The Sins of Scripture

The Sins of Scripture

Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love

John Shelby Spong

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Description

In the history of the Western World, the Bible has been a perpetual source of inspiration and guidance for countless Christians. However, this Bible has also left a trail of pain. It is undeniable that the Bible is not always used for good. Sometimes the Bible can seem overtly evil. Sometimes its texts are terrible.

Bishop John Shelby Spong boldly approaches those texts that have been used through history to justify the denigration or persecution of others while carrying with them the implied and imposed authority of the claim that they were the "Word of God." As he exposes and challenges what he calls the "terrible texts of the Bible", laying bare the evil done by these texts in the name of God, he also seeks to redeem these texts, hoping to recover their ultimate depth and purpose. Spong looks specifically at texts used to justify homophobia, anti-Semitism, treating women as second-class humans, corporal punishment, and environmental degradation, but he also delivers a new picture of how Christians can use the Bible today. As Spong battles against the way the Bible has been used throughout history, he provides a new framework, introducing people to a proper way to engage this holy book of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Genres

New TestamentBiblical Criticism & InterpretationReligionChristianityOld TestamentBiblical StudiesHistoryChristian Church

Pages336

Released2009

LanguageEnglish

PublisherHarperCollins

ISBN9780061835605

SellerHarperCollins

About the author(s)

John Shelby Spong, the Episcopal Bishop of Newark before his retirement in 2000, has been a visiting lecturer at Harvard and at more than 500 other universities all over the world. His books, which have sold well over a million copies, include Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy; The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic; Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World; Eternal Life: A New Vision; Jesus for the Non-Religious, The Sins of Scripture, Resurrection: Myth or Reality?; Why Christianity Must Change or Die; and his autobiography, Here I Stand. He writes a weekly column on the web that reaches thousands of people all over the world. To join his online audience, go to www.JohnShelbySpong.com. He lives with his wife, Christine, in New Jersey.

Reviews

“Spong shares his extraordinary gift of conveying the Bible’s spiritual and ethical authority…” — Jack D. Spiro, Harry Lyons Distinguished Chair of Judaic Culture, Virginia Commonwealth University

“Spong demonstrates the prophetic vocation that prefers truth to lies, honesty to hypocrisy, common sense to sick religious ideologies.” — Matthew Fox, president, University of Creation Spirituality, author of Original Blessing, Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet, and One River, Many Wells

“Another brilliant chapter in Spong’s quest to rescue the Bible from fundamentalism.” — Robert W. Funk, Jesus Seminar, author of Honest to Jesus

“Spong lifts the myths surrounding scripture, stripping away the superfluous so the kernal of truth becomes reality.” — Reverend R. Robert Kimes, Director Religious Activities, Bay View, MI

“Remarkably insightful and honest, John Shelby Spong explores some of the most compelling issues of our time.” — Reverend Jarmo Tarkki, Ph.D.

“The Sins of Scripture challenges Christians to look beyond the myths of their faith into the heart of the matter.” — Bill O'Reilly, Anchor, Fox News Channel

“This absorbing book has much to offer readers of all persuasions.” — Publishers Weekly

“With prophetic vigor, Spong lays bare the evil done…in the name of God...[and] calls the Christian community to accountability....” — Spirituality and Health magazine

“This book is long overdue...” — New York Times

“A valuable modernist manifesto for progressive readers seeking a response to the conservative theology dominating the news these days.” — Boston Globe