God Beyond Theism? Bishop Spong, Paul Tillich and the Unicorn Gregory W. Dawes Prepublication version; final version published in Pacifica 15:1 (Feb. 2002): 65–71.
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Abstract John Shelby Spong has recently advocated belief in a ‘God beyond theism’. While rejecting traditional theism, he also distinguishes his position from atheism. He suggests that there is a divine reality, which may be described as ‘being itself’ and which reveals itself in our commitment to unconditional ideals. The paper argues that this notion of God is vacuous, the product of a confused belief that ‘being’ is a characteristic of individual beings which may be universalized. Belief in such a God is also unmotivated, since there exist naturalistic explanations of the phenomena to which the Bishop appeals.
John Shelby Spong, retired Episcopal Bishop of Newark, is a prolific writer. His seventeen books – ranging from Honest Prayer (1973) to his most recent Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love, and Equality (2001) – along with his numerous articles and public appearances have won him a wide following. Interestingly, that following extends well beyond the bounds of the established churches: it includes many whose affiliation with any form of traditional religion is minimal or non-existent. His recent visit to New Zealand attracted audiences far in excess of that which one would normally expect for a theological discussion, while he also received considerable attention in the electronic and print media.