Here I Stand : My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love, and Equality

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Summary: The 'Wind of Changes' blows through the Church
Review: An interesting and pacey narrative, flowing easily over its 460 pages. This book is an account of challenges and events that shaped Spong during his life as Minister and Bishop. It is thus a good Account of Spong�s own contribution to changes in US Episcopalian attitudes and practice. (i.e.where he comes from). The book is not a cogent outline of his theological position (where he stands), and only in a two page Appendix is there a summary of �Twelve Theses� or theological points he supports. For more detailed understanding of his theological contribution and positions readers must refer to his other works.

The changes that Spong led arose from the existential problems he faced, whether in desegregation, Parish participation and inclusion, or forging understanding of Scripture and Doctrine. The narrative follows these predicaments as they arise and his own moves to meet and accommodate them, often at personal cost. This detailed tracking of Episcopalian change and politics, whether at Parish or Diocese level, is recorded from one conversation to another, and no name goes unnamed. The book reads as a deliberately detailed archive of the development of issues, and the roles and tactics of the major protagonists. Ill-informed, prejudiced, and doctrinaire church leaders parade through its pages, contesting issues and scripture with more moderate and humane ministers. There is dishonest and manipulative conduct aplenty, and backroom dealings unfettered by any commitment to truth, fairness, or justice. The book derives much of its interest and readability from this drama of conflict and intrigue at the heart of a church structure still allied to an outdated staus quo.

The same level of detail is not evident with regard to influences in his personal life which may have shaped his thinking and theology. For example from his marriage in 1952 (�not a mature decision� p57) until moving from Tarboro 13 years later (1965) there is no hint of miscommunication or difficulty until he expresses surprise to discover how much his wife hated that town. Then following the 1969 move to Richmond and his wife�s tragic descent into psychoses they end up leading separate lives, often not seeing each other though living under the same roof. Finally in 1984 he moved into his own apartment. Around this time (1985) he established a Taskforce on the changing patterns of family life, examining issues of sexual activity commencing well before marriage, post-marrieds (widowed or divorced) remaining open to sexual activity, and, the possibility of what he terms �sacred partnerships� for gays and lesbians. His own life confronted these issues, and probably had for some time. Is it unfair to expect some acknowledgement, some sensitive and discreet comment on this? Is the reader justified in expecting the same referencing in existential conditions, the same degree of detailed analysis that accompanied some of the lesser moves in the Church? Evidently not. Spong clearly ran a very �human centred� ministry, and his combination of administrative ability and capacity for human engagement comes through strongly�.. except in regard to his family. Again, the courtship of his second wife as recounted is so oblique that she enquires, �Does this mean we are engaged?� Some would find this more believable as querying the formalising of an already existing bond of unity. Certainly this reader felt there was more �history� than was being revealed.

The Lambeth Conference which immediately preceded Spong�s retirement reads as a distressing two dimensional high camp drama between inflexible positions, represented by the �Old Guard� on one side and Spong on the other. Is there no legitimate middle ground between the Fundamentalist�s �Homosexuals are for Hell� and the Liberal�s discovery (supposedly science based) that Homosexuality is a legitimate third gender? There was talk of the East/West and Third World/First World polarities on Homosexuality, but no discussion on the unease felt by many middle ground Liberals. That is, the apprehension of where recognition and acceptance of Gays in the Ministry might lead. What of the reasonable concern that it must inevitably lead to moves to sanction and bless their gay unions. (�liturgies which recognise and bless such relationships� p334). Holy Matrimony? However non judgemental an organisation becomes on sexual orientation, can it actually legitimise behaviour that its own scripture deems not acceptable? If it does, then how will it accommodate this? What are the implications for other core doctrines in those same scriptures? What then happens to the central role of that scripture? Does accepting Gay and Lesbian oriented persons as Priests require legitimising of such sexual orientation or behaviour? How can an inclusive church not include people simply because they are not hetrosexual, while its members may include those guilty of greater sins? In fact, what is the boundary and shape of full, honest, and unflinching debate on this issue? Sadly the reader finds only the bitter vitriol of a slanging match between ideological extremes.

