Changes

'''Philip Pullman''' is an anti-[[Christian]] novelist. He has made public statements and written fictional works for children and young adults which were - admittedly - designed "to undermine the basis of Christian belief."

'''Sir Philip Pullman''' is an anti-[[Christian]] novelist. He has made public statements and written fictional works for children and young adults which were - admittedly - designed "to undermine the basis of Christian belief."

==Pullman's Life==

==Pullman's life==

Philip Pullman was born in Norwich, [[England]], in 1946, to Audrey and Alfred Pullman. The early years of Pullman's life were spent travelling because his father was a member of [[United Kingdom|Britain]]'s [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF). His father died when he was age 7, and his family then travelled to [[London]] to find work. A year later, Pullman's mother remarried to another man working for the RAF. His family lived in [[Australia]] for much of those next two years. When Pullman was ten years old, his stepfather quit his job at the RAF to help his growing family. In 1965, Pullman won a scholarship to attend [[Exeter College]] in [[Oxford]]. He did so for four years.<ref>http://www.hisdarkmaterials.org/information/philip-pullman/biography</ref> At the age of 25, Pullman became a teacher at a middle school also in Oxford. From 1986 to 1994, he taught at Westminster College. Pullman wrote his first book ''[[Count Karlstein]]'' in 1982.<ref>http://www.philip-pullman.com</ref> Today, Pullman lives in Oxford with his wife Jude. Pullman is a father to two grown children and has two grandchildren.<ref>http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/author/author.html</ref>

Philip Pullman was born in Norwich, [[England]], in 1946, to Audrey and Alfred Pullman. The early years of Pullman's life were spent travelling because his father was a member of [[United Kingdom|Britain]]'s [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF). His father died when he was age 7, and his family then travelled to [[London]] to find work. A year later, Pullman's mother remarried to another man working for the RAF. His family lived in [[Australia]] for much of those next two years. When Pullman was ten years old, his stepfather quit his job at the RAF to help his growing family. In 1965, Pullman won a scholarship to attend [[Exeter College]] in [[Oxford]]. He did so for four years.<ref>http://www.hisdarkmaterials.org/information/philip-pullman/biography</ref> At the age of 25, Pullman became a teacher at a middle school also in Oxford. From 1986 to 1994, he taught at Westminster College. Pullman wrote his first book ''[[Count Karlstein]]'' in 1982.<ref>http://www.philip-pullman.com</ref> Today, Pullman lives in Oxford with his wife Jude. Pullman is a father to two grown children and has two grandchildren.<ref>http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/author/author.html</ref>

==Pullman's Works==

==Pullman's works==

 

===Books===

Novels aimed at children and young adults include the [[atheist]]ic ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' and ''Sally Lockhart'' series. His works have come under criticism for their subversively anti-religious nature. His books portray God as an evil being who ruled the world through the [[Magisterium]], an [[Inquisition]]-like institution which commits various heinous acts.

Novels aimed at children and young adults include the [[atheist]]ic ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' and ''Sally Lockhart'' series. His works have come under criticism for their subversively anti-religious nature. His books portray God as an evil being who ruled the world through the [[Magisterium]], an [[Inquisition]]-like institution which commits various heinous acts.

**''The Amber Spyglass''

**''The Amber Spyglass''

*''The Goodman Jesus and the scoundrel Christ''

*''The Goodman Jesus and the scoundrel Christ''

==Awards==

==Awards==

Philip Pullman has been the recipient of many awards:<ref>http://www.philip-pullman.com/about_the_author.asp</ref>

Philip Pullman has been the recipient of many awards:<ref>http://www.philip-pullman.com/about_the_author.asp</ref>

*The Carnegie Medal (for the ''His Dark Materials'' series)

:The Carnegie Medal (for the ''The Golden Compass'', the first book of what became the ''His Dark Materials'' series)

*The Guardian Children's Book Award (for the ''His Dark Materials'' series)

:The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (for ''The Golden Compass'', the first book of what became the ''His Dark Materials'' series)

*The Whitebread Book of the Year Award (for the third book of the ''His Dark Materials'' series, the first time it was ever awarded to a children's book)

*The Eleanor Farjeon Award for children's literature

:*If these books indeed became harsher toward Christian faith as the series continued, they stand notable for their gradually-deceptive approach.

