Burke Lecture: John Shelby Spong
A pre-eminent voice for liberal Christianity, John Shelby Spong was the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2000. His admirers acclaim his making contemporary theology accessible to the ordinary lay person—he’s considered a champion of an inclusive faith by many both inside and outside the Christian church. His challenges to the church have also made him a target of hostility, fear, and death threats. Calling himself “a joyful, passionate, convinced believer in the reality of God,” he seeks not to create a new religion, but to reform the church he loves. Series: “Burke Lectureship on Religion & Society” [1/2005] [Humanities] [Show ID: 9117]
Spong Bob!
Museum? of man well I suppose it was back then as it was man who did these things. Were women involved in torchering people. So with that it would not be sexist to call it museum of man
He could do with a shorter version of this video as I think more people Will watch the video.
You can force people to say I believe but in there hearts they dont believe. People need to believe with their hearts not with their words. Its whats in their hearts
I agreed with most of what Spong says. I really liked the stories of the gospel of John and the book of Hosea Spong referred to. But when I tried to find them in the bible, I discovered: they are not there! At least not like he told them or anything coming even a little close it.
@XitemeM That’s what I & soon everyone will find most surprising. That, our so-called Evil Globalists are actually the savior of all the religious & the only ones worthy of God. Having created all the Gods & Satans throughout history to make God more appealing to those timely differences in trying to bring the people back to God’s path. That the people, theist & atheist, are the stolen Jesus & the Lamb only deserving slaughter & actually causing God’s wrath. The, look in the mirror for the evil.
@Iggyocracy The God portrayed in the Bible that John talks about there is what he refers to as a ‘Tribal Deity’. For me the message from John (so far) has been to remember that the Bible was penned by humans who are influenced by the prejudies, culture and knowledge of their age. Our understanding of God is an unfolding process through the ages and you’re right to dislike the notion of God as a tribal deity. You’re also right to dislike the (false) voice of Jesus in Revelations.
@XitemeM Though, I have now completed my research & finalized my discovery of The Revelation of the Bible, knowing the truth to this entire world & knowing what John says here & specifically at 14:10 to 14:50 is that answer. I don’t doubt John covers everything & he clearly knows the truth behind the world, but to blame the People for misguided hate & behavior while justifying God’s immorals & unethicals is quite telling. The People proved God wrong & John still tries to prove the People wrong.
@Iggyocracy I’m reading his book at the moment and he has discussed the flood, the commandments , Abraham and the story of Sodom and other things. I really don’t think he’s afraid to tackle anything in the bible head on and with a scholar’s perspective.
thanks bishop it was a wonderful lecture,
@drewskione 6+ inches. Depends on the weather.
@wormdrink414 How big are you?
sexism is cool
No wonder I didn’t hear about this guy within Atheism. He’s just afraid to go all the way & disprove his bishopship & the rest of all religion by only covering the little stuff that he can twist onto anyone but God. You’ll notice he covers none of the true evils of God & also that only God performs, like the entire Bible. Nothing on the evils of the Commandments, the Flood, JOb, Phillistines, Abraham or even a word of Jesus’ TOTAL self-betrayal in the Revelation. Once a fraud, always a fraud!
@helenmarplehorvat Maybe he’s referring to the fathers of the episcopal church, which was founded in the 17th century?
@ToBeSaltnLight Shelby does not believe that any of the bible is true, he thinks its all a made up book, he figured out there is a market out there of millions of people who want to call themselves something, Christian, and be able to live whatever life they want, without no future judgment, and that sells lots of books, and that’s how he makes a good living, simple as that.
I clicked off a Hitchens video to watch this? Why yes. Yes I did. I’m an idiot.
ToBeSaltnLight is the perfect example of what at core is absolutely wrong and especially vile about religion. ToBe has Muslim (fundamentalists in particular) and Jewish (Zionists in particular) counterparts. Today, these hating, exclusionary prostelyzers of evil in the name of good can no longer slander, libel, murder or torture into submission those of us who do not believe their superstitious claims. Freedom of and from religion is the great emancipator of the spiritual mind.
The early fathers of the 17th century!! Well, if your culture is only 200 years maybe. x
It’s wonderful how getting death threats is listed as one of his credentials.
brilliant guy!
He is right.. many christians do not understand what the scripture is saying. Some even do not know what Jesus is saying. Most did not aware what God want. No one see God, but people who has godly character, godly humans. So, what is your characters? godly or humanly? if you have pure humanly character then you need to learn about God and to believe Jesus is God. if you have godly character, people will trust you upon what you say, do, act, and think…..
@DavidDayPraise Christ has defined the narrow road. The point of the broad and narrow road is not about who you choose to stand alongside, but about salvation and life. Mr. Spong is teaching that certain texts of scripture are “terrible” and should be disassociated with the bible. By taking out these verses it broadens the road to God. Christ warned about taking this approach because it’s erroneous. Anyone who is repentant of their sin should have “equal footing.”
well, it depends on how to you define that path, wouldn’t it? for many, they find it a harder path to stand alongside the oppressed and marginal ones–women that are unjustly ignored and denied of leadership in the church, extending leadership to the poor and those deemed insignificant in church’s political process, or overcoming fear of gays/lesbians and giving them an equal footing in our faith community.
I would like to ask Mr. Spong if he believes Jesus said “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14). He’ll probably say no, because it contradicts what he is teaching.