In a fascinating exploration of the biblical stories about the birth of Jesus, bestselling author Bishop John Shelby Spong shows how a literal interpretation of the Bible has led to an atmosphere of sexism and negativity towards women in Christian culture. In its place, Spong favors a more creative, or midrashish approach to scripture.

In Born of a Woman, Spong challenges the doctrine of the virgin birth, tracing its development from early accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, to its status as the prevailing belief in the early Christian church. Finally, he reveals its legacy in our contemporary attitudes toward women and female sexuality.

John Shelby Spong was the Episcopal Bishop of Newark before his retirement in 2000. As a leading spokesperson for an open, scholarly and progressive Christianity, Bishop Spong has taught at Harvard and at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has also lectured at universities, conference centers and churches in North America, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. His books include A New Christianity for a New World, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Resurrection: Myth or Reality?, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and his autobiography, Here I Stand.

“These are fascinating speculations, informed by first-rate scholarship and inspired by religious faith . . . Spong restores a flesh-and-blood humanity to the mother of Jesus . . . and beautifully reincarnates her as a feminine aspect of God.”

- Ron Hansen, author of Mariette in Ecstasy