:The Whitbread Book of the Year Award (for the third book of the ''His Dark Materials'' series, the first time it was ever awarded to a children's book)

:The Eleanor Farjeon Award for children's literature

==Criticism of Pullman==

==Criticism of Pullman==

Frank Furedi wrote:

Frank Furedi wrote:

<blockquote>

<blockquote>

... He is adept at public moralising. He has denounced Narnia [''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''] as "morally loathsome," describing [[C.S. Lewis]]’s series of books as amongst the "most ugly and poisonous things" he has read. Indeed, Pullman directly counterpoises his "non-Christian" trilogy to the "Christian" Narnia.<ref group="note">Phillip Pullman said this to the ''Washington Post'' in 2001, in an interview about his trilogy, ''His Dark Materials''. Furedi, Frank (December 10, 2007). [https://www.spiked-online.com/2007/12/10/golden-compass-the-god-wars-as-childs-play/ "''Golden Compass'': the 'God Wars' as child's play".] ''sp!ked'' website.</ref>

[H]e is...adept at public moralising. He has denounced Narnia [''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''] as "morally loathsome," describing [[C.S. Lewis]]’s series of books as amongst the "most ugly and poisonous things" he has read. Indeed, Pullman directly counterpoises his "non-Christian" trilogy to the "Christian" Narnia.<ref group="note">Phillip Pullman said this to the ''Washington Post'' in 2001, in an interview about his trilogy, ''His Dark Materials''. Furedi, Frank (December 10, 2007). [https://www.spiked-online.com/2007/12/10/golden-compass-the-god-wars-as-childs-play/ "''Golden Compass'': the 'God Wars' as child's play".] ''sp!ked'' website.</ref>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote>

<blockquote>

Pullman is a [[militant]] [[atheist]] and [[secular humanist]] (who describes himself as both an [[agnostic]] and an atheist). He has said, "I don’t profess any [[religion]]; I don’t think it’s possible that there is a [[God]]; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or '[[spirituality]]'" and despises [[C. S. Lewis]] and the ''[[Chronicles of Narnia]]''. His motivation for writing this trilogy was specifically to counteract Lewis's symbolism of [[Christ]] that are portrayed in the Narnia series.<ref>http://www.joelevi.com/blog/index.php/2007/12/04/the-golden-compass-an-attack-on-god/</ref>

Pullman is a [[militant]] [[atheist]] and [[secular humanist]] (who describes himself as both an [[agnostic]] and an atheist)[. He] has said, "I don’t profess any [[religion]]; I don’t thi[nk] it’s possible that there is a [[God]]; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or '[[spirituality]]'" and despises C. S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia. His motivation for writing this trilogy was specifically to counteract Lewis' symbolisms of [[Christ]] that are portrayed in the Narnia series.<ref>Levi, Joe (December 4, 2007). [http://www.joelevi.com/blog/index.php/2007/12/04/the-golden-compass-an-attack-on-god/ "''The Golden Compass'': an attack on God?"] ''Joe Levi'' website blog.</ref>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

Peter Hitchens calls Pullman:

[[Peter Hitchens]] calls Pullman:

<blockquote> The most dangerous author in Britain <ref>http://home.wlv.ac.uk/~bu1895/hitchens.htm</ref></blockquote>  

<blockquote> The most dangerous author in Britain <ref>http://home.wlv.ac.uk/~bu1895/hitchens.htm</ref></blockquote>  

* "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief."<ref>https://www.thinkingchristian.net/C1983916159/E20071118075122/index.html</ref>

* "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief."<ref>https://www.thinkingchristian.net/C1983916159/E20071118075122/index.html</ref>

==Odd quote about the ''[[Chronicles of Narnia]]''==

==Odd quote about ''The Chronicles of Narnia''==

"The highest virtue, we have on the authority of the New Testament itself, is love, and yet you find not a trace of that in the books," he said.

"The highest virtue, we have on the authority of the New Testament itself, is love, and yet you find not a trace of that in the books," he said.