Heart of Christianity – Sunday, 5 January 2014 –Linder Hall at
San Diego First United Methodist Church
Harry will be our facilitator.
His discussion suggestions are below. We hope to see you Sunday.
Happy New Year!
We will discuss the preface and chapter 1 of Bishop John Shelby
Spong's The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic.
1. To really grasp the importance of focusing intently on
Spong's study of the Gospel of John I quote the last three sentences of chapter
2. Page 19. "The traditional understanding of Christianity is dying. Out
of that death a new Christianity, rooted uniquely, I believe, in John's gospel,
can be born. To bring that meaning to our awareness is why I have undertaken to
write this book."
2. Middle of first page of the preface Spong says, "...the
more I walk this path the less I find that words are my communication vehicle
of choice and I slip into the wonder of wordlessness." Echoes of our
recent study, "Painting the Stars?" Can you identify with this
statement?
3. Last line on page xv and following pages reveal how a
congregation can contribute to the continued spiritual growth of its pastors.
How are we doing?
4. Hearts class has studied a number of books by members of the
Jesus Seminar. On page xix Spong pays tribute to the chair of the Jesus Seminar
who has been his personal research assistant. Fundamentalist radio evangelists
love to attack these books as they are published. Discuss the reasons for such
attacks.
5. What did Spong find "almost repellant" in the
fourth gospel during most of his career? First page of chapter 1.
6. What is the significant difference in the meaning of the
phrases "Jesus is Messiah" and "Jesus is Lord?" Page 4.
7. What is a "pre-modern" world? Page 5.
8. Why do you suppose Spong's "disillusionment with the
perspective known as salvation or atonement theology" came so late in his
career? Page 6.
9. Carl Jung believed in "universal consciousness."
New scholarly books on this subject have appeared recently. Spong says he has
opened himself "to the possibility of there being something called
universal consciousness." Page 7. How does this concept relate to
mysticism?
10. Will world wide obsession with technology interfere with
motivation to enter a study as complex as this? Page 9.
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First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, CA 92108
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