The Roman Catholic Church
regards the Holy Ghost as a spiritual Emanation or outpouring from the Father
and the Son, and as a member of the Trinity Godhead. The Eastern Orthodox
Church conceived Him to be an emanation from the Son. This difference has been
one of the major controversies between these great churches. Some of the
ancient Syrian heretical Christians regarded Him as feminine and conceived the
doctrine that a spiritual Mother in Heaven is the third member of the trinity.
Some of the early Christian fathers, such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and
Irenaeus sometimes confused the Holy Ghost with Jesus’ divine person before and
after His mortal existence. Often they call the pre-existent Christ by the
name, Spirit of God. All of these divergent views simply illustrate how difficult
it has been for men of various ages and faiths to agree upon a clear-cut
definition of such a profound and mysterious spiritual being. (Russel B.
Swensen, The Gospel of John: Gospel Doctrine Department Course of Study for
Sunday Schools of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Salt
Lake City: The Deseret Sunday School Union, 1945], 49)
