Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit?

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When I’m praying by myself, sometimes I use Ghost because I see a ghost as more solid, more ‘there’ then a spirit. A spirit is sort of a breezy nothing to me, but a ghost is a person. When I hear spirit I think of “Spirit of the times” or “he’s got a fighting spirit” - abstract, not real waifs. Plus my grandparents always said “Ghost”; I just remembered that.

If I’m praying with others I say spirit. It’s not some agenda I’m trying to push.
 
japhy said:
Gee, like in 1 Samuel 28?
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The New American Bible footnote says this:

1 [12] Human beings cannot communicate at will with the souls of the dead. God may, however, permit a departed soul to appear to the living and even to disclose things unknown to them. Saul’s own prohibition of necromancy and divination (1 Sam 28:3) was in keeping with the consistent teaching of the Old Testament. If we are to credit the reality of the apparition to Saul, it was due, not to the summons of the witch, but to God’s will; the woman merely furnished the occasion.

CCC:
2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
 
In the Protestant tradition I was raised in, we always said, “Holy Ghost”, so that’s what I’m more comfortable with. My daughter, however, who at 5, has been raised Catholic (DH and I are converts), insists on correcting me, “Holy SPIRIT, Mama” :rolleyes:

I wonder if “Holy Spirit” is used more in Catholicism, and “Holy Ghost” in Protestantism? The Latin vs. German root, maybe?
 
Holy Ghost was used in Catholicism for a while as well. My dad rememebers using Holy Ghost when he was young.
 
It was a great theory though…I mean Ghost is more German, and Martin Luther was German, and Spirit is closer to Latin.

I prefer Spirit though. I grew up with it, and I’m more comfortable with it. But either/or is fine.
 
Spirit seems better because it suggests the Triune life of the Godhead, while ‘ghost’ seems associated these days with pagan superstitions about the departed.
 
Grew up with ‘holy ghost’ - and I love the hymn: Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest, and in our hearts take up they rest…"
 
I think Holy Ghost is a term which evokes more Holy fear - one of His seven gifts.
 
I choose Holy Spirit mainly because that’s what I’m use to. However during my Baptist childhood I also heard Holy Ghost. I have no problem using either Spirit and Ghost.

One other thing,
The Latin for Holy Spirit/Ghost is Spiritus Sancti. The word Spiritus is closer to the English word Spirit. But I’m not a Linguist or even one who knows Latin fluently so don’t go by me.
 
danielsisk619 said:
The Latin for Holy Spirit/Ghost is Spiritus Sancti. The word Spiritus is closer to the English word Spirit. But I’m not a Linguist or even one who knows Latin fluently so don’t go by me.
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animositas : spirit, wrath
animus : courage, vivacity, bravery, will, spirit, soul / soul, spirit, intellect
effigies/effigia : effigy, idol, likeness / ghost, appartition / ideal
flamen : breeze, holy spirit, wind [not found in the LV]
lemures : (pl. only) ghosts, phantoms [not found in the LV]
phasma/phasmatis : ghost, spirit, specter [not found in the LV]
spiritus : breath, breathing / life / spirit

I don’t have time to do an exhaustive search for the others (since I don’t know all the ways the nouns could be inflected) but my first post in this thread showed examples of places the DR translates “spiritus” as “Spirit” vs. “Ghost”.
 
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