[.ca] The Bishop's Voice: Selected Essays (ISBN 0824518772)

Excellent overview:
Probably the most controversial person I have seen still inside the Christian leadership, Spong never ceases to amaze me. Whether you agree with his views, theology, or his process, you must respect his strength. What amazes me is how someone of his generation and age can be so openminded and fight so hard to try to change a religion that he feels will crumble without such change. This book is a great overview of his writings and the evolution of his principles. If you are interested in Bishop Spong, but are not sure where to start, these essays are usually under 10 pages, and are a great look at a great mind.

The Best of Bishop Spong:
Throughout his 24-year career as an Episcopal bishop, John Shelby Spong has always been a vocal spokesman for liberal Christianity. Over the years, he has acquired a very distinct writing style with which he passionately explains his favorite theological issues. It suffices to say that he definitely has his own "voice." "The Bishop's Voice," the title of this book, could not be more fitting for Spong. This book contains a collection of essays written by Spong over the course of the last twenty years. The essays seem to cover every topic imaginable. In this book, Spong tackles core theological issues such as the nature of God and the role of Jesus, political issues such as the emergence of the religious right in American politics, social issues such as abortion and homosexuality, and personal issues as he writes about people who have influenced him and people of whom he loves very deeply. Needless to say, this book is an excellent summation of what Spong believes and why he believes it. My favorite essay from this book is called "Yes, Virginia, There is a God!" In this essay, Spong compares the conservative Christian image of God to a child's image of Santa Claus. Spong says that our prayers to an external deity often resemble a child's letters to Santa. Similarly, we often attribute impossible tasks to God when we claim that "God" refers to a heavenly parent figure that interferes randomly in our world to accomplish a certain purpose. Spong says that this is akin to Santa Claus' magical journey around the world in one night. The bottom line is that it simply isn't possible. Just as many children "grow out" of believing in Santa, many teens and adults are even beginning to "grow out" of believing in God in this scientific age -- myself included. The answer, however, is not to abandon belief in God altogether. Instead, Spong says that we must seek new ways to articulate the way we experience God in this postmodern world. Spong's primary task in this essay and in his overall vocation is to help Christians rediscover God when the God-as-parent-figure of the past becomes inadequate. He does so with candor, integrity, and love. Because of this, he has quickly become my favorite theologian. I highly recommend Spong to all Christians that find themselves uncomfortable with the religious symbols of the past. His theology is comforting, refreshing, beautiful, and easy. Its greatest strength, I believe, is realizing that scientific knowledge is our asset in faith and not our enemy. It's also about realizing that people are generally good, not sinful. Reading Spong has been, for me, profound and life giving. It has allowed me to capture a new theological perspective that makes use of both my brain and my heart. Although this book of essays is only a tiny taste of one of Spong's other books, it is still incredibly powerful. By exploring a variety of issues, it paints a portrait of Spong that is sure to appeal to both his greatest fans and those discovering his enchantment for the first time.