To the admiration of some and the consternation of others, Bishop Spong has supported racial diversity, access to birth control, and the morality of physician-assisted suicide under certain circumstances. He has campaigned for justice for all, including women, gays and lesbians. These efforts have deeply troubled may traditionalists. This book, written by nine of today's preeminent scholars and theologians, does not deliberate Bishop Spong's theological or social positions. Rather, it commemorates an often overlooked but powerful feature of his episcopacy: the desire to investigate and scrutinize the religious status quo, with the aim of keeping the minds of the church - clerical and lay - open to seeking new ways to carry forward Christian beliefs and affairs in modes that will protect the interests of civilized society, stimulate human prosperity and healthy growth, and advance creative fulfillment of individuals. This work honors Bishop Spong's conscience and commitment concerning the destiny of the Christian Church. He has urged open debate and called the faithful to be true to the spirit of the scriptures and to seek ways toward greater interrelatedness among society's members.
