Rating: 
Summary: Grand Assumptions and Strange Conclusions
Review: We chose this book for a study group within a very liberal church. The kind of writers chosen range from Karen Armstrong
to Paul Tillich to Marcus Borg to John Spong. Our group overall was extremely disappointed with the book, and I include myself among the disappointed. Rev. Spong seems to presume that we all grew up with the hateful God as Cosmic Cop image. He also presumes that none of us could figure out some of the seeming inconsistencies within the Bible and that without his help we would be blindly and stupidly bungling along in the ruins of a shattered faith. I thought the book was way too negative and it certainly makes me wonder what happened in Spong's past to make him seem so hateful to the very institution that gave him enough credibility to be a well known writer. A classic case of biting the hand that fees you IMO. If you want intelligent discussion, along with an understanding of the meaning of Jesus, the function of the church and a path to follow I would suggest other writers. Pick up Marcus Borg for example or John Dominic Crossen. You'll find intelligence without all the vitriole.
Rating: 
Summary: Thoughts of an x-christian
Review: I'd been hearing about the Right Reverend Spong on atheist message boards for awhile now and I thought I'd enjoy seeing what all of the talk was about. This title appealed to me the most because I enjoy studying christian history and have felt that literalist christianity is a vile and dangerous set of ideas (along with other fundamentalist belief systems). If the ideas he posits here could ever be actualized and if they could replace what exists today, then the world would be a much better place. Alas, I highly doubt that this will ever occur in my lifetime, if ever. His christianity is one that most all non-monotheists could respect and embrace in the free market of ideas. Follow this book up with "The Jesus Mysteries", by Freke & Gandy and "Jesus and the Lost Goddess", by the same authors. Believe me, if you liked this book you will love these two even more.
Rating:
Summary: Christian existentialism at its best.
Review: John Shelby Spong is an original thinker, a profound theologian and philosopher. His work is a brilliant defense of the value of a God and Christian mythology for the modern soul. Spong articulates a rationale for religion and why a belief in God has been so important historically and psychologically. His death of theism theology reflects the culmination of Christian existentialism advanced by his teacher and mentor Paul Tillich. Unlike Tillich, whose primary audience was his fellow theologians, Spong audience is his congregants and those he calls "believers in exile." While Spong proclaims the death of theism, he also proclaims that God is alive and well in the postmodern world. My problem with Spong's theology, a criticism he acknowledges is valid, but with which he disagrees, is that the religion he has described is not Christianity. Spong has written a Gospel for Unitarianism or for Christian Humanists, but he has not described Christianity. Spong makes a valiant effort to demonstrate in this book, and apparently to an even fuller extent in his earlier writings, that his anti-theism theology is consistent with the earliest Christian witnesses and writings, but his attempt to exorcize the last 1900 years of Christian writings and dogma is simply not credible.
I've always believed that the Jesus of the Gospels bears little resemblance to the historic Jesus, in much the same way that the George Washington taught in elementary schools is not the same as the historical George Washington or that the Martin Luther King, Jr. we honor is an idealization of the actual man. I am prepared to say that a person may describe themselves as a Christian if they believe that the goodness and god-like example of Jesus represents the divine spirt of God, but I don't see how one can be an Episcopalian or a Catholic or a Baptist or a Methodist or a member of any other traditional Christian sect, without believing in the divine (although not necessarily virgin) birth of Jesus, his bodily resurrection, and the existence of an afterlife. Consider the analogous situation of a Jew who believes in the Torah and takes pride in Jewish history, culture and religion, but does not keep the dietary laws or works on the Sabbath. Certainly this person is a Jew by any acceptable definition. But a synagogue may not describe itself as an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, nor may a Rabbi describe himself as an Orthodox Jew, unless it requires its congregants to obey the dietary laws and refrain from working on the Sabbath, or in the case of the Rabbi, he obeys these laws. So I am at a loss to understand how Bishop Spong can remain a ecclesiastic leader in the Episcopal Church or how he can preside at baptisms, funerals, lead worshipers in prayers from the book of Common Prayer, or administer Communion. I also cannot join Spong in his leap of faith. A lot of what he says bridges a gap between modern knowledge and man's psychological needs. It explains why religion and a belief in God is important and it also explains why some of us who can?t get there feel a void. But for me the bottom line has not changed: The only rational alternative to theism is atheism or, at best, agnosticism. Both of which, I might add, appear to be more consistent with Spong's theology than the theology of the Church he serves. Nonetheless, both these alternatives and Christianity (as well as most other western and eastern religions) can and frequently do share the same conclusions as to what is morally right and wrong and what constitutes good and evil.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Christianity must Change or die
Review: This is a must read if you are looking for another approach to Christian spirituality, other than traditional religious groups.
