Thread: The Shack - Spiritual P*rnography?

I keep hearing about this book. What is the main thrust of the book? I have only heard bad things from people I respect, but great things from people who are spiritual infants.

I read it. Big waste time other than now I can talk about all the really bad stuff in it first hand. I don't have time to go into detail, but it is without merit of any sort. Unless, you just think heart tugs are all that God desires, regardless of how they come. It is the only out and out Blasphemy that I've read that has been so well received.

links to a couple of Shack reviews and a video of Mark Driscoll

never heard of it

I have to admit I read it--in fact, I read the whole book in one sitting. It certainly would have an emotional tug on people who are looking for that kind of comfort (essentially, a saccharine explanation of "why does God let bad things happen to good people"), but in addition to a totally fanciful portrayal of the Trinity (putting it charitably) it expresses a form of salvation that borders on universalism.

What I can't understand is that the book has been endorsed by people you think would know better.

Panting Donkey Machete:

Listen to Al Mohler's review on his radio show. I was shocked and dismayed not only by what I heard but what other Christians are saying about it. It is worth the time to have a listen. I will look for the link a minute here.

-----Added 11/29/2008 at 08:07:55 EST-----

Here is the link I was looking for:

A Look at “The Shack”

-----Added 11/29/2008 at 08:08:58 EST-----

never heard of it

Lucky man.

Thanks, much for the link!

Panting Donkey Machete evokes to me the breath of cutting wit from Balaam's transport animal, a little known martial arts form, as well as a cool garage band name!

-----Added 11/29/2008 at 08:22:29 EST-----

Listening now with my Dad, who read it.

[QUOTE]Listening now with my Dad, who read it./QUOTE]

This ought to be good.

Hi Panta! I hate to break the bubble, but sometimes you just have to breakdown and read what the people are saying. I read the Book of Mormon and was in like flint with the Mormons, even though they knew I wasn't one. I've read so much Barth I wanna puke. But it leaves the gainsayers speachless when they know you've read it.

I wanna open fire with my Bible bazooka everytime I hear "have you read it yet?". It's really a side-step so they don't have to deal with the real issues.

-----Added 11/30/2008 at 12:11:38 EST-----

P.s. The Shack is more like a spiritual Harlequin Romance Novel. ha ha

Originally Posted by LawrenceU

Listening now with my Dad, who read it.

This ought to be good.

It was ...enlightening...to say the least

Good opportunity to discuss the meaning of narrative and meta-narrative

Never heard of it either.

The Shack is the new "Purpose Driven Life" except it's even worse than the PDL if you can believe that! The author is a Universalist.

Originally Posted by PuritanBouncer

The Shack is the new "Purpose Driven Life" except it's even worse than the PDL if you can believe that! The author is a Universalist.

I got that impression too and add in a good dose of emergent thinking. I actually got a copy for a Christmas present from one of my student's parents and read it over the holiday break. It's really bad theologically.

A few of my H.S students are reading it now. I asked one girl, who I know to be pretty well grounded Scripturally, what she thought of the book. She gushed about how it depicted God as as "real person" and how "neat it was" for Him to interact with man. She asked me how I liked it and I told her I didn't...at all. I asked her if she liked the book whether because it portrayed God as she thought she would like him to be or because it was true to Scripture. Her "countenance" changed.

Her mother spoke with me today and I expressed my concerns. The parents are also reading it and have the same concerns I had and they would discuss it with the girl.

Just blogged about The Shack here.

Originally Posted by Grymir

The Shack is more like a spiritual Harlequin Romance Novel. ha ha

Like he said--p*rnography. But for girls.

Hate that stuff.

Originally Posted by panta dokimazete

I am sick to death of seeing the Shack lying around my friends and family's houses. Whenever I say something about it, I have been asked, have I read it, as if that is some measure of credibility.

