The Easter Moment [Paperback]

John Shelby Spong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

The Easter Moment tells the moving story of Spong's friendship with a young physician dying of cancer and how that relationship shed new light on the years of study the author has devoted to the great mystery of what actually happened on that long-ago Easter when the whole history of the human race was changed. Spong is willing to ask tough and searching questions and to come up with startling and significant answers to what happened after death that first fateful Easter, and what that means for thinking about life after death today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Saint Johann Press (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878282158
• ISBN-13: 978-1878282156
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Shelby Spong was the Episcopal Bishop of Newark, New Jersey for twenty-four years before his retirement in 2000. He is one of the leading spokespersons for liberal Christianity and has been featured on 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, FOX News Live, and Extra. This book is based on the William Belden Noble lectures Spong delivered at Harvard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars HE DID THE IMPOSSIBLE!, May 7, 2000

By 

Sean Ares Hirsch - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Easter Moment (Paperback)

I was raised Anglo Catholic. I was also taught that Faith is a gift. I was also taught that the Resurrection of Christ must be believed even though there is no way to prove it. Well, Bishop Spong did the impossible! First he offers us a very deep (and quite probable) speculation of what was going on between the crucifixion and resurrection. He also goes beyond the Scriptures and speculates on what may have been going through the Apostles' minds when all this happened. But the greatest thing Spong does is that he actually proves the resurrection. What he does is he shows you what happened BEFORE Easter, and then he shows you what happened AFTER Easter. In my opinion, even the most obtuse person would be able to see that if one looks at the picture before and after, the resurrection HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED. This belongs in the library of ANY Roman Catholic or Anglo Catholic. I also feel that Bishop Spong hit on something that THOUSANDS of priests, bishops, and cardinals would have loved to stumble upon. Bishop Spong did the church a WONDERFUL service when he wrote this book!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a proof, but thought provoking, April 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Easter Moment (Paperback)

I found this book to be a fascinating read. In the first part, Bishop Spong looks at the events around the first Easter, and makes a case that something significant must have happened.

In the second part, Spong delves deeper in the New Testament to see what happened. Looking beyond a literal meaning he raises interesting questions and draws thought provoking conclusions.