There is a particular journey that In the Spirit hopes to take its reader on: starting in darkness, with the soul asleep, journeying through resistance to conversion to a life renewed, the book ends with a vision of perfection and the pattern of a divinely ordered life. This text is accessible to the engaged and interested reader of any stripe – no previous expertise in philosophy is needed. DeLay’s unironic frontal delivery which, in a philosophical landscape typically concerned with caveats and an obsession with narrowing the scope of a set of claims, is refreshing. ~ Sarah Pawlett-Jackson, Phenomenological Reviews

In what is a most unique take on the literary angle of our most basic human issues - such as love, hope, joy, beauty, desire, et al - author Steven DeLay has brought forth a new book that parlays all of that (and oh-so-much more) into a faith found in Christ, whilst at the same time drawing a line of direct lineage attention to works of art from such masters as Caravaggio, Doré, Pissarro, Poussin, Rembrandt, and even Rodin. In the Spirit is a fascinating journey into an exercise of genuinely focused attention to the descriptive profferings at hand, where the human topics of life and faith are considered with a sophistication and creativity that is as masterful in its articulation as it is in its delivery. An awakening, if you will, this book (perhaps even a treatise) by DeLay, aligns Biblical scripture in conjunction with earnest conversation, whilst being harmoniously attuned to classic works of art, in an attempt to address fundamental questions of faith and existence. As original and wholly insightful as one could ever hope to imagine, DeLay’s In The Spirit is a 154 page-turner extraordinaire and fully deserves all the praise that is being lauded down on it. ~ Exclusive Magazine, https://annecarlini.com/ex_books.php?id=335

This dense treatise by philosopher DeLay (Before God) puts scripture in conversation with classic works of art to address fundamental questions of faith and existence. “Existence assumes the form of faith, for it becomes a task of stretching forth, a perpetual exodus always in patience seeking after the heavenly city,” DeLay writes, suggesting that art and literature speak to this existential desire by depicting human longings that find resolution in the teachings of the Bible. For example, DeLay asserts that the miserable figures depicted in Adriaen van Ostade’s painting Drunkards in a Tavern lay bare the “spiritual crisis” of the human condition, and the solution is to partake in the “waters of life” as revealed in John’s gospel. Caravaggio’s painting Narcissus portrays Ovid’s character as the epitome of “transcendental egoism,” which DeLay argues results from not humbling oneself before God. DeLay’s prose is dense, abstract, and at times meandering, but the author’s interpretations of works by such artists as Doré, Pissarro, Poussin, and Rodin are original and insightful. This dynamic volume will make a thought-provoking addition to scholarly collections. ~ Publishers Weekly

After having penetrated French phenomenology, specifically concerning the theological turn and its subsequent developments, showing a broad panorama for the future of the phenomenology of religion in his first work Phenomenology in France, and having developed a phenomenological foundation for thinking of our subjectivity as intrinsically connected to a life lived before God in his second work Before God, Steven DeLay now proposes a phenomenology of faith, illustrating the deep meaning of existence through a description of fundamental human structures in a ten chapter work subtly attending to over sixty works of art. Perhaps the most powerful message that DeLay underscores throughout his work is that, enlightened by the living experience of faith, we should no longer walk guided by the flesh, but rather be motivated by the Spirit. Once the experience of faith has been experienced, and with the soul's senses enlightened, the inner man must no longer live under the shadow of the outer man. Illuminated by the perspective of the promise of eternal life, the saddest figures (both on the canvas and in life) are those whose only end lies in the days of time. ~ Felipe Vargas Sotela, Journal for Continental Philosophy of Religion

As much a work of philosophy and theology as art-criticism, In the Spirit invites the reader into an exercise of searing attention, where pressing topics of life and faith are considered with a sophistication, creativity, and seriousness that is truly invigorating. DeLay’s unique voice and uncompromising vision herald an author who looks to make an original and lasting impact on discussions of religion and spirituality. This beautiful book is an awakening. ~ Ryan S. Kemp, author of Reason and Conversion in Kierkegaard and the German Idealists