Spong witnessed �the death of the church visibly at the Lambeth Conference� (p455) due to, he claims, the evangelical fundamentalist takeover of the church internationally. This he says is only made possible because �thinking people in mainline modern churches are departing�. After working throughout his career �to give a credible voice to a Christianity in dialogue with the real world,� Spong�s defeat at Lambeth (on homosexuality issues) brought him to the realisation that the church as it exists �was surely dying for me�.

Overall this book is a good account of the different moods and currents wafting through the wider Church in the second half of the Twentieth Century. It is well told by one who spent 50 years continually pushing and defining the �progressive� frontier. The book is thus far more correctly described by its subtitle, as the author�s personal account of �My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love and Equality�.

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Summary: All Scholarship should be like this
Review: Being a major fan of John Shelby Spong, I bought his memoir thinking it would be as fascinating a page turner as his books "Why Christianity Must Change or Die" and "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism." Although parts of this book are interesting -- especially his struggle with church officials and the public to abandon the prejudices that lie at the heart of many church teachings-- a lot of it is not.

It's not a brief story at all -- Spong has an impressive career behind him, but I'm not sure I wanted or needed to hear about as much of it as this book details. And, strangely, for a man of faith I didn't get a strong sense of his relationship with God at all. The vast majority of the book recounts various tedious ecclesiastical details and one too many tales of priestly friends and foes. Damn, are those Episcopalians a dry bunch. I kept wanting a fist fight to break out to liven things up.

Rating:
Summary: A pleasant finale to a principled career.
Review: Having read nearly all of Bishop Spong's books, I looked forward to "Here I Stand" as a recap of his career. I wasn't disappointed, though I must say that some of his previous efforts, such as "Rescuing The Bible From Fundamentalism", held a greater fascination for me due to the freshness of their approach and their more forceful analysis of the requirements imposed on modern Christianity. That aside, this book hammers away with enlightened insight at the self-serving nature of fundamentalist apologetics, while giving the reader a great deal to ponder about the future of christian worship in America and abroad.

All in all this book is vintage Spong, and will especially entertain those who haven't read a lot of the Bishop's writings.

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Summary: Originality is NOT Spong's strong suit
Review: I am quite surprised that reviewers of this book to date make no mention of the seminal book which John Shelby Spong attempts to imitate--namely, historian Roland Bainton's excellent biography of Martin Luther--even to the point of imitating it's title--"Here I Stand!". Certainly, such implicit comparisons with the lives of two men invites critique as to the importance of the contributions of each. Unfortunately, I can not speak as highly for the contributions of the good Bishop from New Jersey to those of Luther as Bainton portrays him. I found Bishop Spong's attempt to cast himself as a "modern day" version of the 16th century Protestant Reformer in his everyday church polity struggles, frankly, more than a little pretentious and self-congratulatory in his own self-importance. Having neither the character of Luther nor his originality, Spong instead reflects commonplace misunderstandings of the church, its mission and history, which, are 1) far from the historical mark and 2) lack the academic subtelty and sophistication of serious study.

For those seeking a "pop" assessment of modern theology, a caricature instead of substance, this is your book. I suppose it is worth pointing out that ultimately, you get what you pay for, however. "Pop" assessments rarely provide more than snap-shots in time and are of limited sustained value as contributions to the Church. Fortunately, books like this have a tendency to pass quite quickly into used bookstores as bargain basement classics. Appropriately so, in my view.

Ray Timmermans
Bethel Seminary, San Diego

Rating:
Summary: Nothing to Stand On
Review: In a postmodern era, where truth is relative and reality undefinable, this book provides quick and easy pain relief, kind of like taking morphine for cancer. For the most part, we all want to believe that there is a God or at least something out there; that way we don't feel like this life is such a waste. But if we believe in one system, especially one so "antiquated" as the Bible we will be mocked and ridiculed for being closed-minded and ignorant. But we grew up in Christian homes and are much more comfortable with "Christian" spirituality than, say, Eastern Transcendentalism. So what is the open-minded post modernist to do?

Enter John Shelby Spong (and others)...

Simple, by removing Christianity's belief that we are sinful, Christ no becomes pointless. By removing the parts of Christianity that cause so many people to stumble and which don't make sense in a world where everybody is equally right (see 1 Corinthians 1:18), now Christianity is poised to survive for millennia to come.

