Why Christianity Must Change Or Die: a Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile, by John Shelby Spong

Fairfield University DigitalCommons@Fairfield

Religious Studies Faculty Publications Religious Studies Department

2000

Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile, by John Shelby Spong

Paul J. Fitzgerald S.J. Fairfield University, [email protected]

Peer Reviewed

Repository Citation Fitzgerald, Paul J. S.J., "Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile, by John Shelby Spong" (2000). Religious Studies Faculty Publications. 6. https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/religiousstudies-facultypubs/6 Published Citation Fitzgerald, Paul. "Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile, by John Shelby Spong." Theological Studies 61.3 (2000): 591-591.

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Dogmatics. In 1948 he was cofounder of the second. Episcopal bishop and pro the famous and influential Scottish Jour lific author, S. presents here a summa of nal of Theology. The two most difficult his nondogmatic, nontheistic faith. He decisions in his life were not to accept a advocates belief in a nonpersonal, non- position at Princeton University in 1939 interventionist God, a belief unsup and not to succeed Barth at Basel in ported by revelation and tradition as 1961. He remained at New College, Ed these have been understood in the inburgh from 1950-1979 when he re mainline churches through the centu tired, a year after receiving the presti ries. Relying heavily on the later ex- gious Templeton Prize. Because he egetical work of J. A. T. Robinson, S. could not lecture on the Trinity at New rejects the language and the categories College, his major works on that doc of theism as products of a now unten trine awaited his extraordinarily active able world view. Traditional religious retirement, during which he continued language (images of God, miraculous to lecture and publish extensively. works of Jesus, intercessory prayer, M. believes that one of Torrance's etc.) are "utter nonsense" (151, where most important contributions to con traditional religious ethics are dismissed temporary theology is that he restored as the tribal prejudices of primitives), natural theology to its traditional place yet S. is interested in the religious expe in Reformed theology, showing how rience of the ancient authors. Having and why theology and natural science lost the experience of a personal God in worked within a common (unitary) prayer (136), S. embraces the experi frame of knowledge. This enabled him ence of the absence of God. to argue, following Athanasius, for sci Some readers will wonder about his entific theology, i.e., a nondualist knowl generalizations, e.g., that the Church al edge that takes place under the constraint ways condemned stealing, even if it of its unique object; Einstein's method were a last resort to feed one's starving and some of Polanyi's categories helped family (207), and his observations, e.g., him develop his position. that prayers for healing act directly be While Torrance is correct to argue tween persons as a sort of psychic en that natural theology should not func ergy transfer (145). Perhaps most con tion independently of revelation, the troversial is his contention that Jesus of question left unresolved is how and why Nazareth was neither God nor re such a transformed understanding could deemer but rather a God bearer, a still be called natural theology. Since "spirit person" who revealed to Chris natural theology must operate in subor tians that God is the Ground of Being, dination to what is known by faith and the transcendent reality that can be grace from revelation, it would seem found in the heart of human life through that Torrance's reconstructed natural love. theology is more a theology of nature This book of popularized theological than knowledge of God from nature. ideas may appeal to refugees from mainstream Christianity and to students PAUL D. MOLNAR of postmodern theology. St. John's University, Jamaica, N.Y. PAUL J. FITZGERALD, SJ. Santa Clara University, Calif. WHY CHRISTIANITY MUST CHANGE OR DIE. By John Shelby Spong. San Fran THE GOLD COAST CHURCH AND THE cisco: HarperCollins, 1998. Pp. xxiii + GHETTO: CHRIST AND CULTURE IN MAIN 257. $24; $14. LINE PROTESTANTISM. By James K. Well- Peter Berger thus described the tri- man. Urbana: University of Illinois, lemma of contemporary Christians: one 1999. Pp. xv + 257. $21.95. can retreat into world-denying funda This engaging, richly detailed volume mentalism, one can embrace science tells the story of one of the nation's best and thoroughly demythify religion, or known churches, Chicago's Fourth one can attempt some sort of compro Presbyterian, and offers a plausible mise position. It is clear that Spong re challenge to the "strict-church thesis," jects the first option and tends toward according to which liberal values have