"Why Fundamentalist Christians Are Heretics" ProgressiveChristianity.org of Gig Harbor, Washington, United States for Tuesday, 16 February 2016 "Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy by John Shelby Spong is Now Available - Order Today!"
Now Available – Order Today!
Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy
by John Shelby Spong
In this profound work, bestselling author and the former Episcopal Bishop of Newark John Shelby Spong offers a radical new way to look at the gospels today. Pulling back the layers of misunderstanding created over the centuries by Gentile ignorance of things Jewish, he reveals how a literal reading of the Bible is so far removed from the original intent of the Jewish authors of the gospels that it has become an act of heresy.
Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy illuminates the gospels as never before and provides a blueprint for the Church’s future—one that allows the faithful to live inside the Christian story while still embracing the modern world.
Click here for more information!
Endorsements
“This exciting book recovers the original meaning behind Matthew’s Gospel with profound implications for the way we look at Jesus and follow him today. Spong is a truth-teller who stands up to the ignorance spawned by a ‘gentile heresy’ that has hijacked the story of Jesus for far too long.”[Matthew Fox, author of Original Blessing]
“Jack Spong confounds biblical literalists by being profoundly biblical. This exciting book is liberating for those looking for a rational and authentic Christian faith that honors its biblical roots and is an essential building block in the search for a new Christianity for a new world.”[Peter Francis, warden and director of Gladstone’s Library, Wales]
“A brilliant challenge to biblical literalism, Bishop Spong reveals the tragic consequences of idolatry of the written word and why it matters today. A timely, important book.”[Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution]
“After reading Spong’s newest book, it will be difficult to read Matthew or any of the gospels in quite the same way again. He’s done an amazing job of explaining how the book of Matthew was written as weekly liturgies for the Jewish Synagogue year. A wonderful book.”[Fred C. Plumer, president of ProgressiveChristianity.org]
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Weekly Recap for Tuesday, February 16, 2016 ProgressiveChristianity.org of Gig Harbor, Washington, United States "What does the embodiment of Love look like in you? This and more in our Free Weekly Recap of our most viewed and new resources from last week."
Last Week At ProgressiveChristianity.org ...
We delved into the topics of Peace, Responsibility, Love and God.
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ProgressiveChristianity.org is a global portal for authors, scholars, theologians and liturgists to share their resources for the progressive spiritual journey.
"Matthew Fox Interview with Eric Alexander: Part 1 of 3: Finding Peace in Life’s Challenges"
Eric outlines the litany of issues that encompass the human condition and asks Matthew how we might finding peace in the midst of them...
"Matthew Fox Interview with Eric Alexander: Part 1 of 3: Finding Peace in Life’s Challenges"
This clip was part of a discussion between Eric Alexander and Matthew Fox. In this clip Eric outlines the litany of issues that encompass the human condition and asks Matthew how we might finding peace in the midst of them, and Matthew offers an incredibly insightful response.
Matthew Fox is an internationally acclaimed spiritual theologian, an Episcopal priest, and an activist who was a member of the Dominican Order for 34 years. He holds a doctorate, summa cum laude, in the History and Theology of Spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris. As a spiritual theologian, he has written 30 books that have been translated into 48 languages and have received numerous awards.
Sign Up for our newsletters to receive emails and to get notified on Part 2 of this interview series!
READ ON ...
---------------------
Responsible. Here. True.Rabbi Brian
The first three questions of the Bible are of great significance to me.
Responsible. Here. True.
(Answers to the first three questions of the Bible.) by Rabbi Brian
The first three questions of the Bible are of great significance to me.
Before I continue, let me explain my thinking about the Bible, albeit quickly and (perhaps a little) crassly: no one in the airline industry intended for the instructions about putting an oxygen mask on oneself before assisting others with their oxygen masks to be a moral lesson. Nonetheless, it is. Similarly, I do not believe that one needs to believe that the Bible is “The Word of God” to take moral lessons from it.
Another note: this is really a sermon to me. These words are what I need to hear. If they happen to resonate with you and your heart, wonderful. But really, I write these words to me.
Let’s look at the first three questions used in the Bible. These three initial queries happen in this order: first there is a question between creation (the serpent and the first humans). Second there is a question from God to creation. Third there is a question from creation to God.
And for dramatic purposes, I want to look at the first three questions of the Bible in reverse order.
Three – “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – humanity asks God
The third question is the question that Cain asks God. It is the first time in the Bible that a human being asks God a question. This is the question: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
What an obnoxious, obnoxious, obnoxious question. It is the type of question that a child asks a parent, knowing full well the answer. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Cain asks this question because he has slain his brother and God tells him that his brother’s bloods cry out from the earth. (The Hebrew text reads bloods, plural – leading rabbis for generations to intone how heinous an act it was – for Cain not only killed Abel, but all potential future generations as well.)
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
I know the answer to this question. The answer is yes. Of course I am.
I don’t want to be. I don’t want to be my brother’s keeper. I want to be able to just look out for myself.
But I know the answer is yes. I am responsible for all those around me. I am responsible for more than I act. The trash on the sidewalk on my way to and from my children’s school is my responsibility – even if I didn’t drop it there. The person begging for spare change is mine to care for. My family does not start with my mother and end with my daughter.
I know full well that I ought not to own stock in companies that are doing dastardly things to the environment, even if they get me a good return on my investment.
I am my brother’s keeper.
Two – “Where are you?” – God asks humanity
The second question in the Bible is the first question that God asks humanity. God asks, “Where are you?” It is also a ridiculous question, just as ridiculous as Cain’s answer. How would God not know the answer to this question?
So, the rabbis say, as it obviously is not a question about location, it must be about something else.
And I know this question, too.
God is not asking me for my GPS coordinates. God is asking if I am paying attention, if I am awake, if I am listening, if I am present. It is like that moment that we all have had when we know a loved one is distracted with technology or some task and we want their attention. And so we ask them, with a compassionate heart – trying not to shame – “Are you listening? Are you with me?”