I am starting to rebut this statement with, "I don't have to watch pornography to know that it is an abuse of the image of God (Imago Dei) - how much more should I turn from writings that create a non-Scriptural image of God Himself and thus violate the 2nd commandment? If it is not glorifying to God, it is evil. It is spiritual pornography."

It is amazing that people still try to defend this wretched piece of garbage.

Sorry, I am in rant mode, but c'mon!

I've had the same reaction by the the pastor's wife of the church I attend. I was able to tell her that yes I read it and that it was I know it to be a vile and blasphemous book which perverts the image of God. Her response was that one of her sons had met the author and that he was nice.

I will join you in

Get use to this in modern Christendom. It's not about what the scripture teaches, but how God makes you feel.

Remind me again why we do not burn at the stake anymore?

Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian

Remind me again why we do not burn at the stake anymore?

There aren't sufficient trees left?

Maybe in Iowa

We have plenty here in PA...

I must lead a sheltered life -- I hadn't even heard of this until just this past week. On one hand, I can appreciate reading so you can discuss stuff intelligently, but lately, I haven't had much time to read anything, so I don't know if I want to take the time to read something that apparently refers to the Holy Spirit as a she.

I keep hearing about people in my congregation reading it. It's not that they haven't been warned. I just try to remember that it's probably just another fad and in another year it will have gone the way of the Prayer of Jabez and other such theological dodo birds.

It is for sure better than the "Course in Miracles". that book and anything connected to it, is BAD NEWS. And yes, the "Course" may well be one of the most "evil" books ever written, is making inroads in certain "Christian" circles....To quote that old TV show "Lost in Space". "Danger. Danger".
I have not read the Shack, but it is probably another example of "New Age" thinking trying to get its foot in the "Christian door".

I can't think of a single example where one side of a conflict was using total war against an opponent who wasn't that didn't win.

Germany, WWI.

I keep hearing about people in my congregation reading it. It's not that they haven't been warned. I just try to remember that it's probably just another fad and in another year it will have gone the way of the Prayer of Jabez and other such theological dodo birds.

In a CanRC church??????? Time for some serious huisbezoek.

Originally Posted by Zeno333

It is for sure better than the "Course in Miracles". that book and anything connected to it, is BAD NEWS. And yes, the "Course" may well be one of the most "evil" books ever written, is making inroads in certain "Christian" circles....To quote that old TV show "Lost in Space". "Danger. Danger".
I have not read the Shack, but it is probably another example of "New Age" thinking trying to get its foot in the "Christian door".

I haven't heard of this nonsense in years. Almost forgot about it. Maybe we can mix Course, Shack, Dianetics, and modern "christianity" into a new religion. I smell a moneymaker here!!

Originally Posted by JohnGill

Originally Posted by Zeno333

It is for sure better than the "Course in Miracles". that book and anything connected to it, is BAD NEWS. And yes, the "Course" may well be one of the most "evil" books ever written, is making inroads in certain "Christian" circles....To quote that old TV show "Lost in Space". "Danger. Danger".
I have not read the Shack, but it is probably another example of "New Age" thinking trying to get its foot in the "Christian door".

I haven't heard of this nonsense in years. Almost forgot about it. Maybe we can mix Course, Shack, Dianetics, and modern "christianity" into a new religion. I smell a moneymaker here!!

Yep the Course in Miracles is still out there..

Oprah Winfrey is a staunch reader and public supporter of the "Course". And yet she also publicly claims to be a "Christian".

Originally Posted by JohnGill

Maybe we can mix Course, Shack, Dianetics, and modern "christianity" into a new religion. I smell a moneymaker here!!

Interesting that you used the word "smell".

Originally Posted by kvanlaan

I keep hearing about people in my congregation reading it. It's not that they haven't been warned. I just try to remember that it's probably just another fad and in another year it will have gone the way of the Prayer of Jabez and other such theological dodo birds.

In a CanRC church??????? Time for some serious huisbezoek.

