Why I Chose to Uninvite Bishop Spong
Dave Moore on Dialogue with Heretics
For just over three years it has been my great privilege to host a weekly radio program, “Moore About Faith.” The program addresses the interface of theology and culture. In other words, I talk about almost anything. Most of the time, I interview a guest, usually on a recent book he’s written.
The remainder of the program finds me interacting with listeners over some critical issue of the day. As Thoreau quipped years ago, it does at times seem to mean talking about the whooping cough of the Princess Adelaide. The “Darva Conger” stories are all too common in our prurient and media-soaked culture.
In any case, I love doing interviews. As a young kid, I studied people like David Frost and Bill Moyers. I was hooked. Now I’m doing it myself. If only I could make it a real job, but that’s too big a digression. It has been a delight to interview Christian scholars like Martin Marty, Os Guinness, William F. Buckley, Paul Vitz, Carl F. H. Henry, Mark Noll, Jean Bethke Elshtain, and Touchstone’s own Patrick Henry Reardon. I also interview some people who have no particular sympathies for the Christian faith.
Being the host of a radio program has certain rewards, not the least of which is free books. I’m at 231 and counting. I order books from all kinds of publishing houses—Christian and secular, popular and academic. I visit Barnes and Noble and Borders regularly, as well as the Christian bookstores in town, to discover what’s hot off the press.
Recently, while perusing the shelves at Barnes and Noble, my eyes landed upon Why Christianity Must Change or Die. The author, John Shelby Spong, is the controversial retired Episcopal bishop of Newark, New Jersey. He believes that traditional Christianity is no longer viable in our postmodern world and must be radically altered, or else it will die.
This is a very interesting thesis, considering that several studies clearly show that conservative varieties of Christianity—and of other religions, for that matter—are growing while liberal Christianity is failing. We see this decline in the coming together of some Christian denominations in order to maintain their numbers.
Spong has abandoned all the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith yet still seems to want to wear the name Christian. My familiarity with his antics did not lessen my outrage. As I thumbed my way through his book, I confess that my anger almost caused me to punch the display of books off the table.
When later I shared this visceral reaction to the book with my two sons (aged 8 and 5), one of them said that we needed to pray for Spong, which we commenced to do. My other son remarked that I needed to learn how to control my frustration better because he did not want me to get arrested. Now that would be quite a headline—“Minister Arrested for Punching Heretic’s Book.” Since I give Barnes and Noble quite a bit of business, they would probably post bail for me.
Back at my office, I couldn’t get Spong off my mind. As I sat there the thought came to me that I should set up an interview with him. I called him, and to my surprise, he said yes. Then my anxiety kicked in. Had I done the right thing? I decided to talk it over with several friends.
Most said it was a good idea as long as I did not lose my cool. So if I stayed calm, the interview would be worthwhile. It seemed to be good advice. You learn in debate to stay calm. If your opponent starts to lose his cool, let him. You can use it to your advantage. He’ll be perceived as defensive and unprepared; you’ll look confident and astute.
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