That is the question God is asking me. “Brian, where are you?” It is not a question asked with heat or vitriol. It is just a question so the questioner can discern how much to say, how deep of a conversation to expect, how “real” to be. As long as I am not paying full attention, or even paying much attention, why would God be real with me?
One – “Did God really say that?” – creation asks itself
The first question in the Bible is the one the serpent asks. The question is, “Did God really say that?” The serpent – who later and because of this line of questioning gets associated with the adversary – challenges the first humans to doubt what they heard from God.
Matthew Fox is an internationally acclaimed spiritual theologian, an Episcopal priest, and an activist who was a member of the Dominican Order for 34 years. He holds a doctorate, summa cum laude, in the History and Theology of Spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris. As a spiritual theologian, he has written 30 books that have been translated into 48 languages and have received numerous awards.
Sign Up for our newsletters to receive emails and to get notified on Part 2 of this interview series!
READ ON ...
---------------------
Responsible. Here. True.Rabbi Brian
The first three questions of the Bible are of great significance to me.
Responsible. Here. True.
(Answers to the first three questions of the Bible.) by Rabbi Brian
The first three questions of the Bible are of great significance to me.
Before I continue, let me explain my thinking about the Bible, albeit quickly and (perhaps a little) crassly: no one in the airline industry intended for the instructions about putting an oxygen mask on oneself before assisting others with their oxygen masks to be a moral lesson. Nonetheless, it is. Similarly, I do not believe that one needs to believe that the Bible is “The Word of God” to take moral lessons from it.
Another note: this is really a sermon to me. These words are what I need to hear. If they happen to resonate with you and your heart, wonderful. But really, I write these words to me.
Let’s look at the first three questions used in the Bible. These three initial queries happen in this order: first there is a question between creation (the serpent and the first humans). Second there is a question from God to creation. Third there is a question from creation to God.
And for dramatic purposes, I want to look at the first three questions of the Bible in reverse order.
Three – “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – humanity asks God
The third question is the question that Cain asks God. It is the first time in the Bible that a human being asks God a question. This is the question: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
What an obnoxious, obnoxious, obnoxious question. It is the type of question that a child asks a parent, knowing full well the answer. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Cain asks this question because he has slain his brother and God tells him that his brother’s bloods cry out from the earth. (The Hebrew text reads bloods, plural – leading rabbis for generations to intone how heinous an act it was – for Cain not only killed Abel, but all potential future generations as well.)
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
I know the answer to this question. The answer is yes. Of course I am.
I don’t want to be. I don’t want to be my brother’s keeper. I want to be able to just look out for myself.
But I know the answer is yes. I am responsible for all those around me. I am responsible for more than I act. The trash on the sidewalk on my way to and from my children’s school is my responsibility – even if I didn’t drop it there. The person begging for spare change is mine to care for. My family does not start with my mother and end with my daughter.
I know full well that I ought not to own stock in companies that are doing dastardly things to the environment, even if they get me a good return on my investment.
I am my brother’s keeper.
Two – “Where are you?” – God asks humanity
The second question in the Bible is the first question that God asks humanity. God asks, “Where are you?” It is also a ridiculous question, just as ridiculous as Cain’s answer. How would God not know the answer to this question?
So, the rabbis say, as it obviously is not a question about location, it must be about something else.
And I know this question, too.
God is not asking me for my GPS coordinates. God is asking if I am paying attention, if I am awake, if I am listening, if I am present. It is like that moment that we all have had when we know a loved one is distracted with technology or some task and we want their attention. And so we ask them, with a compassionate heart – trying not to shame – “Are you listening? Are you with me?”
That is the question God is asking me. “Brian, where are you?” It is not a question asked with heat or vitriol. It is just a question so the questioner can discern how much to say, how deep of a conversation to expect, how “real” to be. As long as I am not paying full attention, or even paying much attention, why would God be real with me?
One – “Did God really say that?” – creation asks itself
The first question in the Bible is the one the serpent asks. The question is, “Did God really say that?” The serpent – who later and because of this line of questioning gets associated with the adversary – challenges the first humans to doubt what they heard from God.
And, once doubt enters, the system is never quite the same. It is Segal’s law:
“A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.”
How often have I put doubt into other people’s minds?!
How often I have shaken them from what they knew and were comfortable knowing!
And how often I have been shaken from what I know. I know what I ought to be doing. I know what I ought not be doing.
How often I have not held steady to the direction of which I am certain. How frequently I have allowed a little doubt to burst my true knowledge.
Conclusion
I know I must help repair the world.
I know I need to pay attention.
And I know I must shake the doubt.
May I be so blessed.
With love,
Rabbi Brian
(Visit his website Religion Outside the Box)
“A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.”
How often have I put doubt into other people’s minds?!
How often I have shaken them from what they knew and were comfortable knowing!
And how often I have been shaken from what I know. I know what I ought to be doing. I know what I ought not be doing.
How often I have not held steady to the direction of which I am certain. How frequently I have allowed a little doubt to burst my true knowledge.
Conclusion
I know I must help repair the world.
I know I need to pay attention.
And I know I must shake the doubt.
May I be so blessed.
With love,
Rabbi Brian
(Visit his website Religion Outside the Box)
---------------------
What the World Needs Now is Love!
What the World Needs Now is Love!
Rev. Dawn Hutchings
The knowledge that LOVE dwells in us might just open us to being the love that the world so desperately needs.READ ON ...
The knowledge that LOVE dwells in us might just open us to being the love that the world so desperately needs.READ ON ...
---------------------
Weekly Liturgy
Weekly Liturgy
Week of: February 7, 2016
“God is a verb” — one of those phrases that occurs independently to different people and then keeps showing up.
