Believers In Exile

I'm in the middle of John Shelby Spong's latest book "Jesus for the Non-Religious." The name doesn't do it justice. The book is really about the search for a historical Jesus of Nazareth. The author, John Shelby Spong is a retired Episcopalian Bishop and outspoken advocate for change within the Christian church. He was an early supporter of civil rights; women's rights; and the rights of gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual people.


Believers in exile is what he calls himself and those of us who have become disenchanted with the church. While some find his questions threatening, many of us find them liberating and reaffirming. I'll post more complete reviews of his books as time permits. For now let me say that if you are frustrated with the church's lack of progress on social and environmental issues; if you can't abandon your sense of reason in the face of dogma like creationism, monotheism, and supernatural miracles; and if you are bothered by the church's insistance on a literal reading of the scriptures then you should take a look at one of Spong's books. In all of his books Spong brings out thoughtful discussions about Christianity and conveys to the reader important facts, thoughts, and hypothesis that have been available to biblical scholars and theologians for some time.

"Jesus for the Non-Religious " A search for the historical Jesus. Spong begins by analyzing the mythical themes surrounding Jesus and then searching for the historical person who inspired his followers.

"Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture" Exactly what it sounds like. Spong brings biblical scholarship to the layperson, taking apart the common literal interpretations that often defy logic and offers us other ways to think about these texts.

"Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile" In this book, Bishop Spong makes his case for why Christianity must change in order to remain relevant.

"A New Christianity for a New World: Why Traditional Faith is Dying & How a New Faith is Being Born" This book is basically a sequel to "Why Christianity Must Change or Die."

I grew up in the Lutheran church and have spent many years searching for meaning that goes beyond the platitudes that I hear coming from the church. I think Bishop Spong has made an important contribution to that search. He has made some of the biblical scholarship and theology of the past 200 years accessible to lay people (something the church itself has never done, prefering instead to leave us languishing in the theology of the middle-ages), and he has brought a level of reason, honesty, and questioning to the discussion that can be difficult to find in a field as emotionally charged as religion.