Episode #13
#13 Wm. Paul Young: Return to the Shack, Christian Universalism, and Why He Thinks You Can't Be Pro-Life and Support the Death Penalty
Wm. Paul Young, author of The Shack , joins me to talk about God, restorative justice, Christian universalism, and his forthcoming book Return to the Shack . Young reflects on what has changed—and what hasn't—since The Shack , including the pressures of writing, the temptation toward anxiety and control, and why he sees his vocation as a kind of translation. We talk about his understanding of God as fundamentally nonviolent and loving, his rejection of retributive justice, and his conviction that “vengeance doesn't heal anything.” We also get into some of his most controversial theological convictions. Why does Young reject eternal conscious torment? What does he mean by Christian universalism and the redemption of all things? Why does he reject the idea of original sin or a fixed “sin nature”? And how does he understand human agency if ultimately no one can be separated from God? Young also explains why he believes you cannot be genuinely pro-life while supporting the death penalty, and connects his thinking about capital punishment with his broader understanding of God, justice, and healing. Along the way, we discuss The Shack , Cross Roads , Eve , Lies We Believe About God , the criticism he has received, the influence of the Church Fathers, his experience of recovering from childhood sexual abuse, and why he believes we don't come to healing in isolation.