God Is a Verb
Week of February 7, 2016“God is a verb” — one of those phrases that occurs independently to different people and then keeps showing up. Buckminster Fuller back in the 60’s, Kris Minster in a poem written “more than 30 years ago,” John Shelby Spong in a great quote: “God is not a noun, that demands to be defined. God is a verb that invites us to live, to love, and to be.” More recently, a book on the Kabbalah by Rabbi David Cooper. Where does your imagination take you when you ponder “God is a verb”?
READ ON ...
---------------------
God Is a Verb Written by Kris Minister by Polly Moore
God is a verb
Living within you and me
Fleshing our flesh
Rejoicing our joy
Crying our sorrow
And empowering us to swim upstream.
Goding despair with a healing
that cancels resignation,
We act as if we are secure,
Laughing as we falter,
Singing through our pain
And celebrating the gift of being.
---------------------
A Spiritual Self-Portrait — More than a Dream by Randall Wehler
A painter’s easel stands before me as I rest quietly in a dream-like state of sleep
Prompted to express my spiritual self with color and brush strokes of my choice
How shall I depict a lifetime of influences and that which churns inside of me?
I glance at the color palette and a clutch of brushes to begin painting the canvas
The undergird of my parents produces colors boldly linear like a house foundation
A “rock” of youthful experience to start life’s journey of spiritual self-realization
Brush strokes of myriad colors and character sweep upward from this early base
I am now my own person in transformation, God guiding me as I seek the divine
A paint-plop of colors, barely brushed out, show my early concrete-literal days
Later, fine-feathered brush strokes abstractly denote the metaphorically figurative
I paint, off in the distance, an indistinct robed figure, portraying the life of Jesus
Filled with God’s presence on Earth to bring created humans to divine awareness
The formative portrait seems to speak to me, calling me to be all that I can be
To live life fully, to love others lovingly, God helping me as my life moves on
I awaken as the dream is fading, the paint still wet, my portrait not yet completed
My wakeful life journey also not finished, paths of further spirit-growth awaiting
---------------------
I See God Written by Buckminster Fuller by Polly Moore
I see God in
the instruments and the mechanisms that
work
reliably,
more reliably than the limited sensory departments of
the human mechanism.
And God says
observe the paradox
of man’s creative potentials
and his destructive tactics.
He could have his new world
through sufficient love
for “all’s fair”
in love as well as in war
which means you can
junk as much rubbish,
skip as many stupid agreements
by love,
spontaneous unselfishness radiant.
The revolution has come —
set on fire from the top.
Let it burn swiftly.
Neither the branches, trunk, nor roots will be endangered.
Only last year’s leaves and
the parasite-bearded moss and orchids
will not be there
when the next spring brings fresh growth
and free standing flowers.
Here is God’s purpose-
for God, to me, it seems,
is a verb
not a noun,
proper or improper;
is the articulation
not the art, objective or subjective;
is loving,
not the abstraction “love” commanded or entreated;
is knowledge dynamic,
not legislative code,
not proclamation law.
not academic dogma, not ecclesiastic canon.
Yes, God is a verb,
the most active,
connoting the vast harmonic
reordering of the universe
from unleashed chaos of energy.
And there is born unheralded
a great natural peace,
not out of exclusive
pseudo-static security
bit out of including, refining, dynamic balancing.
Naught is lost.
Only the false and nonexistent are dispelled.
And I’ve thought through to tomorrow
which is also today.
The telephone rings
and you say to me
Hello Buckling this is Christopher; or
Daddy it’s Allegra, or
Mr. Fuller this is the Telephone Company Business Office;
and I say you are inaccurate.
Because I knew you were going to call
and furthermore I recognize
that it is God who is “speaking,” And you say
aren’t you being fantastic?
And knowing you I say no.
All organized religions of the past
were inherently developed
as beliefs and credits
in “second hand” information.
Therefore it will be an entirely new era
when man finds himself confronted
with direct experience
with an obviously a priori
intellectually anticipatory competency
that has interordered
all that he is discovering.[Buckminster Fuller, No More Secondhand God (1963)]
“God is a verb” — one of those phrases that occurs independently to different people and then keeps showing up.
God Is a Verb
Week of February 7, 2016“God is a verb” — one of those phrases that occurs independently to different people and then keeps showing up. Buckminster Fuller back in the 60’s, Kris Minster in a poem written “more than 30 years ago,” John Shelby Spong in a great quote: “God is not a noun, that demands to be defined. God is a verb that invites us to live, to love, and to be.” More recently, a book on the Kabbalah by Rabbi David Cooper. Where does your imagination take you when you ponder “God is a verb”?
God Is a Verb
God is a verb
Living within you and me
Fleshing our flesh
Rejoicing our joy
Crying our sorrow
And empowering us to swim upstream.
read moreLiving within you and me
Fleshing our flesh
Rejoicing our joy
Crying our sorrow
And empowering us to swim upstream.
A Spiritual Self-Portrait -- More than a Dream
A painter’s easel stands before me as I rest quietly in a dream-like state of sleep
Prompted to express my spiritual self with color and brush strokes of my choice
read morePrompted to express my spiritual self with color and brush strokes of my choice
I See God
I see God in
the instruments and the mechanisms that
work
reliably,
more reliably than the limited sensory departments of
the human mechanism.
read morethe instruments and the mechanisms that
work
reliably,
more reliably than the limited sensory departments of
the human mechanism.
READ ON ...
---------------------
God Is a Verb Written by Kris Minister by Polly Moore
God is a verb
Living within you and me
Fleshing our flesh
Rejoicing our joy
Crying our sorrow
And empowering us to swim upstream.
Goding despair with a healing
that cancels resignation,
We act as if we are secure,
Laughing as we falter,
Singing through our pain
And celebrating the gift of being.
