Living in Sin?: A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality

I grew up going to church and believing in God, but somewhere along the way, the anti-female and anti-sex attitude, along with the intolerance of anyone who is or thinks differently from the established doctrine, put me off. I quit going as soon as I was old enough to make the decision, and on my best days, might consider myself an agnostic primarily because you can't prove a negative. However, if there were more religions or even pastors with attitude like Spong's, I might still be going to church. He takes the Bible and the church's attitudes towards sex and sexuality of all kinds (heterosexual, homosexual, pre-marital, post-marital) and puts it into a framework that someone with a working brain can tolerate. He points out the context in which the Bible was written and the attitudes towards sex and women were formed - and says why they are not applicable and ought to be re-thought today. Particularly interesting to me were the ideas of reviving the idea of betrothal, and of a church ceremony for divorce. The latter chapter almost made me cry - having witnessed painful divorces of family members and been through very painful breakups myself, the idea of having a ceremony to mark the end of the relationship surrounded by friends, friends who are then given a chance to remain friends with both halves of the couple, was very moving and appealing. However, if you are a traditionalist, for this book to make an impact, you have to be open looking at things from a different viewpoint for a little while. You have to be ready to let go of a little security and prejudice and get to the compassion that is supposed to be the heart of Christianity. This isn't a human sexuality textbook - it is about humanizing religion and bringing the old attitudes into line with modern knowledge and reality. It takes courage to look at beliefs you hold dear and evaluate them objectively, and not a lot of people have the strength to do it. Spong does - do you?

A God that we can love today is a God that asks us to embrace and celebrate - not just tolerate - difference. John Shelby Spong makes it clear that Christianity's ideas of morality must be brought up to date. In many ways the teachings of Jesus, and the portrayal of him in the gospels, have never (or rarely) been taken by modern orthodox believers to their logical, radical conclusion. The early Christians took Jesus to heart and followed his precepts according to their own pre-scientific understanding of human nature. They celebrated 'difference' as long as it did not threaten their male-dominated, female-subordinated view of the world. We now know this is wrong. Today everyone is free to be who they really are, and all sexual behaviour is recognised as equally valid provided it is between consenting adults, no-one is exploited, and no harm is done. The modern Christian, if he is truly following Jesus, as the early Christians did, is honour-bound to live in the radical life-affirming way exemplified by the founder of his faith. There is no excuse anymore. Either everyone is loved, and we do mean everyone - not just believers - or God is not truly loving. Everyone is a beloved child of God - no favourites - or God is not a good parent. The Christian of today has to be leading the cause of sexual liberation for all. He has to be fighting for the sexually, socially, religiously, and economically marginalised. John Shelby Spong has taken to heart what Jesus meant when he said: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." - Matthew 25:40.

Wow. Let me say that again: wow. I grew up Christian, and I know lots of people who fall under that designation. Some of them are judgemental and intolerant, many of them are compassionate, loving people -- and almost all of them fall short of the kind of tolerance and love for humanity that the bishop John Shelby Spong obviously possesses. I left the Christian church for many reasons, one of which was the outdated dogma attached to moral behavior. Bishop Spong in LIVING IN SIN addresses issues of sexual morality (pre-marital sex, homosexuality, post-married sex) with a voice that is open, unafraid, and firmly based in Christian teachings. His Biblical scholarship is very good, and his message opened my eyes and gave me hope for the future of Christianity, faith in general, and the place of organized faith systems in our society.

In order to understand Spong, one must understand two things. First, the inertia of the Church, and secondly, Spong's chosen role as change agent. Mix these two liberally (no pun intended) and his life and work become explicable. Spong lives what many suspect - it takes quite a load of hyperbole to move the Church!"Living in Sin" was among my first exposures to Spong, and I found him persuasive and entertaining. He clearly has a knack for seeing Scriptural truth through a lense that my fundamentalist-trained yes tend to neglect. For example, he opens with the story of Jonah. I have always seen Jonah as a story about call and obedience, but Spong sees a story about prejudice and inclusiveness. Read the other reviews posted and you'll find much reference to "sex." Spong considers "Living in Sin" to be about prejudice, not sex. It is about the prejudice of the Church against sexual minorities, that is, the divorced, the homosexual, and the unmarried. In part two of the book Spong faces the Goliath of defenses for the Church's historical stance - the Bible itself. I remember the tinge of fear that swept through me the first time I said that "Paul wrote (that), but Paul was wrong." Spong has spent a long career squarely facing the over-literalized authority many ascribe to Scripture, and he does so again here, challenging the literal interpreters, the traditional anti-women teachings of the Bible, and the traditional anti-gay interpretations of the Church. One need not agree with every jot and tittle of Spong's text to agree that the foundations of the traditional positions are quite weak.In part three Spong is at his finest, arguing for a consistent spiritually-based morality that honors the essence of Biblical truth without erecting standards inimical to human dignity and psychological health. Another example may be in order. What seems most reasonable to you, to endure a loveless marriage or to pursue wholeness alone? To applaud committed coupling that is outside the legal strictures of marriage, or to applaud lifeless unions? Spong, correctly in my view, errs on the side of wholeness and life-sustaining partnerships as indicative of the relationships God hopes for us all.Read this book. Enjoy the "ride" Spong offers, then let it sink in for a few weeks or months. Believe me, inside his hyperbole is a jewel of great worth.

In a time in history, when Fundamental Christianity tries repeatedly to force us back into the dark ages, Bishop Spong has tackled a subject that organized religion has tried to ignore. Regardless of religious background, this book removes the guilt and anxiety that organized religion has placed sex. I felt a sense of liberation after reading it. Thank you Bishop Spong