Location: Home » Other Books » General » The Shack

The Oenophile Network Blog & Forum Links

Wine Blog
Wine Forum

The Shack

enlarge

Author: William P. Young
Creator: Wayne Jacobsen & Brad Cummings
Publisher: Windblown Media
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$14.99~~
Buy New: $6.97
You Save: $8.02 (54%)

New (76) Used (34) from $6.97

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

1511 reviews
Sales Rank: 2

Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.8

ISBN: 0964729237
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780964729230
ASIN: 0964729237

Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 26-30 of 1511

« PREV

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

... 303 NEXT »

Amazing October 4, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Thought provoking, amazing, makes you stop and think. Picked it for my book club and the girls are coming over tonight for our review! Highly recommend. Not a "religous" book. One my group of Catholics, Atheists, Pagans and Pentecostal Christian friends will enjoy discussing . . . I hope! :)

5 out of 5 stars

Great book for people who have lost a child October 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

It was surprising to know that the author hadn't actually lost a child. His emotions were so authentic.

I would recommend this book for anyone who has lost someone close...especially those of us who are bereaved parents.

5 out of 5 stars

The Shack October 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

This is an excellent book! I believe anyone could read this and get something from it! I highly recommend it too believers and nonbelievers alike!

I can't say enough about the effect it had on my own life personally.

1 out of 5 stars

Into "The Shack" and Out Again - A Critics Tale October 3, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ," Galatians 1:6-10.

These words of the apostle Paul, spoken by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the church of Galatia nearly two-thousand years ago still hold true today. In this writers own life these words have taken on even greater significance as of late because of a book that has many Christians talking and has this writer wondering how the bride of Christ, the church of the living God, whom God's own Son purchased with His blood, could so easily, and so willingly be led astray.

The book mentioned is, of course "The Shack," by William P. Young, and it has taken the Christian community by storm. Many within Christian circles have become enraptured by this work of fiction and are discussing how this book broadened their understanding of God, deepened their faith in Jesus, even radically changed their lives. Even among leading Christians the book has received rave reviews. Eugene Peterson for example, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College and author of "The Message" Bible states that "The Shack" "has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's The Pilgrim Progress did for his," and musician Michael W. Smith states that "The Shack will leave you craving for the presence of God." Ironically, Smith is correct, but for reasons other than those intended by his statement, for "The Shack" does leave the observant reader "craving for the presence of God" through the realization that in this book the God of the Bible is absent, having been replaced by the author's unbiblical characterization of the Lord with a God that is nowhere portrayed in Scripture in such ways as William P. Young seeks to describe him.

Unfortunately, for some, such a sweeping generalization of a work of fiction will be overlooked or derided. Authors who recognize the doctrinal error which this book teaches will be maligned by some of those who claim the name of Christ and every attempt will be made to paint those such as myself as fearful, weak minded, legalistic, judgmental, religionists. But let the criticisms come, as I am sure they will. As the apostle Paul sought not the approval of man in Galatians 1:10, neither do I seek the approval of anyone but God alone, who has saved me through His Son, and whose name and Holy character I seek to uphold and defend against any who would present God in ways apart from the manner in which he is described in Scripture or who would condone those who do. In fact, those who have already done so in previous comments to me about this book have only served as an inspiration to further study this particular work of fiction in order to be better acquainted with it so as to better refute the clear doctrinal heresies that are present in this book.

So here it is. After having thoroughly read William P. Young's "The Shack" in one sitting, my suspicions about the book were proven true, and the reviews I read by those such as Albert Mohler, Mark Driscoll, Michael Youseff and others were shown to be accurate assessments of this book. However, even these men of God did not touch upon all the false teachings presented in this book in their coverage of it. Only after my own careful reading of "The Shack" did I see it for all that it was.

"The Shack tells the story of Mackenzie Allen Phillips. A grief stricken father trying to deal with pain he is experiencing over the kidnap and murder of his young daughter, Missy, by a serial killer, while on a family camping trip deep in the Oregon wilderness. Missy's body is not initially found, but her blood soaked dress is recovered from an old abandoned shack.

