Moving Toward the Core of Faith An Interview with Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey, one of the best-selling Philip Yancey: I usually interview about something I read the night be- and best-loved Christian authors of people and get to ask the questions, fore, or a trip I just returned from, or so I don't know if I like this idea of our time, has explored the deep somebody I met. I liked that. being interviewed. But we'll see how But I have devoted more of my questions about faith for years. Yancey Sharon does. time in recent years to travel. We take is the author of many books including about four international trips a year, The Jesus I Never Knew, Meet the Radix: You’ve been a columnist in and they do eat into my schedule. Christianity Today for many years Bible, Reaching for the Invisible Many times I'd come back thinking, and, for some of us, our favorite part “Oh, no, this column is due tomor- God, Rumors of Another World, of C.T. was hearing what you had to row,” and it became almost an irri- What’s So Amazing About Grace? say on that back page of the maga- tation: “Now what am I going to and Prayer: Does It Make Any zine. Now you've recently an- write about?” nounced that you've written your fi- Difference? and currently has sold Anytime something seems like a nal column, which can't have been chore rather than a privilege, it more than 14 million books an easy decision. should be reevaluated. It was hard worldwide. He also writes frequently to let go, but I felt it was time. for Christianity Today where he is an Yancey: Yes, I started it 26 years ago, and I've written about 200 of those editor at large. We were honored that Radix: Your voice will be missed. I columns. A book usually takes a want to talk a little about your be- he joined us for the anniversary year-and-a-half or so of solid work, ginnings. In the first year of your life, celebration where I conducted this at least for me, and all that time I'm your family was struck with tragedy. onstage interview. in a rut. The Christianity Today col- Your father was a polio victim who umn was about the only spontane- died after being taken off life support ous thing in my life, because I usu- in faith that God would heal him, —Sharon Gallagher ally wrote it in one day. Often it was and that was at the instigation of

Radix 1 church elders. That early life-chang- ing incident might have embittered I learned about the Creator by studying the shafts of some people and put them off faith entirely. But you've not only re- glory that fill this world. I realized, God isn't a cosmic mained a person of faith, you've en- couraged many of us in our faith. super-cop out to get me; God is a God of whimsy and You're 's favorite writer; you've even encouraged Billy Gra- ham! But even as a child, it must have humor and compassion and grace. bothered you that those church el- ders were so wrong. How did you maintain your faith in those circum- stances?

Yancey: Several times in talking with then, of course, you start question- Paul Brand, whom I call “servants.” my publisher I've raised the possi- ing everything: “Maybe they're They usually don't have a light shin- bility of writing a book called Lies My wrong about Jesus; maybe they're ing on them; they don't get a lot of Church Told Me, but they’ve said, wrong about all these other things.” attention. But I have been privileged “No, we're not quite ready for that, Why did I hang on? I’ve often re- to meet many of them in different Philip.” flected on that question. There were parts of the world, people who work My church was wrong, pro- just two of us, my brother and I, and in garbage communities in Guate- foundly wrong, about some very se- my brother strayed and is still far mala and the Philippines, or who rious things, and that was certainly from God—as he would say himself. spend 40 years translating the Bible one of them. My father was going to I was blessed by coming in con- to a tribe in Ecuador where only 400 be a missionary. He was 24 years old, tact with people who demonstrated people speak that language—those had two young sons. My brother was the kind of person I wanted to be. Dr. kinds of people. three, I was one when my Dad got Paul Brand was one of those people; When I looked at the “stars,” my polio. He was in an iron lung, be- some of my first books were with him. first instinct was to think, “Oh, cause he couldn't breathe on his own. I almost have this vision of God look- wouldn't I love to be one of those My parents already had a base of ing down—of course, metaphori- people.” But when I got to know Christians who were going to sup- cally—saying, “Okay, Philip, you've them, I didn't really want to be like port them in prayer and financially seen the worst that the church has to them. Some of them became stars as missionaries. Those Christians offer; I'm going to show you the best.” because they didn't really like them- felt, “Well, it couldn't possibly be Dr. Brand was one of those selves