The Shack

Saggy,

I read it a couple of months ago and STILL I'm not sure what to think about it. In a way, I really liked it. In another way, it seemed very strange.

I will admit that it was unlike any book I have ever read. While I was reading it, I even had dreams about it for several nights. Really weird dreams.

I do recommend it to others, but I don't really know how to describe it to them.

 

Since my Wife is homebound since her back surgery she has been reading the Shack. She is enjoying it very much.

 

I read it the other day. Picked it up around noon and finished it around midnight! Very captivating.

I thought it was very well written. I may just read it again, and I rarely do that with books. I very much enjoyed the imagery of what he saw as the shack/area changed. (trying not to give stuff away here!)

I especially liked the part where he was told what we have to offer God. I think I laughed out loud! I LOVE IT!

I'm sure some people will be extremely offended by the book. I personally thought it was wonderful though. It was emotionally hard to get through, made me think about stuff, and yeah...should read it again, only slower!

 

just asking a question. Is it fiction or non-fiction?
I like non-fiction the best. I guess the last fiction I read was, 1984.or nineteen eighty four. Things has changed a lot in this country sense 1948.

 

I have read this book and wrote an article on it. I was very disturbed by it. He is writing fiction but is writing about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and thus should not present erroneous views of God's nature, which he does (though maybe not intentionally, nevertheless, it is not a good thing).

Here is my article. Please do not tell me I'm wrong until you read this. I support all my statements biblically.
http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_TheShack.html

One of the biggest problems I have with it is God and the Holy Spirit being presented as women. God and the Holy Spirit do not take human form (if you want to argue for a Theophany from the OT, fine, but there is no such thing since Jesus came because Jesus said we are to know God through Him), and though God is not a man, He is always presented as Father. Jesus calls God "Father." Also, there is tritheism (three gods) here as well as modalism (God says that He and the Holy Spirit incarnated!!). Major theological errors that contradict the Bible abound, despite the good story and some other good aspects. There are also attacks on the Bible's authority.

From my article:
Summary of major problems with The Shack:

Portrays God the Father and the Holy Spirit in human form

Portrays God the Father and the Holy Spirit as female

States that God the Father and the Holy Spirit incarnated as flesh and blood

States that God and the Holy Spirit became God the Son

A demeaning of God's majesty

Undermines sin and the price Christ paid on the cross

Undermines God's righteous wrath and justice

Undermines the Bible, the authority and written word of God

The book's Jesus character rejects the label "Christian" for those he will "join in their transformation"

Sophia presented as a real person with divine powers

Implications of inclusivism

 

Here's what I consider an even better review by Norman Geisler:
http://thechristianworldview.com/tcwblog/archives/934

(This is an article on someone's blog so the opening remarks are not from Dr. Geisler).

I think mine is pretty good, if I say so myself, but I don't have the credibility of Dr. Geisler! My pastor did look over my review and gave suggestions. He agreed with me on the problems I addressed.

 

Thank you Marcia, I shall not read this book.....

 

It's doing the rounds amongst people at our church ATM, generally positively. Call me squeamish and cowardly but, as a father of a young girl, I'm not sure emotionally I could read it

 

I think that's a good decision. That part would be hard on you, I think, plus I tell people they do not want Young's images of God (with a body, yet) and his errors on the Trinity in their heads.

My article on it is here:
http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_TheShack.html

I did not even touch on all the problems with it.

 

Marcia -- Excellent review. Thanks for sharing.

 

Wow, thanks for reading it! And thanks for the encouraging words! :wavey:

 

I have read the book a few times and have met and spoken with the author and the publisher. I have purchased many copies of this book for family and friends. I think it is a great book, and have found that the people who don't like it are either very legalistic in their religious views or hold on very tightly to their man-made religious doctrines over the relationship with the Father that Christ came to bring us.

I think it is a great piece of Christian FICTION and wish people would read it and come to their own conclusions instead of letting a legalistic or Calvanistic preacher tell them what to think about it.

 

Ah, nothing like throwing the charge of legalism or being closed minded at people who disagree with you.

 

Right. It's an ad hominem and doesn't deal with the issues.