"The Shack" by Mark Driscoll

[Finaldash]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jfny ... re=related

After doing all those research on Mark, I stumbled on his opinion on the popular "christian" book The Shack.
Great stuff.

[laney]

A friend sent me this book. I'm half way through. I'll give my opinion of it when I finish.

[revelation12eleven]

I saw that video too, and agree with Mark.

[Sheil'ah]

With all due respect, guys; “The Shack” is fiction!

It is not about doctrine and the author, William P. Young, does not present his story as a true representation of the Trinity. I am also a writer, and I often use analogical and metaphorical references to make a point come to life in a vivid way. Of course there are many “new age” books which DO presume to carry some “new truth” about God, and I’m certainly not advocating on their behalf. The truth about our Lord is very important to me, as I believe He is our only Saviour! But I also think we should be careful not to go off the cliff on the other side – into paranoia!

The black woman version of “Papa” in this story is explained very carefully and is portrayed that way not as a true picture of the Father, but because the protagonist is emotionally injured and not ready to deal with a Father image yet. Without totally giving away the plot, it’s a good sidestep with the point being that God will meet you anywhere you'll let Him! Besides, it makes the story more interesting, IMHO.

I also found one of the best definitions of God that I’ve ever heard in the portrayal of the Holy Spirit here: “I will take a verb over a noun anytime. I AM A VERB...I am alive, dynamic, ever active, and moving. I am a being verb.” What did He say when Moses asked His name? I AM that I AM!

Certainly I don’t pretend that this book should be treated as a Bible study, used for training, or even taken too seriously. And I wouldn’t recommend it to a new believer not well grounded in the Word.

But if we begin to treat all fiction mentioning God by this standard, I think we’re every bit as crazy as those who want to ban OUR opinions, beliefs, and prayers from public speech and action! Let’s be very careful how we react!

All of us desperately need to be less easily offended!

[chatty-kathi]

This book is about changing your worldview.

One of the seven mountains in the New Apostolic Reformation is the media. The intention is to conquer each “demonic stronghold” so that the false Kingdom of God can be set up, which includes this false worldview.

We saw the convergence of this with Evangelicals at the recent “May Day” event. Here is Holly’s commentary on this - http://www.spiritoferror.org/2010/04/mayday-mayday/782 .

If you do a search on this site, you will see this book has been dissected at length. Here are some good reviews to read.

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/08/shack.htm

http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/08/r ... rocks.html

http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/09/d ... nship.html

http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/09/m ... aphor.html

http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/09/a ... latry.html

[pegmo]

I am usually very wary of Mark Driscoll because of his contemplative spirituality/mysticism, Rick Warrenism and interfaithism.

But I decided to watch this anyway. Mark's soteriology/doctrine is his strong suit. I think he does a nice job on this analysis. I might have to seek out the rest of his discussion for some talking points I can use with younger christians who would listen-up if I mentioned Mark's name.

As to one of the previous posters that this book is just fiction, that comment totally ignores the reality that fiction influences people just as non-fiction does. It plants images, suggests concepts and molds thinking. Labeling this "fiction" doesn't make these concepts non-persuasive to its readers. Especially non-discerning readers of whom there are truckloads these days. Concepts of God and reworking Him into our own design is still heretical and blasphemous, no matter how its packaged.

Two thumbs up on this little video.

[GodsStudent]

As to one of the previous posters that this book is just fiction, that comment totally ignores the reality that fiction influences people just as non-fiction does. It plants images, suggests concepts and molds thinking. Labeling this "fiction" doesn't make these concepts non-persuasive to its readers. Especially non-discerning readers of whom there are truckloads these days. Concepts of God and reworking Him into our own design is still heretical and blasphemous, no matter how its packaged.

I could not agree more

Last night, when I read that post, I was too upset to respond. I will respond now.

I have a dear friend who has been Episcopalian her whole life. Last year I tried to talk with her about what the scriptures say regarding this time, end time, and a few other things. I was quoting direct scripture.....IMPORTANT.....I WAS QUOTING SCRIPTURE and she continued to go back to this book, The Shack, and tell me that "this is God. He is loving and kind and blah, blah, blah. I can't get into your God, Lisa......He is judgmental, harsh.....blah, blah, blah."

At the end of that conversation, she told me that she could not get into "a god" that was harsh and judgmental like the one I was telling her about. She needed to hold onto the god that was so loving and blah, blah, blah, that she got to know intimately, from this book, the shack. She was literally witnessing to me from that book.....literally.....I was literally witnessing to her from scriptures.....and we couldn't have been further apart than at that moment.

Now, when a christian quotes direct scripture to another christian and the "another christian" quotes back from a book called The Shack, one needs to be very concerned. Its been a long year since that conversation, and I have had to give my friend space to come back to talk with me as she can. She does......and fortunately, I have prayed and know that I need to go slow with her and give her space to take in small amounts at the same time.....BUT.....I am constantly having to fight against the impressions that the book THE SHACK left with her in order to work in a biblical view for her.

THe shack may "feel good" but it is not good. It separates the truth from people who take it as truth. In my mind, this is GREAT DECEPTION.....so.....pardon me for being direct.....But I couldn't disagree more than I do with the post that tells me to lighten up........I am standing against an enemy that is smoother than butter and slicker than an oil spill.....and he uses things like this book to worm his way into the hearts and minds of people who aren't diligent, or as diligent as people like me.....so, when I sit down and stop taking a position, so that I am not seen as a whacko......WHO WILL BE LEFT TO STAND?

[Abiding in His Word]

I am standing against an enemy that is smoother than butter and slicker than an oil spill.....

Great analogy, GodsStudent!

[Jay]

In my mind, this is GREAT DECEPTION.....so.....pardon me for being direct.....But I couldn't disagree more than I do with the post that tells me to lighten up........I am standing against an enemy that is smoother than butter and slicker than an oil spill.....and he uses things like this book to worm his way into the hearts and minds of people who aren't diligent, or as diligent as people like me.....so, when I sit down and stop taking a position, so that I am not seen as a whacko......WHO WILL BE LEFT TO STAND?

Amen God's Student. I pray God we will realize how we have slowly and seductively drifted away from truth almost into INSANITY. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is pure and clean. What this book offers is human reasoning (unclean). This book would have been burned by the Church just 30 years ago.

Shack does not answer the following questions, because the author is a universalist: Do we need to be saved? If so, what are we saved from? How are we saved? What did the Christ accomplish on the cross?

True Christian self-knowledge is to see oneself (with Spirit-opened eyes) as nothing but as a helpless sinner, without hope of improvement! Thus the cross is the ONLY end for us (we must go there or else we will die in our sins), our life (all that we are in the self-Adam state has ended there, according to God's word. We (our old man) is crucified with Christ- that is all we are worthy of - crucifixion. And the good news is our death by crucifixion was accomplished in Christ and we are raised with Him (in His life - Christ IS our life). We must see ourselves in Christ alone, or we will fall prey to every seducing spirit out there.

[laney]

After finishing the book and before reading any opinions of the links provided, I can only say that:

I knew it was fiction when I read it so I didn't take anything in it literally and with a grain of salt.

I do believe to a weak Christian or a non believer, this book could instill wrong thoughts or beliefs about the Father, Son and Holy Ghost we know from God's Word.

So for those reasons alone, I would not recommend reading it.