If Mr. Young has embraced a view that somehow there's no hell, this is a shame for a number of reasons.
1. The Shack is full of the reality of intimacy with God’s family, the Trinity. It tracks very closely and vividly with the book and Bible study by Dr. David Eckman, Becoming What God Intended, A Study for Spiritual Transformation, which made its way around the churches and home Bible studies a few years ago with great success.
2. The Shack is a helpful and effective metaphor for healing among God’s people. Many of us have an inner “shack”, a place where we hide the sadnesses and lonelinesses from hurts and abuse of the past. It is a place in believer’s hearts where God is waiting to help and heal us. The difficult part is our willingness to return to our “Great Sadnesses” that so often we have safely hidden away from our own conscience for years.
3. If there is a “no hell” idea here, it is neither a major point nor a necessity for the main ideas of the book, but it’s enough for the Pharisees and “heretic hunters” in our midst to have a field day with the “relationship over religion” concepts in the book.
4. The idea in therapy and recovery programs and meetings ofttimes is “Take what you want and leave the rest.” One should take the good that’s in “The Shack” and if there is an idea of no hell in “The Shack”, one should leave it. I think this can be done without throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
5. I hope for Paul Young’s sake that he does not embrace this “no hell” idea, because it is clearly unscriptural. God’s Word always trumps our “good ideas.” Other well-known and respected Christian leaders have fallen and become of no effect because of this heresy, a prime example being Carlton Pearson.
6. There’s a subtle but important distinction here that is and almost certainly will be the subject of much confusion. The article references “universal reconciliation” but the idea of no hell should be called “universal salvation.” This is an important distinction. I have heard Paul Young quote 2 Corinthians 5:19 and John 1:29, but these along with other scripture, speak of the “universal redemption” that Christ’s death on the cross has afforded all men.
There is a critical distinction between Redemption and salvation. There is no “universal salvation” taught in the Bible. Heaven and Hell (there are 54 references to hell in the Bible) are scriptural and real. The issue between us and God is no longer sin – God has taken care of that issue by Jesus on the cross. The only issue now is Jesus himself who has bone our sin. The question now is: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH JESUS? The issue between us and God is no longer sin but believing in Jesus Christ.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:18-19.
Notice it doesn’t say the condemnation is sin, but that men did not believe in Jesus who took our sin. A masterful treatment of this is found in Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest October 7th devotion: http://www.myutmost.org/10/1007.html
I don’t shop at the Shack anymore, since they insist on having my phone number to sell me two batteries.
And here I was expecting a shocking expose into the inner workings of the eeeevil Radio Shack! Windfall profits on overpriced component cables! Shock! :D
It’s a novel, just like the Left Behind series was a novel. Read it for entertainment, not theology, and all will be fine.
Great read ! It says it is fictional on the cover so what if it makes ya think.
Fiction (Latin: fictum, “created”) is any form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s). Although fiction often describes a major branch of literary work, it is also applied to theatrical, cinematic, documental, and musical work. In contrast to this is non-fiction, which deals exclusively in factual events (e.g.: biographies, histories). Semi-fiction is fiction implementing a great deal of non-fiction,[1] e.g. a fictional description based on a true story.
I guess I missed something, I thought it sucked and it was a struggle to even finish ....but that’s just me.
Professional jealousy is a terrible thing, don’t you think?
Jim - I think your comments are great. So here’s another “long post”.
Wayne Jacobsen ( www.lifestream.org ), author of “He Loves Me” (a solid theological book and a “must read” after The Shack) and other works was the editor/publisher of The Shack and the one who encouraged Paul to publish The Shack. Wayne is a good friend of mine, and with Wayne and others I had the joy of spending a day with Paul Young, Wayne, and Brad Cummings who also helped edit The Shack.
I saw an interview of Paul where he clearly disavowed believing in universal salvation/no hell. Wayne has stayed in our home several times, the last one when we had literally hundreds gathering to discuss the “issues” that critics had with the book. Wayne is solid theologically and quite well answered every issue. The questions were quite pointed, especially as one time we were using the facilities of an SBC church near us and the pastor was firing questions at Wayne in every area. Wayne so well explained things that this pastor asked him to come back and speak in the future.
The Shack does have “issues”, but people miss the point. The point is the incredible depth, width, height and breadth of God’s love and His redemptive sovereignty over all that happens to us in our damaged lives. Having served in ministry for over 40 years, I know of no other book that has drawn damaged, hurting people back into the grace of God, loving and walking with Him than The Shack.
I brought the main message at the memorial service for Rachael Hill ( www.rachaelhill.org ) - one of the kids killed at the Virginia Tech shootings, as I have been close with her family all of her life. She has played my wife’s Yamaha grand piano many times.
After reading The Shack, I strongly felt led to give a copy to Rachael’s father. I wrestled with this for about a month. “How can I give a man whose daughter has just been murdered a book about a man whose daughter is murdered?!?!” Eventually, I did it.
Rachael’s father - a man of God who knows scripture well - called me every day to say only one word: “Wow!” until he finished the book, when he said, “This is the best book I’ve ever read other than the Bible.” He has since given away hundreds of copies, and led many to Christ - many who otherwise would have no contact with any church. He has seen many deeply-hurting people come into rest and comfort and trust in God.
So have I. It’s the only book I know in my life where most readers don’t recommend it to their friends. They go buy copies and give them away.
No, we cannot get theology from the book, and should not. I have been one to strongly oppose all “Christian” novels. But this one changed my mind. I have seen too many brought to Christ, and too many who totally rejected the “Christian religion” come back to a walk and trust in God - and who continue in it today.
Thanks for your post.
arlis
didn’t you try to read this and find yourself unable to finish it?
I had Dr. James De Young as a professor at Western Seminary for a number of courses... outstanding man of God who really knows the Word of God. I am sure he has done a tremendous job in exposing the lie that is “The Shack”.