The Shack, Book Review

What a great book! As one who has had the privilege of teaching others theology, I can honestly say that I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this book, namely, to address the pervasive problem of Evil. At its core the premise and the content of this book are well-founded and Scriptural. While the author took great poetic license with the distinctive persons in the Trinity, I considered it tasteful and well done while accentuating in more than one place the same thing the early Church fathers stated at the council of Nicea in 325. That is, there is one essence "ousia", many hypostases, "persons". There is unity in the Godhead, never division. I found the description of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to all be consistent with Scripture. While I disagreed with the blanket anger toward the institutional church made by the main character, I certainly understand that to be a foundational worldview in the narcissistic world we find ourselves in, and who I believe is the target audience. The initial trauma of the story was troubling to read, but so is Evil in our midst. The descriptions of God's grace, the evil of judging and legalism, and the hope of the future were absolutely fantastic. How a legalistic person who has issue with God can read the scene of the main character being placed as judge over God without questioning their own personal worldview, is beyond me. I am thankful for the widespread readership of this book and it's potential to reach many people who are angry at God and far from the faith. What are the major lessons learned from this book? I see several.


1. God can be trusted
2. God's purposes are perpetually too complex to understand
3. God's love is endless
4. God's enthusiasm for His plan of redemption is paramount
5. The presence of Evil in this world is predicated on the fact that the end of the ages has not yet come.
6. God is present with us.
7. People and sin are the obstacle, not God.
8. Jesus is the absolute only way to heaven.


The only troubling phrase I found theologically in the book came from "Jesus" stating that he seeks to get to people through every means (In a discussion about do all roads lead to the same God). While the book affirmed the centrality of Christ, it left open the possibility that Christ could be found within the pursuits of other world religions. An unlikely notion at best, as other traditions deny the efficacy of Christ (1 Corinthians 15) being fully God and Man, and able by his resurrection to save those that believe.
While I certainly would affirm from Scripture that God is working to reach every lost person there is with the Good News of Christ, I would never affirm participation in other world religions as a vehicle to God any more than participating in the sin nature leads to grace. I'm reminded of Paul's question to the Romans in Chapter 6:
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984. (NIV)


While I certainly agree with the potential of Eugene Peterson's endorsement, I'm inclined to think that this will function much like C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity as an "emotional apologetic" for those struggling with God's love and power vs. their loss.


As C.S. Lewis so rightly observed,


God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains:


His voice is loud and clear in The Shack