The Shack

I recently read a book called The Shack. It was proclaimed to be a modern day Pilgrims Progress, so since I read it I thought that I would give you my opinion of it. 

The main character in the book, Mach, took his three youngest children on a camping trip somewhere in Oregeon.¬† On the last day of the trip the two older children go for a canoe ride while Missy (7 yrs old) is coloring at a picnic bench.¬† Mach watches as the canoe tips and only one of children surfaces.¬† Mach (a former lifgaurd) runs out to the lake to save his son.¬† Mach successfully saves his son, but by the time everything has settled down Missy has been kidnapped. All of the evidence they find suggests that she has been brutally murdered by a serial killer in ‘the shack’.

Five years later.¬† Brought about by a strange note;¬†Mach returns to ‘the shack’¬† to meet “Papa.”¬† Next thing you know the book has immersed you into this… i don’t know… parellel universe… and Mach meets “Papa” or “God.”¬† Actually he not only meets God, me meets the entire Trinity!¬† My greatest problem with the book is that “Papa” is a WOMAN!!!!¬† Oh Yeah… and so is the Holy Spirit!!!¬† They attribute God’s feminitiy because Mach can’t comprehend God as a Father because his father was very cruel.¬† Anyways, so the purpose of Mach meeting them is to help him cope with the lose of Missy and to rebuild his relationship with them.¬† Well, Mach learns to deal with the loss of Missy and he rebuilds his relationship with God and his family.¬† He even learns to forgive the murderer.

I understand the idea behind all of this… but the book could seriously mess up your doctrine!¬† As I read it I realized that this book is simply a doctrines book in novel form…. a very dangerous combination.¬† So… if you are going to read this book please take caution.¬† The book does make you think about things… but like I said… it is off on some of its doctrine.

In conclusion, is this book a modern day Pilgrims Progress?  NO!!!!