Paris in the Spring – Part II, The Book Launch

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on 20 August 2015 1 Comments
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Question

Since and shortly before retiring from corporate life some 15 years ago, I have read prolifically...attending to certain subjects, previously far removed from my radar...eastern faiths, Christianity, evolution and philosophy. From Osho to Camus, CS Lewis to Tolstoy, Alan Watts to Einstein, John P. Meier to Marcus Borg, Pascal to Voltaire and countless others in between. In recent weeks I have come upon and then devoured your book Why Christianity Must Change or Die. It is clear to me that this book is the singularly most important book of all that came before it. This is to thank you profoundly for giving voice to my own thoughts which troubled me, but could not be fleshed out as vividly and convincingly as you have done.

Throughout my personal journey of “Awakening,” I’ve maintained a list of phrases and life-lessons which most resonated. The words are perhaps 20% my own, 40% paraphrased and 40% direct plagiarizing. The most recent entries (not in chronological sequence here) are from your text and serve to remind and encourage me and all readers that human evolution is still underway, especially as regards to the Christian faith and particularly how today we can view, admire, worship and give eternal thanks to the Nazarene for his teachings and perhaps most of all for his example. I am forever in your debt sir.

Answer

Dear Gary,

I have read your journey entitled “Awakenings” with great pleasure. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I hope you will share them with many others. I am delighted that you found my work worthy of inclusion.

I think two things are obvious. First, if we had not defined Jesus theologically and built institutional religion around him, his memory would probably not have survived. Second, because we defined Jesus theologically and built institutional religion around him, his memory might not survive.

What then can we do? We can separate the Christ experience from the Christ explanation and allow Christianity to become an ever-evolving religion that replaces its dated explanations in each generation.

That means that we recognize that the New Testament is a 1st century explanation of the Christ experience. It is not an objective record of truth and can never be called “inerrant” or be understood literally.

It means that we recognize that the creeds and all the doctrine and the dogma that flowed from the creeds are 4th century explanations of the Christ experience and can never define truth nor can they make or sustain the claim to possess “the one true faith.” We must thus dismiss any claims that these words or any interpretation of these words are or can ever be infallible.

It also means that we must become aware that almost all of our liturgical forms are 13th century explanations of the Christ experience, and must never be frozen in content or form. They can thus never be imposed as the norm for worship in another age.

The Christian faith is always a journey into the truth of God. None of us will ever arrive at our destination and those who think that they have arrived or who pretend to have arrived immediately become idolaters. The truth is that all of us will be forever pilgrims.

Can the Christian Church in any of its institutions ever deal with that? Most of the available evidence says no. Lone voices cry out yes. Will these lone voices be heard or will they remain voices crying out in the wilderness? Time will tell. In the meantime, keep your voice strong and vibrant.

~John Shelby Spong

 

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