Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism I hold the Bible before my readers seeking boldly to free it from the clutches of a mindless literalism and, at the same time, presenting it as a dramatic and exciting document whose relevance for our day is both mighty and real." -- JOHN SHELBY SPONG Throughout his career as an Episcopal priest and bishop, John Shelby Spong has been surrounded by controversy as he has labored on the leading edge of movements to bring blacks, women and homosexuals into the full life of his church." -- The New York Times (Spong is]striving to revive the imaginative possibilities of ancient Scripture for the women and men of today." -- Mirabella [Spong] wants to bring [the Bible] into the twentieth century by focusing on it~ eternal truths rather than the historical, philosophical, and scientific aberrations that have caused some to discount it entirely... Spong offers interesting, wellthought-out ideas that should do what he intends -- get people thinking about the Bible." -- Booklist In this provocative best-seller, the outspoken and controversial Bishop John Shelby Spong reveals how literal interpretations of Scripture have been used to -- justify slavery -- ban textbooks -- deny the rights of gays and lesbians -- subordinate women and -- justify war and revenge. Spong combines current biblical scholarship, modern science, and, most of all, his deep love and respect for Scripture, to lift the Bible out of the prejudices and cultural biases of bygone eras. Eloquent, forthright, and compassionate, Spong liberates the Bible's message of hope for all people. JOHN SHELBY SPONG is the Episcopal bishop of Newark and is also the author of Living in Sin?, This Hebrew Lord, Beyond Moralism, and other books.