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The Shack

Posted by tom | Apr 11, 2008

Should I read The Shack, a fictional piece which wrestles with the timeless question "Where is God in the world so filled with unspeakable pain?" through some unique storytelling [which has caused quite the conversation (e.g., see comments on Chris From Canada]. According to Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus Of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.

 

When the imagination of a writer and the passion of a theologian cross-fertilize the result is a novel on the order of The Shack. This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress did for his. It’s that good!

 

The back cover shares:

William P. Young [i.e., the author] was born a Canadian and raised among a stone-age tribe by his missionary parents in in the highlands of what was New Guinea.  He suffered great loss as a child and young adult, and now enjoys the 'wastefulness of grace' with his family in the Pacific Northwest.

Here's a quote from the book shared by a member of the Brethren-in-Christ List-Serve.  I assume it's God talking with Mack:

Let's use the example of friendship and how removing the element of life from a noun can drastically alter a relationship. Mack, if you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. That expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. But what happens if I change that 'expectancy' to an 'expectation'—spoken or unspoken? Suddenly, law has entered into our relationship. You are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations. Our living friendship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements. It is no longer about you and me, but about what friends are supposed to do, or the responsibilities of a good friend:

Or, noted Mack, "the responsibilities of a husband, or a father, or employee, or whatever. I get the picture. I would much rather live in expectancy.

It's a maybe.  Related tangent which might indicate my furture direction:  I'm about to begin The Amber Spyglass . . . comments regarding Dust to come.  Being drawn into the Pullman His Dark Materials Trilogy probably doesn't come as much of a surprise to those which remember the posts:

What's the deal with the Golden Compass?
The Golden Compass Conversation

Back on track:  But how much of my time should such reading take when contrasted with my current to read pile with a baby en route. May it will be available at the local library, via a loan from a friend, or even maybe I'll wait to hear an assessment of someone with whom I have regular conversation . . . any volunteers?

PS.  Thanks to The Shack's homepage, I read through the Forward and Chapter 1.  I appreciated the exploration of the value of the interuption the commonplace routine by the elements, particularly snow. We've experienced that several times in our life, most notably being snowed in on our honeymoon (not so bad is it) and in Following Christ 98 (don't remind the conference director as we prepare for this year's conference).  Nothing like receiving a message from God during such a time!  

 

Speculative literature/arts, Reviews and Cliff Notes | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0)

7 Comments & 0 Trackbacks of "The Shack"

    I read it recently, and I highly recommend it.

    Posted by Peter V, Apr 11 2008, 14:20

    Hey Tom - Thanks for the link.

    I definitely don't agree with everything presented in the book but it sure has started some great conversations with friends and families who are not followers of Christ!

    Posted by Chris from Canada, Apr 11 2008, 16:49

    Peter recommended it to me, and so I read it. Interestingly enough, if I understood him correctly, he said that he didn't think the first ~80 pages were all that great/gripping, but once he got past it then it was good.

    I thought the beginning was quite gripping, and couldn't put it down. Some of the rest of it was good, but lots of it were too wishy washy or something (having trouble coming up with a word/phrase to describe what I am thinking). It didn't quite say that doctrines don't matter, but pretty close. I am fine with the manifestations of God challenging our expectations, and I thought most of the descriptions of the shimmery Holy Spirit were okay. I didn't appreciate the sarcastic God character. Nor the buddy-buddy Jesus who said that all was important was to hang out and have a good time.

    If I had known that it is the latest craze book, I probably wouldn't have bothered. But, it is a fast read, so probably worth the couple hours it took to read.

    One thing of note is that a couple of the reviewers (I particularly remember Michael W. Smith's review) seem to go out of their way to remark about the book being a work of fiction, but according to the foreword, the author states that the book is as accurate as he and Mack can remember. Somehow seems scarier if he thinks that the encounter is a true story.

    Posted by Jon Daley, Apr 11 2008, 23:40

    Chris, Jon, and Peter, Thanks for the feedback! I had the opportunity to chat w/a basketball friend of mine on Thursday regarding "The Shack."

    He shared that a relative was passing around copies and the family was going to have a book discussion about "The Shack" sometime in the coming weeks.

    Family book discussion . . . what a great idea! I'm not sure how wide the net was cast in the family, but it's a habit I'm going to explore developing in our extended families. Plenty of IVP books in my basement to share ;-)

    I wonder, would anyone have interest in an on-line book discussion? I'm moving in the direction of a 'post' instead of a 'comment.'

    In Christ, Tom

    Posted by Tom, Apr 12 2008, 10:11

    I loved the Shack and don't really see why some people have such nasty things to say about it. I took it as what it is, an imaginative work of fiction. And bottom line, the message of God's love is what's so important. I'd also like to suggest another fictional book with a wonderful Christian message called Forgiving Ararat by Gita Nazareth. It's about a woman who unlocks the mystery of her own murder from her place in the afterlife. It's a historical and religious exploration within a suspenseful murder mystery. Hope to read your comments here should you choose to read Forgiving Ararat.

    Posted by Sharon Lee, Dec 14 2009, 18:48

    Thank-you Sharon. I did find the space/opportunity to read "The Shack," teased by the posting of the Forward/Chapter 1 and further facilitated by a copy given to me by a friend. I'll check out the first two chapters at http://www.forgivingararat.com/journeybegins.htm and see who else I know who is reading "Forgiving Ararat."

    Posted by Thomas B. Grosh IV, Dec 15 2009, 08:03

    The Shack will not strike the right chord for those who are very literal in their thinking, or for the doctrine police who thinks that there can only be one explanation to everything.
    Though I can't say that I loved this book, I do feel that there are big ideas and important messages to be explored. As for Sharon's suggestion, I finally had the chance to read Forgiving Ararat and thought of it as a highly thought-provoking and intelligent read. What Nazareth did was planted the seeds and created the room for discussion. Both The Shack and Forgiving Ararat would make good reads for book clubs.

    Posted by Stella Tran, Dec 25 2009, 21:05