The Shack: good news or bad story?

The driving concerns behind Young’s underlying theology manifest themselves briefly at certain points. Sarayu’s discourse on ‘paradigms, perceptions, and emotions’ on p. 197, Jesus’ reflections on power and sin on p. 147-8, and Sarayu’s denial of hierarchy within the Trinity on p. 122, exude the feel of having been lifted from Michel Foucault rather than the Bible. There is a constant suspicion of authority and power for this reason that underpins the book; especially a latent cynicism about Christianity as historically expressed. Among the objects of scarcely concealed scorn are, church, ‘… Sunday hymns and prayers weren’t cutting it anymore, if they ever really had’, (p. 66), theological education ‘None of his old seminary training was helping in the least.’ (p. 91), doctrine, ‘That came as a shock to Mack’s religious system’ (p. 100), and biblical interpretation ‘Mackenzie, religion is about having all the right answers… there are a lot of smart people who are able to say a lot of smart things from their brain because they have been told what the right answers are, but they don’t know me at all. So really, how can their answers be right even if they are right?’ (p. 198) Young’s evident problem with authority is of course partly warranted. Fallen human beings make imperfect fathers and ‘lords’, we abuse our power and debase the duty we are given to mirror God’s authority over the universe. Yet The Shack’s outright rejection of authority (whether biblical or ecclesial), especially that of Christ as Lord and King is too far. It is particularly disturbing since the gospel relies on the grace of God being bestowed by him as ruler of the universe, and on Christ being ascended to the Father’s right hand for the security of the believer. To deny the essentially supernal nature of the gospel is to rob it of all grace. The love of Jesus in The Shack is the love of a peer not of a King, and far from being unmerited; it is almost as if Mack’s pain has earned it. read the rest HERE

See also Al Mohler on the Shack