John Shelby Spong is a rare paradox. Both a radical reformist and a scholar of doctrine he stands on the occasionally liberal platform of an Anglican Bishop. Equally celebrated and reviled by people of the Christian faith, Spong has used his retirement to publish such progressive books as Why Christianity Must Change or Die and Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism.
In The Sins of Scripture Spong’s main purpose is to isolate the few passages of the Bible that have been used to justify violence, persecution and prejudice and disarm them through lucid Bible study, interpretation, history and simple theology. The book is divided into sections focusing on the Bible’s relationship with the environment, sexism, homophobia and anti-semitism. Spong is successfully methodical by opening each chapter with a handful of these ’sinful scriptures’ and addressing them individually.
Clearly, any fundamentalist reading of the bible could easily derail any of Spong’s critical positions. For this reason The Sins of Scripture opens by looking back at Spong’s earlier work and his claim that fundamentalism is poor Bible study. Spong delivers an anecdote that describes his lifelong love affair with the Bible (most likely to keep conservatives at bay) and qualifies his position on the nature of the Bible. As a dynamic doctrine that has changed over millennia and was written by a great number of people, the variety of perspective and frequent contradictions require an active, and critical reading.
One of the most engaging sections of the book is the one devoted to the Bible and homosexuality. Spong points out that religious homophobes have startlingly few passages to use to their persecutive ends. A couple of lines in Romans and a couple form the book of Leviticus (the most popular anti-gay writing in the bible). Spong invites people to begin by considering the purpose of the book of Leviticus as a whole. It is a book written to guide exiled Jews living amongst Babylonians. This section of the Torah is a large part of the origin of Kosher lifestyle.
The prescription of this lifestyle was a successful way for the Jews to retain their cultural independence. A Kosher diet prevented Hebrews from dining amongst Babylonians and served as an effective barrier against cross-cultural marriage. Another way Leviticus sought to differentiate the Hebrews was through the admonishment: ”If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood be upon them (Leviticus 20:13).”
To this hateful passage Spong offers a humorous anecdote detailing his many responses to letters indicting his acceptance of homosexuals:
” ‘Have you not read Leviticus?’ That was a regular refrain in letters written to me by Bible quoters when this debate on homosexuality was raging in my church some years ago. By Leviticus they could have meant only the texts from Leviticus 18 and 20-I doubt they were referring to the injunction in Leviticus that warns, “You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard” (19:27) (Spong pg. 124).”
Even more entertaining is Spong’s analysis of the biblical root of the word sodomite. Its origins can be found in the book of Genesis in a wild tale containing a God who is clearly not omniscient, some incest and the man Lot offering his daughters up for gang rape (which strangely enough is divinely sanctioned in the tale) (Genesis 19). If these too are Biblical values than a fundamentalist does have a rather perplexing task.
But, if these antique bits of venom can so easily be cast aside, what would Spong have a good Christian keep? This is where The Sins of Scripture becomes radical, and somewhat difficult. Spong outlines an approach to Christianity that is uniquely vigorous, as it places responsibility in the faithful. At points his cry for a faith centered less on dogma and more on spirituality is vague, but nonetheless passionate.
As a secular reader I found The Sins of Scripture to be a relief. In a country with a religious majority, an intelligent and formalized attack on what are clearly the most absurd aspects of an aging religion, is like an oasis. Spong not only gestures to where the Bible is off track, but also to where it is entertaining, lucid and sublime. If so many people are to continue reading such ancient writing in such a brave new world we will certainly need more John Shelby Spong’s to light the way.
****
