Unbelievable: Why Neither Ancient Creeds Nor the Reformation Can Produce a Living Faith Today

by John Shelby Spong Narrated by Bob Souer

Overview

Five hundred years after Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses ushered in the Reformation, bestselling author and controversial bishop and teacher John Shelby Spong delivers twelve forward-thinking theses to spark a new reformation to reinvigorate Christianity and ensure its future.



At the beginning of the sixteenth century, Christianity was in crisis-a state of conflict that gave birth to the Reformation in 1517. Enduring for more than 200 years, Luther's movement was then followed by a "revolutionary time of human knowledge." Yet these advances in our thinking had little impact on Christians' adherence to doctrine-which has led the faith to a critical point once again.



Spong contends that there is mounting pressure among Christians for a radically new kind of Christianity-a faith deeply connected to the human experience instead of outdated dogma. To keep Christianity vital, he urges modern Christians to update their faith in light of these advances in our knowledge, and to challenge the rigid and problematic Church teachings that emerged with the Reformation. There is a disconnect, he argues, between the language of traditional worship and the language of the twenty-first century. Bridging this divide requires us to rethink and reformulate our basic understanding of God.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 12/11/2017
Theologian Spong (Jesus for the Non-religious), the retired bishop of Newark, issues 12 theses for radically reforming Christianity in this provocative call for a modern Christian faith. Rejecting a traditional image of the supernatural and omnipotent God of theism, Spong declares that God is the name of the power and source of all life, and though God is ungraspable by human cognition, God’s force can be witnessed when living fully. Spong challenges the idea of original sin, claiming that Christians are not fallen creatures in need of salvation but are in fact evolving creatures always yearning for wholeness and seeking to be loved and empowered. This striving toward further evolution is the essence of grace, Spong argues, as it allows people to embrace all that we are capable of being. Resurrection, for Spong, is not some supernatural resuscitation of Jesus’s physical body, but God calling Christians forth into “our essential oneness, our universal consciousness, our interconnectedness.” Spong’s stimulating call for a newly revitalized Christianity will appeal to contemporary Christians who view traditional Christianity as dismayingly outmoded. (Feb.)

From the Publisher

In his final climactic book, Bishop Spong provides us with a primer on his core ideas, a courageous agenda for the future of the Jesus tradition, and some provocative proposals for pursuing that agenda. Essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of humanity and Christianity.” — The Very Reverend Gregory C. Jenks, Ph.D., Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Grafton

“For those seeking to extricate themselves from the confusion of conventional Christianity’s creeds and dogmas, Unbelievable distills an honest and demanding vision for a 21st Century faith.” — Rev. David M. Felten, co-author of Living the Questions

“Bishop Spong has created just what we needed if we are going to save intelligent Christianity from extinction. I love this book.” — Fred C. Plumer, President of The Center for Progressive Christianity

“If you choose just one book of Spong’s, then choose Unbelievable. This final book is not only a summation of his life’s teaching but a contemporary catechism that addresses the real questions and profound hesitations contemporary people have about Christianity.” — Peter Francis, Warden of Gladstone’s Library

“Episcopalian bishop and prolific writer Spong has penned what he declares to be his final book, encapsulating a lifetime of thinking and teaching in order to call upon Christianity to undergo a transformation.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Spong makes his arguments in the manner of a cogent, smart preacher or lecturer speaking to all who want to keep Christianity while dispensing with miracles, dogma, and blind faith. Luther launched a reformation with 95 theses. Spong would launch another with 12.” — Booklist

“Spong’s stimulating call for a newly revitalized Christianity will appeal to contemporary Christians who view traditional Christianity as dismayingly outmoded.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[Spong] takes readers back to Martin Luther’s original questioning of the Church, asking them to ponder whether or not the idea of God still has meaning. It’s easy to understand why his previous books have been best sellers. This one will be no exception.” — Retailing Insight

“A hard-hitting critique of traditional Christianity and as a final attempt by Spong to convince believers to explore their beliefs in new and poignant ways…We stand beside him and all who thirst for a church that is not fearful of inquiry, freedom, and knowledge.” — Spirituality & Practice

“His best book . . . He doesn’t just tear down; he seeks to put something viable, even substantial in its place.” — Insights

Insights

His best book . . . He doesn’t just tear down; he seeks to put something viable, even substantial in its place.

