Into the Whirlwind The Future of the Church by John Shelby Spong

In this book, John Shelby Spong invites the church to renew its thought in response to the rigors of the post-modern era.  Bishop Spong argues that it is only by holding up every doctrine, every belief, every practice to the light of rational inquiry that we can determine which ones have withstood the testing of our times.

This provocative, radical, and liberating book was not written as the final answer to the dilemmas which face the church today.  Rather, it is Bishop Spong’s intention to raise questions, to open debate on a number of subjects, to bring the difficult issues into the arena of public debate, both within the church and outside it.  For if these issues are not faced, those outside the church will quickly conclude that it is irrelevant to their needs and concerns, and they will continue to turn away from it.