The Shack

Sorry for the summer respite from blogging.....

Something I've wanted to do for a while is write a review of The Shack by William Young. I read it this summer and enjoyed many aspects of it.

1. It is a gripping story that forces us to address some heart-wrenching issues that are very real for many folks.
   
2. It warmly portrays the compassion and tenderness of God.
3. It communicates the nearness of God to us amidst our struggles.
   
4. It does a good job of making us wrestle with the mystery of evil.
5. It attempts to show how God might resolve our questions in a way that is partially faithful to scripture.
   

But there are some significant problems...

1. It neglects to adequately portray the unfathomable glory and wisdom of God that is the ultimate answer for our questions about evil and suffering (see the book of Job).
2. It downplays or even eliminates God's sovereignty over all of creation, even evil. (It is a scary thing if God is not in control - there are no guarantees in such a world.)
   
3. It messes a bit too much with clear scriptural revelations of God for a 21st century version of God. (God as a woman, God as a cool older dude etc.)
   
4. It does not emphasize the awesome holiness of God and our obvious and complete unworthiness before him. (see Is. 6 for a biblical encounter between God and a man.)
   
5. It does not sufficiently highlight the ultimate resolution of evil in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Hope that helps. Read it if you are able to sift the good from the bad, otherwise, stay away from it's ultimately unhelpful portrayal of God and the problem of evil. Also, Check out Trevin Waxes review for a fuller analysis.