A Life Well Lived

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on 14 June 2006 0 Comments
Please login with your account to read this essay.
 

Question

Besides enjoying your audiotapes from the Westar

Institute, I am enjoying the audiotapes from Bart

Ehrman from The Teaching Company. This company also

offers tapes from a man named Luke Timothy Johnson.

On your audiotapes of the resurrection, you mention

several times a Luke Timothy Johnson who has been

critical of your ministry. From your description of

him and their description of him, it sounds like they

are the same person. My question is are they the same

person? If so, would you recommend me investing in

purchasing his tapes?

Answer

Luke Timothy Johnson is a Roman Catholic priest, not

practicing the priesthood, who teaches New Testament

at Candler Theological Seminary at Emory University.

He is bright, articulate, winsome and, in my opinion,

is almost always wrong. He has been particularly

critical of both the Jesus Seminar and of me. The

basis of his criticism when reduced to its essence

seems to be this: "Since these people disagree with

traditional Christianity, they cannot be right since

traditional Christianity is always right." It never

seems to occur to Dr. Johnson that traditional

Christianity could be compromised, acculturated or

inaccurate. I find that a narrow, self-serving and

na

 

Comments

 

Leave a Reply

Cancel