---------------------
A Spiritual Self-Portrait — More than a Dream by Randall Wehler
A painter’s easel stands before me as I rest quietly in a dream-like state of sleep
Prompted to express my spiritual self with color and brush strokes of my choice
How shall I depict a lifetime of influences and that which churns inside of me?
I glance at the color palette and a clutch of brushes to begin painting the canvas
The undergird of my parents produces colors boldly linear like a house foundation
A “rock” of youthful experience to start life’s journey of spiritual self-realization
Brush strokes of myriad colors and character sweep upward from this early base
I am now my own person in transformation, God guiding me as I seek the divine
A paint-plop of colors, barely brushed out, show my early concrete-literal days
Later, fine-feathered brush strokes abstractly denote the metaphorically figurative
I paint, off in the distance, an indistinct robed figure, portraying the life of Jesus
Filled with God’s presence on Earth to bring created humans to divine awareness
The formative portrait seems to speak to me, calling me to be all that I can be
To live life fully, to love others lovingly, God helping me as my life moves on
I awaken as the dream is fading, the paint still wet, my portrait not yet completed
My wakeful life journey also not finished, paths of further spirit-growth awaiting
---------------------
I See God Written by Buckminster Fuller by Polly Moore
I see God in
the instruments and the mechanisms that
work
reliably,
more reliably than the limited sensory departments of
the human mechanism.
And God says
observe the paradox
of man’s creative potentials
and his destructive tactics.
He could have his new world
through sufficient love
for “all’s fair”
in love as well as in war
which means you can
junk as much rubbish,
skip as many stupid agreements
by love,
spontaneous unselfishness radiant.
The revolution has come —
set on fire from the top.
Let it burn swiftly.
Neither the branches, trunk, nor roots will be endangered.
Only last year’s leaves and
the parasite-bearded moss and orchids
will not be there
when the next spring brings fresh growth
and free standing flowers.
Here is God’s purpose-
for God, to me, it seems,
is a verb
not a noun,
proper or improper;
is the articulation
not the art, objective or subjective;
is loving,
not the abstraction “love” commanded or entreated;
is knowledge dynamic,
not legislative code,
not proclamation law.
not academic dogma, not ecclesiastic canon.
Yes, God is a verb,
the most active,
connoting the vast harmonic
reordering of the universe
from unleashed chaos of energy.
And there is born unheralded
a great natural peace,
not out of exclusive
pseudo-static security
bit out of including, refining, dynamic balancing.
Naught is lost.
Only the false and nonexistent are dispelled.
And I’ve thought through to tomorrow
which is also today.
The telephone rings
and you say to me
Hello Buckling this is Christopher; or
Daddy it’s Allegra, or
Mr. Fuller this is the Telephone Company Business Office;
and I say you are inaccurate.
Because I knew you were going to call
and furthermore I recognize
that it is God who is “speaking,” And you say
aren’t you being fantastic?
And knowing you I say no.
All organized religions of the past
were inherently developed
as beliefs and credits
in “second hand” information.
Therefore it will be an entirely new era
when man finds himself confronted
with direct experience
with an obviously a priori
intellectually anticipatory competency
that has interordered
all that he is discovering.[Buckminster Fuller, No More Secondhand God (1963)]
----------------------
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Events and Updates
Westar National Meeting March 16–19, 2016
... we’ll explore the uncharted space where religion interacts, in new and exciting ways, with other disciplines. Please join us in welcoming creative thinkers from the leading edge of this important endeavor.
Westar National Meeting March 16–19, 2016
We are entering uncharted territory…
At Westar Institute’s Spring 2016 national meeting, we’ll explore the uncharted space where religion interacts, in new and exciting ways, with other disciplines. Binary models — such as faith-science, atheism-theism, gentile-Jew — have often held sway in Western ideas about religion. Today, in light of new conversations across the sciences, philosophy, theology, classics, and history, they no longer can. Please join us in welcoming creative thinkers from the leading edge of this important endeavor.
Program Overview
Public Lectures
Mary Evelyn Tucker, The Emerging Alliance of Religion and Ecology
John D. Caputo, Does the Kingdom of God Need God?
Dennis R. MacDonald, Mythologizing Jesus
An Interview with Burton Mack
Academic Seminars
Christianity Seminar
Seminar on God and the Human Future
Polebridge Authors & Books
Young Leaders in Religion Forum
*Next Deadline
REGISTER BY DECEMBER 31, 2015 FOR BEST SAVINGS.
Featuring:
Mary Evelyn Tucker
The Emerging Alliance of Religion and Ecology
We have discovered the ways in which galaxies and stars, planets and living organisms emerged within the vast drama of the universe. We’ve learned that the survival of species and entire ecosystems depend upon choices humans make. Against this backdrop, Mary Evelyn Tucker notes the promise of religion for ethical and spiritual transformation regarding ecological attitudes and practices. She calls for the world’s religious communities to recognize the implications of the growing ecological crisis. As part of her presentation, she will show and discuss the Emmy award-winning film, Journey of the Universe.
Journey of the Universe
The story begins at dawn on the historically rich Greek island of Samos. It takes viewers on an exhilarating trek through time and space and ends at the toll of midnight. Drawing on scientific discoveries—in astronomy, geology, biology, ecology, and biodiversity—to tell the epic story of human, cosmic, and Earth transformation, this hour-long award-winning film instills its audience with a sense of wonder at the mystery, complexity and connectivity that permeates the Earth and the universe.
Mary Evelyn Tucker (Ph.D., Columbia University) is co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University where she teaches in the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and the Divinity School. The organizer, with John Grim, of a series of conferences on World Religions and Ecology at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard, she is co-editor of several books arising from that series, author of Worldly Wonder (2003), co-author with Brian Swimme of the film and companion book Journey of the Universe (2011), co-author with John Grim of Ecology and Religion (2014), and editor of many more books on religion and ecology.
Wednesday, 9 am–3:30 pm
John D. Caputo
Does the Kingdom of God Need God?