very much. They weren't com- God's will for this young, dedicated, people. I spent 10 years following fortable with themselves, so they be- 24-year-old man to die.” They be- him around, getting to know him came performers. lieved that he would be healed, and and his faith. At his funeral I said, “I The other group of people, the had him removed from the iron lung. was given the charge of giving “servants,” who didn't get attention, And then he died. words to his faith, and in the pro- worked in incredibly difficult envi- I have lived my whole life under cess he gave faith to my words.” For ronments. the impact of that on my mother, who 10 years I was able to write about a Dr. Brand spent his life in India was left with a tough set of circum- person I truly believed in and could among leprosy patients, most of stances to deal with—no training, write with total confidence what he them in the untouchable caste. No- not much education, in poverty. As I believed, even though I wasn't sure body wants to live next to a leprosa- later looked at it, I thought, “Well, myself. In the process of doing that, rium, so they gave him a gravel pit they were wrong theologically. They my faith grew. in the middle of a desert. The aver- felt they knew God's will, and they I was a journalist, and in the early age temperature in the summer there were wrong. They didn't know days, I was editor of Campus Life was about 120 degrees. No air con- God's will. Theology matters, ideas magazine. We would interview two ditioning. But again and again, when matter.” types of people: some whom I call I would get to know these servants, I My church was wrong about other “stars,” and they would be the fa- would say, “Those are the people I things, too. I've written openly about mous people: professional athletes, want to be like.” They have a sense the blatant racism that was taught politicians, movie stars, people we of gratitude for life, a sense of com- from the pulpit. They were wrong put on the covers of our magazine. passion and love. about science. Over the years, I’ve interviewed some I came to see the truth of Jesus' When you realize you've been de- really famous people. Then there's most commonly repeated statement; ceived about something important, another group of people, like Dr. in the Gospels He said—I'm para-

Radix 2 phrasing here—“You don't gain Christian stuff?” As a writer I've your life by acquiring more and got about 10 seconds to get him more; you gain your life by giving reading, and then I have to keep it away.” him reading the rest of the article. I also found that the church I I learned early on that the writer grew up in had lied to me about is not in charge. The reader is in God. My image of God from child- charge, because the reader can hood was of this scowling, cos- shut you off. You can spend years mic super-cop looking for some- working on the perfect poem, ar- one who might be having a good ticle, book, or whatever—but un- time so he could squash them. less it keeps the reader’s interest, Anything we did that was half- you'll certainly never make a liv- way fun was considered sin. ing at it. I now say that God used three things to bring me back to God. It Radix: You once wrote a column wasn't a gospel tract; it wasn't the called “I Was a Teenage Funda- Bible; I knew the Bible inside and mentalist.” You went to Colum- out. Instead, the beauty of nature, bia Bible College, where you met classical music, and romantic Janet, and were once disciplined love, those three things brought because you were holding hands me back, because as I experienced when you were engaged. At what those, I realized that the church point did you realize that you had deceived me about God. culated judgments of everybody were no longer a fundamentalist? You learn about an artist by look- around me. And that makes a good ing at the art. I learned about the Cre- potential writer. If you are from a dys- Yancey: Actually, I think from high ator by studying the shafts of glory functional family, you should be- school days on, when I realized that that fill this world. I realized, God come a writer. Because then the the church had distorted and mis- isn't a cosmic super-cop out to get things that drive you crazy become represented reality to me. Funda- me; God is a God of whimsy and material. mentalism is a tight house of cards, humor and compassion and grace. When my family got together, I and if you pull one card out, they're I've been privileged to go back and used to go away thinking, “How afraid that the whole thing is going pick up the stones and scrub them could I possibly spend a weekend to collapse. So, no matter what it is— off and see what's worth saving and with these people?” And then I whether it's six-day creation, or a what's worth saying. I ended up started thinking, “I could never come theory of race, or whatever, it's all in probably not all that different theo- up with the things they're saying.” this tight, small box. logically from the