What's the Big Deal with "The Shack"

Believe it or not, I just finished The Shack by William P. Young. I had read many reviews that just raved about the content and quality of the book. However, I had also heard that it was heretical and gave a wrong portrayal of God.

Then as I kept getting into discussions with people about it, it became increasingly obvious how ridiculous it was to keep quoting reviews of a book I'd never read. So, I picked up a copy of The Shack from our local library. I finished it last night and Lord willing, I'll be able to clearly explain my concerns with it.

The forward starts out by giving you a little glimpse into the childhood of Mackenzie Allen Phillips, otherwise known as Mack. Mack's dad was an "overly strict church-elder", but was also a closet drinker who beat his wife and children. That sets quite a tone for the book to begin. However, things get worse.

Mack takes several of his kids on a camping trip. Two of his kids go out on a canoe trip and long story short, one about drowns. While Mack is saving his drowning child, his youngest daughter, Missy, is kidnapped by a person known as the Little Ladykiller. This man abducts young girls, murders them, and then hides them in places where they're never found again. The police are able to track the Little Ladykiller down to an old, abandoned shack where they find evidence of Missy's brutal murder. Then "the great sadness" descends over Mack and further drives him away from God.

One day, Mack goes out to get the mail and finds only one letter. It invites him back to the shack and it says it is from Papa (which is his wife's term for God). He thinks it's crazy, but he is driven by something inside him to return to the place of horror. Again, long story short, he get's there and is met by what Young claims is the Trinity.

And here is where the real problems start to enter the book. God the Father is portrayed as a woman. Another problem is that God the Spirit is portrayed as a woman, too. Papa is a woman! Never in the Bible do we see God portrayed as a woman. We know the Bible is totally true and that means that the god of The Shack is false. In Philippians 4 were commanded to think on "whatever is true". Does The Shack fall under what is true?

Many people loved how the Trinity was shown in the book. But I found the interactions of what was portrayed as the Trinity were disturbing at best and blasphemous at worst. Here is an example of what I'm talking about:

"'Sure. We were going to have this incredible Japanese sauce, but greasy fingers over there,' Papa nodded toward Jesus, 'decided to see if it would bounce.'

"'C'mon now,' Jesus responded in mock defense. 'My hands were slippery. What can I say?'"

"Papa winked at Mack as she passed him the rice. 'You just can't get good help around here.' Everyone laughed." (page 105)

Does that sounds like the interaction of the God of the Bible to you? Is that reverent and honoring?

From the very beginning of the book there appeared to be elements of Hinduism and Universalism in it. As I read more and researched things on the internet, my suspicions were confirmed. The name given to the character who is supposed to be the Holy Spirit, Sarayu, finds it's root is Hinduism! Why did Mr. Young have to use a Hindu term for the Holy Spirit?

Here is an example of the Universalism:

"Again Jesus stopped. 'Those who love me come from every system that exists. They are Buddhists or Mormons, baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions." (page 182)

That is just plain wrong and against what the Bible says! When we come to Christ, we don't stay the same and we don't stay in a religious system that contradicts the Bible (Mormonism and Buddhism). Old things have passed away, everything has become new! We're no longer bound by those things and Jesus calls us to come out from those ways of living.

So, why are so many people "receiving help" from The Shack and endorsing it? I believe one reason is because they get sucked into the emotional story at the beginning. They want to know the conclusion, so they're left open to the heretical teachings. Another reason would be, many people don't know the truth of the Bible well enough to recognize the false teachings of William Young.

In conclusion, this is not a book for Christians to read. It gives a wrong view of God which will have very damaging effects on the Church. Many people will not have a biblical view of God and this will also have drastic consequences.