The name of God is not that of a supreme being. It is instead the name of something unconditional without power, of a powerless power—a weak force with no army to back it up, like a kiss of peace rather than a sword. The kingdom of God is a kingdom without a royal monarch. Thus, the image of the Son of Man coming to judge the nations is, in theologian Paul Tillich’s words, half-blasphemous. The kingdom of God does not need God, but, according to Jack Caputo, this theological atheism does not spell the end of God’s kingdom; rather it dispels the misunderstanding of the gospel and preserves what is good about the good news. It opens the door to understanding the coming of the kingdom of God in terms other than power, and to understanding power—God’s power or anyone else’s—differently.
John D. Caputo (Ph.D., Bryn Mawr College) is the Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Syracuse University and the Cook Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Villanova University. A hybrid philosopher/ theologian who works in the area of radical theology, Caputo has spearheaded a notion he calls “weak theology,” which is set forth in his The Insistence of God (2013) and The Weakness of God (2006), winner of the American Academy of Religion award for excellence in constructive theology. He has recently published The Folly of God (Polebridge, 2015) and Hoping Against Hope (Fortress, 2015) and is currently working on A Pelican Guide to Hermeneutics for Penguin Press.
Thursday, 9–11:30 am
Dennis R. MacDonald
Mythologizing Jesus
The Case of the Anointing Woman
Scholars long have recognized that New Testament depictions of Jesus witness to a creative explosion of stories about him. Few interpreters, however, have recognized that many, if not most, of these stories have analogies in classical Greek literature, especially in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. The story of the woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany, for example, imitates book 19 of the Odyssey. According to Dennis MacDonald, the implications are profound. First, Mark apparently did not inherit the anointing tale from tradition but created it to rival Homer. Second, parallels to the story in Luke and John do not represent an independent tradition. Third and most significantly, this analysis suggests that the evangelist expected his readers to be sufficiently familiar with the Odyssey to detect the imitation.
Thursday, 9–11:30 am
Dennis R. MacDonald
Mythologizing Jesus
The Case of the Anointing Woman
Scholars long have recognized that New Testament depictions of Jesus witness to a creative explosion of stories about him. Few interpreters, however, have recognized that many, if not most, of these stories have analogies in classical Greek literature, especially in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. The story of the woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany, for example, imitates book 19 of the Odyssey. According to Dennis MacDonald, the implications are profound. First, Mark apparently did not inherit the anointing tale from tradition but created it to rival Homer. Second, parallels to the story in Luke and John do not represent an independent tradition. Third and most significantly, this analysis suggests that the evangelist expected his readers to be sufficiently familiar with the Odyssey to detect the imitation.
Dennis R. MacDonald (Ph.D., Harvard University) retired as John Wesley Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at the Claremont School of Theology where he now serves as a Research Professor. The former director of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity at Claremont Graduate University, he also served as visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School and at Union Theological Seminary. MacDonald has appeared on A&E, PBS and the History Channel. He is the author of many books, including The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark (2000), The Gospels and Homer (2014), Mythologizing Jesus (2015), and How Did Mark Know about Jesus? (forthcoming).
Thursday, 1–3:30 pm
An Interview with Burton Mack
A charter member of the Jesus Seminar and mentor of many Westar Fellows and Society of Biblical Literature leaders, Burton Mack is widely recognized for his work on Christian origins. His concept of myth-making, for instance, re-invigorated critical thinking about the gospels and Paul. His idea of “social experimentation” broke open first-century texts as products of societal imagination, rather than historical record. Mack’s innovative scholarship profoundly influenced the thinking of the Jesus Seminar during its early years.
Known for his thoughtful conversational style and acerbic wit, Burton Mack promises a warm chuckle, a fearless search for insight, and equal parts suspicion and fascination with first-century literature. Since his retirement, he has focused on how the Christian myth is re-enacted in contemporary American nationhood. Ever wary of the mix, his latest books explore ways beyond this poisonous combination.
Thursday, 1–3:30 pm
An Interview with Burton Mack
A charter member of the Jesus Seminar and mentor of many Westar Fellows and Society of Biblical Literature leaders, Burton Mack is widely recognized for his work on Christian origins. His concept of myth-making, for instance, re-invigorated critical thinking about the gospels and Paul. His idea of “social experimentation” broke open first-century texts as products of societal imagination, rather than historical record. Mack’s innovative scholarship profoundly influenced the thinking of the Jesus Seminar during its early years.
Known for his thoughtful conversational style and acerbic wit, Burton Mack promises a warm chuckle, a fearless search for insight, and equal parts suspicion and fascination with first-century literature. Since his retirement, he has focused on how the Christian myth is re-enacted in contemporary American nationhood. Ever wary of the mix, his latest books explore ways beyond this poisonous combination.
Burton Mack (Ph.D., University of Göttingen) is John Wesley Professor emeritus in early Christianity at the Claremont School of Theology. He is the author of eleven books, including A Myth of Innocence (1988), The Lost Gospel (1993), Who Wrote the New Testament (1996), Christian Mentality (2014), and Myth and the Christian Nation (2014).
Friday, 7:30–9 pm
Academic Seminars
Cultural Construction and Reconfiguration of Family
As the culture wars of the twenty-first century vie for the meaning of family, equally creative, contentious, and regressive first- and second-century family portraits will unfold at the Christianity Seminar’s Spring 2016 session. The Seminar will take on Jesus’s attack on family bonding (“who are my mother and brothers … the ones who do the will of God are my brother and sister and mother”), the post-Pauline support for patriarchal family codes, the experimental fictive families of so-called house churches, women leading all kinds of supper clubs, audacious men and women leaping into celibacy, and women and men reclining together at semi-public festive banquets.
