Pray for Him
Readers who know Philip Gulley as the folksy author of the Harmony novels and “Back Home Again” in IM may want to brace themselves.
By Judith Cebula
Readers who know Philip Gulley as the folksy author of the Harmony novels and “
Back Home Again” in IM may want to brace themselves: The Quaker pastor from Danville has a controversial side. This month, his latest assessment of Christianity, If the Church Were Christian (HarperOne), hits shelves. And it treads even further into “blasphemous” territory than his previous theological works.
Having authored two collaborative books with fellow pastor Jim Mulholland, Gulley goes it alone this time. He calls Christians to reexamine just about everything about the church’s traditions. He blends insights from the Bible with stories of his own experiences growing up Catholic. It’s as if he’s fusing the best of his theological work with his down-to-earth fiction.
And while the title of Gulley’s new work is provocative enough, the chapters read like a call for new commandments. Ten in all, each begins by declaring a new way of living the teachings of Jesus: “If the Church Were Christian … Reconciliation Would Be Valued Over Judgment.”
None of it seems likely to please the local Quaker leadership that has sought to rescind his ordination since 2003. But knowing Gulley, he’ll find a way to turn the controversy into a great story.
