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The trouble with Christianity was that by about 150, there…

“The trouble with Christianity was that by about 150, there were hardly any Jews left in the Christian church, and so from that time until the last part of the twentieth century, the only people reading the gospels and interpreting the gospels and writing commentaries on the gospels were gentiles…” quote by John Shelby Spong
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“The trouble with Christianity was that by about 150, there were hardly any Jews left in the Christian church, and so from that time until the last part of the twentieth century, the only people reading the gospels and interpreting the gospels and writing commentaries on the gospels were gentiles who were simply ignorant of the Jewish background, and I just thought they were prejudiced.”

John Shelby Spong

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Christian interpretation ignored Jewish roots, leading to prejudice and misreading of the Gospels.

In simple terms: Neglecting Jewish context caused bias.

Key Takeaway

Study original cultural background.

Themes

historical context interpretation prejudice

Mood

critical inquisitive

Type

academic theological

When to use this quote

  • seminary studies
  • interfaith education
  • biblical scholarship

Key Concepts

theology history

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does cultural context shape belief?
  • What can be done to correct misconceptions?
A Different Perspective

Some may view this as undermining tradition.

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