Spong writes the words that many of us have felt for years
Rating: 
Summary: The Antithesis of Christianity
Review: Spong approaches the Christian faith as though it were a science project. He falls into the trap of trying to understand it from the point of view of modern scientific materialism. Since it manifestly cannot be understood in these terms -- which, of course, to him represent "the truth" -- he must de-construct it within this mindset in order to make "sense" of it. In the process, he dismisses the most basic tenants of the faith -- the belief in a personal, loving God; in his only son, Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin and became man, etc. Yet he still wants to wrap himself in the cloak of Christianity and use it as a pulpit to preach the "Gospel according to Sagan", et al. As someone who is neither a fundamentalist Christian or a starry-eyed Saganite (I'm Roman Catholic), I find his ideas both theologically and scientifically bankrupt. With such a wealth of error in this book, it is hard to know where to start. I certainly don't have the space within this review to "de-construct" Spong. However, let's start with the foundation upon which he stands in order to preach his version of "the truth" -- rationality itself. Try reading Robert M. Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for a thorough dissection of the "art" of rationality. Spong's adherence to the dogma of scientific materialism cannot allow him to perceive the core truth of Christian belief because, of course, it is "impossible" to be born of a virgin, walk on water, heal the blind, deaf and lame and be resurrected from the dead. Hey, that's why they're called miracles! Even those lowbrow, first-century types understood that! This is why the Gospels say to us that, if for no other reason, at least believe on the basis of these miracles! For Spong to dismiss them and yet embrace Jesus puts him in the "Jesus was a nice guy, but..." camp. That's a camp that was started by Judas and has been full to overflowing ever since Jesus was crucified! Nothing too new here, folks, except Spong has a different philosophical platform -- scientific materialism -- to stand upon. Jesus won't fit into a test tube, though, and the miracles cannot be explained rationally. Thus, Spong empties out the deposit of faith and is left with nothing but a zero balance, which he proceeds to try to fill with the fanciful notions of the likes of Sagan (try reading "Rare Earth" by Donald Brownlee and Peter Douglas Ward to dispense with this hokum). In the final analysis, you are still left with the age-old question of the Christian faith: Who is Jesus? Toss out the idea of God the Father, the Virgin Mary and the miracles, as Spong does, and you're left with someone who was nothing but a charlatan -- even a madman. Hardly a "rational" basis upon which to build a "new" Christianity. This book is nothing but a very sad rehash of the same lack of faith amply demonstrated down through the ages by those who approach the cross of Christ with nothing but their rational minds and, as a result, walk away scratching their heads. Try thinking with your heart, Mr. Spong. As Jesus taught us, "Be like the little children".
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: In the postmodern world that we live in, there seems to be an increasing number of churchgoers that can no longer recite the traditional Christian creeds with any degree of honesty. Whether we acknowledge it or not, many of these churchgoers have long ago abandoned belief in virgin births, miracle stories, physical resuscitations, and a God that resides just beyond the sky. They realize that science has disproved many of the things about Christianity that were never meant to be taken literally in the first place. The unfortunate thing, however, is that the believers who ascribe to a more liberal form of Christianity have little, if any, voice within the Christian church today. Spong calls these people "believers in exile," people who, for one reason or another, cannot continue to uphold the dated religious convictions of the past. "Why Christianity Must Change or Die" is a book that is entirely devoted to ministering to these believers in exile. Throughout the book, Spong takes the reader on an exciting pilgrimage that seeks to redefine how we view God, Jesus, and the church. If these concepts are not articulated for the modern believer, Spong worries, Christianity will be extinct within a few short generations. Ultimately, the believers in exile who read this book are left with a renewed sense of religion that can survive the twenty-first century. Spong begins by challenging the traditional view of a theistic, parent-like God that lives beyond the sky and intercedes regularly in human events. He claims that in today's space age, one cannot possibly fathom a God that physically resides "somewhere out there." He also argues that there is no credible evidence to suggest that God has ever attempted to change human history in any particular way. It was once believed that God was responsible for causing and curing sickness, creating the weather patterns, and giving prosperity to certain chosen peoples. Today, however, it is clear that God is not responsible for any of those things; it is more that evident that the world governs itself without supernatural intercession. Once this traditional image of God is dead, then, a very crucial question arises: What is God, and what role does God play in the way we live our lives? Spong's answer to this question is both shocking and satisfying. To Spong, God is a transcendent, spiritual force that resides everywhere in the universe -- even inside of us. The theologian Paul Tillich called this God the "Ground of all Being." This