"Mack" Philips took his three children on a family camping trip while his wife visited her sister. Just as they were about to leave the campsite, the two older kids decided to take a last canoe ride before heading home. As their canoe overturned, and Mack went to help them, his back was turned and the unspeakable happened. Mack's youngest daughter,Missy, was abducted by a known child predator. After a massive search, evidence of Missy showed up at an abandoned cabin. Although they never found her body, everyone knew the worst had happened. For the next four years "a great sadness" fell over Mack and his family, until a note from God showed up in his mailbox. What happens next will move you to a greater understanding of God's unfailing love for us all.
Mackenzie Allen Phillips's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in this midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change his life forever.
Wm. Paul Young was born a Canadian and raised among a Stone Age tribe by his missionary parents in the highlands of former New Guinea. He suffered great loss as a child and young adult and now enjoys the "wastefulness of grace" with his family in the Pacific Northwest.
Eugene Peterson says this book is as good and as important as The Pilgrim’s Progress. Well, it really is not. It is neither as good nor as original a story and it lacks the theological precision of Bunyan’s work. But really, this is a bit of a facile comparison. The Pilgrim’s Progress, after all, is allegory—a story that has a second distinct meaning that is partially hidden behind its literal meaning. The Shack is not meant to be allegory. Nor can The Shack quite be equated with a story like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe where C.S. Lewis simply asked (and answered) this kind of question: “What might Christ become like if there really were a world like Narnia, and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?” The Shack is in a different category than these more notable Christian works. It seeks to represent the members of the Trinity as they are (or as they could be) and to suggest through them what they might teach were they to appear to us in a similar situation. There is a sense of attempted or perceived reality in this story that is missing in the others. This story is meant to teach theology that Young really believes to be true. The story is a wrapper for the theology. In theory this is well and good; in practice the book is only as good as its theology. And in this case, the theology just is not good enough.
Because of the sheer volume of error and because of the importance of the doctrines reinvented by the author, I would encourage Christians, and especially young Christians, to decline this invitation to meet with God in The Shack. It is not worth reading for the story and certainly not worth reading for the theology. -- Tim Challies
Average Rating: 3 out of 5 stars(3 out of 5 stars)
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0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Mrs. Beulah Cox Moore (Buffalo, MO), November 23, 2009
Dee Henderson has a series that begins with twin girls being kidnapped. One is murdered, the other permanently scarred on many levels. Dee's work is inspirational, giving glory to the REAL God of Scripture. Young's story is bad theology wrapped in sensationalism, which sadly couldn't be discerned by believers and brings no glory to anyone.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Judy Keenan (Smyrna, DE), November 22, 2009
This is one of those books that grab you! I love this book! I look forward to rereading this. There is much there between the pages. I highly recommend this to all believers (and those who are seeking!). You will God in a different light, that is for sure!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by \s Keenan (Smyrna, DE), November 22, 2009
WOW! This is one of those books that take you by surprise. There is much hidden between the pages - much to be digested. I look forward to rereading this book. It is also a book that encourages discussions! I highly recommend this book for all believers. You will see God in a different light, for sure!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Carol Fisher (Charleston, SC), November 20, 2009
It's blessed me with new understanding of how unexplainable/awesome God is & helped me in a 30 week study that I'm part of: Christian Believer. I don't know why Christians are negative/unloving of others when this book has been used by God to call people to Him in a way that only God can do. God is not narrow-minded. His people are.
"Reviewed by Patricia Martin (covington, ga), June 25, 2009 My husband and I just finished reading the Shack. No other book has impacted our lives as this one except the Bible. Before I read it I came here to C.B.D. and read the reviews. not just the good ones either. for 2 weeks I prayed that God would give me the discernment that I needed to know if this book was blasphemous or against scripture in any way. My prayer now is that God take me back to my "shack" so that I can have a relationship with Him as never before, My prayer is that all of the barriers of tradition be ripped away, and that philosophies of man be torn to shreds. How anyone could say that this book is blasphemous or against scripture is beyond me, I have never encountered a fiction book that spoke to me the way this one has. How I long for true union with not only God but my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I wonder if all of the objections are over how "God" showed up or was it the fact that Jesus is still 100% man as well as 100% God? not to mention that wisdom was given her own personality, (have you forgotten the proverbs) maybe it was the fact that the name of the Holy Spirit meant "wind" The best I could come up with to explain all the negative reviews is narrow minded, tradition laden, men pleaser's who are so steeped in religion they cant see the forest for the trees. God help you. For all of those who "Got IT" Praise the Lord!!! keep trusting, keep seeking, keep praying that God will take you back to your shack everybody has one and we can all know God just as this fictional character did. even more so because we are alive!! God Bless in Christ."
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by William Rodney (Pineville, LA), November 19, 2009
Very Emotional story that really brings out the best of many emotions. I really enjoyed the book and would recomend it to others. It taught me that there is always a better relationship to be held between me and my Heavenly Father!
0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by RealMenPray (US), November 14, 2009
Gross! What a deceitful book...definitely a F-A-R cry from God's Word! "Jesus says to come unto Me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (I haven't rested since reading the 2nd chapter, all I can do is pray for those who've strayed, by William P Young (Hope he's not into Koolaide!--Now The Shack is a fire-starter!)
0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Rose (Daly City, CA), November 13, 2009
Beware Christians! There's a lot of heresies in this book! We cannot combine truth and error! We have to ask the Holy Spirit for spiritual discernment when we decide to read books such as these. We have to remember that there is only ONE WAY to our Father in heaven and this book contradicts that. There is something seriously wrong with that in itself.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Stephen Scott (Keene, TX), November 12, 2009
This was a great read. It is a great book. It brings joy, and sorrow. But the main point, is; it talks about how we are to have a servants attitude, and sew the Love of Christ. To shine our light. I have been a spirit filled man since 1990, do not like to use the term christian. It is used too loosely today. I do not know what Tim Challies has against the book. I guess he like so many others always belives God can't transform himself in to someone different than what is in their mind. He's God so I guess he could walk right up to you looking like anyone he wanted to.
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