By Rebecca Fowler
Staff Writer
“Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship.”
Published in 2007, The Shack instantly soared to the top of the bestseller lists, and there are now over seven million copies in print. According to theshackbook.com, it “will soon be appearing in more than 30 languages around the world and in audio versions in many countries as well.”
Though The Shack has received much publicity and praise, not all of its readers are pleased or comfortable with Young’s different and debatable view of the Christian Trinity and other aspects of God and heaven. God appearing as an African-American woman who listens to secular music and eats vegetables and rice is just one of the ways Young strays from the average Christian’s visual image of their Creator.
These distinctions, however, are purposefully incorporated to prove the strong point that our limited imaginations cannot fully grasp the uniqueness of God. Even the protagonist, Mack, claims that “all his visuals for God were very white and very male.”
The Shack’s main theme is cliché yet pure, that God is love and life is all about relationships. Young takes the reader as well as Mack through a roller coaster ride of emotions. From sadness at the beginning with the death of Mack’s daughter, to happiness with the funny and peculiar Father, Son and Holy Spirit and joy when Mack finally comes to embrace his God and family, The Shack embarks on an amazing journey about a transformed life.
Although the book ends well and offers a new, optimistic outlook on life, it is not altogether correct. Upon digging deeper, it is evident that The Shack is not theologically flawless, even if it does tie a nice bow on Christianity.
For example, at one point God, “Papa,” says, “I have been trying to make head or tail out of it, but sorry, he’s [Jesus] got me lost.” This blatantly contradicts the God of the Bible, Whose all-knowing nature is shown in Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!”
The Shack also claims that God is not a Christian. Though people can defend or challenge this statement with different points, it is a definite theological concern.
There is no denying that Young’s The Shack is a matchless work of literature, mainly for its forceful opinions, unique perspective and overwhelming message of love. And even though the details are not theologically and realistically sound, the book is an excellent source of reassurance for the confused and hope for the lost.
“I’m not merely the best version of you that you can think of,” Papa said. “I am far more than that, above and beyond all that you can ask or think.”
