The Shack by William P. Young

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I endeavored to begin a 500 book reading voyage, I asked friends and family for suggestions of “the most life altering books.” There were quite a few responses, but The Shack, written by William p. Young, was continually nominated so I grabbed a copy and dived right in.

The Shack is an engaging story that intertwines Christian theology within a modern tale of tragedy and struggle. The language is straightforward and places the subject matter into an understandable and digestible format accessible to all. Some criticisms attack the straightforward style, but I think it works for this story. Be mindful, there are some deep reactions from the Christians as to the accuracy and even heresy of some of the books content. To look into some areas of the skirmish, you can visit: http://www.boundless.org . Much of the criticism circles around the interaction and usage of the trinity in direct communication with Mack(Mackenzie) Phillips, the main character of the story.

As we meet Mack, he has entered into a period of his life he dubs, “The Great Sadness.” This period is ushered in by the abduction and murder of a close and vulnerable family member. In the midst of his pain, Mack grapples with the reconciliation of his faith and the atrocity visited upon his family. The plot, though not unique, delivers a compelling exposition of the Christian trinity and the attendant love gracefully bestowed upon mankind through the creator.

I found the book to be a quick read due to not only the subject matter, but the fresh approach in explaining such complicated topics as the trinity, forgiveness and redemption.

The trinity consumed a large portion of the book. Young spins a tale where Mack, against common sense, heeds a call to revisit the site of the horrendous crime. Once there, Mack begins a journey in conversation with The Father, represented as, for lack of a better metaphor, “Aunt Jemima,” Jesus as a man of “Middle Eastern” descent, and The Holy Spirit as an ethereal woman of Eastern descent.

Although the name Aunt Jemima doesn’t appear in the book, the images of God as a portly African-American woman, cooking in the kitchen plays on the obvious stereotype. The problem with the stereotypes is that they erect a philosophical barrier, for those observant of them, that the user must grapple with prior to moving forward with the book. As in any writing, cliches are to be avoided, well, “like the plague ” – couldn’t resist.

Utilizing a stereotype is a weak way of not developing characters. By relying on the images and baggage generated by the stereotypes, the writer doesn’t have to develop the characters. The unintended consequence, however, is that the stereotype carries baggage that each user will interpret to their own understanding which may prove detrimental or helpful to the writer. In my case, it wasn’t as bad, but in many cases, it became a huge flaw that soured readers on the whole experience.

One of the redeeming aspects of the book, however, is the confrontation of forgiveness, which is a complex emotional issue. The interplay between The Father, referred to as “Papa”, Mack intertwined with his tragedy, Young does a great job in illustrating the interplay of forgiveness in it’s multiple facets as he weaves the conept through The Father, Mack and the perpetrator of the deadly deed.

All and all, I liked the book and would recommend it. If pushed for a grade on the book, I’d give it a C+.

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