church I grew up So now when I'm at a family gather- Growing up in that box, I kept see- in, but a lot different in understand- ing, I run to the bathroom, pull out a ing, “Well, that card's not true, and ing and attitude and spirit, I hope. pad of paper, and write things down. that card's not true, and that card's When I was in grad school at not true,” So I didn't buy the box. The Radix: When did you first know that Wheaton College, I needed a job. In early books I wrote have titles like you wanted to be a writer? Do you those days, there were a lot of Chris- Where Is God When It Hurts? and Dis- remember what your first published tian organizations headquartered in appointment With God. I was out there piece was? Wheaton (many of them have moved on the margins, circling warily. to Colorado since). And the only Along the way I worked on a ver- Yancey: As a boy I wanted to play place I could get a job was Campus sion of the Bible called The Student second base for the New York Yan- Life magazine, which was a maga- Bible and it was very helpful to spend kees. Or I wanted to be a fireman, you zine for young people. I wrote bro- three years doing nothing but study- know, like all boys. I didn't go chure copy; I wrote ads for record ing the Bible. Then, gradually I through life thinking, “I want to be a albums. I did whatever they wanted moved toward more of the core of writer when I grow up.” In high me to do, cleaned out closets, orga- faith: What's Amazing About Grace?, school I did work for the newspaper nized a photo file. The Jesus I Never Knew, and then, most and the yearbook, so I worked with It was a great training ground, be- recently, Prayer. words and gravitated toward En- cause often people got Campus Life If you had said 20 years ago, glish and literature classes. as a gift subscription from an aunt “Philip, one day, you're going to write I did have that introverted, who was concerned about them a book on prayer,” I wouldn't have observer's personality. I'd been spiritually. Johnny gets this maga- believed it. But I have been privileged burned, so I withdrew and made cal- zine and wonders, “What is this to write my life as it's happening, in

Radix 3 real time. And I keep thinking, “At Prayer is essentially being wide awake. It's being some point, I'm going to cross the line and be written off.” When people write me and say, “You've crossed a awake to the world: to the needs of people around line,” I respond, “I'm not radical. Jesus is radical.” me, to the needs of justice, to the big things, and the What I learned about fundamen- talists is that they can't argue with small things. the Bible. They're committed to the Bible. And if you really work hard at grounding the risky stuff in the Bible, they can reject what you say, but they're also rejecting their own Bible when they do that. So I try to go single word. I went to libraries and Radix: When you did this research where it takes me. Who is a funda- interviewed people. I had that whole for the book, what was the most sur- mentalist? Someone said, “It's an preparatory period when I was try- prising thing that you discovered evangelical who's very mad!” A lot ing to figure out, “What do I think about prayer? of it is spirit and attitude, that whole about prayer?” I usually start a book black-and-white mentality, that with a list of questions, as I did with Yancey: One of the most surprising house of cards. And I moved away that one: Why pray if God already things was how Jesus prayed. We're from that a long time ago. knows? Does it make any difference used to bowing our heads, closing whether one prays, or a thousand our eyes, and being quiet when ac- Radix: You've been writing for some pray? Why does God want us to tually that's pretty abnormal com- years now, have a lot of award-win- keep praying? All those different pared to the rest of the world. We just ning books. My question is, has the questions. Then I'll lock myself away returned from Korea, and the church way you write changed during that and say, “OK, what do I think? What where I spoke has 65,000 members. time? can I say with integrity that will help They have eight services on a Sun- me answer those questions?” day and several different campuses. Yancey: I’m grateful that the early After spending 40% of my time So in a service you have about 5,000 days of my career were in an office on preparation—including research, people at a time. When they pray, all environment, and I've stuck to that interviews, the outline—then comes 5,000 pray at once at top volume, daily schedule–I was going to say the 20%, that middle day of compo- with tears streaming down their nine to five; it's really eight to six— sition, when all the trauma happens, faces. It's an amazing sound. You that eight to six work schedule ever all the paranoia, all the horror. can hear 5,000 people sing at once since. I'm at my desk at eight o'clock, There's nothing on the paper or the in a megachurch, but to hear 5,000 and I stop a little