Driven by his depression and grief over this horrific event, Mackenzie (or Mack as he is known throughout the book) plunges into what the author describes as The Great Sadness. As a result, Mack becomes a mere shell of the man he used to be as he relives each night in his dreams the circumstances that led up to his daughters disappearance and death.

A few years go by when one day a letter arrives in the mail from God himself, inviting Mack to return to the shack in order to spend some time together with him. The letter is signed Papa (the name which God the Father is given throughout the rest of the book).

Shocked at first by the letter, assuming it to be a cruel prank, Mack eventually suspects that perhaps the letter really is from God, and he decides to go to the shack and find out. Here the first of many heresies unfolds. On pages 65-66 we're told:

"Try as he might, Mack could not escape the desperate possibility that the note just might be from God after all, even if the thought of God passing notes did not sit well with his theological training. In seminary he had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God's voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects. It seemed that direct communication with God was something exclusively for the ancients and uncivilized, while educated Westerners' access to God was mediated and controlled by the intelligentsia. 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?"

With this statement William P. Young reveals his heretical view of Scripture and presents to the reader a view of the Bible that denies its absolute authority and its inspiration as the very Word of God. Elsewhere in the book this same idea is brought forth as the author states that God's "ability to communicate is limitless," not being restricted to the revelation of God in His Word (198).

The Bible, however, is quite clear that Scripture is God's only special revelation to mankind and contains all that God wanted to disclose to mankind about Himself, and all that He intends for us to think of Him. To go beyond that, as William P. Young does in "The Shack" and to describe God in ways outside of the realm of Scripture, or to imagine that He would ever reveal Himself in ways contrary to the Word of God is to mock, malign, and revile the name and righteous character of God by belittling the Word which he magnifies above that name (see Psalm 138:2; Matt. 5:17; John 14:26; John 16:13; Eph. 2:20; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Hebrews 2:3-4, etc.). Furthermore, the revelation that God has given us through His Word is entirely sufficient and complete (Hebrews 1:1-4). There is no need, nor do we have any right to add more to our thinking of God than what is already revealed to us in Scripture.

That is not putting limitations on God, as some have wrongly suggested, because these are limitations that God in His Word and by necessity of His nature as God has placed upon Himself. In fact, it is precisely when one goes beyond the confines of Biblical revelation to describe God in ways they imagine him to be that one actually succeeds, not in expanding upon peoples understanding of God, but rather placing the very limitations upon God that they claim to be lifting, by superimposing their own imperfect imagination upon Him, and thus in the process creating in their minds and in the minds of their readers an image of God that is less than what He truly is. Through "The Shack" this is what William P. Young achieves.

As the story of "The Shack" unfolds further, Mack travels to the forest to see if the note he received is true, and there is met by a highly unorthodox representation of the Trinity. God the Father appears to him as a large black woman, named Elousia, who also calls herself Papa, (which she is known as throughout the rest of the book). God the Son appears as a Jewish man dressed similar to a construction worker, and the Holy Spirit appears as a hippie like Asian woman known as Sarayu, who seems to float everywhere she goes and can only be seen clearly out of the corner of the eye.

Here the author of "The Shack" takes incredible liberties in his representation of God, and in doing so blasphemes and maligns the Holy and Righteous character of Almighty God. God has not chosen to reveal Himself as a women, or in any manner other than those that He has already revealed Himself through in the pages of Scripture. Since the canon of Scripture is closed and God's special revelation to mankind ended with the completion of the New Testament, we can be assured that God will never reveal Himself in ways not already described for us in the Bible (see Matt. 5:17; John 14:26; John 16:13; Eph. 2:20; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Hebrews 2:3-4, etc., etc., ). Therefore, to represent God in a manner outside of how He is portrayed in the pages of Scripture is simply wrong. To depict God in the way William P. Young does in "The Shack" is idolatry, plain and simple. In an attempt to bring God down to our level William P. Young makes of God something that He is not. In his attempts to create a more relatable God, Young tosses aside all reverence and honor for God and replaces the God of the Bible with a caricature of who God really is. As J.I. Packer states in his classic book, Knowing God, "To follow the imagination of one's heart in the realm of theology is the way to remain ignorant of God, and to become an idol-worshipper - the idol in this case being a false mental image of God, made by one's own speculation and imagination, " (Knowing God, p. 78). How true such a statement is. It is disheartening, however, that so many Christians seem unable to recognize this obvious fact when reading "The Shack," and would prefer instead to enjoy the emotional experience they receive from reading this the book rather than take issue with the unholy and irreverent representations of God that William P. Young makes.

