<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: interesting but i'm still seeking
Review: As a liberal Christian, I have always had quite a few unanswered questions about the event that is commonly known as Easter. Growing up in a conservative household, I was raised to believe that Easter meant a literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ that occurred on the third day after he gave himself up to be executed for the sins of the world. Although I had long ago dismissed the theory that Jesus died for the sins of the world, Spong changed my opinions drastically as I read "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism." In this previous book, Spong convinced me that a physical resuscitation of Jesus had never taken place at all; he argued that the resurrection stories are heavily symbolic and must not (along with the rest of the Gospels) be taken literally. Still, the event called Easter remained shrouded in my mind. It wasn't until I read "Resurrection: Myth or Reality" that I began to realize what Easter is all about. Spong took me on a thrilling journey through history and beyond Scripture as I arrived at an understanding of why the resurrection stories were written, why certain symbols were used, and most importantly, what this all means to Christians today.In order to reconstruct the Easter moment, Spong employs a Jewish literary device known as midrash. Much like a parable, midrash uses supernatural or otherwise incredulous events as symbols for a timeless truth. In essence, it captures the present inside the symbols of yesterday, preserving the inner meanings of the faith story for current and future generations. Midrash cannot be found in a literal reading of the text; one must read between the lines to capture the hidden (true) meaning of what is being said. When the traditional Easter story is examined under this midrashic lens, a whole new story emerges. The story that Spong recreates is much more believable and appropriate than the traditional tale. Spong's rendering of Easter begins when Jesus and the disciples travel to Jerusalem for Passover. During the Passover celebration, Jesus is recognized by the Jewish authorities as a rebel and a political threat, for which he is put to death. The disciples, shocked, flee to their homes in Galilee to mourn their loss. Over the course of the next six months, however, Peter and his companions realize that there was something about the life of their rabbi that made him divine. They understood that the spirit of Jesus transcended death because the way Jesus died was exactly like
they way he lived. He gave his life to others and for others. He loved wastefully and selflessly. In that living and
dying, the disciples concluded that Jesus revealed the meaning of God. God is not victory, their point of view stated. God is the presence of transcendent meaning in the midst of human defeat. God is not the promise of an infinite reward. God is the meaning that is present in the face of fate, tragedy, and undeserved pain. God cannot be seen in Jesus's escape from death at Easter until God is first seen in the crucified one who gives life as he dies, who offers forgiveness as he is victimized, who shows love as he is hated. Spong's rendering of Jesus as one who gave his life away to others also reveals the true meaning of Easter. Easter is not about believing in incongruent stories that have been disproved by the laws of science. Easter is about realizing that Jesus is the meaning of God. It is Easter that caused the disciples to travel back to Jerusalem six months later during the feast of the Tabernacles to proclaim that "He has risen!" and "Death cannot contain him!". Easter also caused the need for early Christian writers to capture the sentiments in subjective, nonliteral words so that we, too, can enter the text and experience the moment anew every day. We, too, can proclaim that Jesus lives on in each one of us as Easter becomes a timeless invitation to enter the meaning of God by living for others, expecting no reward, loving wastefully no matter what the cost. When we do that, we are Easter people and resurrection becomes real. I have the distinct pleasure of saying that "Resurrection: Myth or Reality?" is one of the most influential, spirit-giving books that I have ever read. Each time I read Spong, I marvel at the way that this one man can shatter all of tradition and yet make the new experience even more sincere and invigorating. I highly recommend Spong's books to all Christians searching for a new way to approach the Scripture. "Resurrection: Myth or Reality?" and "This Hebrew Lord" are the best two of the ones that I've read so far. But make no mistake, everything he writes is a gem and I can't thank him enough for giving me a religion and a strong sense of spirituality that I otherwise wouldn't have. All of Spong's writing is nothing short of an extraordinary blessing.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment
Review: As a person who grew up in a very strict fundamentalist pentecostal church and have serious questions about fundamentalism I have enjoyed reading Spong's other books especially "Living in Sin?" and "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism". I don't agree with everything Spong says in these books but at least they have given me a different perspective. However, I found this book to be weak in argument and poorly written. What I don't understand about Spong's argument against the resurrection is he thinks its physically impossible for Christ to rise from the dead. If God is God then why should s/he be confined by natural laws. A God who has to conform to the laws of the natural universe is not truly God. This book has made me realise that Spong is not a Christian as he claims but a humanist, or worse, a Christian who has lost faith in God.
