Review Of A New Christianity For A New World: Why Traditional Faith Is Dying And How A New Faith Is Being Born By J. S. Spong

In this well-written and lively book, Spong (retired bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Newark, NJ) seeks to free Christianity from outmoded and destructive beliefs and to present a viable and constructive alternative. Like Paul Tillich, Spong believes that Christianity must present a picture of deity that is beyond traditional supernaturalism, but not beyond the reality of God as the ultimate source and ground of being. Like the members of the Jesus Seminar, he believes that he has recovered the authentic and divine Jesus, free of the arcane veneer of the four canonical gospels. And like Carl Jung, he believes that evil must be embraced and transformed as part of the human quest for wholeness. Indebted as he is to others, Spong does not conglomerate their ideas, but presents an integrated vision that challenges readers to come to grips with the foremost intellectual and spiritual issues of our time. This controversial book should have a wide readership. Spong, who is well known for his liberal stand on social issues, is also the author of Why Christianity Must Change or Die (1999). Recommended for general readers through researchers and faculty