Review of "The Shack" by William P. Young

Via my dear friend Molly's request, I'm now reviewing the ever so popular (if somewhat controversial, which are always entertaining) book, The Shack.

If you're looking for a rant, you'll only find a half-baked one here. If you happen to live in a shack yourself, and haven't heard or read it, this book chronicles the (fictional? Non-fictional?) short story of a man named MacKenzie who loses his daughter in a horrible accident, and spends a weekend with God, in various forms, in a shack in the woods. Before I read a book where I don't know the author, I read the back cover, to see who recommends the book, and then yes, occasionally, judge the book by its cover. This time, however, the people who recommended it intrigued me. Michael W. Smith??! Since when does HE recommend books? Well-known musicians who are sometimes actors in small Christian films do not always equal authors or documented book reviewers.
But this reviewer made me more willing to read the book--Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, and one of the most well-rounded theologians of the 21st century, in my opinion. He equated it with Pilgrim's Progress. Well. A book that's stood as the 2nd most bestselling book besides the Bible for the past 4 centuries? Here we go!

The first half I had the most problems with. Young decided to first portray God to MacKenzie as a woman. I have a pretty good feeling he knew good and well that he'd upset most conservative Christians with this portrayal, including Albert Mohler and others. I understand that he was trying to put God out of the box we've created for Him, where many people (possibly from Catholic backgrounds, nominal Christians) see Him as this Zeus character with a long flowing beard. However, there are so many other people who don't view God this way. For instance, yours truly.
I remember going to church, singing a few songs on the Sunday where I had only read this first part of the book. The image of a "woman-God", no matter how loving "She" is, was incredibly disturbing to me, and actually somewhat hindered my ability to worship the Lord I know who is not that way. One person who reviewed this book viewed Young taking God out of one box, and putting him in a few other ones, and creating Him in Young's various human images. I'd say that's a fairly accurate position. That is a pretty dangerous position to be before God. I would not want to be William P. Young for that.

However, I believe the best part of the book came at the end. His answer to the question of evil, posed by Lady Wisdom, was quite excellent. 'Who are you to judge why earthquakes and tsunamis happen? You should come up here and judge for yourself, and carry the world on your shoulders, and then decide.' (My own paraphrase--apologies) The answer is in humility before the Lord, not thinking we know better than God. Therefore, that section is quite good.

I would recommend this book to nominal Christians, simply because it might take them a book like this to wake them up. Who is God, anyway? Maybe Young won't provide all the answers, but hey, if the Lord uses this seed, so be it, and Amen.

I would also recommend this book to mature believers in the faith. Those willing to not swallow everything they read as gospel-truth, but keeping one eye critical and one eye open to new ideas. This is essential to communicating effectively and biblically to those who are observing us. Also, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I would definitely not recommend this to new believers, otherwise too much confusion would needlessly arise. New believers need simple discipleship, not their Christian worldview turned upside down, again. Same reason why Calvinism shouldn't be explained during evangelism. One thing at a time.

I could say more, but that's the jist. Hope it's helpful to some.
Thanks for reading.
-Joy M.