The Shack

[grimsleygl]

Has anyone read "The Shack" by William P. Young? I've just started it and I know it's going to be quite unforgettable. It's already so very sad just knowing a wee bit about what will soon happen. (I'm only on page41)

I understand it's almost a "take notes" kind of novel. I'm sure that if it is...I will!

[TamaraRH]

I haven't read The Shack and am interested to hear from others who have and what they think about it. I've heard both positive and negative comments...everything from "life-changing" to "unbiblical in parts"

Tami

[grimsleygl]

I haven't read The Shack and am interested to hear from others who have and what they think about it. I've heard both positive and negative comments...everything from "life-changing" to "unbiblical in parts"

Tami

I'm not suprised Tamara. :) I’ve only been able to read in bits and pieces right now but I'm into the more directly spiritual aspect of the story at this point, and I must admit that at times it's almost a bit too much. Perhaps preposterous is the word. Still, there is plenty to chew on once you get over (if you can get over) the physical appearance the author has given to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

I've just entered the part where the Trinity comes into the story in physical form and though it’s a bit awkward, at the same time I am enjoying it. (Unique for sure!) Sometimes I just shake my head because it’s a tough visual as well as trying to imagine the Holy Three in conversation ltogether like this. But I do so with a smile quite a bit while reading it mind you!

I am looking forward to being able to give a chunk of time to completeing and concentrating on this short book though. The dialogue between them goes from almost comical to both awesome and deep!

I have not read anything that I would call “unbiblical” though...at least not yet. I mean, it's anybody's guess at what God might look like should God decide to appear in human form to any given individual. Keep in mind now that God could not look like Jesus in this story because Jesus is already there as well. All three have taken on a physical appearance for the sake of the being able to communicate with and help the main character.

I would recommend your reading it, and I would love to hear what you have to say about it. If we were critiquing the book in detail I would have more things to say about what bothers me, but I also suspect (and pray) that before I hit the last page I will have learned one, or more, new things about God, myself or maybe about us both. Perhaps something more to ponder and chew on at least.

I love it when I grow from some unexpected place, and I am open and ready to find it in this book if God has a message for me here. If not, I think I will still be glad I read it. I do love creative writing!

[grimsleygl]

I do hope this is not going to be a discussion in which I am the only one who writes about The Shack! But, perhaps no one else has read it????

I'll try again though because I'd really like to share some excellent quotes from this book that were very insightful for me. No need for discussion, but perhaps they will strike a note deep within one of you as well.

I'm only going to do one quote at a time. This is my favorite so far!

p. 127 [Mackenzie is the main character and is speaking of the pain, confusion,and mess in the world. Papa represents God!]

"I just can't imagine any final outcome that would justify all this."

"Mackenzie." Papa rose out of her chair and walked around the table to give him a big squeeze. "We're not justifying it. We are redeeming it."

[Tarin]

Coincidentally enough, someone just gave me a copy of this book. I'll post my thoughts after I've gotten the chance to read it. :)

[Tarin]

I finished the book last night and found it a decidedly mixed bag. I appreciated the story, the discussions on grace and forgiveness, and the suggestions of the further intimacy we will one day get to share with God. But I was very disturbed by three things.

1. The book is permeated throughout with a slew of unbiblical claims, including universalism, antinomianism, and New Age philosophies. At best, this is watered-down Christianity in full force. No meat here; in fact, even milk is in short supply. Basically, Young's message is "Emotions rule. If you get warm fuzzies when you think about God, it doesn't matter how you live your life."

2. When God showed up on the scene represented in the form of two women and a man, I almost quit reading. I can understand and respect the idea that God is capable of presenting himself in any form He wants, but nowhere do we have Biblical precedent for portraying Him as anything less than masculine. Young's entire presentation of God was entirely lacking in majesty. The relationship he tries to present is one of equals meeting on a buddy-buddy basis. Certainly we are granted the ability to share an intimacy with our Father - but that hardly negates the fact that He is GOD. The story's protagonist feels no awe in the presence of God, no need to bow at the feet of the Creator of the universe and the Savior of his soul. The God found in Young's story certainly isn't the powerful and unlimited God of the Bible. At best, I found Young's presentation disrespectful. At worst, it's blasphemous.

3. Finally, I'm still puzzled over Young's insistence that the whole story is based on real events. Due to the flagrant Biblical inaccuracies found throughout the story, I'm in no way able to believe that God gave the real-life protagonist a theophany or a vision. So I can't help but wonder 1) what these men were smoking or 2) what game they're playing by claiming truth for something that obviously cannot be so.

