--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think my books give people a language…" description: "\"I think my books give people a language to have a conversation about God that's not religious. There isn't enough new literature that brings the conver..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/william-p-young-3038_bible_i-think-my-books-give-people-a-language_3097987.jpg" --- # I think my books give people a language to have a… ![“I think my books give people a language to have a conversation about God that's not religious. There isn't enough new literature that brings the conversation of God into a modern context. I love the Bible, but in the West we've analyzed it until it fits into a structure of control. We need more…” quote by William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/william-p-young-3038_bible_i-think-my-books-give-people-a-language_3097987.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/william-p-young-3038_bible_i-think-my-books-give-people-a-language_3097987.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/william-p-young-3038_bible_i-think-my-books-give-people-a-language_3097987.jpg) > “I think my books give people a language to have a conversation about God that's not religious. There isn't enough new literature that brings the conversation of God into a modern context. I love the Bible, but in the West we've analyzed it until it fits into a structure of control. We need more new stories. We need different ways of looking at things, and I think it's coming.” [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His books aim to provide a modern, non‑religious language for discussing God, filling a gap in contemporary literature. **In simple terms:** He wants fresh, modern ways to talk about God. Key Takeaway Seek new narratives about spirituality. Themes faith language modernity Mood thoughtful hopeful Type inspirational conversational When to use this quote - church discussions - creative writing workshops - interfaith dialogues - personal meditation Key Concepts Theology literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What modern story could reshape your view of God? - How can literature bridge faith and everyday life? A Different Perspective New stories may still be constrained by existing cultural biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“I want to kill every best-seller list and encourage Americans to discover for themselves inspired new literature that will endure in perpetuity. Let’s pluck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-lentz/i-want-to-kill-every-best-seller-list-and-encourage-americans-to/) [David B. Lentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-lentz/) > [“I foresee,’ said Goethe, ‘the dawn of a new literature which all people may claim as their own, for all have contributed to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-foresee-said-goethe-the-dawn-of-a-new-literature-which-all-people/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“As Jewish historian Yuri Slezkine noted, modernity has turned us all into Jews. ("The Jewish Century," 2004.) Modernism is the dysfunction that results from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-makow/as-jewish-historian-yuri-slezkine-noted-modernity-has-turned-us-all/) [Henry Makow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-makow/) > [Even if matter could do every outward thing that God does, the idea of it would not work as satisfactorily, because the chief callfor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/even-if-matter-could-do-every-outward-thing-that-god-does-the-idea-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Is it our task to force the biblical doctrine of God to answer to modern culture, or (is it our task) to address modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-mohler/is-it-our-task-to-force-the-biblical-doctrine-of-god-to-answer-to/) [Albert Mohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-mohler/) > [We can't say what God is, and until the modern period, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theologians in the three God religions all knew that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/we-can-t-say-what-god-is-and-until-the-modern-period-jewish-christian/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [The God of the modern evangelical rarely astonishes anybody. He manages to stay pretty much with the constitution. Never break our by-laws. He's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-god-of-the-modern-evangelical-rarely-astonishes-anybody-he/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I believe in God, but I am not religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-patekar/i-believe-in-god-but-i-am-not-religious/) [Nana Patekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-patekar/) > [“Atheism is not against god, it is against the religious establishment who use god they have never seen or heard from to establish their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/atheism-is-not-against-god-it-is-against-the-religious-establishment/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [The underlying foundation of all religion is performance - whether it's a tribal dance around a campfire to satisfy the fire god, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcvey/the-underlying-foundation-of-all-religion-is-performance-whether-it-s/) [Steve McVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcvey/) > [My God is not a religious God. My God is nature, my God is everything there is. That's God. Everything is God. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-god-is-not-a-religious-god-my-god-is-nature-my-god-is-everything/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Serving people is more important to God than the religious activities we engage in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/serving-people-is-more-important-to-god-than-the-religious-activities/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Yes, we inevitably turn to God; for this religious sentiment is of its nature so pure, so delightful to the soul that experiences it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/yes-we-inevitably-turn-to-god-for-this-religious-sentiment-is-of-its/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“The entire virtue of religious practices can be conceived from the Buddhist tradition concerning the recitation of the name of the Lord. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-entire-virtue-of-religious-practices-can-be-conceived-from-the/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Don't let the bastards get you down. Christians aren't God. Religious people aren't God. God loves you, just where you're at... just the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-bakker/don-t-let-the-bastards-get-you-down-christians-aren-t-god-religious/) [Jay Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-bakker/) ## More by William P. Young > [I don't want my kids growing up with the image of God that I had -- Plato's white grandfatherly god -- because that god…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-don-t-want-my-kids-growing-up-with-the-image-of-god-that-i-had/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Because you continue to inhabit and believe your metaphors, you cannot see what is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/because-you-continue-to-inhabit-and-believe-your-metaphors-you-cannot/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“Religion must use law to empower itself and control the people who they need in order to survive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/religion-must-use-law-to-empower-itself-and-control-the-people-who/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Once you have hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it, and then you need law and the enforcement of the rules, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/once-you-have-hierarchy-you-need-rules-to-protect-and-administer-it/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“(Jesus speaking) "An awful lot of what is done in my name has nothing to do with me and is often, even if unintentional,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/jesus-speaking-an-awful-lot-of-what-is-done-in-my-name-has-nothing-to/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [This life is only the anteroom of a greater reality to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/this-life-is-only-the-anteroom-of-a-greater-reality-to-come/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [I often find that getting head issues out of the way first makes the heart stuff easier to work on later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-often-find-that-getting-head-issues-out-of-the-way-first-makes-the/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [For me, everything is about Jesus and Father and the Holy Spirit, and relationships, and life is an adventure of faith lived one day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/for-me-everything-is-about-jesus-and-father-and-the-holy-spirit-and/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to hold power over another is to chose to limit to onself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/relationships-are-never-about-power-and-one-way-to-avoid-the-will-to/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [It is my desire and intent to trust the multi-layered good purposes of God than in what humans fabricate out of their need and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/it-is-my-desire-and-intent-to-trust-the-multi-layered-good-purposes/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Jesus was always challenging the dogma of religion. So, you know, it's not like I'm out there by myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/jesus-was-always-challenging-the-dogma-of-religion-so-you-know-it-s/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [If anything matters, then everything matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/if-anything-matters-then-everything-matters/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [I don't just want a piece of you and a piece of your life. Even if you were able, which you are not, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-don-t-just-want-a-piece-of-you-and-a-piece-of-your-life-even-if-you/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/trust-is-the-fruit-of-a-relationship-in-which-you-know-you-are-loved/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Something in the heart of most human beings simply cannot abide pain inflicted on the innocent, especially children. Even broken men serving in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/something-in-the-heart-of-most-human-beings-simply-cannot-abide-pain/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) [Explore all 138 William P. Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think my books give people a language to have a conversation about God that's not religious. There isn't enough new literature that brings the conversation of God into a modern context. I love the Bible, but in the West we've analyzed it until it fits into a structure of control. We need more new stories. We need different ways of looking at things, and I think it's coming.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William P. 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