The Shack

The Shack by William P. Young


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Disclosure: I must admit that, in general, I am skeptical of Christian fiction and pop novels in Christian culture. (Note: I am not referring to fiction that espouses or alludes to Christian beliefs and/or stories, but rather, fictional representations of God and/or spiritual encounters)

Anyways, I was given this book as a gift from a relative of mine about 6 months ago. He had read it and said that he really enjoyed it. I had also heard it mentioned a number times amongst some of my Christian friends and the plot sounded intriguing, so I decided to give it a chance. The header of the book reads: "Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity." In a nutshell (no spoilers), the main character "Mack" experiences a great tragedy in his life and his faith in God is shaken as a result. Throughout the novel, the main character's interactions and conversations with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, his friends and family helps him sort through and better understand his “Great Sadness” and suffering in light of a loving God. Although, the book itself is truly moving and the depth of the content is admirable, I was disappointed with the way that God was represented. As a result, I would not recommend it to most people although it might be an interesting read for someone who is strong in their understanding of the character of God.

First of all, let's talk about the story itself. Admittedly, the content is both difficult and moving. The characters are presented well and their sorrowful situation can definitely be identified with and demands sympathy. I actually got a little misty at one point while reading it. As far as the structure and writing goes, it is not particularly eloquent, but it is clear enough and it the story does not drag. The most engaging parts of the novel are Mack's direct interaction with God, and while this is the most engaging portion of the story, it is also the most difficult for me to accept. If the divine beings (trinity) in the novel were instead presented merely as other characters giving there perspective concerning the character of God, I think I would have been more accommodating to the content.

HOWEVER, when it comes to God, I have a hard time tolerating anyone claiming to speak directly for Him or especially “as” Him. One of my biggest pet peeves when I am driving down the interstate here in the bible belt is when I see a billboard for a church that says something like:

“Haven't seen you in a while” - God
or
“Blah, blah, blah, blah” - God

It doesn't really matter what it says unless it is a direct verse from the bible. What I am trying to say is, those people have no right or authority to speak directly as God! In the same way, I have trouble allowing Paul Young the freedom to present and speak as these “God” caricatures in this novel. God is presented as an Aunt Jemimah-ish cookie making person, Jesus as a young, fun loving buddy, and the Holy Spirit (or Sarayu) as a mystical, gardening Asianish woman. So, first of all I have a little trouble with God being presented in so light a fashion. But the main thing I have a problem with here is that Mack has extended made-up dialogue with “God” in these three forms for chapters and chapters. To his credit, I can tell that the author genuinely tries to present the trinity (some character qualities at least) as it is revealed through scripture, but just like the billboards I mentioned earlier, who is Paul Young to speak as God or even on his behalf??? Like I said, if these were merely other characters in the novel that happened to possess qualities that were similar to the characteristics of God as revealed through scripture, I would be more accommodating, but they are not.

These things being said, there are some very good qualities to this book. The themes that the novel approaches are deep and these themes are rewarding exploration for those who honestly seek to understand and have a relationship with God. Young approaches the theme of human suffering in a unique and compelling way, and I appreciate the loving and gracious quality of God that he presents. There are certainly less “fuzzy” characteristics of God that need to be understood as well, but this is a small novel so it makes sense that he cannot broach every theological subject all at once.

Unfortunately, while the premise and theme of The Shack is both interesting and challenging, the suspect quality of the way God is presented combined with a lack of scriptural reference, and very little mention of salvation makes this novel one that I would rarely recommend. I do not regret reading it, but I probably will not read it again.

LEAST favorite line: "Nobody wanted God in a box, just in a book. Especially an expensive one bound in leather with gilt edges, or was that guilt edges?" (doesn't make sense contextually; the author is just trying to be clever. fail.

Recommended reading:

The Bible
Attributes of God by Arthur Pink

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The Case for Faith

The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity by Lee Strobel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars You can tell as you read this book that Lee Strobel has a very analytical nature. He investigates the primary hindrances of faith in much the way a lawyer would or even a private detective. I respect that because that is not at all the way I approach those types of issues. In this novel, Lee Strobel lays out what he calls the "big 8" objections to Faith including the issues of suffering, death, and Hell in light of a loving God. He interviews a number of scholars and one prominent atheist (formerly a pastor) in order to find answers to these questions. The responses are quite interesting. If you were unaware, Strobel was an atheist himself prior to researching the validity of Christ's resurrection. He came to believe in Christ's deity while seeking to disprove it. However, while his bias is evident, he seems to present the information in this book in a systematic and thorough fashion. However, however, while he is systematic in his presentation, he is not necessarily objective. While I found the information in this novel helpful for my personal faith, I do wish it was more objective. The topics are so heavy and deep in their implications that I don't think this medium is the best way to present these ideas. I would much rather listen to a lengthy and open discussion amongst experts on these topics rather than receive this condensed and edited version on paper. All-in-all I enjoyed the book. I would recommend it primarily to Christians who are well established in their faith and desire to hear a broad defense of faith in God in light of evil/suffering. If you are not a Christian, I would recommend reading Strobel's other book "The Case for Christ" first. After reading that you should have a much clearer understanding of where Strobel is coming from with his assumptions in this book. View all my reviews >>

Brave New World

Brave New World, P.S. by Aldous Huxley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was surprised after reading this when I discovered that Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1932. His descriptions of the culture of the future (he assumed 600 hundred years later) are disturbingly acute, when considering the trends of our current culture as well as our expectations of the near future. Ok, maybe humans mass manufactured in test tubes is a far off possibility (not possible at all I would think), but certain aspects of Aldous Huxley's future world are interesting. His description of future people group's dependence upon drugs and sexuality for fulfillment are particularly cutting when looking at the changes in our own culture in America over the past 50-60 years. Enjoyable novel. It helps the reader to consider what aspects of humanity are truly important and beautiful; the juxtaposition of individual humanity, through the noble savage, and social humanity are very effective in illustrating these points. Recommended if you enjoy science fiction or literature concerning social commentary.

Favorite quotes: "There was a thing called Heaven but all the same they used to drink enormous quantities of alcohol."

also,

Referring to soma..."All of the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects." View all my reviews >>

The Gunslinger

The Gunslinger by Stephen King


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is the first book by Stephen King that I have actually read all the way through. I have started a few of his other books before (The Tommyknockers, The Stand), but he just was not able to keep my attention. This book was different though. I enjoyed it for what it was... Actually, I'm still not sure what happened, but it was intriguing enough to keep me guessing about what was going to come next as the Gunslinger chased the man in black across the desert and underneath mountains. The action in the novel was well paced to keep the story moving and interesting although I can't really say that the characters left a lasting impact on me.

All in all, it was a good book. I am not sure I will read the rest of the series though.


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