Philip Pullman: declined to expand on the role of his Jesus Given that
his novels have been denounced by some critics as shamelessly
blasphemous and anti-Christian propaganda, some might have been
expecting a fierce clash between the forces of light and darkness.

But last week Dr Williams largely disarmed the confrontation by
recommending at a Downing Street seminar that Mr Pullman's novels
should be studied as part of religious education in schools. Despite
the affability of their wide ranging and often arcane conversation
however, some profound differences remained. Dr Williams was sharply
critical of Mr Pullman's fictional portrayal of organised religion as
dogmatic and ruthless without such balancing Christian virtues as
redemption.

Pressed by Dr Williams to explain what had happened to the teachings of
Jesus in his books, Mr Pullman said that he had made one mention of
Christ in the context of the idea of human wisdom. He then said that he
might return to the subject in his next book but he declined to expand.

However, he said that there was no prospect of an imminent conversion
to Christianity as he believed that morality did not rely on the
existence of God. Dr Williams said that Mr Pullman's views were
deficient from the point of view of a Christian. "One of the intriguing
things about the Church in your books is that it is a Church without
redemption," the Archbishop said. "It's about control. Although that's
how a lot of people see the Church here it is not how I see it." In a
wry reference to his own problems in managing the divisions in the
Anglican Church, he added: "Chance would be a fine thing."

END