Phil Yancey has written a shelf of books on spiritual topics. There’s no doubt he’s been successful, reportedly selling 15 million copies to a primarily evangelical audience.
In 1998 I heard Yancey speak at a Festival of Faith & Writing at Calvin College (now University). I appreciated his straightforward way of approaching theology.
In the years that followed, I noticed a broadening in his orientation toward scripture. While he began his career firmly in the evangelical camp, as that camp drifted right toward Christian Nationalism, his writing drifted left, toward a more progressive worldview. I appreciate writers who can allow their thinking to mature on the page.
Yancey and his wife, Janet, were also personal friends of my brother and his wife since they attended the same church.
Due to all these reasons, I purchased a number of Yancey’s books and sometimes quoted from them in sermons. In particular, I know I referenced “The Jesus I Never Knew” and “What’s So Amazing About Grace.”
Phil Yancey admits to “affair”
The news of Yancey’s fall from that amazing grace broke on January 6 at Christianity Today. In a written confession he admitted to having a long-term “affair” and announced his ensuing retirement from writing, speaking and social media. If you hit a paywall at CT, here’s a similar article from Religion News Service.
Yancey refers to his eight-year relationship with a married woman as an “affair.” But does that capture the situation?
I believe that, in this case, a more appropriate term is spiritual abuse and, possibly, sexual abuse. As I discuss in my most recent book, The #MeToo Reckoning, when a person is a spiritual leader or teacher, they have an elevated status. This power differential means that any sexual relationship cannot be an equal one of peer to peer. Rather it is that of teacher to student, or pastor to parishioner. Issues of consent become very murky when power is unequal, as I discuss in Chapter 5, “Purity Culture and Rape Culture.” That chapter is informed by the story of David and Bathsheba in Second Samuel.
There’s no doubt that his wife of 55 years, Janet Yancey, is also a victim.
The Timing is Convenient
There are other aspects to Yancey’s revelation that I find deeply troubling. The timing of his “confession” seems all too convenient. Yancey is 76 and has Parkinson’s disease, which has limited his activities. He has already cut back on speaking events. This revelation will cost him very little in terms of immediate effects.
Yes, his legacy will be tarnished. But how badly, and for how long, remains to be seen. The evangelical world is all too forgiving of abusers.
The Dilemma of a Good Wife
Most aggrievedly, due to this carefully worded “confession,” his wronged wife will most likely feel that she must serve as his nursemaid.
Yancey’s confession included a statement by his wife saying that she intends to extend to her husband the amazing grace of which he wrote.
Janet Yancey writes: “God grant me the grace to forgive also, despite my unfathomable trauma. Please pray for us.”
I will indeed pray for them. I feel compassion for her as I do for all victims, and ancillary victims. I also hope that she will give herself permission to step back long enough to get clarity on her situation. She has more options than she might realize.
What Do Victims Owe an Abuser?
What does a victim owe an abuser? In my opinion, the answer is: Nothing.
That’s true, even when the victim is the longtime wife of a beloved husband. Actions have consequences. All parties, whether victims or victimizers, have a God-given right to operate from their own sense of agency and morality. This is essential to the human condition. Victims should never feel forced to fill some pre-appointed role, especially that of a “good Christian woman.” (I use quotes because we all know this stereotype.)
Bill Hybels. Ravi Zacharias. Mark Driscoll. In my opinion, Phil Yancey is not in a different category than the other predatory preachers and teachers who have been exposed as sexual abusers. His story is simply another chapter in the same book. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of reading this book.
Leave a Reply