God in the 21st Century | Bishop John Shelby Spong lecture at the University of Oregon
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Bishop John Shelby Spong lecture: "Who is the Popular God in Public Life in the 21st Century?".
04:00 Bishop John Shelby Spong Opening
Bishop Spong, whose books have sold more than a million copies, was the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2001. He was the 2005 - 2006 Kritikos Professor in the Humanities.
His admirers acclaim his legacy as a teaching bishop who makes contemporary theology accessible to the ordinary lay person-he's considered a champion of an inclusive faith by many, both inside and outside the Christian church. In his latest book, "The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Discover the God of Love" (Harper San Francisco, April 2005), this visionary thinker seeks to introduce people to a proper way to engage the holy book of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
![Bishop John Spong | The Weekly [Extended Interview]](/img/n.gif)
I have listened to this many times. It is real food for souls that hunger for truth. Thank you for sharing, Bishop Spong.
15 years later, and I am in tears. Because everything I have believed about God has been deconstructed. I have worshipped a tribal God, instead of the Ultimate God. 🥹🩷
Most western religions do
This APPLIES as much TODAY as the day this Speech was Given.
Yes and it also applies to the teachings of Jesus🙂
This man restored my Christian faith i miss him so much😭
im just discovering him...hes a Godsend
Odd. Bishop Spong was a self-avowed atheist.
um no he wasnt ... ive read his books..he believed deeply in God..he rejected the old school , traditional views of Jesus @@vaska1999
He was not a Christian.
I simply can't stop listening to this man. He's one of the best gifts to mother earth.
God bless you my beloved. the moment I want through my comment I saw a revelation concerning you, your family and things around you. my dear, I saw God favour, success, joy, breakthrough. behind that I saw more spiritual attacks, from the enemies working on holding such blessings, causing your set back, but you are lefted above any spiritual tower. so the Lord is instructing you to sow a seed of faith into to a motherless babies home.(orphanage) this is going to be a covenant seed between you and God. the Lord ask me to tell you before the end of,3 three days, you should try as much as possible to sow the seed the into godstime motherless babies home (orphanage) located in somewhere in Nigeria to bring spiritual and divine breakthrough in your life and that of your family because there is power in sowing of seed contact the (orphanage) home management or you can also WhatsApp them on this numbers,+2348025125218 if you are through with this let me know, so I will give you guide line on how you should pray God bless you.
This is excellent , the American population needs to hear this Lecture and have his books made available to everyone . The catholic bishops also need to study spong and his writings Angela levy
As an atheist, I really admire this man. He helped me as a fundamental christian begin to see the close mindedness of my ways. While I now see differently the world, the universe, and the nature of the truth we find at the center of humanity, I can still greatly appreciate Spong's message.
That's his Bishop job as he sees it, to throw you the wolves. He's awfully good isn't he.
Satan gets a hard earned day off whenever Spong speaketh.
@@veronica_._._._ Your comment brought me back here ten years after I wrote my comment. In that ten years, I've gotta say I no longer consider myself an atheist - but someone drawn to that God who hovers above all the world's religions, just as Spong spoke about in this video. Bless you Veronica.
@@mystarmach And Bishop Spong has met his maker (and no longer bites the hand that feeds him), time marches inexorably on 🥺 Well that's a plot twist,
Ok now l just peg you as the meticulous cautious type, carefully dotting yours iota's and crossing your T's 😉
Uh, Bro. Mysta, saying you're an atheist is like turning away from the sun or turning off a lightbulb and groping in darkness.
This man is a theological genius. I could listen to him every day for the remainder of my life.
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You're right about Spong. Of course he will receive death threats by fundamentalists. Maybe people will get more out of the bible by not taking it so literally. It's time to get rid of tribalism and hate. Love to everything from Buddhist/Agnostic Lee.
@@brycewarren5894 Boring? Spong is wonderful.
I know right?!?!
He brings such clarity, comfort and relief! His talk seems to convey what a love relationship looks like, between a person and the divine, between a person and humanity! Thanks for posting this - watching on Sunday, April 12, 2020 - so timely ....
God bless you my beloved. the moment I want through my comment I saw a revelation concerning you, your family and things around you. my dear, I saw God favour, success, joy, breakthrough. behind that I saw more spiritual attacks, from the enemies working on holding such blessings, causing your set back, but you are lefted above any spiritual tower. so the Lord is instructing you to sow a seed of faith into to a motherless babies home.(orphanage) this is going to be a covenant seed between you and God. the Lord ask me to tell you before the end of,3 three days, you should try as much as possible to sow the seed the into godstime motherless babies home (orphanage) located in somewhere in Nigeria to bring spiritual and divine breakthrough in your life and that of your family because there is power in sowing of seed contact the (orphanage) home management or you can also WhatsApp them on this numbers,+2348025125218 if you are through with this let me know, so I will give you guide line on how you should pray God bless you.....