The problem is that the message of Christianity is the Gospel, the Good News. That Good News is that even though we have been found to be in rebellion to the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge over the universe, He made a way for us to be made right with Him: Christ. Christ came and died so that we would not be judged as the rebels that we are and cast out of His Presence and into eternal death. Sin is that rebellion; Christ is the only solution. Any religion, including a Savior-less Christianity that does not deal with our problem of sin will probably do quite a bit to make us feel better about our damned condition while we're here on earth, but we will still have to stand on our own merits before the Judge. It's like having cancer, ignoring the miracle cure, and taking morphine so that you can ignore the death that you are dying. Christ, rather, will remove your sin and your rebellion as far as the East is from the West. He will remove your death-bringing cancer of sin and give you the true relief of his grace, both now and for eternity.

Do not fall for Spong's appealing postmodern message. Realize that reality exists; if the God of the Bible is real, you must repent from your sins and place your only hope in Christ.

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Summary: Thank God for Spong
Review: Last year I read John Shelby Spong's book, "Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile" and was moved. I had thought that about the most I could expect from the Anglican tradition was a good cup of coffee after the service and yet here was an Episcopal bishop whose book fed me intellectually and, rarest of all, spiritually. In December I learned that his autobiography was to be published and bought it as soon as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed "Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love and Equality".

The book moves along at a fast pace, blending the facts of his life with the stories that give them meaning. And the stories are fascinating. We read of the experiences that shaped him as a child, as a youth, as a young man. The racial conflicts he sought to ease in his early years as a priest. His stimulating approaches to preaching and education. His acceptance of gay and lesbian people and his support of them even at personal cost. And throughout the book, insightful looks into the workings of the Episcopal Church in America and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

I like the way he looks at himself, indeed it is his frank portrayal of his own weaknesses and mistakes that makes his descriptions of the weaknesses and mistakes of others believable.

Spong closes his book by saying, in part, "But above all else, I was throughout my life and am still today deeply convinced of the reality of God. Indeed, I am more deeply convinced of this reality at this moment than I have ever been before. I walk inside the wonder of this God in every experience of life. I have become more of a mystic than I ever thought possible for a rationalist like me. I still meet this God in the life of the one I call Lord and Christ, who is supremely important to my spiritual journey".

A wonderful man, a great book.

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Summary: A journey into the mind of one of our bravest thinkers!
Review: This is the diary of a man who lives in two worlds--the world of structured--thus intolerant--religion, and the world of kindness and openmindedness. How Jack Spong has managed to walk this tightrope so well for so many years is a mystery in itself. He does it with more grace and clear, concise thinking than just about anyone in his generation. This is a book that can be read by atheist, believer and agnostic alike, for it is virtually a blueprint of how a gentle person can rise above repression and suppression, and color outside the lines, while at the same time accomplishing something incredibly important. Spong is open to diversity and humane treatment of all humans of goodwill. He has little patience with intolerant dogmatists, bigots, racists, homophobes and meanspiritedness. Despite his love for the Episcopal Church, it's difficult to understand how he can put up with so much blind, political, unswerving and self-serving structure in the church--but put up with it he does, for he sees his cause as good for humankind. Bishop Spong wants Christianity to open itself to the 21st Century and rise above petty, uninformed narrowmindedness. He wants his church to be the leader of this movement, but the church seems destined to move with glacial speed. Spong tours the country, sowing the seeds of hope. I urge the reader to read what this man has to say. It's not likely we'll have another such brilliant spokesperson for justice and openness in our midst any time soon. Open your heart, take a deep breath, and get ready to journey inside the mind and will of this gentle giant. --Jim Reed, author, DAD'S TWEED COAT: SMALL WISDOMS HIDDEN COMFORTS UNEXPECTED JOYS (jimreedbooks.com)

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Summary: A Most Remarkable Figure
Review: Throughout the course of his lifetime, respected bishop and author John Shelby Spong has been an outspoken advocate of liberal Christianity. He has been globally recognized as "a lightening rod for controversy" and has made his name known to religious people everywhere. In addition to his writing career and priestly vocation, Spong has also labored on the vanguard of both the civil rights and the gay rights political movements. Within this passionate, heart-warming autobiography, Spong recounts his involvement in all of these activities, painting a picture for the reader of a man vigorously devoted to the God he worships and the people he loves.

