The Shack

[Amelia]

Has anyone read this one?

http://theshackbook.com/index.html

This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress' did for his. It's that good! Eugene Peterson, author --Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.

Short bio of the author, William P. Young -

Willam P. Young was born a Canadian and raised among a stone-age tribe by his missionary parents in the highlands of what was 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.

http://theshackbook.com/willie.html

[phkrause]

I just picked this book up the other day at BJ's. I have not yet started reading it.

pk

[Amelia]

Let me know what you think when you start. Costco has it on CD and I like to read while driving. teehe

[Liz]

Is this going to be like a book club?

[Gail]

Is this going to be like a book club?

*grin* Do you want it to be?

[Liz]

Oh, I think this could be fun.

[Bravus]

I'd been planning to read it anyway, but yeah, having the possibility of discussing it with others who are makes that even more attractive.

[Gail]

I'm thinking it might be my turn to head to Costco...

[Gregory Matthews]

my wife purchased it and I have read much of it.

1) There are feelers out to see if it can be made into a Hollywood movie.

2) In the important aspects it is on targettheologically and how it presents God, salvation and the issues of sin, suffering and evil.

3)For those who want to criticize it, they can find minor issues to complain about. God the Father is depected as a female African American. The Holy Spirit is presented as a female of another ethnic background. Jesus alone is male and of Hebrew background.

4) The members of the God-head are presented in typical human activity. One is depected as preparing a breakfast which includes bacon. Jesus is skipping rocks across a lake. They cook and bake and act in a human mode of action while they remain members of the God-head.

5) I strongly recommend the book. There is a lot of good discussion for groups that want to discuss the meaning of God in salvation, sin and evil.

6) In general I am surprised at the amount of theology that they got right and unconcerned about minor issues that are of no real importance. There is a lot of good inthe book for those who are willing to see it.

[Bravus]

Great to see you here as always, Gregory, and thanks for that - it makes me want to read it even more.

[Amelia]

Thank you for the review Gregory. Now I can't decide if I want to read it or listen to it. LOL

[Gail]

My copy is on its way. Looking forward to reading it!

[Liz]

I bought mine yesterday. So I will probably start sometime this weekend.

[LynnDel]

I am reading The Shack right now and am at the part where Mack meets the threesome at the shack and Elousia (God in the form of a black woman) is explaining things to Mack. As long as I remind myself, "This is an allegory something like Pilgrim's Progress," I am doing fine with the story and appreciating the insights.

For instance, Elousia explains that is not really a black woman but can appear in any form; she has chosen this one for Mack because his own father had ruined the possibility of a real fatherly love for him. The book has other insights on that topic that I had not thought about before.

Mack realizes that everything he is learning might be a bit different than he had always thought, and Mack feels "a cramp forming in his brain."

I feel one, too, trying to get a handle on what is being said. I think I'll get the CD, too, although the ability to reread is essential for me at this point, so I am glad for the book.

[Liz]

Anyone else feel like they want to underline or highlight things in this book? Especially when any of THE THREE speak. When you keep it at the allegory (I think that is the right word???) level, then I am like "Yeah, that makes perfect sense."

Also when you start to apply things in this book to your own life, does anyone else want to cry? Or is that just me?

One more thing, and I am just half way through the book, so maybe it will change; but does the mom (Nan) not seem believable? Maybe it's because this was written from the dad's point of view? But that mom just doesn't cut it for me.

[LynnDel]

Highlighting - yes. Apply to my own life and cry - yes!

When Jesus expresses his love for Papa, Mack's response is, "To be in the presence of such love expressed seemed to dislodge an inner emotional logjam ... Something simple, warm, intimate, genuine..."

Do any of us realize how purely God loves us? We tend to think it's so conditional. How many of us have experienced such love? How about on a human level? Do you express your love for your loved ones? Have you had such pure love expressed to you by anyone other than a child?

