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The Shack | 
| Author: William P. Young
Publisher: H.B. Fenn & Company
Category: Book
List Price: CDN$ 15.99
Buy New: CDN$ 11.67
You Save: CDN$ 4.32 (27%)
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 7
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5 x 0.6
ISBN: 0964729237
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780964729230
ASIN: 0964729237
Publication Date: July 1, 2008 (New: This Week)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Fresh perspective June 13, 2008
grant corriveau
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I can't help but suggest that this reviewer: "Unbiblical Spirituality, Jun 13 2008 - Alan Gilman" might want to spend some time reading this book:
Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel by Brian D. McLaren and Tony Campolo (Paperback - Feb 1, 2006)
Although I suspect he'd still miss the point.
The Shack presents fresh insights into the nature of God and the kind of world we live in. It is not intended to be a work of heavy theology, but neither is it theologically inaccurate. Life, after all, is a fractal - just like God I suspect.
 Unbiblical Spirituality June 13, 2008
Alan Gilman
2 out of 7 found this review helpful
"The Shack" is a blend of spiritualities designed to evoke an emotional response. Claiming to illustrate biblical truth, its use of unbiblical symbology misrepresents the essence of God and his true nature. The author attempts to provide solutions to some legitimate religious and personal issues, but often does so in an extremely unbalanced way, resulting in questionable conclusions. By creating an emotional plot and creating dream-like scenes, by putting his viewpoint in the mouth of God and maximizing on some current popular theological ideas, it is a challenge for the reader to separate fact from fantasy, truth from error.
Readers looking to integrate a variety of feel-good philosophies with a smattering of biblical elements to avoid having to grapple with the Truth of Holy Scripture will be very happy with "The Shack." But those looking for a vivid illustration of biblical reality and how it can best be applied to our lives should look elsewhere.
For my more extensive review, see: http://torahblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/book-review-shack.html
I've never read a book like The Shack. May 17, 2008
J. Dowdall (Ontario, Canada)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
All I want to do is tell everyone about this book. I have purchased 12 so far to give to my friends, family and co-workers, and they are gone ... will have to order more.
Amazing .... that's all I have to say about this book! If you haven't read it, you MUST!
 A Bit Controversial...But Makes You Think May 5, 2008
C. Hoeppner (Alberta, Canada)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I read this book based on a recommendation from a friend.
I've been a Christian for a long time, and I've learned to measure things against Scripture and not based on "how it makes me feel".
I'll agree that as a piece of fiction, the writing isn't stellar. As a piece of theological exposition, it does much better.
I don't find anything "unscriptural" about this book, except perhaps the author's avoidance of "hell".
I can't say much, because I don't want to ruin the plot for any potential readers. I will say that the author's treatment of Justice left me reading, and rereading, those passages. He did a very good job addressing some of the big questions some have of God in a way that makes logical sense. He did a wonderful job of tearing down the mental images we tend to have of the Trinity, and replacing them with something more holistic, and yet NOT unscriptural.
Again, I was only disappointed in his avoidance of the issue of Hell and Judgement - Jesus spoke directly to these issues. The Emergent Church tends to soft-pedal or tiptoe around these questions because it doesn't work with the feel-good theology that is their mainstay. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. I've recommended it to friends.
I don't know that I'd recommend it to non-Christians, because I've heard of it being mis-understood along the lines of "all paths lead to the same destination and God is Love no matter what religion you adhere to".
Excellent Allegory May 2, 2008
Peter Cantelon (Morden, Manitoba, Canada)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
The book tells the story of one man's intense tragedy, years of ensuing "great sadness" and his meeting with God one day which leads to some profound changes in his life spiritually and emotionally. It is a story profound compassion, forgiveness and healing that also manages to weave some pretty deep theology into the mix.
Eugene Peterson, the translator of The Message paraphrase of the Bible as well as the author of several books on pastoral theology says "This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good!"
Like Pilgrim's Progress, The Shack is heavy on matephorical/allegorical imagery. This is a book I would call an exercise in stretching. Whether you perceive yourself as conservative or liberal, orthodox or unorthodox, modern or post-modern, evangelical or emergent this book will stretch you at some point in your theology. Sometimes stretching can lead to breaking but with The Shack I think the stretching is actually a good and potentially beneficial exercise.
At its most helpful The Shack offers a refreshing interpretation of the Trinity and what forgiveness and a healing journey with God might look like. At its most controversial (stretching) it offers some strong words about institutionalized religion/Christianity and a strong affirmation of the orthodox understanding of creation.
Scattered with quotes from a variety of people including A.W. Tozer, Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis and Bruce Cockburn I believe The Shack will become an excellent resource in grief counseling and I highly recommend it - especially for book clubs and/or study groups.
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