Honestly it is just wonderful. I am so sad that I was prejudiced against him for so long. ( )

As you can see, I didn't find this book to be quite as earth-shattering as Why Christianity Must Change or Die. Perhaps it's because I read it with my husband, who was more critical of the way Spong built his arguments. Perhaps it was also because I was often frustrated that I wanted more detail. Spong is taking, and asking his readers to take, a leap of faith. I want a few more straws to grasp at as I do. ;) I want a list of the hymns that he thinks still make sense with a non-theistic understanding of God. I want more solid ideas of how to have a conversation as a non-theist with a traditional believer. For me, this is a matter of spiritual survival, right now. And I was hoping for at least a few easy answers. Though still, I appreciated this book. Perhaps the ground is a little sturdier under my feet for having read it after all. ( )

I ett samhälle där kristendomen spelar allt mindre roll finns fortfarande behov av något att tro på. Boken visar på hur kristendomen kan förändras för att fylla en funktion i samspel med vetenskap och ett samhälle i förändring. ( )

More than anyone else, Bishop John Shelby Spong has helped shape a new Christianity for a new world. He is a leader in liberal Christianity, and many of us have been following along, reading his books for years. If there’s any cause for frustration with Spong as an author, it’s that he never quite seemed to dig deep enough, to answer the big questions, about where this new, practical, thinking man’s version of Christianity would carry us.

If you’ve been yearning to finally get down to the nitty gritty of all the wonderful talk, the time has come. The big questions are answered. How does Christianity survive in a post-theistic world? How does eternity fit into this dream? What about prayer?

I think the best way to present this book is just to pass on some of my favorite quotes from the first half of the book. If you find yourself nodding your head, this is the book for you, and the second half will open your eyes.

“In the face of religious hostility on one side and incredulous disdain for my unwillingness to reject my faith-tradition on the other, I continue to insist that I am a Christian.”

“The audience I seek to address is … people who feel spiritually thirsty but know that they can no longer drink from the traditional wells of the past.”

“They will rejoice that they at last have found a way to put their heads and their hearts together.”

“People no longer believe in God in a real and operative sense, even if they do continue to believe in believing in God.”

“The God who is love is slowly transformed into the love that is God.”

“I am free of the God who was deemed to be incomplete unless constantly receiving our endless praises; the God who required that we acknowledge ourselves as born in sin and therefore as helpless; the God who seemed to delight in punishing sinners; the God who, we were told, gloried in our childlike, groveling dependency. Worshiping that theistic God did not allow us to grow into the new humanity that we now claim.” ( )

I have been a member of several Christian churches over the years, all of which have been very traditional in their approach to the Bible and the fundamental truths of the faith. John Shelby Spong is synonymous with "heretic" for many of the congregation members. I, however, have always had an inquiring mind, and have always wanted to have avenues to explore my questions and doubts. A recent purchase of mine, The Sacredness of Questioning Everything by David Dark, has encouraged me that genuine questioning is essential for a healthy spiritual life. It is from that perspective that I have read A New Christianity for a New World.

If you are happy with your religious/spiritual experience, safe and secure in your particular beliefs/faith/tradition, then you probably won't be interested in this book. However, if you're a Christian who wonders and doubts, you'll probably find at least some of this book resonates for you.

The thing that strikes me the most in this book, is the fact that Spong still very much identifies himself as a Christian, despite refuting all of the traditional fundamental tenets of the faith. At first I found that confusing, but reading further I realised that Spong is attempting to strip back all the layers of human attempts to define God; all the language and imagery of Christian cultures over the centuries. He aims to find what is left, the central truth, if you like, of God, when all the human inventions are removed. To my mind, that's a noble ideal.

Do I think Spong has succeeded in arguing convincingly for his new definition of Christianity? That's not really for me to say in the context of a book review. Suffice to say, he has set himself a daunting task. A lot of what he says is extremely controversial when said from within the church (Spong is a Bishop).

Would I recommend this book? I would say follow your own conscience on this one. If you believe that this book may damage your faith, then don't read it. But if you're intrigued, I think you'll find it well worth your time. ( )