On the radio... with the Shack!

Tomorrow(Aug 1st) from 9-10am I'll be on OPB's Think Out Loud show talking about my journey from mega to pub church, the emerging church in general and about you all 

One of the tangents they want to pursue is the influence of The Shack on the emerging church. It's actually written and self-published by a guy here in Portland and has been a bona-fide phenomenon in the publishing world- selling half a million copies and counting with little or no advertising. 

I'm going to blog it (when I finish reading it), but my question for you is: how many of you "emerging" types have read the Shack and what did you think? (if you answer the second question- use broad strokes- we can deconstruct/really get into it on my review...)

Comments

[Josh Crain]

I've read it and I really liked it. But you should know that Young's theodicy lines up very closely to mine, so that had a lot to do with why I thought so highly of it. Calvinist and reformed types would have a big problem with it (see Mark Driscoll's critique on YouTube and you'll know what I'm talking about).

That being said, it's not a perfect book. I can understand why some people are uncomfortable with such an explicit description of how the Triune God works and thinks and relates to the world and within Himself. But I applaud Young for pulling zero punches in his portrayal of raw evil, the paralyzing affects it has on us, and the beauty of God working to restore His broken creation.

[Bill]

I don't know what category I fall under - Emergent, Reformed???

May I should borrow CT label, I'm Restless and Reformed :-)

I read the Shack on vacation and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It isn't a book with buttoned down theology, but that wasn't it's purpose - it is an allegory meant to illustrate God's love for and toward us.

God delights in us. I think many Christians don't believe that. They think either God is pissed off at them or merely tolerates them.

The Shack won't go down in history as the most masterfully written piece of literature, but the message is powerful and needs to be heard and understood in the church today.

[Dan]

Hmmm... Honestly I didn't think it was very well written. I'd put it artistically maybe slightly higher than The Left Behind series, so it's hard for the message to be very meaningful to me when the method is kitschy (in my personal opinion). It's like trying to reach high school kids by getting M.W. Smith to come play a concert...

[Josh Crain]

@ Dan

I would say that Young's writing is better than "slightly higher" when compared to the Left Behind series. That can be attributed more to the deficiencies in the Left Behind series than to Young's strengths as a novelist, but still... :-)

[Dan]

@ Josh,
Sure the degree is hard to gauge, I just know that the book is closer to Frank Peretti than Tolkien, Lewis or even Kreeft.

[Rebecca Matheson]

I guess I'm an 'emerging type' - in that I think about it a bit. And I have read the Shack!

I think although it probably challenges people to think more broadly about aspects of God, it is a work of fiction and why people continue to treat it as otherwise beats me. I don't understand those who complain about it being theologically incorrect - it's not the kind of literature you read for correct theology. It is fiction and oddly enough, God even shows up in fiction less directly... Harry Potter?

In regards to the emerging church and this book. I think that one of the only parallels is in that it challenges people to perhaps engage with former ideas a little more and dig out what's tradition and what might actually extend further. But beyond that they are mutually exclusive.

The Shack is not a masterpiece of fiction, but still encouraging, eyeopening and generally pretty enjoyable.

[Peggy]

Hey, Bob!

This first link is to my post about Scot McKnight's link to the July 10th CT review by Derek Keefe:

http://abisomeone.blogspot.com/2008/07/scot-mcknight-and-shack.html

This second link is to my post where I make a recommendation for reading The Shack.

http://abisomeone.blogspot.com/2008/02/abis-book-recommendation-shack.html

Keefe's piece gives some very important background and context for what Young was trying to do. Mine is the first of lots and lots of posts that talk about how the things Young touched on continue to resonate in my soul.

I encourage you all to let it be what it is and not try to make it be something else. Young doesn't claim to be anything but a husband and dad sharing a parable (NOT an allegory) of the long journey of his return to embracing God's love and forgiveness.

...from your neighbor across the Columbia....

[Pam Hogeweide]

dude, you totally owe me. when david called from opb and we talked, i gave him a heads up about you. he was genuinely intrigued that you guys meet at LL. I'm sure he told you about that, about their Tue meet thing, or whatever it is.

see ya on the air in the a.m.!

[grace]

One of my favorite reviews of the book was by Greg Boyd.

[Bob Hyatt]

Hey Pam- Thanks muchly for the connection! No- I didn't hear about any Tue meeting- I'll have to have you fill me in later... see you on the radio! :)

[grieved]

James B. Deyoung is a Professor at Western Seminary and a friend of the author of The Shack. This link is to his essay, which reveals William Young's universalism and many other anti-Biblical facets of this book.
http://theshackreview.com/content/TheShackShorterReview.pdf
Please consider reading this. Thank you.

[grieved]

James B. DeYoung is a Professor at Western Seminary and a friend of the author of The Shack. This link is to his essay, which reveals William Young's universalism and many other anti-Biblical facets of this book.
http://theshackreview.com/content/TheShackShorterReview.pdf
Please consider reading this. Thank you.