Reading The Shack While In My Hammock
It was a good 36 hours of no internet, phone, nothing.
Now it’s time to plug back in.
Around hour 27 I got the sweats and the shakes.
That is me on the hammock kicking my internet addiction.
I read The Shack nonstop until God tried to hug the dude while appearing as Nell Carter.
I then had to put it down.
I have 50 pages left and have to say that the hype around this book is dwindling page by page. Maybe the last 25 will rescue it.
Have you read it and what did you think?
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
I have to tell you that I haven’t, but I have heard so many not good things about it that it’s fallen way down on my list of books I want to read.
Here’s my comment on it at the Stuff Christians Like blog:
“I read it (because my mother recommended it- it seems like everyone’s mother recommends it???) and I thought it was ok. But from a literary point of view, I just couldn’t get over a few things. The most annoying being that black-southern-woman-God talks in a heavy “fo sho” accent for a few lines and then the next few lines talks in a proper English Max Lucado voice (no accent). This happens continually throughout the book. I had a hard time getting around it. Drove me loony. Plus the author writes the book as if it is a real story that a friend told him, and my mother (and I’m sure a lot of other people) actually think it’s a real story (and therefore something you can’t critique- because it’s something “God showed him”). And Jesus is a typical hippie-carpenter portrayal. I don’t know. It was hard for me to be amazed at. Sorry for the long post!”
I havnt read it, but have been recommended to it several times. A couple things sway me from wanting to read it –
1. endorsement by michael w smith.
2. the other reviewer’s statement that it was the most important book since pilgrims progress, which makes me think pg was the last book the reviewer read in his life because it was required reading in christian high school.
i have heard really really positive things about it.
i have not read it but i heard a quote from the author about how he is not a theologian and wasn’t intending for people to read so far into things.
i was turned off by this. all people are theologians, some just don’t know what they are talking about.
I read it and I really liked it. I wouldn’t say it changed my life or changed how I view God, but I think this is a great NOVEL for those who have lost much or wonder why God would allow so much evil in the world.
The writer isn’t saying God is a black woman – it works for the story since Mack didn’t have a good example of an earthly father. It makes sense for the story.
I read it and liked it. The big black woman as God threw me for a loop too but made sense to me in the end. Maybe it makes more sense to those of use who have had a distorted view of God or have lost the awe for the trinitarian aspect of God. To each his own I guess.
The book pretty much trivializes the awesomeness of the Trinity and quite frankly is laden with bad theology. Surely we aren’t so desparate for a better way to reach people with the Message that we have to resort to this…?
the shack. praise HEAVEN! i was feeling a little like i must not love Jesus as much as the rest whose lives are being radically changed by this book. but i’m having a tough time. dude, was seriously just confessing this to my living room full of people and then looked at your blog… and felt such liberation! there is now NO CONDEMNATION!!!! thank you friend.
it’s full of heresy. graven imagery, goddess worship, modalism, etc. it’s sad that people don’t see it.
ha. heresy. that’s awesome.
i read it and it wasn’t what i expected either. but i can certainly appreciate it as beautiful imagery. it was inspirational and challenging in ways i didn’t expect.
I read it and thought it was kinda weird… I couldn’t get over the whole God being a woman thing…
It had some good things in it, but not as good as I’ve heard people talk about it… 
It was a pretty good book, but I don’t think worth all the hype. Maybe I’d feel a little differently if I wasn’t already a Christian and looking at it from that viewpoint?
I think I am not on board with you and most of your commenters. I loved it! Loved it! Thought it was a beautiful story. I don’t get hung up on “inconsistencies in grammar and all that.” It challenged me. It inspired me. I love being pushed in how I view God’s personality.
Often I think people are too cynical with things that are hyped a lot. I know I have been one of those in the past. I think that is often the case. Someone hears too much about something and they go in jaded or with expectations. Too bad, cuz I loved this read!
never heard of it?
must have my head in a hole?
yeah me too. i picked it up after 3 people said it was their fav book. i cant get past the woman as God either. i understand that the main character had father figure issues hence the woman BUT why not give him a healthy father figure to bond with. i will finish it but i am disappointed too.
