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Jesus for the Non-Religious Audiobook
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(4.02) - 453 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Writing from his prison cell in Nazi Germany in 1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a young German theologian, sketched a vision of what he called ""Religionless Christianity."" In this book, John Shelby Spong puts flesh onto the bare bones of Bonhoeffer's radical thought. The result is a strikingly new and different portrait of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jesus for the non-religious.
Spong challenges much of the traditional understanding, from the tale of Jesus' miraculous birth to the account of his cosmic ascension into the sky. He questions the historicity of the ideas that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, that he had twelve disciples, or that the miracle stories were ever meant to be descriptions of supernatural events. He also speaks directly to those critics of Christianity who call God a ""delusion"" and who describe how Christianity has become evil and destructive.
Spong invites his readers to look at Jesus through the lens of both the Jewish scriptures and the liturgical life of the first century synagogue. He proposes a new way of understanding the divinity of Christ as the ultimate dimension of a fulfilled humanity. Jesus for the Non-Religious may be the book that finally brings the pious and the secular into a meaningful dialogue, opening the door to a living Christianity in the post-Christian world.
Read by Alan Sklar
Preface, prologue, and epilogue read by the Author
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"Retired Episcopal Bishop Spong is one of the most rational Christian insiders I have had the pleasure of reading. A must-read for any Emergent Christians put off by superstition and legalism; and an immunization to atheism for those hesitant to throw the baby out with the bathwater. "
— Rob (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“It is the boldest book I’ve read, but also the most hopeful.”
— Bill Press, author of How the Republicans Stole Religion -
“[Alan Sklar] conveys the appropriate sense of drama and emphasis, as well as excellent Hebrew pronunciation, with a tempered edge…listeners will find compelling.”
— AudioFile -
“Sprong’s account of how the New Testament used the Old Testamnet reads life a good detective story.”
— Weekend Australian -
“Be prepared for a challenge to the traditional understanding of Jesus history and faith. A top pick for any serious religious collection.”
— Bookwatch
Awards
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Audie Award Finalist
Jesus for the Non-Religious Listener Reviews
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" He jumps to too many conclusions without saying where he's jumping. "
— Karel, 2/14/2014 -
" The 3rd part is the most original. Compelling case is made of why Jesus was revolutionary. Less compelling is why Jesus was divine "
— Lowell, 2/14/2014 -
" I needed to read this, since it corroborated with more authority ideas I'd developed on my own for the most part. I was disappointed with the final chapter, because it did not deliver on its promise to tell us why Jesus is still worthy of worship besides being fully human... "
— Victoria, 2/8/2014 -
" An amazing book. It still baffles me that these teachings aren't being used in all churches today. Do we as humans want to know the truth? Or do we want to live in dogmatic fantasy? "
— Timothy, 2/6/2014 -
" I listened to the audio version of this book first. Now I am reading it. Spong's ideas are provocative, yet rational. I like his idea that the supernatural part of Jesus's life are made up by the gospel authors from Hebrew scripture. I hope Spong goes into more detail about what he believes about the divinity of Jesus in one or two of his other books which I will read. In this book he mainly tells us what he does not believe. "
— Tim, 2/6/2014 -
" Well researched and well reasoned book on understanding Christ and Christianity apart from the chains of literalism. "
— Marguerite, 1/22/2014 -
" This book WAS life changing! "
— Benjamin, 1/16/2014 -
" This is an excellent book for those who are not satisfied with organized religion and how Jesus and his teachings have been distorted in the promotion of religious bureaucracy. "
— Grace, 12/21/2013 -
" Very great concept and I love Spong's ideas but SO dry. I just couldn't get through it. It was a great read late at night when I could not sleep; totally solved the problem. Sorry Bishop Spong! I still love you but just wasn't up to this book! "
— Alex, 12/12/2013 -
" Good book to read for those uncomfortable with religious dogma learned as a child and willing to entertain other possibilities. Another way to look at Christianity. "
— Carol, 10/22/2013 -
" As always Spong is both fascinating and controversial. I don;t always agree with his ideas, but some of them make a great deal of sense. "
— Vera, 8/27/2012 -
" This is a very challenging book--I read dit slowly to try to absorb and ponder his ideas. Spong strips away old "beliefs" about the Biblical message before he attempts to reconstruct the life of the historical Jesus. "
— Becci, 6/8/2012 -
" Everyone must read this book! It really has some revolutionary ideas about Jesus and Christianity. "
— Dana, 11/15/2011 -
" Probably Spongs best book. His conclusions remain unconvincing but he brings understanding and insight. "
— John, 3/11/2011 -
" I needed to read this, since it corroborated with more authority ideas I'd developed on my own for the most part. I was disappointed with the final chapter, because it did not deliver on its promise to tell us why Jesus is still worthy of worship besides being fully human... "
— Victoria, 1/8/2011 -
" Probably Spongs best book. His conclusions remain unconvincing but he brings understanding and insight. "
— John, 8/28/2010 -
" Excellent, only Bishop Spong has an IQ of 350 or something, and writes like it. The wording of Neurology textbooks is easier to digest. But he offers a ray of hope in that Jesus was all about Love, not conformity, rules or damnation. "
— K.K., 1/6/2010 -
" This is an excellent book for those who are not satisfied with organized religion and how Jesus and his teachings have been distorted in the promotion of religious bureaucracy. "
— Grace, 7/24/2009
About John Shelby Spong
John Shelby Spong was the Episcopal bishop of Newark before his retirement in 2000. As a leading spokesperson for an open, scholarly, and progressive Christianity, Bishop Spong has taught at Harvard and at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has also lectured at universities, conference centers, and churches in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.
About John Shelby Spong
Alan Sklar, a graduate of Dartmouth, has excelled in his career as a freelance voice actor. Named a Best Voice of 2009 by AudioFile magazine, his work has earned him several Earphones Awards, a Booklist Editors’ Choice Award (twice), a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and Audiobook of the Year by ForeWord magazine. He has also narrated thousands of corporate videos for clients such as NASA, Sikorsky Aircraft, IBM, Dannon, Pfizer, AT&T, and SONY.