The Yankees, Iraq and Patriotism
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 19 2004Bob Shepherd is the resonant Voice of the New York Yankees, heard over the public address system welcoming fans to Yankee Stations and to the YES Network. He exhorts …
Unmasking the Sources of Christian Anti-Semitism – Part 2
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 12 2004Intolerance and bigotry seem to be written into the very fabric of religious life, causing people to act in ways that are diametrically opposed to what they say they …
The Disaster of Iraq – Enough is Enough!
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 5 2004I have reached the point when I can no longer tolerate the Iraqi War. The final straw was the abuse of Iraqis in the prison camp at Abu …
Unmasking the Sources of Christian Anti-Semitism – Part 1
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 28 2004“His blood be upon us and upon our children (Mt.27: 25).”
The darkest, most disillusioning side of Christianity is revealed in the way that Christians …
Questions from the Readers: Passion of the Christ, Christian Reformation
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 21 2004Dear Readers,
This week I want to get to your questions for a change. I had so many questions on the series on The Passion of the Christ …
The Bible and Homosexuality – The Church’s Dance in the 21st Century – Part 3
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 14 2004“They glorified God not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:21 KJV).”
“For this …
The Bible and Homosexuality – The Church’s Dance in the 21st Century – Part 2
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 7 2004“The men of the city — of Sodom, compassed the town round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter; And they called unto Lot …
The Bible and Homosexuality – The Church’s Dance in the 21st Century – Part 1
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 31 2004“Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: It is an abomination (Lev.18: 22 KJV).”
“If a man also lie with mankind as …
What Mel Gibson Does Not Understand About Biblical History
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 24 2004In the year 66 C.E. guerilla activities that had been festering in Galilee for more than 40 years broke out in a full-scale war. While that war was engaged in …
“The Passion of the Christ” — Mel Gibson’s Film and Biblical Scholarship – Part 4
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 17 2004Last week I examined the connection between Psalm 22 and the earlier gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion. This week I turn to Isaiah 40-55, which was the other primary …
“The Passion of the Christ” — Mel Gibson’s Film and Biblical Scholarship – Part 3
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 10 2004There are some aspects of the gospels’ passion narratives that Mel Gibson seems not to know. That is surprising since they are commonplace in the world of New …
“The Passion of the Christ” — Mel Gibson’s Film and Biblical Scholarship – Part 2
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 3 2004Mel Gibson claims that in his film, “The Passion of the Christ,” he has “followed faithfully the texts of the Gospels.” That is demonstrably not so, as I …
“The Passion of the Christ” — Mel Gibson’s Film and Biblical Scholarship
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 25 2004Mel Gibson’s motion picture, “The Passion of the Christ,” goes public on Ash Wednesday, February 25, the day this column comes out. Then people can see for themselves a …
WILLIAM CONWELL SPONG: November 2, 1933 – February 4, 2004
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 18 2004Brotherly love is a strange concept. It is so often marked by intense rivalry and little affection. One thinks of biblical brothers – Cain who killed Abel, Jacob …
John Titaly – An Indonesian Hero
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 11 2004From time to time, one has the privilege of meeting a person who seems larger than life. That moment came for me recently when I journeyed into Indonesia …
The Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women Part VI
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 4 2004“In Christ Jesus…there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:26,28).”
The apostle Paul was a man of great ability, passion, and energy and yet …
Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women — Part V
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 28 2004The women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate as even the Law says. If there …
Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women — Part IV
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 21 2004Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not …
Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women — Part III
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 14 2004“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” (Gen. 2:7)
An Open Letter to Political Columnist George F. Will of the Washington Post
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 7 2004Dear George:
You have a huge platform through television, Newsweek and the Washington Post to be a major influence in shaping public opinion. I find myself …
The Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women – Part II
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 31 2003“If a woman conceives and bears a male child then she shall be unclean seven days; as of the time of her menstruation she shall be unclean. …
A Christmas Meditation
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 24 2003Katharine from Richmond, Virginia asks: What is it about this Jesus that you find so compelling? When I hear the Christmas story from the Bible …
Luke’s Christmas Story: It is Not How He Was Born, But Who He Was that Matters
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 17 2003The Gospel we call Luke came into the life of the Christian community in the late 9th or early 10th decade of the Common Era, or some sixty …
The Common Roots of Hanukkah and Christmas- Dec 2003
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 10 2003Religious people frequently assert that they have received their truth by divine revelation. It is a strange assertion, leading almost inevitably to the power claim that there is …
The Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women – Part I
Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 3 2003“For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man.” …