Friday & Saturday, times TBA
The Promise of Paul after the Death of God
Today’s Radical Theology movement owes a debt to the 1960s Death of God movement, which both liberated theology from narrow-minded debates about the literal existence of a supernatural being and bridged the traditionally theist-atheist divide between theologians and philosophers. What may be surprising to many, however, is that the themes and concerns that arose after the death of God share common elements with themes and concerns of the Apostle Paul—not the Paul of traditional church lore but a new Paul who is emerging in light of recent scholarship. In ancient times, Paul heard the call of a God that was bigger than he had ever imagined. In modern times, following the disappearance of the God made small in light of science, only the God who persists can promise a meaningful future. At its Spring 2016 session, with the help of guest scholars Bernard Brandon Scott of Phillips Theological Seminary and Richard Kearney of Boston University, the Seminar on God and the Human Future will explore the new possibilities raised by this exciting connection.
Friday & Saturday, times TBA
Seminar Papers
The Seminar Papers, which will become available in March, are the basis for the discussions in the Friday and Saturday sessions. They will not be presented orally at the event. Persons wishing to follow the discussions should read the papers in advance.
Electronic copies of the Seminar Papers are available to the public and will be posted when they come available, usually 2 to 3 weeks prior to the event. Hard copies of the papers will be available at a cost of $25 each.
Read online – Not yet available
Order hard copies of seminar papers
Polebridge Authors & Books
New and recent Polebridge authors will appear at these free afternoon book talks. Presenters and books TBA. Includes book signing.
Wednesday & Thursday, 4–5 pm
Free event
Young Leaders in Religion
Helping clergy and other leaders ages 20 to 45 to translate and transform religion scholarship into meaningful forms for their communities
Westar Institute is forming a new Young Leaders in Religion Forum. If you are between the ages of 20 and 45, and are a trained religious leader in church, arts, chaplaincy, non-profit, social advocacy, new faith community or social service work, we invite you to join this new solidarity network, which launched at Westar’s national meeting in Santa Rosa, March 18–21, 2015. At that time participants came together to raise and address issues, challenges, and goals, and to identify leaders to help shape the future of Young Leaders in Religion at Westar. The Spring 2016 Meeting will continue that important work.
Westar is actively seeking interested members for this new forum. If you feel you or someone you know would be a good candidate for this program, please contact academic director David Galston for more information: dgalston@westarinstitute.org
Young Leaders in Religion should not use the regular registration form to sign up for the Spring 2016 forum. Please await instructions from the Young Leaders in Religion program committee.
Schedule
Wednesday, March 16
9–10, 10:30–11:30 am, 1–2, 2:30–3:30 pm
Mary Evelyn Tucker
4–5
Authors & books
Thursday, March 17
9–10, 10:30–11:30 am
John D. Caputo
1–2, 2:30–3:30 pm
Dennis R. MacDonald
4–5 pm
Authors & books
8–10 pm
Reception
Friday, March 18
9–10:30, 11–12:30, 2–3:30, 4–5 pm
Academic Seminars
7:30–9 pm
Burton Mack Interview
Saturday, March 19
9–10:30, 11–12:30, 2–3:30, 4–5 pm
Academic Seminars
7–10 pm
Banquet
Registration & Fees
Lectures and seminars take place in the Flamingo Ballroom. Westar Institute registration and the Polebridge Press bookstore will be located in the Alexander Room, across the lobby from the hotel registration desk.
Not a Westar member? You can add a Westar membership ($50) to your registration and register at the member price. Westar members receive a subscription to The Fourth R magazine (6 issues annually), discounts on national meeting registration, and 20% off Polebridge books & media. Learn more.
Option 1—Bundled Sessions
Includes reception, banquet & electronic seminar papers*
WEDNESDAY – SATURDAY REGISTRATION OPTIONS
Friday, 7:30–9 pm
Academic Seminars
Cultural Construction and Reconfiguration of Family
As the culture wars of the twenty-first century vie for the meaning of family, equally creative, contentious, and regressive first- and second-century family portraits will unfold at the Christianity Seminar’s Spring 2016 session. The Seminar will take on Jesus’s attack on family bonding (“who are my mother and brothers … the ones who do the will of God are my brother and sister and mother”), the post-Pauline support for patriarchal family codes, the experimental fictive families of so-called house churches, women leading all kinds of supper clubs, audacious men and women leaping into celibacy, and women and men reclining together at semi-public festive banquets.
Friday & Saturday, times TBA
The Promise of Paul after the Death of God
Today’s Radical Theology movement owes a debt to the 1960s Death of God movement, which both liberated theology from narrow-minded debates about the literal existence of a supernatural being and bridged the traditionally theist-atheist divide between theologians and philosophers. What may be surprising to many, however, is that the themes and concerns that arose after the death of God share common elements with themes and concerns of the Apostle Paul—not the Paul of traditional church lore but a new Paul who is emerging in light of recent scholarship. In ancient times, Paul heard the call of a God that was bigger than he had ever imagined. In modern times, following the disappearance of the God made small in light of science, only the God who persists can promise a meaningful future. At its Spring 2016 session, with the help of guest scholars Bernard Brandon Scott of Phillips Theological Seminary and Richard Kearney of Boston University, the Seminar on God and the Human Future will explore the new possibilities raised by this exciting connection.
Friday & Saturday, times TBA
Seminar Papers
The Seminar Papers, which will become available in March, are the basis for the discussions in the Friday and Saturday sessions. They will not be presented orally at the event. Persons wishing to follow the discussions should read the papers in advance.
Electronic copies of the Seminar Papers are available to the public and will be posted when they come available, usually 2 to 3 weeks prior to the event. Hard copies of the papers will be available at a cost of $25 each.
Read online – Not yet available
Order hard copies of seminar papers
Polebridge Authors & Books
New and recent Polebridge authors will appear at these free afternoon book talks. Presenters and books TBA. Includes book signing.