before six o'clock. computer screen and I have to come people say different things at once When I write, I start with a pretty up with something. I pull every trick in a language that you can't under- comprehensive outline, almost as in the book: I promise myself that if I stand to begin with—well, it's a dif- long as the article or chapter itself. finish I can go skiing in the after- ferent experience. Because writing uses both parts of noon, eat ice cream, or do whatever In Jesus’ day the Jews prayed anyone’s brain, if you try to use both it takes to get through that one day. I standing up, with their eyes open, of them at once, it can be crazy. So I actually go out into the mountains, their hands outstretched, looking up create an outline thinking, “This is because I don't want to inflict my to heaven, which is very different the rational part of my brain, and this psychosis on anyone else. from the way we pray today. I'm not is where this article is going to go. And then the last 40% of time I saying one way is right or wrong; I'll start here, I'll go here, I won't go devote to cleaning up the piece. Get- you asked me what surprised me. here, and I'll end up there.” It makes ting ready to write, writing it, clean- Prayer is essentially being wide perfect sense, and I'm sure that's go- ing it up. I started as an editor, and I awake. It's being awake to the world: ing to happen. Then when I actually do spend twice as much time fixing to the needs of people around me, to sit down to write, forget the outline! what I wrote as I spent writing it. The the needs of justice, to the big things, But I couldn't do the writing with- last 40%, the editing stage, is the re- and the small things. In the Garden out it. For some reason, the outline laxing time where I can sit back and of Gethsemane, when Jesus was frees me from that fear factor, “What say, “I probably won't make it any praying, his disciples kept falling am I going to say next?” It gives me worse, but maybe I can make it a little asleep. They weren't awake to what confidence. better.” I feel good during that pro- was going on. The most momentous For the book Prayer I probably cess. But, boy, that middle time is all day in the history of the world was spent six months before I wrote a . going on, and they were falling

Radix 4 asleep. Their eyes weren't open. that were full of crusty old miners So prayer became, for me, a and whores and converted them metaphor of being awake to the and founded churches. So here world. When we close our eyes, they are, still in 2010. That’s we shut out the world. We don't American evangelicalism, light on want to know about human traf- its feet; if something doesn't work, ficking, or global warming, or the church reacts quickly. That's whatever. We just get so op- a characteristic of evangelicalism. pressed that we want to shut it America is still a creative idea out. Prayer is an intentional open- source for the world. But we have ing of our eyes, and asking God, a lot to learn from the rest of the “Open my eyes; make me wide world about taking our faith seri- awake.” It's not an easy thing. I ously; church isn’t about feeling don't want to be awake some- good and being entertained. times; I want to sleep. It's more I’m an evangelical in most comfortable to sleep, to shut my ways. I still would use that word; eyes. But as Christians we are it means “good news.” My job as called to open our eyes. a writer out of that tradition is to I pray in the morning. And I keep saying, “If it doesn't sound usually do pray with my eyes like good news, it's not the gos- open just because it's so beauti- pel.” ful, with squirrels and foxes and elk and everything running through change very slowly. In many places Radix: Several years ago you had a the yard. I live in Colorado, a little in Europe, if you go to a worship ser- very serious car accident. How did place called Evergreen (this time of vice, you might as well have gone that affect your life? year it's “ever-white”). Why would I there 500 years ago. It's exactly the shut my eyes? I want to be awake to same: the same words, the same lan- Yancey: In February of 2007 I had this world. guage, the same music. Nothing been speaking in Los Alamos, New changes. Mexico, and drove back on a remote Radix: During the years since you The United States has a free-mar- road in Colorado when I hit a patch were at Christianity Today, how ket economy and the church reflects of ice. I was in a Ford Explorer when would you say evangelicalism has that. You can trace it through the re- one of the tires went off the road and changed from when you started vival days of Charles Finney and the hit gravel, causing the vehicle to roll there or at Campus Life, and now? camp meetings in Kentucky. The tra- over five times. It stopped with its dition was that the church is free wheels on the ground, but was com- Yancey: If I didn’t travel overseas, I from that relationship with the state. pletely smashed. All of the windows