What did pastors in the 1800s in the United States teach their congregations about interacting with Native Americans?
- 📝 Why did Jesus leave?
- 📝 Do Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate communion?
- 📝 What is the significance of the message “every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” in 2 Corinthians 13:1?
- 📝 What is the role and significance of Zion in Christianity?
- 📝 What Christian denominations do not require belief in mainstream Christian core doctrines?
- 📝 Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Michael the arch-angel is Jesus. So did Michael swear the oath to Abraham at Genesis 22:15-17?
- 📝 Do Protestant Trinitarians believe that Christianity can be 'proved' without faith?
- 📝 Does every denomination / sect have a catechism?
- 📝 According to Calvinists, how could Adam and Eve fall? How could Satan fall?
- 📝 What is the Catholic Church's position of a marriage between a menopausal woman and an impotent man?
- 📝 According to Jehovah's Witnesses, are there Spirit-filled Christians in non-JW denominations?
- 📝 What is the earliest appearance of the expression "swallowed up in God"?
- 📝 Can a Catholic Priest in the Ordinariate be married to a non-Christian?
- 📝 What is the reason that nuns always cover their hair?
- 📝 What is this ‘water’ in ‘wells of salvation’ that Isaiah speaks of here, and how is one to draw such water up?
- 📝 Given that Mormons believe the father has a physical body, what is the significance of the incarnation?
- 📝 What basis is there for defining sin as "rebellion"?
- 📝 How did Paul know that Satan hindered his movements?
- 📝 How did the tradition of Mothering Sunday arise?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the difference between Evangelical and Protestant?
- 📝 How can I tell the difference between the Moral law and other laws in the old testament?
- 📝 What is the difference between Reformed and Presbyterian
- 📝 Why the difference in depiction of the cross between Catholics and Protestants?
- 📝 What is the difference between 'Biblical' and 'Systematic' theology?
- 📝 What is the Difference Between ROCOR-MP and ROCOR-A (ROCA)
- 📝 What was the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees?
- 📝 What is the difference between icons and idols in churches that permit icons?
- 📝 What is the difference between the doctrines of "Perseverance of the Saints" and "Eternal Security?"
- 📝 What is the difference between "infallible" and "inerrant"?
- 📝 What is the difference between "catholicism" and "catholic"?
- 📝 What is the difference between a pastor, a priest, and a minister?
- 📝 What is the difference between justification and sanctification?
- 📝 What is the difference between a Bible College and a Seminary?
- 📝 What is the difference between classical and revised dispensationalism?
- 📝 What's the difference between judging God and questioning God?
- 📝 What is the difference between man's soul and spirit?
- 📝 What is the difference between "Catechism" and "Canon Law" in Catholicism?
- 📝 What is the difference between a covenant and a contract?
- 📝 What is the difference between holiness and righteousness?
- 📝 Why is the word ‘concupiscence’ so important in understanding the difference between a Catholic view and a Protestant view of ‘Original Sin’?
- 📝 What is the difference between an Apostolic Exhortation and an Encyclical Letter?
- 📝 What is the difference between Apollinarianism and Eutychianism?
- 📝 What's the difference between the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment?
- 📝 What is the difference between being filled by the Holy Spirit and being indwelt by the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 What's the difference between the Gospel and the Bible?
- 📝 What is the difference between the Amish and Mennonites?
- 📝 What is the difference between baptism of the Holy Spirit and receiving the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 What is the difference between "called" and "chosen"?
- 📝 What is the difference between mind and soul (if any)