The Shack Kindle Edition

Enjoyed the book

What an astonishing range of reactions Wm. Paul Young's little novel The Shack has provoked. The enormous number and variety of reviews suggest it is either a great work of literature comparable with Pilgrim's Progress if not the Bible itself; or worthless garbage on the grounds of its being: (1) anti-Christian and deceptive; (2) anti-intellectual and theologically bankrupt; (3) very weak literature that is: (a) arcane, ill-constructed, mush-mouthed tripe; (b) too simplistic; or (c) ponderous, impenetrable, and jargon-heavy. I don't agree with any of the above assessments, so let me propose a different one.The story of Mackenzie "Mack" Allen Phillips is presented as if ghost-written by his friend Willie; I think those who criticize the book on literary grounds are failing to allow for this nuance. The story has been accurately described many times in other reviews so I'll avoid repetition. For a father to lose a beloved child is hard enough; for this to happen in the way described in the book - her abduction by a mass murderer while the father was only feet away - would be as difficult an event to bear as almost any I could conceive. However strong someone's faith in God, these circumstances would surely test that faith to the full as is portrayed in Mack's "Great Sadness" and tension within his family. As a suicide counselor I heard countless people ask "Where was God?" in response to changes in their lives less profound than the fictional Mack's so I can relate to the issue on a personal level.For those who slam the book as anti-Christian I have this to say. It is a work of fiction; I thought of the events described at the shack as an elaborate dream that Mack experienced not as "real" even in the context of the story. But what is special about this dream (or real events if that is how others read the story) is that the experiencing of it brings about real and necessary changes in his life and those of his family. His faith in God is restored along with his engagement in the world and his ability to forgive; in fact his life is transformed by the experience for the better. I cannot see anything about this that could be described as anti-Christian; it is exactly what Christ asked of us.This is a short novel; I read it in under three hours. In no sense could it be expected to serve as an apologetic in the style of a CS Lewis, a Keller or a Copan. But it would be a mistake to dismiss the theology in the book, which at times is quite profound. Here's an example from p.127: "broken humans center their lives around things that seem good to them but will neither fill them nor free them. They are addicted to power, or to the illusion of security that power offers. When a disaster happens, those same people will turn against the false powers they trusted." Another is found on p.137: "Then is it's you who determines good and evil. You become the judge. And to make things more confusing, that which you determine to be good will change over time and circumstance. And then, beyond that and even worse, there are billions of you, each determining what is good and what is evil. So when your good and evil clash with your neighbor's, fights and arguments ensue and even wars break out ... And if there is no reality of good that is absolute, then you have lost any basis for judging. It is just language, and one might as well exchange the word good for evil." These extracts capture very well the reasons why we must not act as judges - which is one of Christ's strongest messages to us.Those who claim the book brings God down to our level or puts him in a box are missing the point of the narrative: I suggest they re-read it bearing in mind the points I have made above. All we know of God is that we know almost nothing - except that he is all good, all loving and merciful. So the fact that Young's allegory (actually that of the character in his story) for God may differ from someone else's is not valid ground for criticism; rather it should cause one reflection upon exactly why we feel that we have God figured out better than another person. The God described by Mack with Willie's help is clearly capable of appearing in whatever form suits his purpose; those who insist that God appear as portrayed in the Old Testament are actually more guilty of the "God in a box" error than Young. If it had achieved no more than warming the heart of a veteran (thank you Timekeeper Dave for opening your heart to us) this would be a worthwhile contribution to literature. That it has brought the faith debate down from the ether and into everyday conversation makes it especially valuable and I recommend it to anyone with an open mind.

It made me think about forgiveness of people who have hurt me. How God loves …..ALL of us regardless of our mistakes and failures. If HE can forgive us we should strive to forgive others.