would probably have a hard time That's in our constitution, and I had come out. I knew I was hurt. In being upbeat about the church and think it's a good thing. the movies, as soon as you have a upbeat about evangelicals. We have In Colorado, where I live, outside wreck like that, it bursts into flames. so much to learn from other places. of Denver there aren't many big So I thought, “I've got to get out of Sometimes I think the only reason— towns. You go to these tiny little this thing.” So I staggered out and this is bad theology—that God puts towns, they have maybe 500 people, started looking around trying to find up with the United States is because and there's First Baptist Church, First things—cell phone, skis, ice skates, we bankroll a lot of good activity in Methodist Church, First Presbyte- my computer. the world. We also pollute things in rian Church—and maybe an Epis- You could be on that road early the rest of the world. copal church. A larger town may on a Sunday morning for three hours But if you look at Christian his- have a Second Baptist Church, Sec- and not see another car, but soon tory, most of it has been slow-mov- ond Methodist Church. It’s like Coke these Mormon missionaries came by. ing and a church-state blending. So and Pepsi. You drive through those One of them happened to be the head in Europe you have the Norwegian towns and think, “This is crazy! of the ambulance corps for that state church, the Danish state church, Why don't they just get together?” county and he could tell I was hurt, the German state church, the Italian But that's America; that's what we so he made me sit down and he held , where the church do. We like options. my head. gets involved in actual politics, not The churches here have taken on I was taken to this little hospital just church politics, but actual poli- the best and the worst of America. that, amazingly, had a CAT scan ma- tics. Bishops appoint kings, and The good part is, they evangelized chine—but they didn't have a radi- kings appoint bishops, and things the West. They went to these towns ologist. So they took all the CT pic-

Radix 5 tures and had to send them by satel- Why do we care about AIDS orphans in Africa? lite to Australia, where it was Mon- day. It took an hour to transmit the images,a lot of images, and an hour Why do we care about the Christians in Darfur for the Australians to diagnose them. Then the doctor came in and said, who are being persecuted? Why do we care about “Mr. Yancey, there's no easy way to say this, but the images have come a pastor imprisoned in China? Because we want back, and you have a broken neck. The bad news is that it's right next to your carotid artery. If it has pierced to be a healthy body, and a healthy body is a body the artery, you're bleeding, and we have a jet standing by to fly you to that feels the pain of the weak. Denver. But the truth is, you prob- ably wouldn't make it to Denver. So we're going to do another CAT scan with an arterial dye right away. Then, as soon as you get out, here's a cell phone, and I want you to call the attack took place. What was that like 9/11 here with 'round-the-clock people you love and tell them good- like? news. But unlike 9/11, which hap- bye, just in case.” pened and then was over, this went In all, I spent seven hours Yancey: We had been in India for a on for more than 60 hours, with gun strapped down, unmoving. I trust couple weeks, and I had done a tour battles and wrenching stories. It was God, the God I have learned to know of five cities. In every case they put a very sobering time. is a trustworthy God, but I knew, us in a nice downtown hotel, for tour- We ended up meeting that night, “Okay, this may be it.” So I called as ists, because they didn't want us to not in the downtown area—that many people as I could, before the get sick. Our last stop was in was impossible; it was all blocked battery ran down. As it happened, Mumbai. And they said, “There's a off—but we had a spontaneous the artery had not been pierced and I doctor we really want you to get to meeting at the church in the suburb didn’t die. I spent 12 weeks in a neck know. He does amazing work where the doctor lived, much as brace, and in physical therapy. among AIDS patients. He's got a had happened at my own church How did it change me? It made beautiful hospital; half of the people on 9/11. At our church, people just me more careful about making have to be non-paying, poor, and the came spontaneously. People said choices—what to write, where to go, richer people subsidize them. But it's “Where do we go?” Well, they came what speaking engagements to ac- outside of Bombay, Mumbai. Would to church. Hundreds of us came and cept, things like that. It was a benefi- you mind spending just one night met together, and prayed together, cial thing for my marriage. I knew with the doctor, and then we'll put and cried together. what was most important. I became you in a hotel?” I said, “Oh, sure, That night in India, I