Rating: 
Summary: The Resurrection versus Bodily Resuscitation
Review: As a person who grew up in a very strict fundamentalist pentecostal church and have serious questions about fundamentalism I have enjoyed reading Spong's other books especially "Living in Sin?" and "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism". I don't agree with everything Spong says in these books but at least they have given me a different perspective. However, I found this book to be weak in argument and poorly written. What I don't understand about Spong's argument against the resurrection is he thinks its physically impossible for Christ to rise from the dead. If God is God then why should s/he be confined by natural laws. A God who has to conform to the laws of the natural universe is not truly God. This book has made me realise that Spong is not a Christian as he claims but a humanist, or worse, a Christian who has lost faith in God.
Rating: 
Summary: Faith in Vain
Review: I'm sorry, but Spong's account of the Resurrection just does not square with the Scripture. The disciples who wrote the Gospels are VERY specific in saying that the appearances of Christ were actual, BODILY appearances. They specifically say that they touched the wounds of the risen Christ, and the entire New Testament is based on this idea. Guys, all but one of the original 12 disciples DIED for their faith, for the idea that Christ was God who rose from the dead. But look. Judge for yourself by picking up the Bible and reading the account of the Resurrection, and think for yourself about whether or not it sounds symbolic or literal. If you're a Christian who's lost his faith but still has occasional moments of fear and trembling that maybe Christianity might be right, then Bishop Spong's book will no doubt comfort you. If that's what you're looking for, you will no doubt get it. But the case he builds does not hold water, and the comfort he gives in this book is, in the long run, empty. Don't take my word for it. Take 45 minutes or so, pick up the Gospels and see the very clear, bodily details given to the risen Christ. Under a real examination of the Scriptures, Spong's shameless practice of seeing exactly what he wants to see becomes obvious. If you have solid reasons for disbelieving Christianity, then so be it. But don't bet the rest of your life on this man's so obviously tainted "scholarship". Again, grab the Gospels, read for a half hour, and then see if you still think it's all just symbolism.
Rating: 
Summary: Not his best.
Review: In "Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism", John Shelby Spong, biblical scholar and Episcopal bishop of Newark explains that the texts of the bible are filled with truth, but a deeper, symbolic truth rather than a surface literalism. In "Born Of A Woman", he reinforces this by saying, in essence, "Yes, this applies even to the stories of Christmas and the virgin birth." In this book, he parallels that one by saying, "Yes, this applies even to the Easter story and the resurrection, the cornerstone and linchpin of Christianity." As in those other books, it is refreshing to hear a practicing, active Christian admit what has been obvious to me for all of my adult life, namely that no thinking adult could easily wrap his/her head around the concept of biblical literalism. But for some reason, something seemed to be missing in this book; in "Rescuing the Bible.." and "Born of a Woman", I didn't feel like I was reading biblical scholarship; that's meant as a compliment. The style was almost conversational, and it was easy to read Spong's explanations. This book seems to me a great deal more dry and scholarly than either of those. It still presents interesting ideas, but it was more of an effort to focus on the writing. I frequently found my mind wandering, which didn't happen in either of the aforementioned books. Worth reading, but somewhat slow going.
Rating:
Summary: The Return of Spongian Apostasy
Review: John Shelby Spong pursues the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. For the layperson who can overcome traditional viewpoints, he sets out to propose solutions which are not grounded in a literal understanding of the Bible; nor are they based in a quest for the historical Jesus. He attempts to get to the true meaning beneath the legends and myths that encase the resurrection story. As most Christians would do well to realize, he asserts that even though Jesus was of history, we will never know all that Jesus was or meant. Most especially, we will never know exactly what happened on that moment he suffered and died. He asserts that the first Christians became convinced that Jesus did not die and, to express the intensity of their experience, they used the language and style of midrash. This book appealed to me as one who wanted a reasonable, nonliteralist faith grounded in the mystery of reality beyond time and space. I would highly recommend it for one who wants to delve deeper into their faith. As with his other books, this is a daring examination of the very foundations of Christianity.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible work. This guy's questioning is just too good.