I have to say...I'm an Atheist & even I like this guy. Finally a man of God who speaks from a realistic point of view. If the churches followed his example there would be a lot less conflict between believers & non-believers.
I agree. The bible belt. The sooner people get rid of this God and thinking the better off the world will be. Love and take care from Buddhist/Agnostic Lee.
@Bryson Cole That's quite judgmental, anathema to true Christian teachings. I'm an agnostic, recovering Southern Baptist, and Spong is the closest I've seen to a true modern prophet.
@Bryson Cole this manis a representative of Satan!! straight out! he is one ofthose whoJude speaks of when he says “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long before hand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny our Lord and Master Jesus Christ”
@Bryson Cole Self hating cringe. I read a book of Sponger years ago l had forgotten how much he "criticised God"!?!?
He wants to Keep his fat stipend and recycle Christianity as (lame) stand up comedy, cos he's too old to start over again stocking shelves or pumping tyres.
The worst kind of 2 faced Judas imo.
And that is because ,He like you, is a critical thinker. So many do not believe because they only know the BS version of religion , mans infected and corrupted forms. I do not believe in the very same GOD that you do not believe in.
Amazing lecture I am an atheist but if there are two people who represent what I once thought Christianity was all about it is this guy and his great friend Tutu. To listen to either of these men is humbling.
Why are you an atheist?
You do realize that Bishop Spong was an atheist himself?
I am a transwoman, after years of struggling to be someone i was not meant to be, I finally found courage from within to be the person i feel that I am. I was told by some members of my family and parents and a few so called friends that I was a sinner! My second ex-wife was a tribal evangelical christian. After this divorce, I struggled with mainstream views, and traditional up bringing, physical and mental abuse from childhood drove me to have many suicidals thoughts in my life. After my 2 nd divorce it was when I discovered this pastor. I regained an inner view and courage to keep living and have faith. Even after being ignored by my mother and father for over 7 years, I found the strength and courage to just be and learn to let go in order to survive and live a happy productive life. Many people would use Bible to their advantage to hate and to seperate so I believed them, until one day My eyes opened.
I have never felt so much peace in my life.
What a GREAT story!!! All that pain.. but ended in VICTORY!!!
I am so thankful for a VOICE of REASON!! I was raised in evangelical Christianity. Whenever I had any questions regarding the Bible I was told by my parents I would go to HELL for questioning God‘s word. I LOVE GOD but the Bible is not my end ALL in knowing God anymore🙏🏼🥰
John Shelby sponge makes one want to know about the history of christanity
This man is an absolute genius. I hope his vision comes true and that he will be remembered as a visionary who was far ahead of his time.
I am church folk, and I love this!
Finally one wise guy (after the 3 that visited Jesus birth) that is true, question old thinking, and there is something one can relate to.
I am tired of fundamentalistic fanatics that hate people in the name of God, and call themselves christians.
Thank you for bringing some sense of logic to the ever increasing idiocy of any extremist, religious belief system.
Very thought provoking!!
This is the best comment, given that a rabid anti religionist is heartened by the lecture of a backpedaling Backdoor Bishop.
Bishop of what now?
This is your actual demographic Bible bending backboneless Bishop Spong.
This guy is AWESOME!!! Trolls will always hate!
If all preachers were like Rev Spong this world would be a loving, connected, inclusive place! What a wonderful mind, heart and courage! Bravo!
What an honor to have been at this lecture. I have been reading and admiring Bishop Spong's work for years! So liberating!
Bishop Spong is a literate, inspired voice in modern progressive Christianity. He has jumped many hoops put out by the rest of the church's reluctant leaders. And he has maintained a clear, convincing and scholarly thesis for progressive Christianity. the modern world needs a modern understanding and a modern voice. Thank you, Bishop Spong, for following your path to clarity, and letting us come along. MTW , Va
What a lecture loved it,
This post rejuvenated me, thank you for writing it.
Thank God for Bishop Spong!
Beautiful! Brilliant! The world would be a better place if more people had this view!
I am so impressed!
Spong is a breath of fresh air. Please post more videos of him. Isn't it great he is speaking out? I love his message of being fully human and that we are all god's people.