It doesn't help that we have Regent College in our neck of the woods. Regent has been ardently marketing the book. It was Eugene Peterson who said that this book would do for our generation what Pilgrim Progress did in Bunyan's.

The Shack could be renamed the Outhouse... both contain unclean things.

-----Added 1/9/2009 at 09:54:33 EST-----

Originally Posted by panta dokimazete

links to a couple of Shack reviews and a video of Mark Driscoll

I listen to Driscoll in my car during the commute. Sometimes he rants (so do I) but he does his homework first. The 7:46 is worth the look.

Originally Posted by Guido's Brother

It doesn't help that we have Regent College in our neck of the woods. Regent has been ardently marketing the book. It was Eugene Peterson who said that this book would do for our generation what Pilgrim Progress did in Bunyan's.

You've got to be kidding? Peterson compared it to Pilgrim's Progress???

Hey, Bart Campolo endorsed it as well.

The only similarity is that they are printed books

Originally Posted by DMcFadden

Originally Posted by Guido's Brother

It doesn't help that we have Regent College in our neck of the woods. Regent has been ardently marketing the book. It was Eugene Peterson who said that this book would do for our generation what Pilgrim Progress did in Bunyan's.

You've got to be kidding? Peterson compared it to Pilgrim's Progress???

I know, I know. You'll never be able to read the Message the same way ever again.

Originally Posted by jwithnell

I must lead a sheltered life -- I hadn't even heard of this until just this past week. On one hand, I can appreciate reading so you can discuss stuff intelligently, but lately, I haven't had much time to read anything, so I don't know if I want to take the time to read something that apparently refers to the Holy Spirit as a she.

The Father in The Shack is a black woman.

Originally Posted by toddpedlar

Originally Posted by jwithnell

I must lead a sheltered life -- I hadn't even heard of this until just this past week. On one hand, I can appreciate reading so you can discuss stuff intelligently, but lately, I haven't had much time to read anything, so I don't know if I want to take the time to read something that apparently refers to the Holy Spirit as a she.

The Father in The Shack is a black woman.

So is the Shack book claiming that a woman can be an "equal figure" to a father??

Originally Posted by Zeno333

Originally Posted by toddpedlar

Originally Posted by jwithnell

I must lead a sheltered life -- I hadn't even heard of this until just this past week. On one hand, I can appreciate reading so you can discuss stuff intelligently, but lately, I haven't had much time to read anything, so I don't know if I want to take the time to read something that apparently refers to the Holy Spirit as a she.

The Father in The Shack is a black woman.

So is the Shack book claiming that a woman can be an "equal figure" to a father??

I'm not sure what it's trying to claim, but it's wicked blasphemy at best.

It doesn't help that we have Regent College in our neck of the woods. Regent has been ardently marketing the book. It was Eugene Peterson who said that this book would do for our generation what Pilgrim Progress did in Bunyan's.

Peterson's endorsement should be the largest of large red flags as to the book's content, even if you never actually open it. Also, things have changed, haven't they? I thought Regent was JI Packer's home, but I think I read somewhere that he's gone a bit wonky too, no?

Seriously though, if a visiting elder saw "The Shack" on someone's shelf during huisbezoek, would he not take the father to task? As I recall from my childhood, that's how it would go where I come from...

Originally Posted by kvanlaan

Panting Donkey Machete:

Listen to Al Mohler's review on his radio show. I was shocked and dismayed not only by what I heard but what other Christians are saying about it. It is worth the time to have a listen. I will look for the link a minute here.

-----Added 11/29/2008 at 08:07:55 EST-----

Here is the link I was looking for:

A Look at “The Shack”

-----Added 11/29/2008 at 08:08:58 EST-----

never heard of it

Lucky man.

Panting donkey machete!!!! HA!!!!! Where's a mod to change his signature when you need one?

I think the conclusion on his book is DO NOT read it ! it is

AGREED