John Shelby Spong

John Shelby Spong

Former Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Newark

"“On Faith”" panelist John Shelby Spong served as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2000. His books, seeking to make contemporary theology accessible to lay readers, have sold over a million copies. His latest book, The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Discover the God of Love (2005), examines the holy book of the Judeo-Christian tradition. A committed Christian who has spent a lifetime studying the Bible and whose life has been deeply shaped by it, Spong has been a visiting lecturer at universities, Including Harvard, and churches worldwide, delivering more than 200 public lectures each year to standing-room only crowds. His best-selling books include Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, A New Christianity for a New World, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and Here I Stand. Close.

John Shelby Spong

Former Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Newark

"On Faith" panelist John Shelby Spong served as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2000. His books, seeking to make contemporary theology accessible to lay readers, have sold over a million copies. more »

Main Page | John Shelby Spong Archives | On Faith Archives


April 2007 Archives



April 2, 2007 7:33 AM

In All Fairness, Media Distorts

Fair is not the right word. The reputable media struggles to be fair. Generally, however, the media distortion comes from the fact that media people are not scholars in the field and consciously and unconsciously make assumptions that are quite obviously uninformed.

Continue »




April 6, 2007 7:07 AM

Resurrection, not Resuscitation

No one in the world of academic theology that I know treats the supposed discovery of the tomb of Jesus as if it had any credibility. It is based on the idea that the resurrection of Jesus was in fact a physical resuscitation.

Continue »




April 13, 2007 7:06 AM

God Big Enough to Embrace All

If they cannot there is something wrong with their understanding of their own faith system. God is not a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim!

Continue »




April 23, 2007 7:05 AM

Destructive Questions Invite Destructive Answers

This question seems designed to elicit hostility under the cover of religion. Anyone who would answer that question with a “yes” would reveal only abysmal ignorance of Islam. Suppose the question were posed: “Do you think Christianity is a violent religion?” Would not Christians think that was an inappropriate invitation to express religious hostility?

Continue »


« March 2007 | May 2007 »

Top Local Global

On Faith is an interactive conversation on religion moderated by Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. It is produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, as is PostGlobal, a conversation on international affairs. Please send your comments, questions and suggestions for On Faith to David Waters, its producer.