THE SHACK
reviewed by Nancy Reece
Set in the Oregon wilderness, The Shack is the story of Mackenzie Allen Phillips' youngest daughter's abduction and the evidence of her brutal murder found in an abandoned shack. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a note, apparently from God, asking him to join him at that shack for a weekend. The story explores Mack’s experience at the shack, and the impact on his family and his life. A strong climax and astonishing conclusion, not to be spoiled by this reviewer, make this a book destined to become a center of conversation. Eugene Peterson 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! " In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, the Shack wrestles with the timeless questions, " Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain ? " The Shack was a delightful read from the foreword to the conclusion. I found myself highlighting passages because of the word pictures Young painted, and then other passages because I wanted to go to Scripture and explore concepts that were discussed. Some passages touched me personally as I dealt with times of loss and pain in my own life. I have found myself journaling passages from this book together with Scripture and application to choices in my own life. Young’s ability to paint word pictures rivals some of the best authors of today. His descriptions of the Great Sadness bring enable the reader to enter the sadness with Mack. " The Great Sadness had draped itself around Mack 's shoulders like some invisible but almost tangibly heavy quilt. The weight of its presence dulled his eyes and stooped his shoulders. Even his efforts to shake it off were exhausting, as if his arms were sewn into its bleak folds of despair and he had somehow become part of it. " His descriptions of an icy Oregon winter, of stunning beauty in a garden, of the relationship between the Trinity came alive in a beautiful cascade of words. It made me look forward to turning each page to discover new delights in the use of our language. In the midst of this page-turning fiction, Young explores concepts regarding love, hierarchy, responsibility, forgiveness and freedom. His insights on these areas clearly have been Spirit-inspired. Solid theologically, it is an excellent book to help people understand the presence of God and to encourage them to trust in Him. My only concern is his statement that evil and darkness do not have any actual existence. In fact, evil is a real, manifest presence that Jesus declared victory over and Paul warned us to be armed against. Other than this one area, Young explores concepts about God, faith, trust and life with profoundly deep insights. No doubt it will generate controversy as it challenges the boundaries and concepts of what many have been taught it means to be a follower of Christ, a child of God, and led by the Spirit. I would hope the effect of Young 's book would be an increased ability on the part of the reader to live life more authentically for Christ. The Shack is an enchanting and thought provoking story that will carry you away to the Oregon wilderness with Mack and God. It is a book to not just read, but to study, to discuss, and to challenge. It is available in bookstores September 2nd. Past issues - Print edition - Media Kit - About Christian Faith and Reason ©2007 Christian Faith and Reason |