Freeman read chemistry and then theology at Oxford University and was ordained in 1972. "When God In Us" was first published in 1993 he was dismissed from his parish for contravening church teaching, but he remains a priest in the Church of England.

John Shelby Spong served the Episcopal Church as a priest and bishop for forty-five years. As a visiting lecturer at Harvard and at universities and churches throughout North America and the English-speaking world, he is one of the leading spokespersons for an open and engaged Christianity. He has initiated landmark controversial discussions within the church and is an outspoken advocate for change. His twenty-plus books, including "The Sins of Scripture", "A New Christianity for a New World", and his autobiography "Here I Stand" have sold over one million copies and have been translated into most of the major languages of the world. He also writes a weekly column for WaterFrontMedia. He lives with his wife, Christine, in Morris Plains, New Jersey.