Who Is Philip Yancey? Christian Author Retires After Admitting To Long-Term Extramarital Affair

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Philip Yancey, one of the world's most widely read contemporary Christian authors, has announced his retirement from writing, speaking and public ministry after confessing to a long-term extramarital affair.

In a statement emailed to Christianity Today on January 6, 2026, Yancey acknowledged that he had engaged in a sinful relationship with a married woman for eight years, saying the conduct had“disqualified” him from Christian ministry.

“To my great shame, I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married woman,” Yancey said, according to the publication. He described his actions as morally and spiritually devastating, saying they contradicted his faith, his writings and his views on marriage, and caused deep pain to both families involved.

Yancey said he had confessed his actions to God and his wife of 55 years, committed himself to professional counseling and accountability, and was now focused on rebuilding trust and restoring his marriage. He added that he would step away from all public platforms, saying,“I need to spend my remaining years living up to the words I have already written.”

A towering figure in Christian publishing

Born on November 4, 1949, Philip Yancey is an American author best known for his thoughtful, often questioning approach to Christian faith, doubt, suffering and grace. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, Yancey wrote dozens of books that collectively sold more than 15 million copies in English and were translated into over 40 languages, making him one of the most influential voices in modern Christian literature.

Two of his best-known works - The Jesus I Never Knew (1995) and What's So Amazing About Grace? (1997) - won the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Christian Book of the Year Award. His writing has been published by major houses including Hachette, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, InterVarsity Press, Penguin Random House and Rabbit Room Press.

Early life and faith journey

Yancey was born in Atlanta and raised in a strict, fundamentalist Christian environment. His father, a preacher, died of polio when Yancey was just one year old after church members encouraged taking him off life support, believing God would heal him. That experience, along with other painful encounters with rigid church teachings, led Yancey to lose his faith for a time and later to question institutional Christianity - themes that would deeply shape his writing.

He attended Columbia Bible College in South Carolina, where he met his wife Janet, before earning graduate degrees in communications and English from Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Chicago.

Journalism and influence

Yancey began his professional career in 1971 at Campus Life magazine, where he served as editor for eight years. He later became an editor-at-large for Christianity Today for three decades and contributed to a wide range of mainstream publications, including Reader's Digest, The Atlantic, Publishers Weekly and The Saturday Evening Post.

As a journalist, Yancey interviewed two US presidents and notable figures such as Billy Graham, Bono, Annie Dillard, John Updike and Henri Nouwen. Former president Jimmy Carter once described him as“my favorite modern author.”

Later life and health challenges

Yancey has lived in Colorado for many years, working as a freelance writer and traveling extensively for speaking engagements, visiting more than 85 countries. In 2007, he survived a serious car accident that left him with a broken neck, later completing the climb of all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks. In 2022, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which he later described as“the gift I didn't want.”

A legacy now under strain

Yancey's confession has sent shockwaves through Christian communities that long viewed him as a thoughtful, humble guide through faith, doubt and grace. In his statement, he acknowledged that his actions would likely disillusion readers who trusted his work, saying the greatest harm was that his sin had“brought dishonor to God.”

With his announcement, Yancey has brought an abrupt end to a highly influential public ministry, choosing instead, as he put it, to seek repentance, restoration and a private life marked by accountability rather than authorship.

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