Equally disturbing is William P. Young's denial of several additional fundamental doctrines of orthodox Christian faith. On pages 95-96 (see also page 222) as Mack talks with Papa we're told,
"Papa didn't answer, only looked down at their hands. His gaze followed hers and for the first time Mack noticed the scars in her wrists, like those he now assumed Jesus also had on his." "'We were there together.' Mack was surprised. `At the cross?" Now wait, I thought you left him - you know - My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.'"

With these statements William P. Young reveals his belief in an ancient heresy known as Patripassionism. Adherents to this heresy believed that God the Father was incarnate and suffered on the cross. This is a denial, however, of the clear teachings of Scripture, since the Bible is clear that Jesus Christ spoke to God the Father while on the cross. This belief also undermines the Scriptural teaching of God's impassibility, which indicates that God the Father cannot suffer or be affected by outside stimuli (Job 22:2-3, 35:6-7; Acts 17:25; Romans 11:35-36).

Additionally, these statements by William Young in "The Shack" reveal Young's belief in the heresy of Sabellianism, which so diminishes the clear distinctions within the Godhead as to present the members of the Trinity in such unity that they cease to be three distinct persons at all. The preceding statements show evidence of this heresy in "The Shack" along with similar statements made elsewhere in the book. For example, on page 99 Papa states that "When we three spoke ourself into human existence as the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood."
Notice in this quote the usage of the word "we." "WE spoke ourself into human existence," "WE became fully human," "WE chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed," "WE now became flesh and blood." According to Scripture, however, only the second member of the Trinity, God the Son, was incarnate in the flesh and became human. To propose that all three members of the Trinity were manifest in the flesh is to deny the essential nature of the Trinity and the distinct roles within the Trinity, and by logical consequence is the same as denying that such a Trinity exists at all. This is obvious heresy, and statements by the author in support of such a belief can be found also on pages 84, 103, 145, and 222.

As if these heresies were not enough to prove the demonic origins of this book, William P. Young adds fuel to the fire by denying on pages 191-192 the subsitutionary atonement of Christ. There Mack asks,
"`Papa, can you help me understand something? What exactly did Jesus accomplish by dying?' She was still looking out into the forest. `Oh," she waved her hand. `Nothing much. Just the substance of everything that love purposed from before the foundations of Creation.'" "`Honey, you asked me what Jesus accomplished on the cross; so now listen to me carefully: through his death and resurrection, I am now fully reconciled to the world.'"

Yet, according to Romans 5:10 "We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son," and in 2 Corinthians 5:19 we see that through the work of the cross "in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself," and not the other way around as William P. Young suggests.

Furthermore, to state that "nothing much" happened at the cross of Jesus Christ except some sort of ambiguous demonstration of the substance of love belittles the sacrificial atonement by which Jesus Christ appeased the divine wrath of God against sin and paid the penalty for mankind. Surely such a statement as this is enough in and of itself to alert the discerning believer to the dangers of "The Shack."

In addition to the above mentioned heresies, William P. Young also makes statements in "The Shack" that support the teachings of universalism. Universalism is the position which advocates the idea that eventually, all will be saved, whether or not they ever personally come to faith and repentance in Jesus Christ. In universalism the unifying principle is love, and this attribute of God overrides all others. This belief is clearly seen in William P. Young's statements throughout "The Shack." On pages 161-163, as Mack stands before a personification of God's wisdom in the form of a female judge, he is asked to pass judgment upon the world, but more specifically as the judge explains,

"You must choose two of your children to spend eternity in God's new heavens and new earth, but only two." "What?" he erupted, turning to her in disbelief. "And you must choose three of your children to spend eternity in hell." Mack couldn't believe what he was hearing and started to panic. "Mackenzie." Her voice now came as calm and wonderful as he heard it. "I am only asking you to do something that you believe God does." . . . "I don't want to be the judge," he said, standing up. . . There was no way he could sentence Katie, or any of his children, to an eternity in hell just because she had sinned against him. Even if Katie or Josh or Jon or Tyler committed some heinous crime, he still wouldn't do it. He couldn't! For him, it wasn't about their performance; it was about his love for them. "I can't do this," he said softly. . . "Could I go instead? If you need someone to torture for eternity, I'll go in their place." . . ."Mackenzie, Mackenzie," she whispered . . . "Now you sound like Jesus. You have judged well, Mackenzie. I am so proud of you."

