The Shack by William P. YoungBought
The Shack follows the story of Mackenzie a man who is healing from the abduction and murder of his daughter Missy, who's body is found in an abandoned Shack. Four years later Mackenzie finds a note inviting him for a weekend meeting at the shack. The note says its from God but Mackenzie believes its the killer come to taunt him, ready to meet this man and having thoughts to kill him he heads out to face his fears and the horror which happened to his beloved Missy in the shack.
Can you set aside your own ideas and traditions and enjoy a work of fiction? I think the question is hard for a lot because of the content of this book. Not only are the events hard to deal with but the whole subject of taking on God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and throwing them into this fiction world had a powerful mixed reaction from Christians and non-Christians alike. You either love it, hate it or just plain didn't understand it. I had plenty of heated debates with friends and family, some thinking it was a fresh new look at God, others thinking it was downright degrading to God.
When I first read this I had very torn reactions. In my mind I just couldn't get past the women portrayed in the book. I was so completely set that God can only be a man, that I was almost offended by this authors boldness to write about God as a woman. Don't get me wrong I think us women are brave and strong beings (just read and study about Esther) but....when it comes to God my minds eye does not see a female, nor does God ever present himself as a woman in the Bible to draw example from.
Grab a box of tissues and prepare yourself for a bold new look at the Trinity with touching descriptions and tear your heart out moments. Most importantly, remember this is a work of fiction and not every word aligns with the Bible, but it is a beautiful story of humanity, healing and forgiveness.
3/5- Religious
Glad to see your post. I LOVED the concepts and content of this book, but hated the actual writing and style. The thought that God would come to you in whatever form you needed the most was enlightening and I feld that many of the theological concepts were intriguing and very forward thinking and open minded. A great read!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, I followed you over here from book blogs. Great review! I got this book from Christmas and still have not gotten around to reading it. I really need to one of these days.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog background/layout!