Part XXXIII Matthew – Watching the Traditions of “Dedication/Hanukkah” Develop

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on October, 30 2014

Last week we traced the origins of the Jewish festival known as “Dedication,” but in our day popularly called “Hanukkah.”. It celebrated the moment when a guerilla army of …

Part XXIX Matthew: Did Jesus Really Walk on Water? Of Course Not!

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on September, 25 2014

Sandwiched between Matthew’s two stories of Jesus feeding the multitude is another popular tale in the gospels. It is the account of Jesus walking on the water. Interestingly …

Introducing Jesus for the Non-Religious to France

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 24 2014

(The following is the speech delivered in Paris at the launching of the French Translation of Jesus for the Non-Religious.)

How can those of us living in …

On Launching a Book in Paris

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 17 2014

There is nothing quite like Paris in the springtime. The flowers of the season are in full bloom. The sidewalk cafes are filled with people drinking wine, sipping café …

Part XXV Matthew – Atonement Theology, Conclusion: Seeking New Possibilities

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 10 2014

Have you ever wondered why the work of Charles Darwin has been so threatening to traditional Christians and to institutional Christianity? In fundamentalist and Bible belt regions of the …

Part XXI Matthew – Yom Kippur and Sacrificial Blood

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 12 2014

The primary Christian mantra incorporated into our hymns, prayers and sermons is some variation of the phrase: “Jesus died for my sins!” It comes out of a Christian definition …

An Evening with Barbara Walters

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 15 2014

She was born to non-practicing Jewish parents. Because her father owned a series of night clubs from Boston to Miami, she grew up in the company of show business …

Jewish Symbols of the Lamb Applied to Jesus- Part III

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 8 2014

The Lamb Before Its Accusers

In addition to the Passover lamb and the lamb of Yom Kippur, there is a third lamb of God in the Jewish …

Jewish Symbols of the Lamb Applied to Jesus

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on April, 24 2014

Part I: The Lamb of Passover

I want to interrupt our study of Matthew for a few weeks in order to turn our attention to the great …

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