I am in the process of reading…personally, it messed me up to read back and forth from the references of “Papa” and “she”. Regardless of all that it challenged me. Isn’t that the whole idea…to get God out the box that we put him in and allow him to be God the TRUE God he is in our lives. Just a thought…
I personally think that it is telling that the thing that most people seem to get hung up on is God as a Black Woman. If the point of the book is to stretch our view of God then the author has chosen well. God has been portrayed as a White Man, and Black Man, an Asian Man, etc. I have also seen God portrayed as a White woman. So it seems to stretch our God a bit more the author chose a Black Woman. Some people will not be able to get past that. It is unfortunate the number of people that I have heard won’t pick up the book because of that or put the book down at that point.
I felt the exact same way. The Nell Carter thing did me in too. I finished it, but only because my type A personality required me to. Glad you posted your feeling, I now feel liberated (and not like the only “bad” christian who didn’t appreciate it!)
I read this before all the hype….maybe I contributed to the hype? Anyways, I read it, went out and bought a half dozen of them for friends and relatives. They have since all read it and passed it along to others.
I agree with some of the opinions regarding literary and theological inaccuracies, once you understand the whys and whos of what the book was written for you give the author a bit of greater grace in those areas.
I don’t take any of it as “gospel”, but I think there are some pretty heavy truths throughout the book. A lot of symbolism and allegory to process (seems to me another book has great deal of that as well…no I am not putting it at that level…not even close…just sayin’).
In any event a book I will probably spend a Saturday a year rereading through, just to remind me that God isn’t just a grand watchmaker, but still wants a communal relationship with his creation.
my mother in law is obsessed with it….which means it must be bad
I read most of it. In one chapter the main character says to Jesus: “I tell lies” and Jesus says something like: “So do I…I just don’t believe any of them.”
Didn’t read anymore. ‘Nuff said.
Who freakin cares about the book peeps. Carlos stayed off the world wide web for 36 hours. Way to go Los!!!
I enjoyed the book. Not because I took any of it as gospel, but I loved the author’s perception of the trinity. I loved reading about how the three intertwined but were also separate. It really got me thinking about the trinity and how they work together. I think if a book truly gets you thinking, then it was a good book. For those who lose it at the black woman, you missed a lot. That part was interesting to think about how God reveals himself to us in a way that we will understand him. How did you all miss that?
Haven’t read the book, but there is something to be said for just taking the time to unplug, relax, and trying to just chill. Hope you had a good time of rest.
I heard about the book from a friend, so it wasn’t at all hyped up for me. I am a self confessed snob when it comes to all things literary and book related and yet I found myself really moved by the book. I quickly realised that if I was going to enjoy the book at all, that I would have to get over some of the clunky writing and what not and just enjoy the story. I’m glad that I did.
Someone mentioned goddess worship? I’m not sure where that comes from. Wisdom has always been portrayed as a woman (I believe) in scripture and as far as God choosing to show himself as a woman, black or white notwithstanding, I think is entirely appropriate. One of the Hebrew names for God is “the many breasted one”. Seriously. He is male and female, right? Women weren’t made in the image of man, we too, were made in the image of God. So, it stands to reason God could also be a “she” if he dang well felt like it!
I agree with Wendy a couple of comments up. Anything that gets me thinking is welcome. Anything that stretches me and reminds me that I DON’T have God figured out is a great thing.
I thought it was a great read. I had to stretch in parts but overall I enjoyed it.
I like it but I don’t “love it”. He is definatley paying homage to CS Lewis but Lewis is much better.
Yea. I don’t know if it was a bad book. I “get it”. It was well written. I guess I was told by so many that it would change my life that I was ready.
I wonder what would happen if I read the Bible with this much expectation?
Los
I loved the book, it was a totally different spin on the trinity than I have ever read before. Just keep reading, your are in for a big surprise.
My favorite part was when God explains where he was when Missy was killed, He was with her he never left her.
I loved it! I gave away several dozen copies and nearly everyone I gave it to said they were challenged by it as well. Most of them then passed it on. It sparked loads of conversations that might not have happened otherwise. The conversations surrounding the book have been the best part by far so for that I give it two thumbs up!
Rachel Bos recommended this book to me…so last week I decided to read it…I have about 70 pages to go..and I think the book is “ok”.
There are some cool ideas about the trinity, but I just could NOT move past God being a woman….a big black one…haha. Obviously, God “chooses” how to present himself…but it caught me off guard.
