COLORADO – Philip Yancey, author of What’s So Amazing About Grace?, is retiring from writing and speaking after admitting to an eight-year affair with a married woman. The Christian writer gave a statement to Christianity Today last week.
“My conduct defied everything that I believe about marriage,” Yancey shared. “It was also totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings and caused deep pain for her husband and both of our families.”
Philip Yancey’s confession comes after his diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. The 76-year-old married his wife, Janey Yancey, in 1970. During his career, he visited more than 85 countries as a speaker and published more than 25 books, which sold more than 15 million copies and were translated into 40 languages.
“Having disqualified myself from Christian ministry, I am therefore retiring from writing, speaking, and social media,” Philip Yancey told Christianity Today. “Instead, I need to spend my remaining years living up to the words I have already written.”
On his website, Philip Yancey gives the motivation behind his writing. “I write books for myself,” the retired author says.
“I’m a pilgrim, recovering from a bad church upbringing, searching for a faith that makes its followers larger and not smaller. Writing became for me a way of deconstructing and reconstructing faith. I feel overwhelming gratitude that I can make a living exploring the issues that most interest me.”
In addition to Philip giving a statement to Christianity Today regarding his infidelity, the author’s wife also spoke with the magazine. Janet Yancey vowed to remain with her husband despite his unfaithfulness in the marriage.
“I, Janet Yancey, am speaking from a place of trauma and devastation that only people who have lived through betrayal can understand,” Mrs. Yancey shared. “Yet I made a sacred and binding marriage vow 55½ years ago, and I will not break that promise,” she continued.
“I accept and understand that God through Jesus has paid for and forgiven the sins of the world, including Philip’s. God grant me the grace to forgive also, despite my unfathomable trauma. Please pray for us.”