Reviewed by Liz Barnett
I actually kind of stumbled onto this book "The Shack." I didn't know it is a book that is being highly debated in the Christian realm, but when I got about halfway into it, I knew there were some "doctrine issues," at least according to what I believe. Having said that, I hope you will read "The Shack" with an open mind, for it is a comforting book. I also hope you'll keep in mind that this book boils down to one man's opinion of how he sees and thinks of God. To take it as "gospel" can be dangerous, as the Bible itself tells us to be careful of "opinions.""The Shack" opens with the main character Mackenzie Allen Phillips, who has a "not so close" relationship with God. Like many people, he sees God as kind of mean, or at the very least very strict with a lot of rules. During a vacation, Mack's youngest daughter Missy is abducted and it appears that she has been brutally murdered in an abandoned shack set deep in the wilderness. This is actually one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. I often think about bad things that happen to good people, but there is something about children, innocent children who are brutally abused and murdered, that makes me say, "God, how could you stand to let this happen?" It is my own crisis of faith that I wanted to explore.
Four years later, Mack receives a note in his mailbox from God, asking Mack to meet him at the shack where Missy was murdered. Against Mack's better judgment, he goes. What he finds there, changes him forever.
Mack finds answers at the shack and experiences God like we have never thought of him before. I wasn't bothered in the least that God appeared to Mack as a large black woman — surprised some, but not bothered. How evil exists in our world and how God feels about it is explored, and I felt it was Biblically sound. But there are some areas the author takes "liberties" with, as none of us can know the mind of God. In particular, the idea that God doesn't really care about religion is not as shocking as implying that God doesn't really care about the church. For God is quite clear he cares greatly about The Church, and I don't feel He is as "inclusive" as the author does. For instance, when the book’s Jesus himself implies that finding a relationship to Him can be done through Buddhism, the Muslim religion, etc., I'm not feeling that. Unless they are differing from their faith in a major way and accepting Jesus as God's son. There, my friends, is "the rub."
I think what is appealing about this book for many people is God seems loving, and caring ... and that He certainly is. Reading books about God that help you have a healthy and accurate picture of him is great. Let’s not forget, however, the source that God himself left us to guide us in all ways in regards to him, the Bible.