Wednesday & Thursday, 4–5 pm
Free event
Young Leaders in Religion
Helping clergy and other leaders ages 20 to 45 to translate and transform religion scholarship into meaningful forms for their communities
Westar Institute is forming a new Young Leaders in Religion Forum. If you are between the ages of 20 and 45, and are a trained religious leader in church, arts, chaplaincy, non-profit, social advocacy, new faith community or social service work, we invite you to join this new solidarity network, which launched at Westar’s national meeting in Santa Rosa, March 18–21, 2015. At that time participants came together to raise and address issues, challenges, and goals, and to identify leaders to help shape the future of Young Leaders in Religion at Westar. The Spring 2016 Meeting will continue that important work.
Westar is actively seeking interested members for this new forum. If you feel you or someone you know would be a good candidate for this program, please contact academic director David Galston for more information: dgalston@westarinstitute.org
Young Leaders in Religion should not use the regular registration form to sign up for the Spring 2016 forum. Please await instructions from the Young Leaders in Religion program committee.
Schedule
Wednesday, March 16
9–10, 10:30–11:30 am, 1–2, 2:30–3:30 pm
Mary Evelyn Tucker
4–5
Authors & books
Thursday, March 17
9–10, 10:30–11:30 am
John D. Caputo
1–2, 2:30–3:30 pm
Dennis R. MacDonald
4–5 pm
Authors & books
8–10 pm
Reception
Friday, March 18
9–10:30, 11–12:30, 2–3:30, 4–5 pm
Academic Seminars
7:30–9 pm
Burton Mack Interview
Saturday, March 19
9–10:30, 11–12:30, 2–3:30, 4–5 pm
Academic Seminars
7–10 pm
Banquet
Registration & Fees
Lectures and seminars take place in the Flamingo Ballroom. Westar Institute registration and the Polebridge Press bookstore will be located in the Alexander Room, across the lobby from the hotel registration desk.
Not a Westar member? You can add a Westar membership ($50) to your registration and register at the member price. Westar members receive a subscription to The Fourth R magazine (6 issues annually), discounts on national meeting registration, and 20% off Polebridge books & media. Learn more.
Option 1—Bundled Sessions
Includes reception, banquet & electronic seminar papers*
WEDNESDAY – SATURDAY REGISTRATION OPTIONS
MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS
EARLY BIRD (BY DEC 31, MEMBERS SAVE $95) $295 $325
PRE-REGISTRATION (BY FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $70) $320 $350
REGISTRATION (AFTER FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $50) $340 $370
THURSDAY EVENING – SATURDAY REGISTRATION OPTIONS MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS
EARLY BIRD (BY DEC 31, MEMBERS SAVE $65) $195 $225
PRE-REGISTRATION (BY FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $45) $215 $235
REGISTRATION (AFTER FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $35) $225 $245
Option 2—Single Sessions
MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS
WEDNESDAY SESSION WITH TUCKER $65 $70
WEDNESDAY AUTHORS & BOOKS Free Free
THURSDAY SESSIONS WITH CAPUTO AND MACDONALD $65 $70
THURSDAY MORNING SESSION WITH CAPUTO ONLY $35 $40
THURSDAY AFTERNOON SESSION WITH MACDONALD ONLY $35 $40
THURSDAY AUTHORS & BOOKS Free Free
THURSDAY RECEPTION TICKET $40 $40
FRIDAY ACADEMIC SEMINARS $65 $70
FRIDAY EVENING INTERVIEW WITH BURTON MACK $20 $20
SATURDAY ACADEMIC SEMINARS $65 $70
SATURDAY BANQUET TICKET $55 $55
HARD COPY OF SEMINAR PAPERS $25 $25
Images
Start:
March 16, 2016
End:
March 19, 2016
Location:
Flamingo Hotel
2777 Fourth Street
Santa Rosa United States California
Organization:
Westar Institute
Website:
https://www.westarinstitute.org/national-meetings/spring-2016/
Telephone:
(651) 200-2372
READ ON ...
---------------------
View all upcoming events here!
News
Job Listings
EARLY BIRD (BY DEC 31, MEMBERS SAVE $95) $295 $325
PRE-REGISTRATION (BY FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $70) $320 $350
REGISTRATION (AFTER FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $50) $340 $370
THURSDAY EVENING – SATURDAY REGISTRATION OPTIONS MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS
EARLY BIRD (BY DEC 31, MEMBERS SAVE $65) $195 $225
PRE-REGISTRATION (BY FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $45) $215 $235
REGISTRATION (AFTER FEB 16, MEMBERS SAVE $35) $225 $245
Option 2—Single Sessions
MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS
WEDNESDAY SESSION WITH TUCKER $65 $70
WEDNESDAY AUTHORS & BOOKS Free Free
THURSDAY SESSIONS WITH CAPUTO AND MACDONALD $65 $70
THURSDAY MORNING SESSION WITH CAPUTO ONLY $35 $40
THURSDAY AFTERNOON SESSION WITH MACDONALD ONLY $35 $40
THURSDAY AUTHORS & BOOKS Free Free
THURSDAY RECEPTION TICKET $40 $40
FRIDAY ACADEMIC SEMINARS $65 $70
FRIDAY EVENING INTERVIEW WITH BURTON MACK $20 $20
SATURDAY ACADEMIC SEMINARS $65 $70
SATURDAY BANQUET TICKET $55 $55
HARD COPY OF SEMINAR PAPERS $25 $25
Images
Start:
March 16, 2016
End:
March 19, 2016
Location:
Flamingo Hotel
2777 Fourth Street
Santa Rosa United States California
Organization:
Westar Institute
Website:
https://www.westarinstitute.org/national-meetings/spring-2016/
Telephone:
(651) 200-2372
READ ON ...
---------------------
View all upcoming events here!
