The Shack, originally written as an autobiography for just his six children and a handful of close friends, is Young’s first published book. His work accomplished the impressive feat of reaching number one on the New York Time’s trade paperback best-seller list on June 8, 2008, and there are over 3,000,000 copies in print.
The Shack is a very easy read and has a flow not unlike that of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in that it is almost stream of consciousness that despite Young’s claims of authenticity, leaves the reader wondering if the book is fiction, non-fiction or a touch of both. A reader of Young’s book will quickly feel enthralled by a life story that relentlessly tugs on the reader’s heart strings. It’s not difficult to see how the book has become so popular among the masses of today’s emotion based Christianity.
However, when considered in light of Scripture, the substance of Young’s work leaves the reader wondering if the book is anything more than an emotional ploy that could easily lead an undiscipled Christ follower away from the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
There is a litany of problems with the book’s theological claims, but a book review format does not allow for an exhaustive listing. However, one strong example is the issue of the trinity in which both the Father and the Holy Spirit are identified as females and the Godhead is clearly not one in nature or essence. At one point, the female God explains that though Jesus is fully divine, He voluntarily never uses His deity to do anything. Taken to its end, that would mean Christ voluntarily reduces Himself to being merely human; a position loudly advocated by Mormons.
No doubt, some proponents of the book will argue it is merely Christian fiction and therefore Young has the right to some artistic license. Yet, any explanation of the Godhead that misidentifies Him is a detriment to orthodox Christianity and extremely dangerous to undiscipled Christ followers. By Young’s own admission, his personal journey has included formal bible training and a local church ministry, both of which he has since abandoned. What parent would want their teen to read a book about Christianity written by a man who has walked away from the bible and the local church and redefined God to fit his own needs?
Of all the elements associated with The Shack's movement, I'm most disappointed that Lifeway would sell such a work. I have great respect for the leadership of the organization and I understand that though Lifeway is owned by the SBC, it is not funded by the SBC and therefore must walk the fine line of publishing helpful and sound literature while still raising enough revenue to remain viable. However, the sale of this book is not merely a crossing of the line, but a gross misjudgment. Selling TD Jakes and Joyce Myers is crossing the line, but The Shack makes the Word of Faith movement sound like orthodox Christianity.
I strongly advise Christ followers to avoid this book as the god of The Shack is not the God of the bible and is therefore a false god. I fear that for many readers, Kathy Lee Gifford’s book cover endorsement will prove prophetic when she says, “THE SHACK will change the way you think about God forever”.
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