In these statement it is clear that William Young would have us believe, that just as Mack could not send anyone to hell because his love for them is too strong, God would not do so either, hence Young's statement, "Now you sound like Jesus." Here the common denominator of universalistic teachings, love, is seen in these statements.

Elsewhere in "The Shack" William P. Young seeks in a similar manner to exalt God's love above His other attributes, and turn him into nothing but a love-struck cosmic companion that dotes over every human on earth while completely ignoring their sin. For example, on page 102, Papa states that "The God who is - the I am who I am - cannot act apart from love!," and on page 191 Papa states that "My purposes are always and only an expression of love." Yet Jesus himself states in Matthew 25:41 in speaking to those who will reject Him as their Savior and Lord, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels," and at the end of this passage in verse 46 Jesus reiterates the same idea by stating that "these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Clearly then, many will suffer for eternity in hell for their rejection of Christ, and God's love for them, no matter how strong, cannot override His righteousness and holiness, and his punishment of sin.

Elsewhere in "The Shack" this idea of universal redemption is alluded to and the idea that all roads lead to God is clearly presented by the author of this book. On page 31 Mack's daughter Missy, prior to her kidnap and murder, asks

"Is the Great Spirit another name for God - you know, Jesus' papa?" Mack smiled in the dark. Obviously, Nan's nightly prayers were having an effect. "I would suppose so. It's a good name for God because he is a Spirit and he is Great."

Then on page 182 the character of Jesus states that "Those who love me come from every system that exists," "I have no desire to make them Christian," and "I will travel any road to find you." In addition, on page 110 of "The Shack" Jesus is the referred to as "best way" but not the way, and on page 137 he is described as "a door" but not the door. Similar statements abound in "The Shack." For example on pages 119 and 225 we are led to believe that God does not judge sin. On page 136 the author denies the existence of evil. On page 186 the author denies the need for guilt, as well as on page 223 where Papa states, "I don't do humiliation, or guilt or shame." With each of these statements the case mounts against "The Shack" and the falsehood and error which it teaches is revealed.

Beyond this, Young also takes issue with many aspects of the church and Christianity in general. He criticizes seminary education (65, 91), attacks the institution of the local church (which should be expected from William p. Young, since he states in his personal blog, "I am not connected, or a part, or a member of, or involved inside any sort of organization or movement anywhere") (177-78, 181), rejects theological certainty (203), maligns the use of the word "Christian" (182), rejects the Lordship of Christ over the lives of believers (145), denies the need for repentance, rejects the pre-fallen role of Adam as a tiller of the ground (147), teaches that the Spirit of God can direct someone to do something contrary to truth (132), and advocates antinomianism, which is the belief that those who live under the grace of God are free from the law of God to do whatever they please (203, 206).

In addition, the author of "The Shack" also teaches that there is no hierarchy or clear functional distinctions within the Trinity on pages 121-122. On page 107 the author reverses the roles of authority within the Trinity, thus contradicting his later statements on pages 121-122 but teaching an unbiblical idea nonetheless.

There are also pervading overtones of New Age and occult ideas present through many large sections of the book, particularly pages 209-217, and there is even a push by the author in certain statements throughout the book in favor of pantheism and Platonic idealism, (see pages 112, 122, 124, 145-46, 148).

All this being said, it is my heartfelt hope and prayer, that those of you who have read "The Shack" or are considering reading it because of the many rave reviews it has received, will recognize it for the dangerous and heretical work which it is.

Many, carried along as it is by the emotional attachment they have formed to this book, and the so-called transformation and broadening of understanding which it has wrought in their lives will choose to remain willingly ignorant of the truth of the statements here, supported as they are by the unshakeable Word of God. Sadly, such is to be expected in a day in age where orthodox theology is looked upon with disgust, and people are more apt to be moved by heresy than by theologically sound works of produced by great men of God gone by.

