Born of a Woman
A Bishop Rethinks the Virgin Birth and the Treatment of Women by a Male-Dominated Church
by John Shelby Spong

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A fascinating exploration that reveals the role of the church and Scripture in the oppression of women. Bishop Spong exposes and expunges the negativity toward women created by the literal Bible in general and the literalized birth narrative in particular. He challenges the doctrine of the virgin birth, tracing its development in the early Christian church and revealing its legacy in our contemporary attitudes toward women and female sexuality.

Book Reviews

	"How a one-sided portrayal of the Mother of God has been too often used to keep real women under wraps."
	-Clarissa Pinkola Estés author of Women Who Run With the Wolves
	"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
	"A marvelous combination of scholarly, speculative, and imaginative reflection written in language accessible to the theologically unsophisticated. Highly recommended."
	-Library Journal