Review: Read this book and understand a new perspective of looking Christ's resurrection. This is the moment of easter, after the 3 day suffering that Jesus faced in the cross. It's only obvious that the diehard Christian will want to refute these ideals because it threatens the cornerstone of christianity----which is the theory that Jesus did come back from the dead, and thus is the ultimate savior for the world. Spong challenges these ideas very well by using Scriptural texts and evidence. I think that the main reason why book is good is because it is thought-provoking and challenges the reader to challenge their own minds and faith through logical, hard-fact historical evidence. Spong's point in turning the idea of resurrection upside down is not empty, but full of scholarly essence. Read for yourself and you'll see.
Rating:
Summary: The Return of Spongian Apostasy
Review: Resurrection: Myth or Reality is Bishop Spong's attempt to redefine Christianity's central doctrine. This time, Spong's Jesus hasn't physically resurrected from the dead but merely lives on in his follower's hearts through the example of his selfless love and forgiveness for others. The Bishop's Jesus lives on in people's hearts much like a deceased loved one lives on through our memories and feelings for them. Ordinarily this would be well and good but it's not good enough for the person of Jesus. Without his literal death and physical resurrection, there is no Christianity. Spong's version of the resurrection, if you can even call it that, is nothing more than Orwellian doublespeak that undermines the blessed hope of Christ. Authentic Christianity tells us that Jesus was the Divine Son of God who had Glory with God before the worlds were formed. He took the form of a man, came to earth, died on the cross and physically resurrected from the dead. The significance of this being that ONLY he, God the Son in human form, was worthy enough, to once and for all pay the penalty for the sins of humanity in their entirety. A mere mortal would not have been righteous enough to take the place of billions - only God himself could accomplish this. Spong would dispute the resurrection on the basis that it defies the laws of nature. In other words, it's in the realm of the miraculous. There are of course some things that God cannot do. He cannot lie. (Titus 1:2) He cannot be separated from His people. (Romans 8:38-39) He cannot be tempted by evil. (James 1:13) But nowhere does it say that He who created the Universe cannot or does not override the laws that He made to govern it, to accomplish a purpose. And that, in the lowest common denominator, is what the New Testament is claiming God did when He resurrected Jesus. God defied and conquered the law and power of death. (Acts 2:24) The laws of physics and biology are not to be confused with God's moral laws like those found in the Torah that Jesus perfectly fulfilled 24-7 (Matthew 5:17). The Laws of Physics are different and the Bible tells us that God has on occasion over-ridden them to help His people. Did God not do this for Joshua and the Israelites when they needed another 24 hours to win their war against the Amorites? (Joshua 10:12-14) For those who think that the notion of God over-riding the Laws of Physics is Biblical mythology...Iranian scholars have recorded a night lasting three days followed by a day lasting three days. The Chinese recorded the same phenomena. Just because the Bible quotes something similar for Joshua and a resurrection for Jesus does not make these events any less viable. How does one explain Thomas' encounter with a physically Risen Christ? (John 20:27) Or Jesus having a meal with the apostles after his resurrection and challenging them with the words, "Look at my hands and my feet...Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:39 NIV) What about Jesus appearing to 500 eyewitnesses at once after the resurrection? (I Corinthians 15:6)
Spong's attempts at an explanation for these events does not answer the question. But what actually happened in the months and years following serves to confirm the idea of a physically resurrected Christ. The apostles were changed after the resurrection. Where once they ran in fear of being persecuted by the Roman authorities for being friends with Jesus; after the resurrection they go out to the world and boldly declare Jesus as the Messiah - first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. In the process they left their families and livelihoods behind, suffered persecutions and ultimately lost their lives for the Gospel message; never recanting, never backing away from the central message that Jesus physically rose from the dead. Only the apostle John died a natural death but not before he was boiled in hot oil for preaching this Risen Jesus. What brought about this change of heart and courage in these men? Was it mere sentiment as Bishop Spong implies? Or did these people literally witness something that changed them? As for myth entering the story...St. Paul was preaching the death and resurrection of Jesus in the mid-fifties of the first century CE to the Thessalonians in Greece. (I Thessalonians 4:14) Twenty years after the death of Jesus was not enough time for myth and allegory to enter the picture. Finally, where's Jesus' body? According to Spong, no one knows. How convenient this is for his illogical arguments. The Jews had/have a wonderful way of remembering their dead. We can find the tombs of the patriarchs across the Holy Land with their history making bones enshrined. If Jesus died but did not resurrect; where is the body of the beloved Master? What is Spong implying; his followers forgot about him? Or that someone desecrated the tomb and robbed Jesus' body with Roman guards standing watch? Untenable nonsense. The question must be answered not avoided. Bishop Spong fails to address these points of fact in any credible manner - if at all. It's as if he is hell bent on denying and disproving Christianity with his apostate doublespeak. "...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile..we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.." (I Corinthians 15:17-20 NIV) For those interested in reading a more plausible account about what happend to Jesus after his crucifixion, read Frank Morrison's "Who Moved the Stone" or Simon Greenleaf's, "The Testimony of the Evangelists: The Four Gospels Examined By the Rules of Evidence."