In reading "Here I Stand," I have gotten acquainted with someone who has quickly become my personal hero. Roughly one year ago, I was entering a spiritual wilderness. I had recently accepted the fact that I am a homosexual and began to realize that I could no longer take the Bible literally. My faith in things like the virgin birth and the reality of hell was crumbling fast. In this transitory state, a friend referred me to Spong's "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism." His book was amazing. It enriched and expanded my faith in bold, exciting new ways. Spong taught me that it was not necessary to believe in things that would twist your mind into a first-century pretzel. Instead, Spong countered, God should be worshiped with your mind and your heart. Over the course of the past year, I have read seven more of Spong's books. Each has taught me new things and broadened my horizons in unexpected directions. I have delighted in every page of every book that Spong has written. For some reason, his writing has struck a chord deep within me that resonates with the way that I experience God. Perhaps this is because I have been able to personally authenticate every theological issue that Spong explains. This has never happened to me before. For example, when I was a conservative Christian, I was told that God would personally answer all of my prayers; however, I never felt like I received a response. I was also told, among other things, that God wouldn't make Christians gay. My attraction to the same sex, though, was unmistakable. Spong's theology makes no promises about an external, supernatural God that functions as a divine Mr. Fix-It. That version of God, Spong claims, is not unlike a Santa Claus-figure that many people eventually grow out of believing in. Spong's theology does say, however, that the presence we call God is constantly renewing our lives in wonderful and diverse ways. This I do believe. Despite my failing belief in a theistic God, I have always felt a divine undercurrent at the root of my human experience. Spong shares my feelings and articulates this presence as the presence of God, not miraculous and incredible, but very, very real indeed. With each new book that I read, Spong expounded on this God-presence and also said that it was the presence seen in Jesus of Nazareth, who loved wastefully and gave selflessly. I quickly realized that I had found a theology that not only made sense in this postmodern world, but also fed my spiritual hunger deeply and richly. I soon became attached to the one who taught me these new concepts of God, of whom I would have the distinct pleasure of meeting, which I recount as one of the most worthwhile experiences of my life. I truly believe that John Shelby Spong is a very special, gifted man, and reading his autobiography was something like the icing on the cake compared to the rest of his books because he allows his readers to step inside his shoes and experience vicariously the thrills of being involved in a movement for a more sensible, welcoming version of Christianity.

As the subtitle of this book spells out, all of Spong's efforts have been focused on building a Christianity of integrity, love, and equality. These three tenets of liberal Christianity have, I believe, truly separated it from conservative Christianity. Spong's focus on integrity is seen as he tries to develop an open dialogue between all points of view and all of the world's religions. Disgusted by the bitter narrow-minded, bigoted views of many conservatives, Spong calls on the church to debate honestly and respect all ideologies without thoughtless dismissal or vehement condemnations of conflicting viewpoints. The second facet, love, is meant to be expressed through the church's open acceptance of all people. Spong's work on the civil rights and gay rights movements testify to his belief in a Christianity of love. Spong believes that the church's doors should be open to everyone. After all, the Episcopal church's signs proclaim, "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!" Finally, Spong believes that all people are equal: race, gender, age, religion, and sexual orientation literally mean nothing. All life is sacred; everyone is of equal value. Spong seeks to create a Christianity that recognizes this belief.

"Here I Stand" is a book that recognizes and celebrates this most remarkable figure. Spong beautifully summarizes his theology as he provides a detailed narrative of the experiences that have shaped his life. His life story is, as I have said, an exciting and suspenseful journey. It amazes me that one man has accomplished so much. Fans of Bishop Spong will love this book; critics of Spong will inevitably loathe it. If you happen to be one of those people that counts himself or herself among Spong's disciples, reading this book will be a life-giving experience. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed visiting the major junctions of Spong's life and seeing the forces that have shaped this man into a legendary person. From yesterday's racial tension to today's irrational homophobia, this book captures it all. But above all else, it is ultimately an appealing self-portrait of a man who has made himself one of our generation's most vocal, noble, enchanting, and lovable public figures.