Douglas Jacoby Podcast

Books & Movies: The Shack

Douglas continues his series: Books & Movies. Today, looking at The Shack.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

What was cool

Nearly all the theology is orthodox (God, man, the atonement, righteousness judgment, justice, spirituality...)
Especially good is the exploration of the dynamics among the members of the Trinity.
Deity is neither male nor female, though he initially appears to the protagonist as female because his own father-wound is so deep.
The Shack helps us wrestle with the problem of pain, and often on a very personal and emotional level.

What was off

The notion that God does not punish -- that sin is its own punishment (p.122). While there is some truth to this point, the book misses the punitive aspect of divine judgment.
"Spending eternity in hell" (p.16) reflects traditional eschatology. For more, see Fudge, The Fire that Consumes, or my paper on Terminal Punishment.
It is implied, though not stated, that all roads lead to God (p.184). Sounds right in the modern ear; comes rather close to a "politically correct" take on tolerance, in contrast to Jesus' own teaching in Matthew 7:13-14.
Some will find overly literal interpretation of some of the poetic parts of the Bible (e.g. 136).

Interesting...

Reference to The Matrix (p.126). Compare "Papa" with "the oracle."
In Maori religion, the earth mother is called "Papa" (a complete coincidence).
This book will be of special interest to fathers, and in fact to anyone coming from a background of family dysfunction.

Conclusion

For those who value spiritually connecting with others, reaching out to unbelievers, this book is good news!
The book may be written in 2007, but it will be hot for a long time. The Shack is making many people think about God. May it continue to do so!