John Shelby Spong
John Shelby Spong ( born June 16, 1931 in Charlotte, North Carolina) was from 1979 until his retirement in 2000, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.
He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1952 and received his Master of Divinity in 1955 from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. He was the rector of the Church of St. Joseph's in Durham, North Carolina 1955-1957, Rector of Calvary Parish, Tarboro, North Carolina 1957-1965, Rector of St. John 's Church in Lynchburg, Virginia from 1965 to 1969, and Rector St. Paul's Church in Richmond, Virginia by 1969 until 1976.
On 12 June 1976 he was ordained by John Maury Allin and George Edward Rath and Robert Bruce Hall to the bishop and served until 1979 as a coadjutor in the Diocese of Newark.
Spong represents a liberal theology and tries to unite a postmodern worldview with Christian faith. Influences come from Peter Abelard, Paul Tillich, John Hick and John B. Cobb. Spong is also considered a proponent of feminism and gay rights in the church.
He sees himself as a Christian, but sees the need for a profound theological reform, yes a new reformation to make Christianity for Modern credible. Among his most provocative theses include the claim that theism in the postmodern world meaningless ( "dead" ), and that numerous biblical statements about God and Jesus are not to be taken literally, such as the miracles, the virgin birth of Jesus and his bodily resurrection and driveway into a heaven beyond the stars.
Spong sees God as the source of life, but not as a supernatural power. Even he does not believe that people are born in sin and Deputy reconciliation require through an atonement: " Deputy salvation has become grotesque both in the sight of God who needs the bloodshed of a human sacrifice as a prerequisite for salvation, as well as in view of the human being as fallen and depraved viewed. "
Among the most common criticisms of conservative Spongs statements heard that they were not compatible with the Christian faith.