Like I said…it’s ok. I would MUCH rather read N.T. Wright. You should check HIS stuff out…you might actually learn something worth while.
And for people who are reading this comment…I KNOW THE AUTHOR ISNT SAYING GOD IS BLACK…:) God is rainbow colored…just incase you were wondering.
I read it awhile back, before I knew it promoted goddess worship, modalism, and I don’t remember what else. I just thought the cover looked cool and that’s all it takes for me sometimes.
I didn’t love it. I recognized the theological issues contained in it but finished it because a. I am OCD about finishing books (the ONLY place I am OCD unfortunately) and b. It did at least make me think “what if” about God, which is always good.
Best part of this thread: I’d been trying to decide who it was that Papa/God reminded me of. Yes… it is NELL CARTER! Thank you, Los, for finally getting that cleared up in my head.
man, that’s your backyard? nice…
I hadn’t even heard of it until Mark Driscoll mentioned it during a sermon on the Trinity a couple of weeks ago.
He strongly encouraged his congregation not to read it, and pointed out that it describes the trinity through a lens of modalism, which is not what the Bible teaches.
Driscoll hates it. Since I agree with Driscoll on several major theological issues, I’m gonna go with his opinion. I don’t always do that; I generally form my own opinions, but I don’t have time to waste on this book right now.
Driscoll may hate it but Peterson loved it. If we can’t trust Peterson’s recommendation then we simply can’t trust anybody’s. Therefore, take a chance and read it. I promise that Satan will not leap off the pages and swallow you whole. According to Colossians, Jesus has in fact disarmed the powers and therefore there is no need for reviewers to act like we are in a police state when a book like “The Shack” comes along.
Din’t say I wuz afraid of it, dood. I said I didn’t have time to waste on it right now
Didn’t recommend burning it or even not reading it. Just that I don’t have time to waste right now… 
If it were really worthwhile I might MAKE time. As it is, I want to read some other books first.
My grandfather sent me the manuscript of it last year. I tried hard to read it, but put it down about 3/4 through.
I too almost through it when Papa was introduced but then I kept going and it’s fiction and yet it’s illustration of the TRINITY was so amazingly beautiful.
Driscoll says don’t read it so you don’t read it? That sounds logical.
Anyways..
It’s no Pulitzer Prize-winning work of fiction but once you hear Paul’s story you will see everything in that book in a new light.
He was up here a couple of weeks ago and he is clearly in awe at what is happening with this book that he wrote for his kids. He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand. They’ve spent $300 on marketing and sold almost 500,000 copies – you’re lying if you say you’re not thinking that you’d like to try and figure out how to get that kind of marketing buzz happening!!
I’m sure you know but Paul will be at Catalyst so the buzz on this thing will continue for a while.
Chris from Canada – Uh, after several rewrites, I’m going to do my best to assume good faith and not be a jerk on somebody else’s blog…
You are correct, I shouldn’t let MD dictate my reading; trust me, he does not. I simply am not interested in reading the book, and in THIS CASE, his opinion about it was a formative part of my preferences. If he were to tell me to stop reading the Bible, I promise, he would be out like last years’ washwater.
I agree with Erik w/a K, who actually recommended the book to me. I loved it! The book has tons of excellent images of how God loves and views us! And God being a Black woman was awesome…because God IS neither male nor female, he is both and…He made both woman and man in his image! This book definitely caused me to step back and look at how I relate to my Lord and how he loves and relates to me.
Just started reading this book yesterday. Almost didn’t make it through the telling of the little girl’s fate…. hate it when kids are harmed. Am about 20 pages into the interaction with the faces of God. Finding it interesting… thought provoking… not hating it.
Also didn’t bother me when C.S. Lewis did that whole hey-what-if-God-were-a-lion thing, so maybe I’m just whacked.
Absolutely loved it! One of the most powerful and important works of Christian fiction since C.S.Lewis.
I don’t care what color God is, but let me share something with you to ponder….
Witchcraft holds a pantheistic view of God. Wiccans believe that God is nature, therefore God is in all things and all things are a part of God. However, this “god” is in actuality a goddess. The Shack claims this very thing.
Jesus is not a helpless little boy who has a mother. No! Jesus is the King of kings who sits at the right hand of “The Father” and when the world sees Him, “Every knee shall bow and every tounge will confess that He is Lord!” Now thats a God I can believe in! My Jesus rules!