I heard all the “bad” about The Shack, and just chose not to ready it. But a friend asked me to read it to give her my take.
I loved the book. Number 1, it’s fiction. Just as with LOTR movies, or
C.S. Lewis children’s books, there is a representation of God. But the book clearly explains why “papa” took the form of a woman. He (papa) explains that if he’d shown himself as a father figure to begin with, the message would have been rejected due to the main character’s relationship with his dad.
At the end of the book, papa takes the form of a man, once he explains why he chose to be take on a woman’s form in the rest of the book.
I will say that anyone who has suffered loss or disappointment, the book is
window into the soul of a sufferer.
Well said. I also read it and enjoyed it quite a bit.
I remember a story about God taking the form of a dove. Also a bush that was on fire.
“But the book clearly explains why “papa” took the form of a woman. He (papa) explains that if he’d shown himself as a father figure to begin with, the message would have been rejected due to the main character’s relationship with his dad.”
The problem is the God-the-Father of the bible, never changes His form...because we have a distorted understanding of fatherhood. Such a heresy is very old, dating to 2nd & 3rd Century, called “modalism.” (and this is an especially perverted form of modalism, adapted to the sin of our age—teaching God is transgender). God is in 3 real, substantial, persons—with one essence, or being—and the persons of God are not modes, or masks, He puts on—like a suit of clothes.
The most major issue of the book though, is universalism—the idea that everyone will, someday, become saved.
It does no good to pass it off as “fiction” as that’s simply the vehicle in which the author, Paul Young, is trying to teach us universal truths about God.
Young is a heretic—and I’m using that word carefully—meaning his teachings, if adopted, would destroy orthodox Christianity.
I don’t know whether or not he is saved—I do know—from many years in seminary, and studying the holy trinity—the author of The Shack is a false teacher—and despite (or really because of) the heart wrenching story, about tragedy and loss, the book puts people in a vulnerable place—where they turn off their critical thinking capacity, and accept very unbiblical, false teachings—about the very nature of the holy trinity, and, salvation.
I pray the movie will fall through—as no matter how much a “window of the soul” or helpful it is to those suffering great loss....it offers false hope, and portrays a false god.
I don’t know what happened to my copy, but I found it to be extremely helpful while I was trying to heal from the kidnapping and murder of my sister. The author identifies how a person can get ‘locked in’ mentally, emotionally, and spiritually when faced with a huge trauma.
He also clearly identified some of what a person goes through in the face of such an event, but he does it in such a way that it seems like he has personally been through such an event. He touched that particular home base within me like nothing else ever has, and he does it early in the story.
Consequently, areas within me were touched that allowed me to begin to heal. It had been 7 years since our (my family and me) event so the relief was overdue.
Later, while reading the criticism of the book from the evengelicals, I learned that historically in the OT, Wisdom was referred to in the feminine. Wisdom is an essential trait of the Holy Spirit. So is mercy, compassion, understanding, forgiveness. At one point, this aspect of the Holy Spirit was referred to in a femimine name of Sophia.
As we examine the character of God, we see that he expresses BOTH masculine and feminine traits. Now look at Adam. He was made in the image of God and at a certain point, God separates Adam into two parts of a whole..masculine and feminine traits. Even genetically we can see evidence of the two being one. Adam has TWO genetic markers....an X chromosome, and a Y chromosome. Woman has only HALF of his chromosomes. She carries the X which leaves room for that X being joined by a Y to form a male child in her womb. Facinating!
So, the author uses truths and legends to weave a tale that touches some in a unique way, a powerful way which can cut through even the toughest of emotional and spiritual sinews to cause healing to occur, while others are untouched at all. So ok...this story, like many stories, impact some, but not others. What’s wrong with that?
I don’t worry about the ‘heretical’ accusation, because there are some 33 thousand Christian denominations, each heretical to the other in one way or another. Labels and opinions are easy to toss around, everybody has one, and each favors his own.
I’m not sure that a movie can do this book justice, but I’d be willing to watch it.