I'm disturbed (but hardly surprised) to find so many Christians in a flutter over this story. This is dangerous and subversive stuff, folks. It has it's good points certainly; but I fear that the average reader (Christian or otherwise) won't have the discernment to see past the subtle lies that cloak what truth is found herein.

[grimsleygl]

Thanks for the good, and very honest, review Tarin. One of the most difficult things that I had to get around was the portrayal of God! I laughed out loud at one point at the absurdity of this portrayal and even though I tried to accept the description in order to get on with the reading, the writer was never able to convince me to see God this way in my mind's eye. Even if I could have gotten past God as a large black woman, it always bugged me that she was always cooking, always with an apron on. Never left the house!

The Holy Spirit was not portrayed in any way that I was able to grasp either. He/she left me with no visual or image at all.

There were some other fairly ridiculous things going on in the book and…just as most preachers skip over the part of the biblical story in the Garden of Gethsemane where Peter cuts off the guard’s ear and Jesus replaces it back on the guard’s head…I simply skipped over those awkward places that did not seem to be something I wanted to bother with…for one reason or another.

Just as you said, there were things in the story that I did not agree with
as I was not able to recall any scripture to substantiate them. However, they obviously did not bother me as much as they did you. I just left them there and went on! I suppose that's because I'm convinced that this same kind of thing happens in church as well...most likely in every denomination.

Even in my own church there are certain things presented as either sinful, or perhaps of the greatest importance, that are inconsistent with the way I have read and understood scripture. I do not always see a particular scripture as saying what my denomination says is the "real" interpretation, but I have gotten over this pretty much.

Over the years I have found that there is no one church that I totally agree with in doctrine. Rather than give up on church however, I’ve relied upon the Holy Spirit to guide me to find a place to worship that is the "best fit" for me. One where I am either in agreement with the majority of the time or where the Holy Spirit has placed me in order to stretch me to go deeper spiritually, possibly moving me a bit more out of my comfort zone.

Personally, I gleaned a few gold nuggets from this book that I needed at this point in my life. As strange as it may seem, there were several of these nuggets that stirred my soul, making me see areas of my life that I need to pay closer attention to, repent of, or understand anew in light of our amazing God and his amazing love. And…in the midst of this, I actually enjoyed most of second part of the story as being incredibly imaginative and creative! But then, I am bent toward Christian fantasy…to a point. So, perhaps, for me and others like me, it’s not strange at all. I hated some of it and love some of it. Some of it was so ridiculous that it wasn’t funny and some of it was so deep with truths I needed to hear that it will probably stay with me forever. A very mixed bag indeed, but certainly fantasy!

[airboss]

Just finished this book last night. I agree with those who feel it is a mix of good and not so good things. I feel the real strength of this book is the importance it places on relationships. However, I also feel there were some points made in this book that would be hard to back up with scripture.

Just my two cents.

[dlastory]

I work at a Christian Bookstore in Texas and the book is doing pretty good locally. I read somewhere that it was no. 2 on the CBA Best Sellers List. I've read it myself and agree with most of the points made on this thread. All in all (theological problems aside), I thought it was a good read.

[Sheri]

Hi all,
I read The Shack last week and personally liked it. I wouldn't recomend it to everyone, but I thought it was a compelling story, very imaginative (it is fiction after all), and had a very loving message. I was reading Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence at the same time and thought they were a good mix!! (like peanut butter and chocolate) The writer uses a lot of dream imagery to paint a wonderful picture of a close personal realtionship with the triune God. I agree it all dosen't line up Biblically, but I've heard more than a few sermons that don't either!
I think this could be a great crossover book for non-believers too. Get's folks thinking and definitely stretches the imagination. I think that's a good thing! Most people, I feel, will take into account that this is a work of fiction and not a new teaching!

Sheri

[grimsleygl]

I'm with you on your assessment Sheri. Never tought of how it might compliment Practicing the Presence of God though. Interesting thought! I've never read a book by Brother Lawrence, but have read quotes and bits and pieces of Practicing the Presence. I love the deeper forms of Christian spirituality that I've been learning about during the past few years of my life. It has been like a whole new world for me. God is so good! Just keeps taking me from one spiritual adventure to another.

Thanks for sharing your experience with reading The Shack.