The Birth of Jesus, Part X: Matthew Sources and the Hebrew Scriptures

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 21 2013

Reading the Bible with any real comprehension in the 21st century is not an easy task. The gospels are a product of the 1st century, a dramatically different time, …

The Birth of Jesus, Part V. Matthew’s Original Story. The Prologue and Tamar, the Incestuous One

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 13 2012

Matthew is the gospel writer (82-85) who first introduced the story of Jesus’ miraculous or virgin birth into the tradition. He did so with the seventeen most boring verses …

The Birth of Jesus, Part III. The Testimony of Mark, the Earliest Gospel

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on November, 29 2012

The first gospel to be written, the one we call Mark, was composed in the early years of the 8th decade (70-72). It contains no story of and no …

“Think Different–Accept Uncertainty” Part XIX: The Dawning of Resurrection

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on October, 18 2012

Behind the narratives of Easter contained in the gospel tradition was an experience that was undeniable, powerful and true to the followers of Jesus.  That experience exploded upon them …

My Fourth Great Mentor: Edwin Anderson Penick, VI Bishop of North Carolina

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on August, 30 2012

All of us are mentored in life by other people.  Sometime this mentoring is done by example, sometimes by words.  An essential aspect of maturity is to recognize those …

“Think Different—Accept Uncertainty” Part XIII: Miracles As Signs to Be Interpreted

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 5 2012

Today, as a part of the overall series entitled “Think Different–Accept Uncertainty,” I want to begin to press this mini-unit on the miracle stories of the gospels toward …

“Think Different—Accept Uncertainty” Part XII: Are the Miracles of Jesus Miracles or Interpretive Signs?

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 14 2012

Last week, we began to look at the miracles attributed to Jesus in the gospels.  Most of them are familiar stories to those of us raised in the Christian …

“Think Different-Accept Uncertainty” Part XI: Beginning a Probe of the Miracles Attributed to Jesus

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 7 2012

Deconstruction is always easier to do than reconstruction, but it is not nearly so important.  It is never enough to say who or what Christ is not, but we …

“Think Different – Accept Uncertainty” Part IV: Expanding the Bankruptcy of Theism

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 16 2012

Before proceeding with this series, I want to return to my theme of last week and examine the concept of theism more closely.  In so doing, I run the …

Should a Competent Newspaper Publish Uninformed Prejudice?

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 2 2012

An article on homosexuality, which appeared recently on the Op-Ed page of the Star-Tribune of Minneapolis, calls into question the decision on the part of that paper’s editors …