The Origins of the Bible, Part VIII The Priestly Revision of the Jewish Sacred Story (B)
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 18 2008While the first wave of Jews entered the Babylonian
Exile around the year 596, a second wave came in 586 after a rebellion
was put down by the Babylonians and …
The Origins of the Bible, Part VII: The Final Strand of the Torah, The Priestly Document (A)
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 12 2008Time after time we discover that it was the external
events of human history that more than anything else shaped the
content of those writings that would someday …
What Does the High School Generation Today Think About Politics in 2008?
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 4 2008Note: This column is based on the research of a student
who is just completing the tenth grade at George Marshall High School
in Falls …
Evolution and Homosexuality: The Twin Terrors of the Christian Church
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 28 2008Where is it that Christian people today focus their
anger? One has only to look at the content of current ecclesiastical
debates, listen to the rhetoric of church …
Christian Art: Reinforcer of a Dying Literalism
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 21 2008I did not realize how thoroughly biblical literature
has shaped Western civilization until I took a course offered by The
Teaching Company entitled “Great Artists of the Italian …
The Origins of the Bible, Part VI The Third Document in the Torah
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 14 2008The name of the Torah’s fifth and final book according
to the Bible is Deuteronomy. That name comes to us from the
combination of two Greek words: “deutero,” …
Jeremiah Wright
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 7 2008The emergence of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright into the
presidential campaign is, I am sure, an unexpected and probably
unwelcome diversion for the Obama camp. It gets him, …
The Universe, the Star of Bethlehem and Professor Alex Filippenko
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 30 2008Whether I am on the lecture circuit, where I spend most
of my time, or in my home a normal day for me starts about 6:00 a.m.,
when …
The Origins of the Bible, Part V The Elohist Document
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 23 2008Most people do not seem to realize that events in what we call the secular world of history shaped so much of the writing of the biblical story. …
Who Are the People in Pennsylvania Who Will Choose the Democratic Nominee?
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 16 2008The somewhat blurred eyes of the nation’s political
stargazers are focused at least until April 22 on the State of Pennsylvania.
That is the date on which its citizens …
The Origins of the Bible, Part IV The Story of the Yahwist Document
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 9 2008Thus far in this series on the origins of the Bible,
my efforts have been directed toward how the Torah, which
contains the oldest material found in the …
The Origins of the Bible, Part III Breaking Open the Books of Moses The Torah
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 2 2008The Bible began to be written, relatively speaking, only a short time ago. When one considers the fact that the universe is some 13.7 billion years old and the birth of the planet Earth can be reliably dated between four and a half and five billion years ago, the beginning of Bible writing near 1000BC is very recent.
The Jesus Seminar and the Future of Scholarship in ChristianChurches
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 26 2008Recently a meeting of the Jesus Seminar was convened in Santa
Rosa, California. It attracted about 500 people including
fellows, associates and visitors, who came from 42 states of this
…
The Origins of the Bible, Part II Biblical Contradictions, Discredited Attitudes and Horror Stories
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 19 2008The aura of holiness, the defense shield that endows the Bible with an unchallengeable authority, can exist only so long as people do not bother to read its …
Sexism! Still a Force in American Politics
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 12 2008The quest for the Democratic nomination continues
to ebb and flow as the two rivals struggle to gain an edge.
Senator Clinton was presumed to be the front …
The Origins of the Bible, Part 1: Examining the AuraCreated Around the Bible
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 5 2008Publisher’s Note: Last summer John Shelby Spong began a
series of lectures at the Highlands Institute for American
Religious and Philosophical Thought in Highlands, North …
Holy Cross Lutheran Church: A Jewel in the Frozen North
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 27 2008The wind chill factor was minus 25 degrees. Snow showers fell regularly on the already icy white countryside. It was not the time one would normally visit Newmarket, Ontario, …
Pope Benedict XVI and Captain Robert Fitzroy of The Beagle
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 21 2008On February 26, 2008, my latest book, Jesus for the
Non-Religious, will be released by my publisher, Harper
Collins, in a paperback version. Since its original publication
on …
Pope Benedict XVI and Captain Robert Fitzroy of The Beagle
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 21 2008I want to return this week to the book Jesus of
Nazareth by Joseph Ratzinger, better known as Pope Benedict
XVI. I do this because I was …
Teaching at Drew Theological Seminary in 2008
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 7 2008I have just completed teaching a course at the
Theological School of Drew University. The creative faculty at
this respected institution has developed special opportunities in
the month …
Heresy on the BBC
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 30 2008Recently I had the privilege of doing an
interview with BBC World Service from its studio in New York
City. The program was entitled “Free to Speak” and …
Governor Huckabee: A Second Generation Evangelical Politician
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 23 2008In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson managed to get through the Congress of the United States a national Voting Rights Act. It was not an easy task since Johnson had …
Reflections on our Final Days in South Africa
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 16 2008On our last few days in South Africa, we tasted the
land in several ways. With Professor Izak Spangenberg as our
guide, we went on a four day, …
Iowa’s Vote – National and International Scandals
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 9 2008In the Iowa caucuses last Thursday a mighty tide
of frustration was released in both of America’s political
parties. Establishment candidates, well financed, were overturned
by newcomers. Political …
South Africa’s “New Reformation Network”
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 2 2008It is a relatively new organization. They call it
“The New Reformation Network.” Its primary leaders are three
Afrikaans professors. Two of them, Dr. Izak Spangenberg,
Professor of …