Rating:
Summary: Spong Answers: Myth AND Reality
Review: Spong attempts to distinguish between the myths surrounding Jesus' "resurrection" and the reality of what he calls "the Easter Moment," which the myths "point to." He quite persuasively reconstructs what may well be the actual sequence of events leading up to and following "The Easter Moment." Jesus was probably crucified just before, during, or just after the Jewish festival of Passover. If the Jews had any input into the decision to put Jesus to death, their consideration of the matter did NOT occur during Passover. They may have concurred in the decision before Passover, or after Passover, or (most likely) not at all, but it would have been a major scandal for them to consider the question DURING Passover. They would have been horrified at the thought of desecrating the holy days of Passover by conducting such deliberations then, so it can be confidently asserted that they did not do so. The "Easter Moment," Spong argues, occurred not in Jerusalem, but in the vicinity of Lake Chinnereth (Galilee), quite possibly in a fishing boat on the lake itself. It occurred sometime during the summer following the Crucifixion, or possibly early in the fall. Read the book to find out who experienced the Easter Moment, and led the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and when. In the final pages, Spong says that he has led the reader to what he believes is the true beginning of Christianity, and that the reader must now decide for herself (himself) whether to answer as Spong has with a resounding "yes" and accept the reality of the resurrection as he has described it, or to answer "no" and walk away from it. This reader could do neither. While I am convinced that Spong's reconstruction of events is the most plausible account I have found, I cannot feel certain that Spong's interpretation of those events is correct, but neither can I feel certain that it is wrong. Spong's theology is certainly more plausible than the theology of those who insist that the lectionaries of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John are factually inerrant biographies of the life of Jesus. Spong's theology also leads him to "love wastefully" all of humanity, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and so on. But if Spong's "Christianity" becomes the wave of the future, how can it fail to be distorted and perverted by the commercial purveyors of "Christianity" (the "love Jesus and send me money" crowd), just as Jesus' message of all-embracing love was perverted to justify the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and more recently, the systematic raping of Islamic women in Bosnia?
Rating:
Summary: A good read for liberal Christians.
Review: This book has an unfortunate title. It must have been titled by the greedy publishing company in an attempt to sell more books. Most of the book doesn't directly address the dilemma "Myth or Reality". The book views the resurrection as the crowning moment for Christianity, but in a larger sense it examines the New Testament gospels as being understood as midrash--a Judaic form of sermon and storytelling. Indeed, one of the obstacles in my faith was the fact that so much that the traditional church views as "history" is merely copying from the Old Testament Torah. Unlike G.A. Wells, or Earl Doherty, Spong does not want to dispel the entire Jesus episode as legend or myth, but rather he wants to distill the non-literal spiritual "truths" of Christ from the sermons that are Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. From those truths, he looks back and reconstructs some historical possibilities, but still doesn't view the historical literalism as a good foundation for faith. All in all, this is a well-written book and will give the reader something new to consider. Although I suppose those who claim the literal resurrection as truth will mark Spong's theology as some sort of modern-day gnosticism, his viewpoint is a good compromise for those of us who find it intellectually irresponsible to view the New Testament as historical.
<< 1 >>
| 
