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Rating: 
Summary: Getting in to the mind of Bishop Spong
Review: Along with Spong's autobiography (Here I Stand), this collection of essays written over a 20-year period give considerable insight into the beliefs and thoughts of the bishop.Compiled and edited by his wife, this collection is grouped by broad subject. There's something here to irritate every Spong critic, but there's also something here to uplift every Christian. Several of the most moving essays deal with Spong's family, mentors, and friends. As an unabashed Jack Spong fan, this was a welcome further look into the written work of someone who, for better or worse (depending on whom you ask!), has had a significant impact on modern Christianity. If you've liked any of Spong's previous work, you will certainly find useful material here. If you've never read Spong before, this collection will give a good, broad introduction to his beliefs on many issues facing the church today.
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Summary: Inspiring insight on diverse topics
Review: Another great book from Spong! In a bunch of essays short enough to be digestible, a wide variety of topics is addressed; some controversial, some not--but always enlightening. Makes you think!
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Summary: Outstanding opening with a bitter middle and ending
Review: Bishop Spong is one of those select individuals I love to hate and hate to love. His books, whether I agree with him or not, are very engaging. His writing style is easy and provocative. In this latest compolation of essay, Spong tackles many subjects such as his family and mentors, social issues, religious issues and much more. The strength of this book is by far the way he writes about himself and the people close to him. I found this "celebertism" to be interesting and enlighting.This is howevevr, the really only good thing about this book. The rest of the book, though engaging, is overy wrought with logical errors and self-refutation. He spin doctors for his cause as well as any White House spokesperson. He mentions the 80s as a decade of greed. However, he is largely silent when a liberal is in office. After all, what are the 90s? I assert more greed. Of course, Spong addresses his "pet" issues such as his views on "Christology", homosexual rights, abortion, and many more. It is provoking, yet, empty: emotional, reflective, yet, very illogical.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding opening with a bitter middle and ending
Review: Bishop Spong is one of those select individuals I love to hate and hate to love. His books, whether I agree with him or not, are very engaging. His writing style is easy and provocative. In this latest compolation of essay, Spong tackles many subjects such as his family and mentors, social issues, religious issues and much more. The strength of this book is by far the way he writes about himself and the people close to him. I found this "celebertism" to be interesting and enlighting.This is howevevr, the really only good thing about this book. The rest of the book, though engaging, is overy wrought with logical errors and self-refutation. He spin doctors for his cause as well as any White House spokesperson. He mentions the 80s as a decade of greed. However, he is largely silent when a liberal is in office. After all, what are the 90s? I assert more greed. Of course, Spong addresses his "pet" issues such as his views on "Christology", homosexual rights, abortion, and many more. It is provoking, yet, empty: emotional, reflective, yet, very illogical.
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Summary: Sad Scholarship In Theology
Review: In writing this review, I have to restrain myself from giving my own thesis and boring the those reading this review. This is hard because so much of this book is so bad. The are only two redeeming values: (1) Bishop Spong is a skilled writer and (2) a person gets to climb inside the mind of an extreme liberal theologian. Bishop Sppong's liberal bias is so evident that he often is self-refuting. He calls everyone and positions who/which seems to disagree with him such trigger words like dishonest, spin-doctoring, fundamentalist, and distorting the truth. Of course, Spong is therefore self-refuting as he, more than anyone is the master of theolical "spin doctoring" and dishonesty. He claims on page 111 that the Bible is wrong because it was used to promote slavery and segregation. This lack of logic is frightening. This doesn't mean the Bible is wrong, but those individuals who distorted scripture for the purpose of salvery are wrong. Didn't the abolitionist use scripture to free men? Is the Bible now also right. This is just an example of his useless logic. Read only for the understanding how individuals who are blinded by idealogy will disregard evidence in favor of their own agenda.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent overview
Review: Probably the most controversial person I have seen still inside the Christian leadership, Spong never ceases to amaze me. Whether you agree with his views, theology, or his process, you must respect his strength. What amazes me is how someone of his generation and age can be so openminded and fight so hard to try to change a religion that he feels will crumble without such change. This book is a great overview of his writings and the evolution of his principles. If you are interested in Bishop Spong, but are not sure where to start, these essays are usually under 10 pages, and are a great look at a great mind.
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Summary: Vintage Bishop Spong
Review: The series of essays has been compiled from Bishop Spong's columns over the years, and it deals with topics ranging from ecumenism to politics to family members. All of these essays are articulate, passionate, and beautifully written. The personal ones are actively touching, the political ones incisive and thought-provoking. It is fascinating to see how both his writing style and perspectives evolved over time. Those who dislike Bishop Spong will undoubtedly loathe this book. Those who admire him will find his perspectives and thoughts to be challenging, impressive, and extremely helpful in evaluating personal and public struggles in the light of an open, inclusive faith tradition. An excellent summation of Bishop Spong's beliefs, thoughts and ideals.
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Summary: The Best of Bishop Spong
Review: Throughout his 24-year career as an Episcopal bishop, John Shelby Spong has always been a vocal spokesman for liberal Christianity. Over the years, he has acquired a very distinct writing style with which he passionately explains his favorite theological issues. It suffices to say that he definitely has his own "voice." "The Bishop's Voice," the title of this book, could not be more fitting for Spong. This book contains a collection of essays written by Spong over the course of the last twenty years. The essays seem to cover every topic imaginable. In this book, Spong tackles core theological issues such as the nature of God and the role of Jesus, political issues such as the emergence of the religious right in American politics, social issues such as abortion and homosexuality, and personal issues as he writes about people who have influenced him and people of whom he loves very deeply. Needless to say, this book is an excellent summation of what Spong believes and why he believes it. My favorite essay from this book is called "Yes, Virginia, There is a God!" In this essay, Spong compares the conservative Christian image of God to a child's image of Santa Claus. Spong says that our prayers to an external deity often resemble a child's letters to Santa. Similarly, we often attribute impossible tasks to God when we claim that "God" refers to a heavenly parent figure that interferes randomly in our world to accomplish a certain purpose. Spong says that this is akin to Santa Claus' magical journey around the world in one night. The bottom line is that it simply isn't possible. Just as many children "grow out" of believing in Santa, many teens and adults are even beginning to "grow out" of believing in God in this scientific age -- myself included. The answer, however, is not to abandon belief in God altogether. Instead, Spong says that we must seek new ways to articulate the way we experience God in this postmodern world. Spong's primary task in this essay and in his overall vocation is to help Christians rediscover God when the God-as-parent-figure of the past becomes inadequate. He does so with candor, integrity, and love. Because of this, he has quickly become my favorite theologian. I highly recommend Spong to all Christians that find themselves uncomfortable with the religious symbols of the past. His theology is comforting, refreshing, beautiful, and easy. Its greatest strength, I believe, is realizing that scientific knowledge is our asset in faith and not our enemy. It's also about realizing that people are generally good, not sinful. Reading Spong has been, for me, profound and life giving. It has allowed me to capture a new theological perspective that makes use of both my brain and my heart. Although this book of essays is only a tiny taste of one of Spong's other books, it is still incredibly powerful. By exploring a variety of issues, it paints a portrait of Spong that is sure to appeal to both his greatest fans and those discovering his enchantment for the first time.
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