InterviewBlog | In Conversation with Philip Yancey
In Conversation with Philip Yancey
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 03.12.14
Philip Yancey's father died of polio when Philip was one year old. His church had convinced him to come off life support in faith that he would be healed. This is only one of the reasons Yancey speaks about being in recovery from a form of Christianity that almost killed his belief in a good God. His Southern American childhood was spent as part of a ‘toxic’ church: racist, judgemental and joyless. Since a cautious rediscovery of beauty and goodness led him to get to know God for the first time, his life has been about communicating grace to anyone who will listen. And apparently there are quite a few of us, if his book sales are anything to go by. He lives with his wife Janet, a social worker and hospice chaplain, in Colorado, and writes for a living. In an age of nauseating self-promotion, Yancey is refreshingly publicity shy. I was delighted to have the rare opportunity to put some questions to him on behalf of Preach magazine.
JS Do you think the sermon is still a valid way to communicate the gospel? Why or why not?
The sermon is certainly valid, but it has limited range.
