Customer Reviews

Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love, and Equality

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Last year I read John Shelby Spong's book, "Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile" and was moved. I had thought that about the most I could expect from the Anglican tradition was a good cup of coffee after the service and yet here was an Episcopal bishop whose book fed me intellectually and, rarest of all, spiritually. In December I learned that his autobiography was to be published and bought it as soon as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed "Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love and Equality".

The book moves along at a fast pace, blending the facts of his life with the stories that give them meaning. And the stories are fascinating. We read of the experiences that shaped him as a child, as a youth, as a young man. The racial conflicts he sought to ease in his early years as a priest. His stimulating approaches to preaching and education. His acceptance of gay and lesbian people and his support of them even at personal cost. And throughout the book, insightful looks into the workings of the Episcopal Church in America and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

I like the way he looks at himself, indeed it is his frank portrayal of his own weaknesses and mistakes that makes his descriptions of the weaknesses and mistakes of others believable.

Spong closes his book by saying, in part, "But above all else, I was throughout my life and am still today deeply convinced of the reality of God. Indeed, I am more deeply convinced of this reality at this moment than I have ever been before. I walk inside the wonder of this God in every experience of life. I have become more of a mystic than I ever thought possible for a rationalist like me. I still meet this God in the life of the one I call Lord and Christ, who is supremely important to my spiritual journey".

A wonderful man, a great book.

In HERE I STAND, Jack Spong shares with his readers the development in his theology as he lives into his Christian faith as one who thinks and is open to the experiences of the world in which he lives. I have read all of Jack Spong's books and it was enlightening to experience the what,how and why as each book and its reason for being unfolded.

From his rearing in the conservative South to a leader of a broader more liberal Christian understanding, the reader becomes a fellow traveler with Jack Spong as he finds himself on the cutting edge of theology as it is lived out in the post modern world. Jack Spong was and is unafraid to question his faith and its very foundational concepts and in doing so has opened the gospel (good news) to thousands, if not millions, of those in exile who seek a spiritual relationship with the God of all. HERE I STAND gives the reader the opportunity to share this journey toward truth and freedom.

When I read "Rescuing The Bible From Fundamentalism"(J.Spong) many years ago, it was as if a giant weight had been liftedfrom my emotional shoulders. I never doubted the existence of God,and, was always enthralled by his mysterious, beautiful presence in the natural world around us, and, I attributed, with no reservation, mankind's spiritual goodness to the hand of God. I also knew, in my heart, that the journey to him that the church demanded, was an embarassment. What I learned in church and Sunday School was totally irreconcileable with my intellect and spiritual instincts. Even as a child, I knew that Jewish mythology played no more part in our quest for God than did that of the ancient Greeks. Zeus saving his chosen warriors with thunder bolts was about as believable as Moses parting an ocean with his staff. The examples were endless, and, very troubling to my nascent intellect. Rev Spong's writings have been the catalyst for me to peacefully seek God in my heart and mind while sitting on my deck, rather than in a pew, although I would welcome this undertaking in a church that genuinely sought to unite its' members with God, rather than remind them of their inadequacies. Understanding the man better, thanks to this biography, cements my first responses to his earlier writings.

...from a deeply committed, brilliant and passionate man. Reading this book made me aware of just how much has changed in the world, in the church, and for so many groups of people just in Bishop Spong's lifetime. It has also made me aware of how far we have to go!

I know many find him disturbing, "out there", a heretic, one who seeks the limelight for its own sake. The Bishop Spong who emerges in these pages, however, is one deeply, passionately, and irrevocably dedicated, to inclusiveness, justice, fairness, and the gift of love in Christ. His willingness to provide a voice for the disenfranchised, to put his career and life on the line, time and again; and to use his considerable intellectual, spiritual and leadership gifts toward these ends is nothing short of heroic. The saga of the 1998 Lambeth Conference was heartbreaking: what sadness for Bishop Spong to have to end his active career on such a note. History will be the judge, however. His bravery, commitment and dedication to unpopular and difficult causes will be long remembered. An excellent, surprisingly personal, autobiography.

An interesting and pacey narrative, flowing easily over its 460 pages. This book is an account of challenges and events that shaped Spong during his life as Minister and Bishop. It is thus a good Account of Spongs own contribution to changes in US Episcopalian attitudes and practice. (i.e.where he comes from). The book is not a cogent outline of his theological position (where he stands), and only in a two page Appendix is there a summary of Twelve Theses or theological points he supports. For more detailed understanding of his theological contribution and positions readers must refer to his other works.

