Blog | Page 10 of 40 | Philip Yancey

The Hopes and Fears

December 2021

I’ve always had mixed feelings about Christmas. As I sifted through memories of the season while writing my memoir, Where the Light Fell, I better understood why. In my elementary school, Christmas called for a major event in the auditorium, complete with a concert by the school band and chorus. For some reason I volunteered to represent the first grade by singing a solo, rather than playing “Song of the Volga Boatmen” on the piano. I chose “O Little Town ...

Thanksgiving Derailed

November 2021

The year was 1982, one of my first trips overseas. I got a sore neck, turning this way and that to take in the sights of the five-ring circus that is India. A brightly painted elephant walking unaccompanied down the street among the roaming cows. A snake charmer with his wily mongoose and basketful of cobras. Women in colorful silk saris, no two alike, exotic as tropical birds. A monkey dressed in an embroidered jacket and fez sitting on a ...

What Makes a Church Toxic?

October 2021

When I discuss my recent memoir, Where the Light Fell, often I use the phrase toxic church to describe the extreme form of Southern fundamentalism I grew up under. I joke that I’ve been “in recovery,” a process of detoxing, ever since. “Tell me,” asked one podcast interviewer, “What makes a church toxic?” Three characteristics immediately came to mind. FEAR. Memories of church from my youth summon up feelings of fear and shame. It was hard to hear the gospel ...

Kids in Church

September 2021

My new memoir, Where the Light Fell, includes a few scenes from the childhood church I attended, near Atlanta. How does this compare to scenes from your childhood experience? My most memorable Sunday evening service takes place when Dr. M. R. DeHaan, a radio star from Michigan, speaks at a weekend conference. It’s like the World Series of church. Our family arrives early for a parking place, and still we have to walk a long way. So many newcomers show ...

Through a Writer’s Eyes

August 2021

As someone who has been writing articles and books for half a century, I read the Bible differently than most people. I can’t help peeking behind the words to the human authors. I read Isaiah and marvel at his soaring prose and shining images of restored creation. I read Jeremiah and identify with the reluctant prophet’s neuroses. I read Amos and James and smile at their homespun, earthy analogies. While we do not know exactly how divine inspiration worked, it’s ...

Blog Posts

The Hopes and Fears

Thanksgiving Derailed

What Makes a Church Toxic?

Kids in Church

Through a Writer’s Eyes