Book: The Shack

[lunamoth]

The Shack by William P. Young.

I read this on my summr vacation, there was a huge display in the bookstore just as I was picking out a stack for the trip. Anyway, looked interesting, from the dust-cover seemed to be some kind of Christian fiction (not my favorite genre, although it has its moments), and looked like a light, quick read for the plane (which it was).

Anyway, it is a rather sentimental story for my usual taste, although I did end up enjoying it and feeling uplifted by its message of inclusion and love. I found myself kind of trying to hide the book cover and not letting other people know I was reading it.

The story, not to let too much out of the bag, is about a man dealing with the horrifying abduction of his daughter, and a spiritual journey that follows in which he confronts his own prejucidces and issues with God, even though throughout he is at least in theory a practicing Christian. His experience of the Persons of the Trinity as the story develops challenge his, and presumably the reader's, concept of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I liked all the Persons portrayed, although all are rather unorthodox.

The whole presentation of God and Christianity in the book reminded me strongly of the Emerging Christianity movement, a movement I personally find refreshing among today's evangelicals. Images of hellfire, judgement and exclusion are totally de-emphasized and replaced with transformation, love, and inclusion. The EC movement tends to be very gentle and soft in its approach to divisive issues like homosexuality.

Anyway, it is a feel-good (haha! at first I typed feel-god!) story about our relationships with God and each other, and it also addresses the tough problem of theodicy, dealing with suffering while embracing (and being embraced by) an all-loving God.

[wil]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

The Shack by William P. Young.

My mother just showed me an article on this last weekend! Made someone's best sellers list?

So I take it this is a recommendation?

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by wil

My mother just showed me an article on this last weekend! Made someone's best sellers list?

So I take it this is a recommendation?

My copy says #1 New York Times Bestseller.

I recommend it if you want an easy, uplifting read about a somewhat unorthodox view of the Trinity that IMO typifies the Emerging Christianity movement.

[lunamoth]

I just wanted to bump this thread in case more people have read it by now.

It seems to be either a love-it or hate-it kind of book for many who read it, based upon the Amazon reviews. I am kind of in the middle, although I still do like how he tackled the problem of suffering and his emphasis on the love and relationship we have with God. And his unique and very approachable personalities of the Trinity.

Many people seem to think that it is a book that could bring a lot of people into Christianity again if they have left, or never had a serious exposure to it before.

What do you think?

[wil]

Blog Interview: William P. (Paul) Young, Author of The Shack : Subversive Influence

WPY: There was no intent that this be part of the emergent movement - the intent was a gift for my 6 kids. I am not a part of anything myself, so have no agenda at all about any of this.

Love it or hate it I can see that. As I was reading (I'm 3/4 thru) I thought this must be some kind of marketing tool, some agenda here, so I searched the net to see and came across this interview.

So far I like it. As to getting folks back to Christianity, I've got to get to the end but it makes some statements. Like the Jesus character saying he's not a Christian, and the misguidance of religious institutions. Again, I have to see where it ends but I think it currently it will appeal to some disgurntled Christians, whether it leads them in or out is yet to be seen.

As one tagged with either the liberal christian or you're not a christian monikor I find the concepts comforting and inline with my thought.

I especially liked the Holy Spirits Garden of Eden...oh my that was good.

That article my mother showed me got me to buy the book for her. I thought she'd like to read it and then share it. Whilst in the store I couldn't help it, I bought a copy for myself, looks like I'll be sharing it quite liberally. I'll be passing it on to my preacher, knowing he'll quote from it, knowing that will cause it to be carried in our bookstore, knowing that will end up in some little study group taking a look at it, where I'll get to reread and mark up the pages.

My current thought a good read, nice story...little over the top on adjectives and adverbs for me, someone spent some time on an electronic thesaraus it seems to double the number of pages.

I think it is worthwhile read for all Christians, however that this little support from me will keep some of the more orthodox away from it.

[Pathless]

Originally Posted by wil

Made someone's best sellers list?

Originally Posted by lunamoth

My copy says #1 New York Times Bestseller.

Yeah, this is a really big, John Grisham-sized hit novel. I've not seen this one land at the used bookstore where I work yet, but I've been asked about it several times. A lot of people are reading this book. William P. Young is a bit of a rockstar.

[wil]

Finished the book, an enjoyable read. I still see it as some marketing for something although it denies it. An author that hasn't written anything, flying to the top? I did like a lot of the analogies and what the Father, Son and Holy Ghost had to say. As indicated before, I enjoyed the bit in the garden, and also about G!d not being a noun, plenty of other bits...as enough read it will be interesting to dicuss...chapter and verse.