Resurrection: A Reality or a Pious Dream, Part VIII: Luke – Mystery Recedes – Literalism Grows

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 18 2015

When we come to Luke, the third gospel writer and, counting Paul, the fourth biblical witness to the meaning of Easter, we discover a dramatic shift in the language …

Resurrection: A Reality or A Pious Dream, Part VII: Matthew Interprets and Expands Mark

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 11 2015

Matthew is the first gospel writer to narrate an appearance of the risen Christ to anyone. This aspect of the developing Christian story does not begin until the middle …

Resurrection – A Reality or a Pious Dream? Part V Matthew’s Story of Easter

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 21 2015

When we come to the Easter story in the gospel of Matthew, which was written according to the best estimates of the scholars about 10 to 15 years after Mark, we …

Resurrection – A Reality or a Pious Dream? Part III The Witness of Paul, Continued

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 7 2015

After Easter we opened a new unit of columns designed to study exactly what the Bible says about Jesus’ resurrection. We noted that while resurrection is assumed in every …

Resurrection – Myth or Reality, Part II: The Witness of Paul

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 30 2015

The first writer of what later came to be called the New Testament was a well-educated Jew from Tarsus in Asia Minor. His name was Paul, although there is …

“Resurrection” A Reality or a Pious Dream? Part I

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 23 2015

On Easter Sunday, a couple of weeks ago now, I was in my parish church, St. Peter’s in Morristown, New Jersey. I was not alone. Into that church, at …

Part XXXVIII Matthew – The First Confirmation Class

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 22 2015

Most people are not aware that Judaism, at the time of Jesus, had become a missionary, conversion-oriented religion. People all over the Roman Empire were finding their way into …

Part XXVI Matthew: Sukkoth – The Harvest Festival

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on September, 4 2014

Labor Day is over. Little children, carrying new book satchels and wearing new clothes, have found their way back to their schools. University students have returned to their campuses …

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