The changes that Spong led arose from the existential problems he faced, whether in desegregation, Parish participation and inclusion, or forging understanding of Scripture and Doctrine. The narrative follows these predicaments as they arise and his own moves to meet and accommodate them, often at personal cost. This detailed tracking of Episcopalian change and politics, whether at Parish or Diocese level, is recorded from one conversation to another, and no name goes unnamed. The book reads as a deliberately detailed archive of the development of issues, and the roles and tactics of the major protagonists. Ill-informed, prejudiced, and doctrinaire church leaders parade through its pages, contesting issues and scripture with more moderate and humane ministers. There is dishonest and manipulative conduct aplenty, and backroom dealings unfettered by any commitment to truth, fairness, or justice. The book derives much of its interest and readability from this drama of conflict and intrigue at the heart of a church structure still allied to an outdated staus quo.

The same level of detail is not evident with regard to influences in his personal life which may have shaped his thinking and theology. For example from his marriage in 1952 (not a mature decision p57) until moving from Tarboro 13 years later (1965) there is no hint of miscommunication or difficulty until he expresses surprise to discover how much his wife hated that town. Then following the 1969 move to Richmond and his wifes tragic descent into psychoses they end up leading separate lives, often not seeing each other though living under the same roof. Finally in 1984 he moved into his own apartment. Around this time (1985) he established a Taskforce on the changing patterns of family life, examining issues of sexual activity commencing well before marriage, post-marrieds (widowed or divorced) remaining open to sexual activity, and, the possibility of what he terms sacred partnerships for gays and lesbians. His own life confronted these issues, and probably had for some time. Is it unfair to expect some acknowledgement, some sensitive and discreet comment on this? Is the reader justified in expecting the same referencing in existential conditions, the same degree of detailed analysis that accompanied some of the lesser moves in the Church? Evidently not. Spong clearly ran a very human centred ministry, and his combination of administrative ability and capacity for human engagement comes through strongly.. except in regard to his family. Again, the courtship of his second wife as recounted is so oblique that she enquires, Does this mean we are engaged? Some would find this more believable as querying the formalising of an already existing bond of unity. Certainly this reader felt there was more history than was being revealed.

The Lambeth Conference which immediately preceded Spongs retirement reads as a distressing two dimensional high camp drama between inflexible positions, represented by the Old Guard on one side and Spong on the other. Is there no legitimate middle ground between the Fundamentalists Homosexuals are for Hell and the Liberals discovery (supposedly science based) that Homosexuality is a legitimate third gender? There was talk of the East/West and Third World/First World polarities on Homosexuality, but no discussion on the unease felt by many middle ground Liberals. That is, the apprehension of where recognition and acceptance of Gays in the Ministry might lead. What of the reasonable concern that it must inevitably lead to moves to sanction and bless their gay unions. (liturgies which recognise and bless such relationships p334). Holy Matrimony? However non judgemental an organisation becomes on sexual orientation, can it actually legitimise behaviour that its own scripture deems not acceptable? If it does, then how will it accommodate this? What are the implications for other core doctrines in those same scriptures? What then happens to the central role of that scripture? Does accepting Gay and Lesbian oriented persons as Priests require legitimising of such sexual orientation or behaviour? How can an inclusive church not include people simply because they are not hetrosexual, while its members may include those guilty of greater sins? In fact, what is the boundary and shape of full, honest, and unflinching debate on this issue? Sadly the reader finds only the bitter vitriol of a slanging match between ideological extremes.

Spong witnessed the death of the church visibly at the Lambeth Conference (p455) due to, he claims, the evangelical fundamentalist takeover of the church internationally. This he says is only made possible because thinking people in mainline modern churches are departing. After working throughout his career to give a credible voice to a Christianity in dialogue with the real world, Spongs defeat at Lambeth (on homosexuality issues) brought him to the realisation that the church as it exists was surely dying for me.

Overall this book is a good account of the different moods and currents wafting through the wider Church in the second half of the Twentieth Century. It is well told by one who spent 50 years continually pushing and defining the progressive frontier. The book is thus far more correctly described by its subtitle, as the authors personal account of My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love and Equality.

Bishop Spong spins and engaging story around his experiences along a very active spiritual path. Personally, I do not know how one writes an autobiography in a humble way, while still standing for your point of view in how events unfolded. In many ways, this book falls into all the traps of the typical autobiography, but the theology was so interesting and the politics of the Episcopal church so intriguing that I found I could not put the book down.

"The heart cannot worship what the mind rejects," declares this Bishop as he goes about trying to move his church into the 21st century - without much success most times. The story of his wife's illness, and subsequent death, made me want to know more about how the stress of being "the Bishop's wife" might have added to her suffering. Not to place blame, but rather to understand and apply lessons to my own life and marriage. And I could not help but identify strongly with the frustration of trying to move a large organization forward. Much of my professional life deals with trying to manage change in organizations, and it seems an overwhelming, thankless, and impossible task at times. In a way, it was helpful to find that it is not only the for profit world that struggles with power, change, and integrity.

