Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1241-1245 of 1858
 A Must Read! June 18, 2008
Amelia Scott (Tennessee)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Awesome book. I recommend to anyone who has ever gone through tough times and questioned God. A must read for all!!
Now the #1 Best Seller--for good reason June 18, 2008
Homeschool Mom (United States)
26 out of 32 found this review helpful
By habit, I am suspicious of books that are popular, especially in the Christian market. I read The Shack guardedly expecting for Oprah's New Age type religion/philosophy.
I was pleasantly surprised with this stirring and unforgettable story about God's love and spiritual healing.
This is a fiction book. Missy's death is a metaphor for an ugly, dark place hidden so deep that it seemed beyond God's healing reach. Mack spends the two and a half days with the Trinity learning about himself and God and relationships in the shack which is transformed into a mansion in an Eden-like garden for the weekend.
I smiled, cried, pondered, prayed, and repented as I read this over two days. The main focus of this book is on God's love, God's mercy, and the importance of us loving and forgiving others. I came away from the book refreshed.
Once I felt comfortable the author believed in salvation by faith through grace and that Jesus being the only way, I let down my guard and basked in this well written book full of hidden treasures. This is a novel you read with a highlighter.
Those who view Christianity only as a religion with rules to follow will learn that faith and love don't come from theology or rules they flow from a relationship with God.
Why is The Shack so Popular?
Young approaches the popular topic the love of God and human suffering in a story. Jesus taught in parables and object lessons becasue we learn well from stories. Young's story is an attempt describe a God's character to his children. But God's character is essentially indescribable. We can only understand a part of God's characteristics by what we know and experience in human relationships.
People in our culture have a need to connect with God as a personal God beyond the holy and omnipotent. Our reverence and wonder about the presence of God make hard to grasp God in terms of intimate family relationships such as God as Papa (instead of an unseen force or an abstract will).
Young presents an easy to relate to version of the trinity of three persons with unique personalities spending a few days casual friendly folksy conversation and home cooked comfort meals. Easy enough for a child to understand, loving, warm and rich.
If you have been hurt in your life through church or religion or experienced the pain of legalism or rejection of judgmental attitudes this book will especially touch you. I have been hurt a lot in churches so I was profoundly impacted.
There is such a chasm between God's holy being and our imperfect world that it is simply hard to understand God's mercy and loving actions with unworthy man. The Shack gives us a grasp of the depth of the love of God and it is beyond comforting, it is exhilarating!
The Controversy
Any book that includes conversations with God is bound to receive criticism. How can anyone put words in God's mouth? But the critics seem to forget the book is a fiction story by a man telling a story about God's love to his children, not a book on theology. It is Young's perception of God.
I was not in total agreement with The Shack (I am not in total agreement with several of my favorite authors). I don't expect any book but the Bible to be perfect. Books are like watermelons; you have to be willing to spit out a few seeds.
I read many of the heresy hunters posts and some of them say some things that just are not true. The article "Is the Shack Heresy?" by Wayne Jacobson addresses each of the problems the critics bring up.
The predestination folks (particularly Tim Challies) seem to have the most problems with the book (the teachings in The Shack--God loves everyone-- do not agree with predestination. See the video series for a full explanation).
A Feminine God?
I imagine the hardest part for Christians to grasp is God being first presented to Mack as a female. Its easy to understand a knee jerk reaction. I was cautious when I read this but not completely turned off I have a limited understanding of the masculine and feminine parts of the image of God(becasue of my studies in Hebrew roots). When Adam was first made, he was both male and female, formed in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
The Shack is not trying to reinvent God as a female, but revealing that God is beyond race and gender. The main character in the story Mack was abused by his father so the author presents a comforting mother type at first, later in the book (once the earthly father issues are solved) God is presented as the Father. Harper's Bible Dictionary explains the Bible uses both male and femal imagery to show the charter of God:
Although masculine images for God dominate (e.g., king, judge, father, brother, shepherd, etc.), it must be recognized that feminine images are also frequently used to describe God's activity. Among these are images related to feminine anatomy (e.g., womb and breasts) and feminine function (e.g., conception, pregnancy, childbirth, maternal nurture, etc.).
In the story, Papa explains that there is no hierarchy in the holy trinity--there is no need becasue each serves each other. It is a thought provoking description and my jury is still out on this section. But I have no problem questioning this and gleaning from the rest of the story.
Turkey Bacon
I was very disappointed that God served bacon for breakfast. My 30 year old son helped me with this. When we discussed it he said (tongue in cheek) "Hey mom, it is probably the same turkey bacon you serve." I was enjoying the story so much I didn't want this part to ruin it. So in my mind--it is turkey bacon.
Christians can agree to disagree in non-salvation issues and still love each other.
To fairly critique the book I would ask the question: What did Mack learn from his weekend with God?
The Shack is not about theology or religion, but about the sweetness of an intimate relationship with God through Christ.
Mack is reminded of basic truths found in God's word that he allowed forgot during his great sadness. The truths are given in an unconditional casual conversation format that may make some people uncomfortable.
Mack learns that he doesn't really trust God and "Trust is the fruit of a relationship where you know you are loved" (p 126).
Mack discovers that God's desires an intimate love relationship with each of us. He learns God wants him to spend time with Him and intimately communicate with Him, to enjoy fellowship with Him, to trust and follow Him, and to give his life meaning and purpose. He learns that God can use all things, even sin and evil to develop this relationship for good (Romans 8:28).
