Controversial bishop under going rehabilitation at a New Jersey nursing home
The former Bishop of Newark, the Rt. Rev. John Shelby Spong has been released from a Michigan hospital following a stroke he suffered on 10 Sept 2016 and has entered a nursing home in New Jersey. On 17 Sept 2016 the bishop’s family posted a note on his Facebook account reporting: “At this time Jack and his wife Christine are back in New Jersey and Jack is at a rehab facility. He continues to make a good recovery. At a minimum, the expectation is for almost 90% physical and 95%+ cognitive recovery. We are grateful for all the positive energy you have sent and for holding him in your hearts. It was very heartwarming to Jack, Christine and all of us here to see the outpouring of love and your kind messages and posts. We will continue to post on this page on his behalf and we'll update you when he is back to his regular writing schedule.” Long a controversial figure, Bishop “Jack” Spong served as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark from 1979 to 2000, and is the author of a number of popular religious themed books propounding a progressive view on Christianity that rejected many of the creeds and teachings of the faith, including, including the virgin birth, physical resurrection, original sin, the atonement, the reliability of Scripture, the ascension, the efficacy of prayer, and the incarnation.
