Philip Pullman's blasphemous Jesus novel 'inspired' by Archbishop of Canterbury

Philip Pullman's blasphemous Jesus novel 'inspired' by Archbishop of Canterbury
With typically provocative timing, Philip Pullman is planning to publish his controversial book The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ ahead of Easter next year. The best-selling author discloses, however, that he was inspired to write the novel by a most surprising figure: the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

He wondered why I'd not put Jesus in His Dark Materials," says Pullman. "I said I would tackle it in a future book, and I thought it was time to deal with that story."
The book denies that Jesus was the son of God. "I'm not setting out to rival the Bible," he says. "I hope my book is not going to cause anyone to slaughter anyone. It is about how stories become stories, and how they become fixed and settled and differ from the events they are based on."



Pullman, who once said he was "trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief", admits that the book "will make the cross people even crosser". He adds: "Anything I do enrages some people."

Isn't it curious how atheists always choose Christianity for their attacks rather than, say, Islam?



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/6737615/Philip-Pullmans-blasphemous-Jesus-novel-inspired-by-Archbishop-of-Canterbury.html