spoke to a calmer person, a little less rattled. that's fine.” So we did, and had a them, and reflected on what it had Probably more humbled, more vul- wonderful time getting to know this been like for us as a country, when nerable. I couldn't carry my own suit- great doctor. the whole world was holding its case for a long time; I was dependent That morning I got up before light breath wondering about the future on other people. and went jogging, as I often do. When of the United States, what else was I think my voice as a writer I came back, the whole family was going to happen because of a lot of started to change a little. I was al- gathered on the steps: “Are you rumors swirling around. And I told ways the searching pilgrim afraid to okay? Are you okay?” I said, “Yeah, them that when I had been on this commit. Now I'm probably a little I just went jogging.” And they said, hospital gurney, the doctor came in, more steady in my faith. “Get in here right away, because for- and he would try different things I got another chance at life, a eigners are targeted.” I said, “What with a pin or pinching me. He kind of resurrection. I remember are you talking about?” The night would ask, “Does this hurt?” walking around just dazed—I call it before was when the terrorists had “Yes!” “Does this hurt?” “Yes!” a “daze of grace”—just walking attacked 10 different sites, including And every time I said “yes,” he around thinking, “Wow, clouds.” five or six hotels. There’s a good would say, “Oh, good,” because I “That tree, that tree is so beautiful.” chance that we would've been in one had a broken neck and some nerves of those hotels. could have been severed. What the Radix: More recently, you and Janet We were in India for another week doctor wanted to hear is “Yes, I feel were in Mumbai when the terrorist or so after that, and it was very much Continued on page 26

Radix 6 Continued from page 9 to highlight, but didn't have enough we all understand death. that,” because a healthy body is a information. Dame Cicely Saunders body that feels the pain of the weak- was one who came to mind. She was Radix: I had never heard about her est part. a social worker who noticed as she before, and I'm glad to know about I told the Indian congregation, worked with hospital patients that her work. What is your next book “All day long I've been getting e- when the staff knew a patient was with the C. S. Lewis chapter? mails from the United States. dying, they were treated differently. America feels your pain, believe me. They'd get a little coded mark on their Yancey: When we left Mumbai it American Christians know what chart. At that point, doctors was still scary, a scary time. There you're going through. We have gone wouldn't even enter the room; they’d was shooting in the New Delhi air- through something very similar.” just stick their heads in, and say, port the day we left. We were on a That's part of what the Body of Christ “How are we today, Mrs. Smith?” United flight, because they were still means; what affects you affects me. Hospitals don't know what to do flying, although KLM, British Air, Remember that great scene when with dying people; they want to and others had canceled their God chose Paul, knocked him off his make people well. So Cicely flights. donkey, and said, “Saul, Saul, why Saunders thought, “This is a terrible When the plane took off, we just do you persecute me?” And he said, thing.” In those days, in Britain and kind of breathed, “We made it, we “You? I haven't done anything to in a lot of the U.S., they wouldn't even survived, we got out of there,” and I you. It's these scumbag Christians tell you that you were dying. She started thinking, “I've had some in- down here I've been persecuting.” thought, “This is wrong; this is the teresting scrapes here and there.” I Then Paul heard, “What you do to last moment of your life. Shouldn't started making a list. them, you do to me. They are my you have a chance to prepare for it?” For example, I was called to Vir- Body.” So she came up with a plan called ginia Tech the week after that trag- That’s the message of the church “Care for the Dying” and submitted edy. People said, “You wrote a book, universal, the global church. Why do it to the hospital. They said, “Well, Where is God When It Hurts? and that's we care about AIDS orphans in Af- who are you? You're a social worker. what people are asking here. Could rica? Why do we care about the You don't know anything about pa- you come and speak on that topic?” Christians in Darfur who are being tients. We listen to doctors. You I was still in the neck brace, not long persecuted? Why do we care about a should become a doctor.” after my own accident. I said, “I don't pastor imprisoned in China? Be- In her 40s, she went to medical know if I can get permission to fly, cause we want to be a healthy body, school and became a doctor. Then but I'll try,” and so I did. and a healthy body is a body that she formed the very first modern