I think this type of love is missing in most of our lives. We want to protect ourselves or we see a mote in the other's eye, so we don't express it; we don't feel worthy of such love, and we can't accept it.

Another part that struck me was where Mack commented to Jesus about how surprised he was that Jesus wasn't more handsome. It is so true that "Being always transcends appearance--that which seems to be. Once you begin to know the being behind the very pretty or very ugly face, as determined by your bias, the surface appearances fade away until they simply no longer matter."

[Liz]

Well, I just finished it, and I am so ready to talk about it with other people. So when are we going to discuss????

I am going to lend my copy to my mom when she heads south for the winter, and I am thinking about buying a copy for all of my siblings for Christmas--especially the one I don't talk to.

[Gail]

Liz, it looks like there has been some discussion going on already!

I just got mine so I'll be starting it soon

[Liz]

I just didn't want to spoil something for anyone, if they hadn't got to that part yet. So, I guess I will wait a couple more days, then explode with the stuff that had particular meaning for me.

[LynnDel]

Liz - maybe we should start with discussing the beginning and middle parts before we start discussing the ending!

What was it about the mom that made her seem so unreal? Was it because her character wasn't very well fleshed out, or that she seemed so perfect, in addition to lacking curiosity?

One thing that has affected me about the book is in applying the thoughts and perspectives to my own relationships. Wow.

Cruising the internet on The Shack reveals that people either love it or hate it. Those who seem to hate it seem to have an anti-christian bent to start with, though I haven't gone so far as to read all the reviews.

[LynnDel]

The brief author bio on the book cover says Wm. Paul Young suffered great loss as a child and young adult. I would like to know his story.

[Liz]

The mom wasn't really developed enough in my opinion, but some of the things that she did, I just couldn't relate with. Had my daughter gone missing, there is no way I would leave my husband and take the other child home to wait for news.

But now for the deeper stuff: I can certainly relate to that need of hanging on to the hate and anger and sadness in order to (honor?) the actual wronged person. He had The Great Sadness that he held onto in order to honor Missy; and he felt guilty if he ever thought about giving some of that up.

Do you think it is easier to hang onto The Great Sadness, than go through the process of Forgiveness?

And what are your thoughts on the revelation (well, it was a revelation for me) that Forgiveness has nothing to do with Trust?

If you know that you don't have to trust that person then is it easier to forgive them?

[Gail]

Well, I finished my copy last night.

I must say that this isn't my preferred genre of reading, as I prefer non-fiction. So bear with me.

I found that I had to remind myself that this is like somebody having a dream. I could see the wisdom in some of the parts but others irritated me, for example the treatment of the 10 Commandments. I realise that this is a theological difference and I kept reminding myself, "Treat it like someone's dream."

The near-omission of the wife seemed strange to me, too, but then, this is Mack's journey and it is his truth. If he needed to keep his wife out of it, so be it, I guess.

But the book did deal with deep themes, such as forgiveness and how it works, as well as our tendency towards "independence" (we would call that "self" in Adventist circles) and the judgment of others. I did like the comments on what makes something "good" or "evil", that we usually think of those things according to what is good for us, or evil to us. It focused on our short-sightedness in that area.

[Jeannieb43]

So.... do you mean you wouldn't recommend this book for a book club comprised of mature Adventist couples?

[Gail]

So.... do you mean you wouldn't recommend this book for a book club comprised of mature Adventist couples?

Couples? As opposed to regular Adventist joes like you and me? LOL

It is not a book I would recommend for everyone. I would not recommend it for sale in the ABC, mainly because there is much (even fiction) that I would prefer over it. That plus the fact that our cost was $15.00/copy, when I can buy it on Amazon for $6.00 (which is what I did)

I would recommend it for my husband, though. He likes stories and connects with stories more readily than with history or theological books.

Book club, yes. At a book club one can expect discussions like this. I think that discussions are great.

Evangelistic tool- no.