John Shelby “Jack” Spong (1931–2021) was an American theologian and bishop of the Episcopal Church. He served as Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, 1979–2000. He was a notable outspoken voice for liberal Christianity; he called for a fundamental rethinking of Christian belief away from theism and traditional doctrines.
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Spong graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and received his Master of Divinity degree in 1955 from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. He served as rector of several Episcopal parishes in North Carolina and Virginia and retired as Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, in 2000. He held visiting positions at major American theological institutions, most prominently at Harvard Divinity School.
Spong called for a New Reformation, in which many of Christianity’s fundamental doctrines should be reformulated, away from theism and the afterlife as a reward or punishment for human behavior. He promoted traditionally liberal causes, such as feminism, homosexuality, and racial equality. He was one of the first American bishops to ordain a woman (1977) and an openly gay man (1989.) Following his lead, the Episcopal Church recognized same-sex marriages in 2015.
Spong’s notable works include Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism (1991,) Why Christianity Must Change or Die (1999,) Jesus for the Non-Religious (2007,) and Unbelievable: Why Neither Ancient Creeds Nor the Reformation Can Produce a Living Faith Today (2018.)
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Every institution places its ultimate weight on preserving its own life. That is why the Church emphasizes loving God over loving one’s neighbor…. The push for justice on the other hand might be at the center of the Gospel but it also attacks the balance of power in the society. Since the rich always exploit the poor, to give the poor power, dignity and humanity makes them less pliable, less cooperative.
—John Shelby Spong
Topics: Christianity, Justice
I … look at Jesus and see a humanity open to all that God is—open to life, open to love and open to being.
—John Shelby Spong
Topics: Christianity
The great biblical tradition says that loving God and loving one’s neighbor are not two separate actions but two sides of the same action. It was the prophet Amos who bore witness to the fact that divine worship is nothing but human justice being offered to God and human justice is nothing but divine worship being lived out.
—John Shelby Spong
Topics: Justice
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