The ‘hated’ Peter Hitchens on pessimism, divine grace and burning his Bible

The opinionated, and often divisive, journalist on how he talked himself out of faith…and then back into it

The hated Peter Hitchens (I’m not being rude – it’s a phrase coined by his own family and inspired by common caricatures of him) arrives at Premier Christianity’s offices looking a little world-weary. When I greet him with a breezy: “Good morning”, he replies (with a grunt): “It’s too early to tell.” 

The encounter is symptomatic of what follows, as my attempts to cheer him up fail dramatically. Hitchens is equal parts grumpy and witty. There’s an endearing charm to him, and he often makes me laugh during our interview. As he’ll soon tell me: “Pessimism is a very humorous attitude towards the world.”