Mack discovers the depth of God's grace (Ephesians 2:4-5) . He learns that he can not be self-sufficient and realizes he has been made acceptable through Jesus Christ and Him alone. He learns he will not find God through guilt or condemnation. He understands God is lovingly and patiently waiting on Him to submit (1 Peter 5:7).
Mack is reminded of the two most important commands--to love God and love others (john 13:35). Mack already knows he must forgive others as Christ forgave Him but in the shack he is helped through the process.
Mack learns God works through everything including our brokenness and sadness (Philippians 3:8). When we are separated from our prideful flesh (the carnal, corrupted life) through grace and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us He will gradually bring us to the restful place of humble dependence, wherein we can consistently receive the grace that leads to intimacy. Beautiful, loving intimacy!
Mack learns God wants us to be made complete in Christ (John 6:44-45). God wants us to be of one mind with Him. God wants us to make His ways our ways, His thoughts our thoughts.
I came away from the book feeling loved and secure with a strong desire to cultivate my relationship with God through His Word. How can that be a bad thing?
 Bad foundation leads to unreliable structure June 17, 2008
W. Doolittle (Spring Lake, MI United States)
14 out of 22 found this review helpful
To truly understand this book, it is helpful to know something about its origins. While I no nothing about it's author, I know a great deal about it's publisher, Wayne Jacobson. Jacobson embraced "The Shack" when mainstream Christian publishing houses wouldn't (and rightly so) touch it. Without Jacobson's enthusiasm and faith, this book would never have seen the light of day.
Wayne Jacobson is a former pastor who was dismissed from his position largely because of his honest appraisal of the pathetic state of the church today. While I agree with Jacobson about much of what he says about church today, he has, unfortunately allowed his experience to dangerously distort his perception of God. Turning one's back on church is a lonely experience (I know) and can easily break any man of faith. In my case, I couldn't cope with it, and returned to church without ever fully coming to terms with the problems I still see in the church. Jacobson never returned to church, and I believe is coping in a different way. His way is this: To make up for the lack of true community enjoyed in church, Jacobson has tried to draw closer to God (So far, so good.) The problem begins to arise when any man thinks that he can draw God down closer to himself - perhaps recreating the kind of fellowship that Adam knew with God in the Garden. It is not that God does not want relationship with us; it is just that God the Father will not, and cannot, relate to us as he did in the Garden; not until we reach heaven. The proof that the curse remains in effect, and a gulf still exists between us and the Father, is seen in that all men still die. In desperation to bridge an unbridgeable gap, Jacobson - and author Young - have reduced God to a finite form that they can metaphorically "get their arms around". This is akin to the Catholic error - in the reverse direction - of lifting up Mary and placing her beyond reach. Both errors are borne of misguided human attempts to manage divine things, to accomplish human ends.
I will confess that many-a-time I have allowed myself to imagine God-the-Father as a male Caucasian, with grey hair and beard, much like Michelangelo depicted Him on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. However, we know from both the Old and New Testament that we are instructed not to imagine any form for God, for he is spirit. I think the clear implication of the totality of scriptural teaching on this subject is that by giving God a form in our imagination, we injure ourselves by limiting an infinite God - it is not in our to do so. We want, and need God, to be infinite and omnipotent; precisely the God we need to deliver us from all evil, including the grave. We must do everything in our power to avoid limiting him, especially in our imagination, close to the areas where faith resides.
Consequently, since it is wrong, and not in our own interests, to conjure up a fatherly, male Caucasian, image of God in our minds; it would also be wrong to imagine him as Chinese, black, hip, square, thin, fat, slovenly, neatly-dressed, or a matronly black woman named Papa. If William P. Young, in his novel "The Shack", conjured up Papa as some kind of subtle rebuke to the western stereotype of God as grey-bearded white male, than he merely compounds the error, providing additional proof that Young is unqualified to expound on the theology of everything through the character of Papa. In depicting God-the-Father in human form, he violates the second commandment:
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below" - Exodus 20:4
If that commandment, written in stone, is not clear enough, Moses made it clear:
"You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or A WOMAN or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below." - Deuteronomy 4:15-18 (emphasis mine)
In my long experience exploring the things of God, I learned long ago that if someone sets himself up as a teacher and then, right out of the starting gate, falls into grievous error, it is best to cut your losses, then and there, and look for a new teacher.
Wise seekers after God would be well advised to not even begin on "The Shack". It is a fools journey. A better journey to take - for those questioning the current church paradigm - is the following excellent book by a pastor with 30 years experience, who left church and religion behind to embark on personal journey of exploration with Jesus Christ. That book is:When the Church Leaves the Building
Take it for the Story! June 17, 2008
P. Barton
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I hope people read this book and take it to heart. I do not profess to know all of God's truths. However, I am intelligent, educated and love to read. This book was one I couldn't put down. I have even gone back to my underlining and keep the 16 pages of notes with me to remind of important life lessons. Through the gift of story (in his own style!), a spark was ignited and the passion which followed will surely stay with me. As a family therapist, I especially loved the part on forgiveness. How true it is that it is "letting go of the throat of another" and allowing the forgiver to experience love and relationship again. I forgave my father for molesting me so that I could live again in loving relationships. What it did for my father is for God and him to work out.
Read the book without nit picking sentence structure and scholarly review. Read it as if you are looking into a mirror and finding what you need to do to experience the blessings God has for you!
Absolutely Amazing!! June 17, 2008
C. Cohlmia (Dallas, TX)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book will change your whole thought process of a personal relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Intensely intimate and rewarding will this book be for you. You will not be able to put it down until you have finished it. Please read and share this book with others you love and care about!
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