The Terrible Texts: Be Fruitful and Multiply and Subdue the Earth – Part I
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on August, 27 2003Christians have never been significantly committed to the preservation of our common environment. Ecological concerns are present in Church life, but they never quite make it to the top …
The Crisis Facing the United Methodist Church
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on August, 20 2003Dear Friends:
Once a quarter while Bishop Spong is on vacation we have invited guest writers to bring their perspectives to this column. Today we welcome …
New Hampshire’s Bishop Confirmed: Pride in my Church Reborn!
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on August, 13 2003I am proud of my Church! That is a new feeling. There were days during the Lambeth Conference in 1998 when I thought I would never utter these words …
Rethinking the Meaning of Prayer
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on August, 6 2003Dear Friends,
Instead of a question and answer feature this week I want to start this column with a preface. As I read your letters and …
The Unity of the Church – A Pious Clich
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 30 2003In my column last week, I chronicled the sad and shameful saga of Canon Jeffrey John who was forced to withdraw from his appointment as the Bishop of …
The Unity of the Church – A Pious Clich
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 23 2003The cast of characters in the news story, playing across the front pages of the British press last month, was made up of only three persons. One was …
The Word of God?
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 16 2003“This is the word of the Lord”
That is the liturgical phrase used in Christian churches to mark the end of a reading from the Bible. …
The Supreme Court, Gay Rights and the Scalia Dissent
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 9 2003It had the quality of inevitability about it. The world is changing rapidly and not even conservative justices can fail to take notice of that fact. The recent 6 …
A Progressive Christianity Network Formed in the United Kingdom
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 2 2003First at St. James’ Church, Piccadilly, in the heart of London, then at the United Reformed Church in Kendal, in the center of England’s beautiful Lake District, I …
The Episcopal Church chooses a Gay Bishop
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 25 2003It was fascinating to see how this breaking news leaped off the wire services around the world to command front-page space, oft-times accompanied by a three-column picture. It …
If Christianity Relates to Life It Must Relate To Politics
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 18 2003“You are sounding more and more like a left wing politician. When will you get back to the premise that attracted me in the first place – that …
Insights from Finland
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 11 2003Finland is a beautiful country, bounded on the west by Scandinavia, the east by Russia, the north by the Arctic Circle and the south by the Baltic Sea. …
YOUR QUESTIONS: Visions, Resurrection, Church Growth, Adoption and Artificial Insemination
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 4 2003Dear Friends:
The volume of questions that this column elicits from its readers continues to amaze me. There is no doubt that this column connects with …
When Will We Ever Learn?
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 28 2003“These despicable acts were committed by killers, whose only faith is hate and the United States will find the killers and they will learn the meaning of American …
Bill Bennett Et Al
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 21 2003It happens with unconscionable regularity. It is a reality in both church and state. Yet despite this regularity, it always comes as a surprise. Perhaps human beings are …
Paul Moore – Bishop of New York – 1919-2003
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 14 2003He was a giant in my church, both spiritually and physically. He stood astride the 20th Century like few church people ever imagined being possible. His name was …
The Sexual Code Word: Silence! – By John Shelby Spong
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 7 2003Recently it has become apparent to me that the words “silence” or “silent” are being used in a unique way in the public arena. These words seem to …
A GATHERING OF FRIENDS PROCLAIMS THE VITALITY OF AGE – By John Shelby Spong
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 30 2003Sometimes my lecturing career brings me in touch with some absolutely remarkable people. In Salem, Oregon I lectured recently at Willamette University, a …
Easter: In Need of Reinterpretation!
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 16 2003The Christian Faith was born in the experience that we have come to call Easter. It was this Easter experience that invested Jesus with a sense of ultimacy. …
My Suspicions about the Historicity of Judas Iscariot, Part II
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 9 2003As the season of Easter dawns in the Christian world, two figures take center stage in the liturgical drama. One is Jesus of Nazareth, who came to be …
My Suspicions about the Historicity of Judas Iscariot, Part I
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 2 2003One of the primary personalities of the Easter story is Judas Iscariot, the anti-hero of the Christian Gospel. Judas has traditionally been painted in dark and sinister colors. …
Beyond the War: The Questions of My Readers – By John Shelby Spong
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 26 2003Dear Friends,
Another question and answer column! The response to doing this periodically was very strong. There is, however, another …
The Future of Christianity as glimpsed through a Western University
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 19 2003This much loved and impressive university has orange and black for its school colors. Its athletic teams are called “the Tigers.” Princeton, you …
Bill O’Reilly, Congressman Charles Rangel and War
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 12 2003It became clear when I listened to Bill O’Reilly interview Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel of New York. The irrationality of the war with Iraq …