hos- Another time a guy called me and feels the pain of the weak. pice, St. Christopher's in said, “Could you come speak at a London. And when I interviewed her camp next month? We have a hun- Radix: That’s a great analogy. You 25 years ago, there were at least 2,000 dred prostitutes we want you to have a book called Soul Survivors: associated with her model. speak to.” That got my attention: a How 13 Unlikely Mentors Helped My She had become a Christian at a Billy hundred prostitutes. He said, Faith Survive the Church, and you talk Graham rally, and truly believed that “We're having a conference for min- about all of these interesting people. it was her calling, her mission in life, istries working with women in pros- You wrote the book about six years to get people ready to die. Isn't that a titution. These are actually ex-pros- ago, and I'm wondering, if you wrote human right? She changed the way titutes, and they're coming from 40 the book now, and it was about How countries. We want you to talk to 14 Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith them about grace.” I said, “Well, I Survive the Church, is there anybody should probably talk to my wife you'd add? about going to a conference with a hundred prostitutes.” Finally, I Yancey: Yes. A number of people agreed, “I will come and speak to have asked me, “What about C. S. them, if you give me an afternoon Lewis? Shouldn't he be in there?” where I can interview them about Well, of course, he should be in there. their lives.” But there are a lot of books about C. On the plane ride back from S. Lewis. You know, we don't really Mumbai I came up with a list of 10 need more comments on C. S. Lewis. scenarios in which I was invited to (Although I must admit, the book I speak and there was a story going just turned in will include a whole on behind the story. I've never seen a chapter about C. S. Lewis.) book quite like this. It's a book of 20 There were other people I wanted chapters, where the first chapter tells

Radix 7 the story-behind-the-story, and then the next chapter is about what I said Where Faith Meets Culture: to those people. That's the book, which will be called What Good Is God? In Search of The Radix Magazine Anthology a Faith That Matters. In it, I describe an image I'd used in an earlier book, the tabletop test. In Silicon Valley, they actually have something called the “tabletop test.” Where Faith Meets Culture is a You can have the greatest netbook computer ever made—the new Radix magazine anthology. Radix sleekest-looking, with the most memory, and fanciest, brightest assumes that Christians live in the real screen, but the question is, will it world and takes lay Christians seriously. pass the tabletop test? Because somebody's going to be giving a pre- The articles in this anthology reflect sentation in their boardroom, and say, “Whoops!” and then it falls on the magazine's wide-ranging interests: the ground and crashes. If it doesn't literature, art, music, theology, pass the tabletop test, if it doesn't still work, it's not going to make it. Be- psychology, technology, discipleship, cause this is not a drawing-board world; it's the real world. and spiritual formation. They’re written The places I describe in this book by some of the outstanding authors whose work has graced our pages became the tabletop test of my faith. It's one thing for me to sit in my so- over the years: larium in Colorado with a view of snow-capped mountains and write about how good the world is as elk Peggy Alter, Kurt Armstrong, Robert Bellah, Bob Buford, Krista Faries, saunter through the yard. But what about when you’ve lost your child? David and Susan Fetcho, Sharon Gallagher, David Gill, Joel B. Green, What about when somebody comes into your classroom and shoots 32 Os Guinness, Virginia Hearn, Walter Hearn, Don Heinz, Margaret students? What about those situa- McBride Horwitz, Mark Labberton, Henri Nouwen, Earl Palmer, tions? As you know, Christopher Susan Phillips, Dan Ouellette, Steve Scott, and Luci Shaw. Hitchens and Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris go around saying, “God is not good; the church is the source of most evil in the world,” that kind of stuff. Some very capable people re- spond by taking on their arguments Subscribe, order book one by one and showing how they are flawed. ______But I'm a journalist. I'm not a phi- Name Address losopher, I'm not a logician, so I want ______to go out and see, what difference City State/Zip does our faith make in the world? Does this Christian faith we read ❒ $15 for 4 issues, 1 year ($20 foreign), ❒ $22 for Radix Anthology about, preach about, and come to- ($24 foreign) gether to worship about—does it pass the tabletop test in the world? Make check payable to: RADIX magazine, P.O. Box 4307, Berkeley, CA 94704 Radix: It sounds like a great book. Please don’t send foreign checks or currency We'll look forward to it. www.radixmagazine.com.

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