Since I have had the pleasure of hearing Bishop Spong speak, and the distinct honor to meet him for a brief one on one discussion, I found that I could "hear his voice" as I read this book. I could "see" the sparkle in his eye as he took on some of the antagonists in his story. His theology is considered liberal by almost any standard. I find that not only refreshing, but the only hope we have of saving religious institutes as we go forward. If we do not update our theology, we will be destined to follow England into a secular, non-churched society. I agree with Bishop Spong that "The heart cannot worship what the mind rejects." Get it and read it and understand the message.

This book is an AUTOBIOGRAPHY, not some philisophical diatribe intended to push one of The Rt. Rev. John Spongs controversial views - as Mr. Marshall (the previous reviewer) would have you think. I would submit that Mr. Marshall's "piety" might be more out of balance than Bishop Spong's! Just what is the "true" Christianity? I wouldn't propose to have all the answers - and I don't believe that Bishop Spong has in his previous writings either.

Anyway, for those of you who enjoy biographies. This is a well-written one. The book opens with a series of quotes "for and again" John Spong, showing that the Bishop knows very well the extent of some of the pain he has caused. Although the book is not short, it reads quickly and while it does not seek to push the reader into believing Bishop Spong's theories, it does give one the background information into the Spong's life which might help one understand WHY Spong has arrived at some of his beliefs.

As a fellow Episcopalian, the Rt. Rev. John Spong has infuriated and embarrassed me. He has also challenged me to confront my beliefs which has (I believe) made me a better Christian. Rarely do I agree with Bishop Spong's agenda or the tactics he has used to cause the many controversies over his tenure as a Bishop in the Episcopal Church. However, the Church is stronger because of John Spong and it will survive despite people like him (and me) and Mr. Marshall. Bishop Spong was not appointed to the position of Bishop. He was elected by the clergy and people of the Diocese of Newark. They could have removed him along the way, but I suspect that he wasn't because he served the people of that diocese well. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biographies and also to anyone who has previously read any of the Rt. Rev. John Spongs writings.

I got this book originally because of my husband's interest in Spong's theological viewpoint--to present to him as a gift. The fact that a rabid fundamentalist also reviewed this book so scathingly also compelled me to buy it.

The book itself is a study of an extraordinary life lived in the service of the pursuit of good. His dicussion of his life is smooth and gentle--never too despairing or too pious. I see this book as more of a biography than a study of theology.

While his theology is fascinating and something to be admired, there are numerous other books by Spong that go into far more detail about his theology. (a theology that makes fundamentalists so defensive that they cling to their faith like barnacles on a ship)

All in all, this is an excellent autobiography of an excellent life--a life in love with a God that is all loving for all His children.

Often thought of as a heretic in his church, Spong has continually pushed the limits theologically. As someone who was raised in the Episcopal Church I, for the first time, understand the man. I find him correct in that the church, not only in the Anglican Communion but in all other faith traditions, have excluded those it has not understood and marginalized them and yet Christ was most at home with these very people. The church, to be true to Christ, must share in the lives and pain of all individuals. I found that I do not agree with Spong on everything but neither do I disagree. I do not find him a heretic. I have found that his most vocal opponents have not read him, will not read him or have taken what he has said out of context. My biggest problem is not his theology but that most of his faith is approached as a cerebral exercise and not a personalized experience. There were times I got the feeling that what was being said or done was more to the glory of John Spong than to the glory of God. However, it was interesting reading and led me to read more of his ideas. While I do not agree with the way he has gone about a few things the church is big enough to bring his ideas into dialogue and will benefit from it. I fear Spong less then I fear the fundamentalists.

"At the expense of truth and scholarship..." writes Mr. Marshall. I'll admit it: when I first heard of Bishop Spong, I wrote him off as a touchy-feely, "everything goes" theologian who was completely wrong. I tried very hard to feel as Mr. Marshall does when reading the first few pages of this book. But as I walked with the Bishop along the road that he did, I found myself sympathizing with him, rejoicing with him, and even (gasp) agreeing with him. Bishop Spong is often portrayed as harmful, imposing, and harsh. This book allowed me to see his humanness and his deep Anglican spirituality. As a 20-year-old Episcopalian who is currently going through the process for the priesthood, I have come to respect Bishop Spong as a human, as a dedicated and caring priest, and as an example of Christ's love. Maybe Spong teaches the very "truth and scholarship" that some of us need to embrace.

Thank you Bishop Spong--for opening my eyes and my mind.