No, I haven't read it. Nor will I. So those who want to dismiss my subsequent remarks as ignorant and irrelevant, go ahead. I'll see you later.
But if you're still reading, let me explain that my opinions are not without basis for several friends who I consider quite trustworthy (and discerning) have read it. And their reports agree: The Shack is a theologically-sloppy book that is heavy on post-modern themes and heretical ideas. Indeed, among the doctrines of the Christian faith the book particularly distorts are such essentials as the Trinity, the inerrancy of Scripture, the reality of an eternal hell and the substitutionary atonement of Jesus.
That ain't good.
But it now appears that there's trouble in The Shack community besides the theological. It's a dispute over the very authorship of the book, a dispute resulting in lawsuits, counter suits and a whole lot of hypocritical justifications from William P. Young. Here's the story.
And then over here, you may find interesting a bit of information about theology professor James DeYoung's detailed critique of the book entitled Burning Down The Shack.