It is awesome to see such a warm welcome given to a Christian in such a liberal place. It just goes to show that Christians don't have to hate non-Christians, and non-Christians don't have to hate us either. It's exactly what Jesus meant by love your neighbor, and love your enemy.
As an atheist, I can still appreciate this man's bravery and courage.
Brilliant !!! Finally, someone comes across and can speak to me in the language the message deserves. This is indeed GOOD NEWS!! I have outgrown the tribal, Disgusted by the Dogma, The fairy tale pursuit of Disney, and consciously trying to find a way out of what I perceived was humanity's insanity. Thank you!!
Bishop Spong is a gift to Christianity and beyond.
God is unconditional love
God is us, and we do not love unconditionally., Why did he kill so many in the old testament?
@@patriciamiller2492 he disnot
He did not
Stem cell is a fountain of yourh and would end much
He did not wbo is unconditional love.
Spong is my hero. He makes sense and understands the psychology of all religious beliefs yet he still carries his passion for god without all the corruption that mankind imposes on it.
Its not that you're guilty,and Jesus came to die for that; it's that you're guiltless and Jesus came to teach you that.
God tells me; Don't listen to your fear thoughts. The ego wants me to be fearful. I will equip you as you go - so that you can handle whatever comes your way. Trust me to supply what you need when you need it.
This is the God I know and I am His holy child. My inheritance is Love 🙏♥️☮️
I couldn't agree with you more, MML and J. I've been a Christian for almost 25 years but it's only relatively recently that I realized what 'being a Christian' actually means. Many kudos to John Shelby Spong who, despite his fundamentalist critics, continues to tell it like it is.
Wise words that put so much in perspective. I have struggled in the past about genocide in the bible and in these past few months how man can commit such barbaric acts of genocide that we have seen in Iraq. What he says makes sense, to me anyway. Others may not agree, that is their right, but it does not give anyone the right to judge him and say he is not a Christian.
What an AMAZING man. More Christians should find God the way he has.
Quiet Buck! you should take your own advice! This man is more Godly than you realize. He speaks what every human heart knows deep within: That no one religion holds the monopoly on the true god. I was sincerely Christian, but the flaws in theology become apparent through close, critical examination. Not bias, but honest interpretation of facts, history, reason, all those things.
take care.
As he says, people find what we call "god" through many paths and experiences. Even atheists can feel the indescribable wonder of our universe. The only difference between atheists and people of religion is how they interpret it. It doesn't diminish the experience in any way.
There is nothing better than a great religious argument
Greetings from Utah. I thought WE were #1! I love Bishop Spong, what a badass for inspired thinking! I have many Mormon friends, and we never speak about religion. Love and let live. Some of the dogmas taught in the LDS faith are over the moon, and possibly embarrassing. So much suppression of religious conversation has possibly led to much anxiety, and hence, the addictions of pornography and other attachments. Did you know Utah is one of the leaders in opioid addiction? I love the LDS people, yet what we have here is institutional madness.
and porn.
Just wonderful. Unique. Gone too soon. A prophet for our time. He truly sought for the truth including studying the bible carefully to come to his conclusions. The bible tells us a lot about man as well as God.
Grateful to learn about a man who lives his life to the fullest, who loves wastefully and who focuses on being the most of what God created him. I am sorry for many churchgoers hated him instead of enjoyed a diversity. He taught about “tribal religi…..n)” that fits the description of those groups who feel the most righteous.
This man is a hero.
I would seriously recommend reading Sins of Scripture before assuming you understand Spong. He is a very courageous man and is attempting to rescue the concept of God from twisted interpretations of the Bible. I would wager there are millions of Christians who are not 100% comfortable with the killing and hate scriptures. The writers and era had to do with all that...NOT God. Bless you Bishop Spong!
man this is the best person with faith i can only listen to
Excellent presentation
His words are cool water in the desert of fundamentalism. enough said
I love this teaching. Thank You.
As a Christian, i was so angry and tearful at God last week due to the evil in the world. I begged him to give me answers! Then a friend b4 i even mentioned where my head was at, sent me a brief video of John Selby's views on world Christianity. Since then, I've not stopped seeking Truth! What a great lesson we have here. God answers prayers! I'm at peace now... I will be reading as many good parts of the bible that i can find. I see now, that man has woven evil into the bible. Yes...Love is hard to live up to, but True love is of God! 🤗🙏☀️👨👨👦👦🙋🏽♂️👩🏻🤝👨🏿👩🏿💼👳♂️👩🏽💼👩🏻💼
Beautifully put! "man has woven evil into the bible". I will remember that expression!! THANK U.
