In How the Spirit Became God , Kyle Hughes tells the often-neglected story of how and why the early church came to recognize that the Holy Spirit was a distinct divine person. While the subject of Christ’s divinity is a popular topic in church and academy alike, the notion of the Spirit’s divinity remains a mysterious yet intriguing question for many Christians today. Focusing on major pneumatological innovations from Pentecost through the Council of Constantinople in 381, Hughes examines how biblical interpretation and the lived experience of the Spirit contributed to the development of this important, and yet often overlooked, aspect of trinitarian theology. This important contribution not only explains, from a historical yet accessible perspective, the development of early Christian pneumatology but also challenges readers to apply these insights from the church fathers to engaging with the person of the Holy Spirit today. "When did the ancient church recognize the full deity of the Holy Spirit? And what brought it to this conclusion? Hughes not only connects the dots through early patristic exegesis but also through the lived experience of the saints of old. The Triune God is seen, in the end, to be every bit as much the One we know as the One we trust, every bit as much the fount of our Credo as he in whom we find our life." --Daniel B. Wallace, Senior Research Professor, New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary "An exceptionally rich blend of biblical exegesis, theology, and patristics, succinctly and persuasively written for the edification of both the academy and the church. Hughes tells us the story of exactly how and why Christians came to recognize the Holy Spirit as a full-fledged member of the Trinity, and he does so with clarity, depth, and passion." --Zachary J. Cole, Lecturer in Biblical Studies, Union Theological College "Hughes offers a cogent and compelling story of how the church came to recognize the Spirit as God. With a firm grasp on relevant primary and secondary sources, he makes his case for an early high pneumatology arising in the first centuries of the Christian movement. Hughes has opened a new window on early Christianity." --David B. Capes, Senior Research Fellow, Lanier Theological Library The Rev. Dr. Kyle R. Hughes (PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen) is a scholar-pastor-teacher specializing in the study of early Christianity and working to bring out the riches of patristic theology for the modern church and for Christian schools. He is the author of Teaching for Spiritual Formation , How the Spirit Became God , and The Trinitarian Testimony of the Spirit . He has also written several peer-reviewed journal articles, book reviews, and dictionary entries, and is a frequent presenter at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual and International Meetings. Kyle's primary theological interests include the development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, spiritual formation in the Anglican tradition, and Christian teaching and learning. Kyle and his wife Karisa live in Smyrna, Georgia, where he serves as History Department Chair and Faith-Learning Integration Coordinator at Whitefield Academy. He is an ordained deacon in the Reformed Episcopal Church (Anglican Church in North America) and is the Director of Catechesis at Christ the King Anglican Church in Marietta, Georgia. Follow him on Twitter @KyleRHughes10. Matthew W. Bates is associate professor of theology at Quincy University.