A pilgrim’s progress for the 21st century

03 September 2008

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Mary Wakefield talks to the author William P. Young, whose self-published religious novel has astounded the publishing world and sold nearly two million copies

But then for all his homey American life, William P. Young is not a normal man. ‘I’m a missionary kid,’ he says. ‘I grew up in the highlands of New Guinea among a tribe called the Dani. Christians and cannibals — that combination can really mess you up!’ Did it mess you up? ‘Well, my father was a drinker and a pretty big disciplinarian. And uh, so I was trying to survive.’ He’s also spoken of sexual abuse at the hands of his father’s parishioners.

But you didn’t rebel against your father, I mean, you followed in his footsteps and went to Bible college, I say. ‘I went to Bible school to hide the fact that I didn’t really trust God,’ says Young. ‘Then as I got older I began to realise what lies are told by the Church. Like you know, that God is mad with you or that religion is about obeying rules.’

Here’s another possible explanation for the success of The Shack: Young’s hostility towards organised religion. At a time when the Anglican Church is in-fighting and all manner of different denominations are at each other’s throats, a story which claims church is irrelevant is bound to appeal. ‘You know what, I really believe that religion and relationship with God are opposed,’ says Young. ‘I don’t care what kind of religion it is. If you’ve got a whole series of behavioural laws to follow, then I mean, it’s not right. That’s not God. Good luck. Give it your best shot and tell me how it works for you, but I don’t think that’s the Truth. God is about relationships.’

Which doesn’t mean that all religions are as good as each other for Paul Young. What the hero Mack discusses in the shack with fat black Papa and the gang is quite intricate Christian theology. ‘We are not three gods, and not one god with three attitudes, like a man who is a husband, father and worker,’ says Papa, explaining the Trinity. ‘I am one God, and I am three persons... If I were simply one God and only one person, then you would find yourself in this Creation without love and relationship. All love and relationship is possible for you only because it already exists within Me.’

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EUSSR GO HOME

September 5th, 2008 5:26am Report this comment

"That’s great, but we’re a secular nation, I say, trying to prepare him for disappointment."

I really wish you euro atheists would stop telling everybody that Britain is a secular nation. If that is true, it hasn't been true for very long. And people who don't believe in 'Secular' think it's something horribly shameful.

Furthermore, those of us who grew up in the nicer, better, more beautiful, dearly loved Christian nation are not all dead yet. You may keep on shunting us all into infected NHS wards, but the younger among us are wise to you.

Anyway, guess what - you still have a lot of Christians among you. And we keep praying for you, not least because one of these days you're going to wake up and realize that little base-metal god 'Secular' is full of emptiness!

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