God calls us all to a deeper state of being by encouraging us to live fully, love wastefully, and be all that we can be. When we meet this God, we will no longer need to look upward and outward for a supernatural incarnation; instead, we will look within. God will ultimately be seen as the presence that brings love, life, and wholeness. Similarly, we can view Jesus Christ as a form of this God lived out perfectly in a human life. Jesus did not rely on working physical miracles to spread his message, but by working miracles with the power of both love and grace. Spong says that in order for Jesus to be the Messiah, it meant that he must bring love to the unloved, freedom to the bound, wholeness to the distorted, and peace to the insecure. Only in that way could Jesus overcome the sin of the world. For the only power that can ultimately save humanity is love, and love was the deepest and truest meaning of Jesus's life. That is exactly why, shortly after his death, it was concluded by early Christians that Jesus revealed the very meaning of God. That is also why the Scriptures are filled with stories that are meant to illustrate the concept that Jesus was divine. The miraculous events attributed to Jesus are not meant to be taken literally, but they simply intend to say that God was seen within the man known as Jesus of Nazareth. Spong says, "Jesus is the life who has made known to us all what the meaning of life is." What a refreshing concept! Finally, Spong concludes that the Christian church must begin to reformulate its dogma around these emerging images of God and Christ. Prayer can no longer be used as a way of petitioning God to be our personal Santa Claus, nor can it be a request for God to alter the natural course of human events. Instead, we should continually connect with God through life itself. When we live fully and love wastefully, we communicate with the very essence of God and our lives become the ceaseless prayer that Paul spoke about. Spong also addresses the traditional concepts of heaven and hell, which were created by the early church as a means of behavior control. Although Spong believes that life continues after death, he does not believe that we will reside in a certain physical abode that is determined by the quality of our earthly lives. Instead, he thinks that life after death will be, for all people, eternal communion with the presence that is God. For me, this book has been a challenging spiritual exercise. Near the beginning, Spong destroyed the very concept of God that I used to relate to. Just as I was giving up on Christianity, however, he built it back up again -- this time even stronger than before. Reading Spong is always an exhilarating spiritual experience. I marvel at the way that this one man has made religion exciting to me and applicable to my life and the world that I live in. I highly recommend Spong to all those believers in exile that find traditional church teachings to be child-like and ludicrous. Amazingly, you will discover that there is a whole new, powerful experience beyond conservative Christianity that you never knew existed! This new experience will fill you with passion and enthusiasm as you dare to walk boldly into the Christianity of the third millennium.
Rating:
Summary: I'm just not sure
Review: This is the first of Bishop Spong's books that I've read. Some of his other titles look interesting, and I was really hoping to enjoy this one, and then go on to the others.
While he makes several good points, he seems to ramble between them. I just felt that this could have been tighter, better organized.
Mind, this is a good book, but given the good Biship's fan following I was expecting Great.
Rating:
Summary: Sponge is a false teacher!!!
Review: Morals don't change just because we're in a new millenium. You either believe in God and His Word or you don't. Sponge is saying what some people want to hear because they want validation for their lifestyles, just like Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths
Also 1 Timothy 4:1-2 - Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. Don't be mislead by this false teacher!!!
Rating:
Summary: Premises and Conclusions
Review: This is a splendid book by a tireless crusader for the acceptance of more intellectual honesty into the world of Christian theology. It touched me in a very personal way, as Spong deals with almost every question that has plagued me about Christian dogma--and with quite a few questions that hadn't occurred to me. Bishop Spong tries to be honest without being an iconoclast; he brings up historical facts and lets the reader decide. It is difficult, nonetheless, both to follow his argument and accept his continued acceptance of Christianity. Most of his arguments say "Flee, flee," but he replies "Credo, credo."
Rating:
Summary: Good summary from a liberal theist's viewpoint.
Review: Spong demonstrates a thorough understanding of Christian apologetics. He openly admits he is not ready to merely chuck decades of service to the church to embrace atheism. I found it easy to sympathize with his struggle. But when he attempts to reduce Christian mythology to its core tangible elements, he sounds as lost as any new-age "guru". His words and thoughts become vague and unfocused. Stripped of its mythological framework, Christianity becomes nothing more than "the essence of being" in Spong's hands. He is unwilling to release the last vestiges of his superstition. Many people become atheist because, over years of studying their religion, they learn there is simply no "there" there - the emporer really has no clothes. Spong seems to have reached that point, yet still ponders the essence of the emporer's outfit.
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