The Charleston Murders: The Final Battle in the Civil War?

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 16 2015

It was a brutal murder of nine people in an AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The victims, including their pastor, who was also a member of the South …

Virginia Politics and the Trial of Governor Robert McDonnell

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on August, 28 2014

On Monday, August 14, 2014, beginning at 9:30 a.m., my wife Christine and I were seated in the Federal District Courtroom in Richmond, Virginia, preparing to listen to the testimony 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 …

SYRIA, POISON GAS, MISSILE STRIKES AND PEACE?

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on September, 19 2013

It has been both an emotional and a political roller-coaster. The television newscasters and the print media informed us that a political debate was underway as to whether or …

A Meditation on the State of America on its 237th Birthday

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on July, 11 2013

The United States celebrated its 237th birthday this past week. It seems, therefore, a fitting time for some moments of national reflection. In today’s column I seek to …

Gun Control, Immigration and Senator Hagel: The Manifestations of Cultural Paranoia in our Current Political Debate

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 7 2013

There are times when listening to the political debate in this country that I am absolutely astonished. Many of the participants in the current struggles regarding the proposed limitation …

Inauguration Day 2013

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 24 2013

Inauguration day in America is a time of transition, the proper moment to articulate the hopes and dreams of the future. These things are more vivid if the one …

Should this Column Deal with Political Issues?

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 24 2011

I value the letters I receive from my readers.  They often offer me new perspectives, bringing to my attention new facts that contribute significantly to my understanding or challenge …