Some will naturally object as well, that "The Shack" is merely a work of fiction and should not be taken so seriously or "policed" for its doctrinal content or judgment passed upon its author. However, history has shown that fiction has always been one of the greatest vehicles of self-expression, and theologians, philosophers, politicians, and other thinkers have always used fiction to convey their ideas to the masses in an effort to convince their readers of the truth of such beliefs. Plato's Republic, Jean-Jacque Rousseau's The Emile, Thomas More's Utopia, Aldoux Huxley's Brave New World, Albert Camus' The Stranger, B.F. Skinner's Walden Two, and Harriet Beecher Stowes' Uncle Tom's Cabin are just a few examples of such works of literature, that were written with a clear agenda, borne along by a specific set of beliefs, of which the author through his or her work was intent upon convincing the reader to adopt as his or her own. These were works of fiction that were highly influential in the public arena at a certain point in time, and therefore, no work of fiction, especially one claiming to be Christian, such as "The Shack," should be exempt from such careful scrutiny as has been given to it here.

Furthermore, any author who prepares such a work as this should also be placed under examination in order that it might be known what particular agenda is brought to bear upon the writing of a work such as this. As William P. Young states himself in his personal blog, "`The Shack" will tell you much more about me than a few facts ever could. In some ways my life is partly revealed in both characters--Willie and Mack." Therefore, it cannot be denied that William P. Young sought to include his own personal beliefs about God in this book and that what we read of the characters portrayed therein is representative of William P. Young's own heretical beliefs.

Finally, let it be stated here, that this author is fully aware of the statement released by Windblown Media, (the publishing company of "The Shack") in which they seek to counter the accusations of heresy that have been leveled against this book. Their attempt is noteworthy, but does not succeed in doing anything but to add support for that which has already been included in this critique. The publishers attempt to show that the book does not teach universalism, and suggest that it teaches the very opposite. They fail to address, however, the numerous passages which have been cited here and to explain how each one of them does not teach universalism, when in fact they do. The publishers also attempt to show that "The Shack" does not devalue Scripture, distort the Trinity, promote New Age ideas, or advocate any of the ideas which have been outlined in this review. However, in each attempted rebuttal, the publishers once again fail to address even a single sentence that has been quoted in this and other reviews, and therefore reveal that their response to reviews such as mine is only a clever ploy, through which, it seems, they have attempted to detract attention from the heresy that is clearly present in this book.

Mr. Jason Kleber, B.S., M.Min., M.A.B.S., M.Div. (studies)
Adjunct Professor of Bible, Tennessee Temple University
Couples Director, Highland Park Baptist Church
Graduate Assistant to the Academic Dean, Temple Baptist Seminary

5 out of 5 stars

Rule-breaking, non-devotional way to bring God to LIFE. October 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Even if it's not the "quality" writing of an experienced author, the story here brings God to life in a real way for people who have lost faith in the church and its rituals. If you have ever hated - been terribly lost in anger at a person or at God, this is a must read. Altho it is a work of fiction, Willie Young takes you to that place of grief and anger and pain - and brings you through it in the character of Mack. If you have suffered as a "survivor" in the chaos of life; been unable to forgive an unspeakable act by persons known or unknown; been alienated by so-called Christians and estranged from the peace God's love brings, you need to read this story and experience the fractal beauty of life. As with "Mack", it may take a stretch of imagination to digest, but it is worth it! Not a study in forensics or traditional theology, but a clarifying and simplifying way to look at God's plan, and understanding how we all fit and are loved.

Powered by Associate-O-Matic

Customer Service

Contact Customer Service
Ordering
Tracking Your Package
Shipping Information
Domestic Shipping Rates
International Shipping Rates
Returns
Gifts & Gift Certificates
Privacy & Security

Subcategories

•	Mass Market
•	Trade

Untitled Document Disclaimer: This is an Amazon storefront - the products referenced on this site are manufactured and sold by parties other than the Oenophile Network. The Oenophile Network makes no representations regarding either the products or any information vendors offer about their products. Any questions, complaints, or claims regarding the products must be directed to the appropriate manufacturer or vendor, or to Amazon.com.