Spong's deadly Christianity

By Spencer Gear [1]

Read the article, "An Evening with John Shelby Spong," in the Uniting Church of Queensland's, Journey magazine, online.

I, Spencer Gear, wrote this letter-to-the-editor:

Letters to the editor,
Journey
Sent 27 Oct 2007 to: journey@ucaqld.com.au

Dear Editor,
   It is with sadness that I must disagree profoundly with Noel Preston's assessment of  Bishop Spong as having "the positive impact . . . on behalf of Christian faith" (Journey, Letters, Nov. 07).    While Spong was Bishop of Newark, NJ, the Episcopalians voted with their feet.  Membership dropped by more than 40%.  That redefines "positive impact."
   Spong throws out core Christian beliefs such as the atonement, calling it an "offensive idea."  He denies the bodily resurrection of Christ, yet still wants to say: "I am a Christian. I believe that God is real. I call Jesus my Lord. Yet I do not define God as a supernatural being. I believe passionately in God. This God is not identified with doctrines, creeds, and traditions" (A New Christianity for a New World, pp. 3, 10, 64, 74).
   Luke T. Johnson, a scholar of NT & Christian origins, states that "having a bishop [Spong] with opinions like these is a bit like hiring a plumber who wants to 'rethink pipes.'  Spong imagines that he has escaped his own fundamentalist past, but he has not.  He remains defined by the literalism he so doggedly battles" (The Real Jesus, p. 33).
   Anglican Bishop of Durham, England, and former Oxford scholar, N. T. Wright, takes Spong's view to task in, Who Was Jesus?
   Another has described Spong as "Mr. I-am-a-bishop-who-believes-nothing-of-the-Gospel."  Yet, Rev. Preston wants to link Spong to professing "his allegiance to Jesus Christ despite challenging certain questionable beliefs."  Which Jesus?
   Spong's denial of central Christian beliefs makes him heterodox in his theology.  To call his ministry "prophetic" is an abuse of the word.  Spong's Jesus is no more than regurgitated 19th century liberalism.
   "Didn't it happen to Jesus of Nazareth?" Rev. Preston asks?  Yes it did, but not for an anaemic Christ stripped of his essence by bishops like Spong.  Spongian "christianity" is deadly to church life.

Sincerely,

Spencer Gear,
Hervey Bay

P.S.  My contact address is, PO Box 3107, Hervey Bay DC, 4655. 

Appendix

This is the Noel Preston letter to which I was referring:

 I write to commend you for the October Journey.
     I was especially appreciative of the three commentaries on Bishop Spong's public meeting in Brisbane.
     I do not dissent from the impressions reported and share with Bruce Johnson a measure of disappointment that the address I heard from Jack Spong was short on the detail of "a new approach" to theology, though I have great admiration for the positive impact  the Bishop has had on behalf of Christian faith throughout a courageous ministry lasting decades.
     Your editorial on the subject mused over what it is that causes such a reaction by many to the 78 year old Bishop.
      I suspects its intensity has something to do with his determination to profess his allegiance to Jesus Christ despite challenging certain questionable beliefs, moral codes and institutional dorms which have been dubiously confused with the essence of the Gospel.
     Perhaps his detractors might opine: "If he could just stop pretending to be a disciple it would be easier to tolerate him!"
     This is not an unusual story.
     As some of your readers would recognise, attempts to be prophetic from within a religious tradition often bring forth a vehement reaction.
     Didn't it happen to Jesus of Nazareth?

 Noel Preston
Auchenflower [3]

Notes:

[1]  I am an Australian family relationships' counselling manager, doctoral student in biblical studies, an active Christian apologist, and may be contacted at: P. O. Box 3107, Hervey Bay 4655, Australia.
[2]  "Letters," Journey, November 2007, p. 15. 
[3]  Noel Preston's personal website is HERE.

 Challenge of truth