Religion is far from dead, although extremist hateful religions should be. Im glad to see bishop spong is still doing his thing to make christianity better.
I like what this man has to say about life and his idea of God. I consider myself an atheist, but I still have an interest in spirituality and things like exploring our consciousness through meditation, lucid dreams, etc. While I think it would make more sense for Spong to declare himself a humanist/pantheist/whatever, if he wants to change the function and application of Christianity, he has my support.
I think this is awesome! I DO believe in GOD. He makes so much sense. I wish I could listen to this in the car. Christ was a rebel, most Christians forget. There was no gospel of Christ because He did not want it to be Dogma. And if you are a Fundie or Athiest reading this, about to tell me I am wrong, I just dont give a shit!Save your energy!
I love Spong!
Excellent!
Excellent! Further evidence of Spong's point on humanity can be observed by Paul's evolution. He condoned slavery while in Ephesus. Yet, in Galatians 3:8, CEB, Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Paul had to evolve, too. The problem is that too many Christians aren't aware of this passage much less the notion that Paul also got God wrong.
I was imagining Jesus preaching and telling people they should be perfect as their father in heaven is perfect. It seems possible that those who listened to him, believed he was a prophet or even a divine person. And, so they would believe him when he told them that AT LEAST some of them could be PERFECT and would SEE HEAVEN. When he dies for opposing the temple priesthood, perhaps some of them thought they had been graced in some way by their encounter with him. The apostles would eventually continue his ministry and celebrate the Lord's Supper with them, and teach them the Lord's Prayer.
Did I just watch a pro-faith video and laugh, nod, and applaud? As a spiritual person vehemently against organized religion... I am shocked to find myself moved by this man's words and ideas.
Embracing Peace, Love, Tolerance, and Human Enablement? What the hell just happened?
Spong just recently passed away....he is one of the enlightened ones, for sure..
RIP, great man who touched so many lives
@@vanman724 Luciferian enlightenment, what kind of guy takes the money and the bites the hand that feeds him, what a weasel.
If he'd left his fat salary fair enough, sound off, but he was just a vanilla grifter after all.
@@veronica_._._._ Why the private message Veronica (i.e., not public)? I'm ok with that, just wondering why..
@@vanman724 l have no idea what you means, You Tube doesn't have have private msgs
Thanks Bishop for sharing this wonderful message...
Beautiful! Exceptional!
"Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (1Cor.1:20-21).
Thank God for Jesus! The Spirit gives LIFE, the flesh profits nothing. Being Born Again is real and will change you life forever.
Why don’t more people know of this great fellow?
th-cam.com/video/nl9AjBvs6JY/w-d-xo.html
He isn't mile off the teachings of Jesus!!! He has realized the true meaning of the Christ!!!!!
I can agree with him on the case of evangelicals because I've had that experience also.
Bishop Spong thinks therefor allows us to think
Thank you!
Spong is my favorite! He is a brave man for speaking up just like MLK! Please post more of his speeches! I wish he would connect with Obama.
I am as anti-theistic as one can get but this man is a pleasure to listen to because he speaks the truth! We need more clerics like this but most are just frauds and liars.
He has a more independent view, unlike those fundamentalist zombies... even though I don't agree with him theologically, I respect him because he is able see though most of religions bull crap rather than be another mindless, unthinking follower.
Amazing, a blessing to be inspired by his insight
fantastic preaching
I'm pretty sure he was actually putting them INTO the context of the days in which they were written. The only ripping I hear is the ripping of Jesus' heart as he sees all these people hating others and throwing around names like "heretic" when he explicitly told us to love our neighbors and even our enemies as we love ourselves. It doesn't matter what you think about his teachings--you don't get to decide who you love and hate. You love everyone, or you are not a follower of Christ.
Someone else made this comment on another film, but Bishop John Shelby Spong for Sainthood.
Good lecture, certainly some places and cultural groups are just more devolved than others no matter their tribe or location.
Happy to be of any help!
Hope more people would open up and find the true meaning of christianity. In fact I think there is a slow and silent revolution going on. I know several priests that are closer to Spong than to the old traditions of christianity, however due to their position they do not officially speak that way (but shut their mouth). 80% of my christian friends are liberal! Welcome all of new thinking!
We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love one another.
--Jonathan Swift
Spong is sublime
Funny, but I think you're right. I'm an atheist, but I can quote more scripture than any of my religious friends, most of who can't even paraphrase the major stories, and most of whom can't even recite their ten commandments. The religious landscape would be much different if people actually knew what was in their holy book.
