Affirmations Of A Dissenter

by Joseph Sprague

Like many churchgoers, C. Joseph Sprague finds himself in a he loves the church but often finds himself at odds with its principles and/or practices. What makes his situation unique is that in addition to his role as worshiper, he is a bishop who is charged with the responsibility of leadership. In Affirmations of a Dissenter , Sprague gives readers a composite of affirmation and dissent, of faith and protest. He writes about his trust in and commitment to God's hospitable, unconditional love for all humankind as well as about his discomfort with discernible public trends in religious institutions, particularly United Methodism. The brief chapters of this book cover a variety of biblical literalism; the power of biblical witness; biblical authority as related to homosexuality, divorce, violence, and women; the nature and person of Jesus; hope in the church; leadership; and racism. "When Joe Sprague ponders the Scripture looking at them through the ministry of our Lord, he grabs your attention. Your mind will race; your heart will beat faster as he walks with Jesus into areas of poverty, injustice, war, and human sexuality. You may not always agree, but you will be brought up short by his openness, his integrity, and his sacrificial commitments. He'll make you a braver, more radical Christian."-- Richard B. Wilke Bishop in Residence Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas "A candid and clarion call for United Methodism to embrace its theological, biblical, and ethical roots without being ensnared by fearful right-wing 'neoliteralists' or cynical left-wing 'progressives.' Bishop Sprague challenges the church to a future vision of hope, emphasizing the Gospel's mandate of inclusiveness, justice, and nonviolence. A refreshing and stimulating presentation of basically orthodox Christian beliefs, this book is 'must reading' for every Christian yearning for a renewed and relevant church in the 21st century." -- Donald E. Messer Warren Professor of Practical Theology and President Emeritus The Iliff School of Theology "United Methodist Bishop Joseph Sprague's book Affirmations of a Dissenter is the bravest statement I've ever read by a UMC bishop on the topics he's writing about. It says some things that urgently need saying in the church." Barbara Wendland in Connections April 2003

Genres: Theology

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2002

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, but bold and powerful book by a church leader who often finds himself at odds with the more neoliteralists of the United Methodist Church. This book of faith and protest tackles subjects such as the war on terror, capital punishment, gays and lesbians in the church, biblical authority and more. It's true that Bishop Sprague may tackle too many issues in the space of a few pages, and it is true that he does not often show the path he took to his conclusions, but it is still a powerful call to unity, compassion, and courage. In the end, this may be more a book about Sprague than about the church, but if that is the case, it is also a book that empowers those of us fearful of the exclusiveness of so many in the church, and saddened by the neo-literalists who wish to take away the mystery of God.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was written by a former Bishop (Northern Illinois) of the United Methodist Church. He has been quite controversial as he has been arrested for standing up for homosexuals in the church and being outspoken on many other issues. If you have any interest in Progressive Christianity this is definitely worth the time. He has some very interesting views about many things in the Christian church. I admire him and his writing.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bishop Sprague wrote this book to discuss some of the most divisive issues in the United Methodist Church today. He openly and honestly discusses his differences with the church and with different interpretations of scripture. I was very glad to see someone in a position of authority willing to speak out on issues like homosexuality, women's issues, divorce, and a raft of other difficult topics.

[Stephen Rankin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Based on a series of lectures Bishop Sprague delivered at Iliff School of Theology, several of the book's central claims are poorly argued and play on straw man [sic] fallacies regarding traditional beliefs about, for example, the resurrection of Jesus (he calls it "resuscitation").

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a clear-thinking "evangelical liberal"! Great theology!

[Drew]

Everything you need to know about this book:

Sprague takes barely ten pages to conclude that classic Christology (reflected in, for instance, the Nicene and Athanasian creeds - that Jesus is fully human and fully divine) is a "neoliteralist" idolatry, while taking nearly thirty pages to wax poetically on 9/11 and Afghanistan. He denies the resurrection and the divinity of Jesus while, barely pages apart, having the audacity to talk about the meaning of the risen Christ, the empty tomb (which he doesn't. Relieve in!) and the power of the sacraments.

What a ghastly excuse for theological reflection. He represents everything wrong with hackneyed 19th century theology recycled in the 20th.

The sad thing is, his theology is not exceptional, it is in many parts of the mainline normative.

God help us.