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 »

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Faith a Symptom or a Treatment?

To the degree that our faith is an expression of our wholeness, then faith can help our health. But faith for many is a neurotic attempt to hide from reality, or to lessen life’s fears and anxieties. Then it is a symptom of sickness not health and may well reveal itself somatically.

Faith is something one lives, not something one says or something one does. If that distinction is not grasped then much of it is nonsense.

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Posted by John Shelby Spong on June 16, 2008 9:50 AM

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