I wish people would use common sense- he spells it out much better than I can- my crazy racist family members should watch this but they won't.
Por favor, algum brasileiro ou português,que esteja lendo esse texto, legende em nossa língua essa maravilhosa e esclarecedora mensagem do Bispo Spong.
As pessoas precisam encontrar esse material mais facilmente, para que abram os olhos.
Meu inglês não é bom e deixa passar muitas pérolas, por isso não faço...
Obrigado!
Duch a good msn.
"You cannot not be a feminist with 4 daughters! "
We NEED A REVOLUTION !!
This is truth!!!
Interesting developments in the Episcopal Church, that's what happened for the last forty years or, well, more... but it seems like certain information takes a lot of time to circulate... Spong anyway is not the only one saying these things, but surely he is persuasive
What is Templar history? How do we decipher what is religion and what is YHWH's word of truth in the Bible?
Amen ~ So be it!
Well I'm sorry if I offended you, but sometimes I get my emotions caught up in what I have experienced among American fundamentalist Christians. I tend to confuse them with evangelicals sometimes. Being a liberal, I get ashamed of what my Christian brothers and sisters are doing all over the media in America. For example, Pat Robertson has been giving Christians a bad name for years, and the same goes for Fred Phelps; all fundamentalist Protestant Christians.
Magnificent.
Only 19 dislikes as opposed to 380 likes. That's progress of a sort.
THERE CAN BE NO GOD WITHOUT HUMANS.
MrNckissfan, I am an atheist as well. I agree that this gentleman is a quality human being. This line of thinking can point people from all walks of life in a better direction. Chris Schene are you in favor of censorship? Is that what your saying. Are you trying to rally other fear mongers to promote your intolerant delusion?
"The Eastern Orthodox Church also believes in unwritten tradition and the written scriptures, but it has rarely sought to clarify the relationship between them. Contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologians debate whether these are separate deposits of knowledge or different ways of understanding a single dogmatic reality."
Spong is like the "Pink FLoyd" of religion. He is in his own galaxy from other destructive stereotyped religious leaders. He adds an enlightened dimension of what the calling of the christ was about. It was about living fully human and loving your neighbor no mater what race, sexual orientation, religion they were.
So reading/studying the bible is pointless? So being a Christian is pointless? So life IS pointless.
none of that has been said by this man, in fact, the opposite, perhaps you should listen again.
Yahweh and JESUS are two totally different gods. JESUS is the True GOD for ALL mankind.
@RagnarokRazgriz What you're not getting is his central message to denouncing dogma, and "every important and significant Christian belief". Spong also once said "God is not a Christian. God is not a Jew, or a Muslim, or Hindu, a Buddhist. All of those are HUMAN systems...". He's saying that no man written book will ever be able to articulate the nature and power of God, whether it claims to be able to or not. Progressiveness is the solution to the world's problems - not being left or right wing
@shinfella you know - i wish this was an impression of a true christian.. but seriously, this guy is just refreshingly different from alot of religious spokespeople.
This guy is great!
Spong was my Diocesan Bishop in New Jersey. He once wrote that he wouldn't try to convert a Buddhist to Christ after he traveled to the Orient. Then why be a Christian. Either Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life, or He is a Liar. Take your pick. I believe He is Who He said, and that Spong is an apostate.
God bless you my beloved. the moment I want through my comment I saw a revelation concerning you, your family and things around you. my dear, I saw God favour, success, joy, breakthrough. behind that I saw more spiritual attacks, from the enemies working on holding such blessings, causing your set back, but you are lefted above any spiritual tower. so the Lord is instructing you to sow a seed of faith into to a motherless babies home.(orphanage) this is going to be a covenant seed between you and God. the Lord ask me to tell you before the end of,3 three days, you should try as much as possible to sow the seed the into godstime motherless babies home (orphanage) located in somewhere in Nigeria to bring spiritual and divine breakthrough in your life and that of your family because there is power in sowing of seed contact the (orphanage) home management or you can also WhatsApp them on this numbers,+2348025125218 if you are through with this let me know, so I will give you guide line on how you should pray God bless you
Yes, you recognise his message. It was definitely not about finding an excuse for immorality (which doesn't lead to wholeness) but for loving ALL mankind, not a special "elect" plan for a few and damnation for the rest.
Amen sis.
The soundman work up at 4:38. So don't be discouraged 😏
WHEN IS JUDGEMENT DAY? LET ME CHECK THE CALENDAR. SORRY!!! DON'T SEE IT.
Amen to you LihAniaih.:)