God in Us : A Case for Christian Humanism (Societas) [Paperback]

Anthony Freeman (Author), John Shelby Spong (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001 | Series: Societas (Book 2)

God In Us is a radical representation of the Christian faith for the 21st century. Following the example of the Old Testament prophets and the first-century Christians it overturns received ideas about God. God is not an invisible person 'out there' somewhere, but lives in the human heart and mind as 'the sum of all our values and ideals' guiding and inspiring our lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A brave and very well-written book." -- The Freethinker

"Brilliantly lucid, clear, common-sense and to-the-point style." -- Philosophy Now

"This discussion must help both believers and enquirers to a deeper understanding of their religious impulses." -- Epworth Review

About the Author

Freeman read chemistry and then theology at Oxford University and was ordained in 1972. "When God In Us" was first published in 1993 he was dismissed from his parish for contravening church teaching, but he remains a priest in the Church of England.

John Shelby Spong served the Episcopal Church as a priest and bishop for forty-five years. As a visiting lecturer at Harvard and at universities and churches throughout North America and the English-speaking world, he is one of the leading spokespersons for an open and engaged Christianity. He has initiated landmark controversial discussions within the church and is an outspoken advocate for change. His twenty-plus books, including "The Sins of Scripture", "A New Christianity for a New World", and his autobiography "Here I Stand" have sold over one million copies and have been translated into most of the major languages of the world. He also writes a weekly column for WaterFrontMedia. He lives with his wife, Christine, in Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Imprint Academic; 2nd edition (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0907845177
• ISBN-13: 978-0907845171
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,646,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Provocative!, March 16, 2004

By 

William A. Adams (Bainbridge Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God in Us: A Case for Christian Humanism (Paperback)

Anthony Freeman is a de-frocked Anglican priest. Why did he get the boot? Maybe it's because he dared to say what many people already suspect, that God is not "out there," in heaven, outside of history, distant, aloof, and silent, but "in here," alive and present. Does Anthony believe in God or doesn't he? The church said no, and he had to go. He says yes. It depends how you understand God. He presents his reasoning in this brief, but provocative gem.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If It's Broke, Maybe We Can Fix It., February 9, 2006

By 

Peter Kenney (Birmingham, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: God in Us : A Case for Christian Humanism (Societas) (Paperback)

GOD IN US is a fascinating little book which presents a fairly radical view of God and the current state of Christianity. Actually it contains two contrasting viewpoints counting the interesting Foreward provided by John Shelby Spong.

Anthony Freeman does not believe in the traditional God of Christianity as described in the Bible and the Creeds. He does not put faith in an objective God out there somewhere but instead chooses to construct a God from his own most cherished values. Freeman's ideas of God are very similar to those expressed by Don Cupitt who places great emphasis on embracing the Void.Freeman regards the Bible and the Creeds as purely human inventions. In fact, he considers all religions to be made entirely by humans.

Spong, on the other hand, talks about God as if it actually exists in the depths of being. He believes that he experiences God although he is not able to explain God.

Freeman and Spong are at their best when describing what is wrong with Christianity. They are much less convincing when they try to offer solutions for fixing it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting glimpse of the future of Christianity, December 1, 2005

By 

Bruce Robinson (Kingston, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: God in Us : A Case for Christian Humanism (Societas) (Paperback)

Throughout history, there have been many concepts of the supernatural. In ancient times, the Gods and Goddesses resembled humans with special powers. More recently, they were all-powerful beings in charge of a defined geographical area. Still more recently, God has been visualized as an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibeneficient spirit, in spite of the logical contradictions that these attributes generate. Freeman has taken the next step, towards a God who is not "an invisible person 'out there' somewhere, but lives in the human heart and mind as 'the sum of all our values and ideals' guiding and inspiring our lives." Unfortunately, the Church of England was not willing to tolerate one of their priests taking this step.