Fred C. Plumer

Bishop Spong has created just what we needed if we are going to save intelligent Christianity from extinction. I love this book.

Booklist

Spong makes his arguments in the manner of a cogent, smart preacher or lecturer speaking to all who want to keep Christianity while dispensing with miracles, dogma, and blind faith. Luther launched a reformation with 95 theses. Spong would launch another with 12.

Spirituality & Practice

A hard-hitting critique of traditional Christianity and as a final attempt by Spong to convince believers to explore their beliefs in new and poignant ways…We stand beside him and all who thirst for a church that is not fearful of inquiry, freedom, and knowledge.

The Very Reverend Gregory C. Jenks

In his final climactic book, Bishop Spong provides us with a primer on his core ideas, a courageous agenda for the future of the Jesus tradition, and some provocative proposals for pursuing that agenda. Essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of humanity and Christianity.

Peter Francis

If you choose just one book of Spong’s, then choose Unbelievable. This final book is not only a summation of his life’s teaching but a contemporary catechism that addresses the real questions and profound hesitations contemporary people have about Christianity.

Rev. David M. Felten

For those seeking to extricate themselves from the confusion of conventional Christianity’s creeds and dogmas, Unbelievable distills an honest and demanding vision for a 21st Century faith.

Retailing Insight

[Spong] takes readers back to Martin Luther’s original questioning of the Church, asking them to ponder whether or not the idea of God still has meaning. It’s easy to understand why his previous books have been best sellers. This one will be no exception.

Booklist

Spong makes his arguments in the manner of a cogent, smart preacher or lecturer speaking to all who want to keep Christianity while dispensing with miracles, dogma, and blind faith. Luther launched a reformation with 95 theses. Spong would launch another with 12.

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

Spong's stimulating call for a newly revitalized Christianity will appeal to contemporary Christians who view traditional Christianity as dismayingly outmoded. —Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Spirituality &Practice

A hard-hitting critique of traditional Christianity and as a final attempt by Spong to convince believers to explore their beliefs in new and poignant ways…We stand beside him and all who thirst for a church that is not fearful of inquiry, freedom, and knowledge.

Kirkus Reviews

2017-12-05
A call for a new reformation casting aside the beliefs of Christianity.Episcopalian bishop and prolific writer Spong (Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy, 2016, etc.) has penned what he declares to be his final book, encapsulating a lifetime of thinking and teaching in order to call upon Christianity to undergo a transformation. Echoing Martin Luther, he offers 12 "theses" upon which to build his argument. Spong asserts that the entirety of traditional Christian theology has been debunked by science and reason, leaving the church intellectually bankrupt. The only answer is to turn toward a new understanding of God and of Jesus, salvation, and every other pillar of Christian thought and belief. The author sees God not as a being, but as "Being itself." Indeed, "God is not a noun we are compelled to define; God is a verb that we are invited to live." Similarly, Spong asserts that Jesus was not a supernatural being in any way but rather someone who demonstrated a new way of living and a higher plane of ethics. The author believes that the resurrection has been misinterpreted and that the New Testament authors did not expect their accounts to be taken literally. "Resurrection was…a moment of new revelation," writes Spong, "that occurred when survival-driven humanity could transcend that limit and give itself away in love to others, including even to those who wish and do us evil." Leaving the author's theology aside, his view toward modern Christianity is regrettably smug. Having made his home in the declining Episcopalian denomination, he seems to look at the "church" and see only his reflection: Western, highly-educated, and skeptical. Throughout his 12 theses, Spong speaks only for his own brand of waning Christianity, excluding even from consideration the tens of millions of Christians worldwide who may not share his views but indeed still believe in what he rejects.A Western elite's dream for a new Christianity.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170604487
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	06/26/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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