News
Job Listings
Email
YouTube
---------------------Question & Answer for Thursday, 14 February 2016 – Responses to Charting a New Reformation – Part II Bishop Spong
HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR
Responses to Charting a New Reformation – Part II
“I am eagerly looking to the essays on the twelve theses that you recently put forth in your column. You have been a major mover in this whole arena and endeavor and I want to thank you for your creativity and your work. It has been most enlightening and helpful.”[Professor Robert Albers, Retired, the Faculty of The United Theological Seminary in Minnesota]
“Wow! What a great way to end my year. You know my take on theology. I am loving following your twelve theses campaign."[Anna Curran, San Diego, California]
“Your column today is the best summation I have ever read of why the Bible is not “the word of God.” and why the God of the Bible is not even the God we should not be inclined to think about in these days. Thank you for your remarkable clarity, to say nothing of your marvelous understanding of what’s what.”[Hal Wingo, a former editor at both Life and People Magazines]
“The Twelve Theses are nailed to my door metaphorically speaking.”[Rev. Joel Biggers, UCC New Jersey.]
“I understand what you are saying about new liturgies to encompass these new insights and I can’t wait. But what are we to do in the meantime? Most prayers invoke a god that doesn’t act in that way, yet I am still called to pray.”[Elizabeth Oakes (the Rev. )]
“The God who dwells within us would let us love all humankind and all colors and races, all lefties and righties, all people of different sexual preferences, and treat women as equal in status to men. Our God in the new Christian religion shall not make use of religious authority to make profit or to oppress or degrade others anymore.”[Eugene Wei, Suzhou, China]
“I would like to help, but don’t have a clear idea of what you want in terms of transforming our holy words into believable words of today. As a retired teacher of English and the wife of a Niagara priest, I could be a reader for you: read your emails and put them in whatever categories you have in mind.”[Eleanor Johnston, Niagara, Canada]
“Based on your twelve theses I fail to understand what there is left of Christianity that merits calling it so. I am an Episcopalian, confirmed, and a post-graduate in engineering. I accept science, the theory of the “big bang,” evolution, etc. I am also aware of the struggle of early Christians in reaching an “orthodoxy” and the late influence of imperial Rome on Christianity. It is the old conflict of faith vs. religion and I harbor both beliefs leading to a great deal of angst. My inadequate solution is to compartmentalize into “rational” and “spiritual” boxes to stay calm and carry on."[C. Hutcheon via the Internet.]
"Just read your New Reformation Declaration. Wow! Oh my God!! Congratulations for taking such a bold move. I am greatly relieved that it is 2015 and not 1515, because I would hate to think of a great man going to the stake to be burned. Intellectually your reformation makes sense. On reflection and in truth. I have known this for most of my life, being much influenced, “stirred, but not shaken,” when I was in seminary by Bishop (John A. T.) Robinson’s book of the sixties Honest to God. Here is the real difficulty I have. Following the intellectual logic and all the benefits of today’s scientific reality does not help me grow spiritually.”[Father Max Augustine, OPC, New South Wales, Australia]
“Yours is the voice that sings Christ’s song for today and beyond. You touch the chords where God’s love belongs, in the human heart where it has been all along.”[The Rev. Dr. Patrick Berryhill, Unity minister]
“As I read your writings you seem to focus only on God (and humankind) in the third physical dimension. I like to quote Edgar Mitchell, the Apollo astronaut who said: “There are no unnatural or supernatural phenomena, only very large gaps in our knowledge of what is natural. We should strive to fill those gaps of ignorance. So I would love to have your thinking on what to you is “Spiritual.”[Beverly A. Shade via the Internet]
“The time for the theistic God is over, but when are you going to replace the theistic god with a Godin words that a modern intelligent person can understand and accept? This involves the topic of Jesus as the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity and the definition of “divinity versus humanity.” Does our God have an ontological, evolutionary dimension and progression?”[Tony Jacobs via the Internet]
“When can we expect the language of our liturgies to begin to become more progressive? What can we do to encourage our clergy to move away from the old worship language? Do they face authoritative discipline by using less theistic language?”[Frank Pepe, Poughkeepsie, New York]
“I have been enjoying Bishop Spong for years and embrace most of his positions. However, they tend to be negations requiring us readers to construct our own beliefs and expressions, so that we can lift our eyes in hope.”[Richard Hill, Ph.D. via the Internet]
“The human need for certainty in face of the realities of life leaves us uncomfortable and uncertain. It is what most strive for throughout their lives. Perhaps we might revisit Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs.” Often uncertainty and insecurity leads us to certainty and security, facing the realities of life. But we are not alone in this need. Shaking foundations is very, very difficult, as one faces partial truths, untruths and tradition. Even Bultmann and Tillich left us wondering.”[R; L. Duncan, Naples Florida.]
“This is fantastic! Exactly what I have been wondering about lately. If we could possibly bring about a “New Reformation” Oh how it would change the world and bring people together. I would like to join you in creating “A New Christianity f9or a New World.”[Sandra Sammons, Tryon, North Carolina.]
“I am a former Catholic and an astrologer. Your article gave me such hope. I am happy to find such open-minded individuals in the Catholic Church. I want to hear more.”[Martha Dominguez via the Internet.]
“God is not to be found in this way, nor is God to be as it were, not found. It is not that the Immanuel promise that Jesus fulfilled would be that God would be within us, although prophets like Ezekiel proclaimed it so, rather that all of this ever expanding universe is within God. God is not confined within the world of space-time or matter and energy. Therefore, no preposition that we use that concerns any of those time-connected or space connected ideas can be applied to God. No before, or after, no above and no below.”[Colleen Fay, via the Internet]
Announcements
To read and receive the epic new series by Bishop Spong,Charting a New Reformation, sign up today!
Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support@johnshelbyspong.com or 253-507-8678.
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Our mailing address is:
ProgressiveChristianity.org
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ProgressiveChristianity.org
4810 Point Fosdick Drive NW#80
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