"The Shack" has a great many good qualities and a few very dangerous ones. It is a simply written, highly imaginative, vividly portrayed sketch of a man's individual spiritual journey to wholeness in the face of very real, extraordinarily difficult circumstances. If for nothing else, this book is to be commended for taking what may be the rawest kind of life circumstances and dealing with their very real and lasting effects on our spiritual and emotional person. What it states, very powerfully, is that through Christ, men and women can find peace after great horror.Furthermore, as a pastor and Seminary instructor, I can say that this author has a wonderful gift for presenting very difficult theological concepts in a carefully accessible manner. His presentation of the what it means to be in union with Christ, the manner in which God's love transforms an individual (regeneration) and that which theologians call "the covenant of redemption", the purpose and economy of the Triune God in accomplishing the Divine purpose in history, is quite impressive.These things make this book very powerful and, with adequate precautions, very useful for lay instruction and illustration.Then there is the dangerous side. First, and perhaps most important, is the significant imbalance of the portrait of God painted in it. Though never quite expressed, the book pretty much affirms universal salvation. Surprisingly, it is man who is in the judgment seat in this portrayal, God having already judged all men as guilty but also having forgiven them and reconciled them to Himself. The scriptural bounds on this position are not adequately expressed at all. In this book God is overly sentimental and simplified. There is no hint of God as He is presented in (say) the book of Judges. The God of the universe, Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit are not very far removed from Seinfield and Friends in their mannerisms and interaction. Certainly some of this is acknowledged as God's condescension to man in appearing to him in such a way as to minister to him, but it is very over done.Further there is the unscriptural and, in my opinion, quite wrong, portrayal of the Trinity. Though he strives to avoid this, the author skirts the edge of idolatry. There is a reason why God commanded that we are to make no graven images of His person. It is because all such images will not only fall short of accuracy but will in fact lead us astray. The portrayal of God the Father in the images in this book are serious departures from this general rule and are quite prone to distortion. I do not believe that we are free to play with the metaphors God uses to describe Himself nor that we are free to downplay some of His attributes in preference to others. There is more than a little of this in this book.Though the author strives for balance yet he falls short of presenting Jesus as pre-eminent in the life of man. Jesus is not central in his presentation though it is often stated that He is central in God's understanding. God the Father and the Holy Spirit are more so. Here again the metaphors work against the author. Both God the Father and the Holy Spirit are portrayed as warm, empathetic women who are naturally more easily empathetic. Jesus comes across as wonderful but a bit bumbling in his humanity and thus loved and loving but a bit less wonderful. This is a serious problem to me.Lastly, evil in this book is entirely a result of man's choosing autonomy for himself and all misery in this world flows from that. Certainly, this is true in one sense but not in every sense. The person of Satan is entirely absent from this portrayal. So is any hint that God regards any one person, no matter what their spiritual state, any differently than others. Evil is presented as negation, the absence of good, rather than a positive force. There is truth in this but not the whole truth.Lastly, this author falls seriously short in his understanding of the Church and the place of organized Christianity in the Kingdom of God. This regrettable tendency is rampant in our culture and is conducive to a very stilted Christianity, far short of that picture painted for us in Scriptures. God in this book comes perilously close to endorsing all religious feelings and sentiments, whether Christian or not, as pathways to Himself. I cannot comprehend how the author could allow this.All in all, again, this book has much to commend it. The commendable things are self-evident in the reading and I have not commented on them as much because of that. The things which detract from the book are not so evident and hence, in my estimation, much more dangerous because of it. It must be read with caution.

This book really made me stop and think about things and sometimes see them in a different light. It also inspired me to be more patient and kind and to build my relationship with God.

The book is in perfect condition, good packaging and fast delivery service.

Livro maravilhoso!

I was at a small getaway with family in Scotland and within the cottage we rented was a library. This book stood out to me and I purchased it here so I could finish reading it when I returned home. Had I known the premise of the books prior I might not have enjoyed it as much as I did. You'll know what I mean when it matters. The main thing is. Give it a chance. It truly is a wonderful book despite your own belief system.

Ein Buch für Jedermann, supertoll geschrieben, behandelt sehr wichtige Themen, die uns alle etwas angehen. Und selbst für Menschen, die nicht an Gott glauben, mag es ein erster Schritt sein, diese Welt besser zu verstehen und vielleicht sogar für sich selbst zu entdecken. Ich kann es nur wärmstens weiterempfehlen.

Bellissimo. In lingua inglese.