Customer Reviews

Finding God in the Shack: Seeking Truth in a Story of Evil and Redemption

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you have questions about The Shack , and if your questions are theological, and if some have suggested that this book is full of heresy and you are wondering about the book, then you need to read Roger Olson, Finding God in the Shack: Seeking Truth in a Story of Evil and Redemption.

The reason this book is the one you need is because Roger Olson is a very good theologian (some critics aren't) and Roger Olson has read the book (some critics haven't) and Roger Olson is not on some defense of the book or "out to attack" the book. Others see it in either/or categories. He simply calls it as as he sees it. This is a third way approach to reading a novel that has taken many by surprise. It is one of the only discussions of the novel that is both theologically alert and fair minded.

What does he see? He sees a "true" story because it is faithful to Olson's experience in the world -- including an abusive father -- and, apart from a few criticisms, represents a faithful presentation of the compassion of God in the Bible.

Does he disagree with Young's book? "Here and there I quibble with some details that don't seem to fit the book's character. Other elements, though, be correction. I question some things Young puts in God's mouth, believing that they might lead to heresy if taken to an extreme. I don't think these completely undermine the book, but they need a question mark placed over them. If we bracket them and set them aside, we can benefit from the story as a whole" (17).

I don't want to spoil this book for you, so I will mention some of the contents: where is God in a world where there is senseless, innocent suffering? Is God really a family of three? Is God in charge but not in control? What's wrong with the world? Does God forgive everyone unconditionally? What does God want with us? Will child abusers be in heaven? Isn't Jesus a Christian? Where is the church in experiencing God? Is trusting God all sweetness and light? How should we respond to The Shack?

Some things to look for as you read this book: a God who is passionate (and not a God who has no emotions). Olson, who has written a book on the Trinity, thinks the book is essentially biblical and orthodox (30). Take the book seriously but not literally. God's love shapes the Trinity and not hierarchy. Olson takes issue with Young's "patripassionism" (that the Father suffered on the cross) and he thinks Young leans too close to deism or process theology at times. So Olson thinks Young's depiction of God is incomplete. The book is very strong on free will.

Olson does not think the book denies orthodoxy, but it does counter the beliefs of many denominational doctrinal statements.

Olson is one of the most vigorous theological authors willing to take on the reformed intelligensia, as can be seen in his books Arminian Theology and Reformed and Always Reforming. In this book, Olson takes a measured, but overall positive view of William Young's theological novel. Olson's book is already garnering negative reviews from those who are convinced The Shack is a theological threat to Christians who aren't paying sufficient attention to the Bible's prohibitions on creative writing. (I assume C.S. Lewis's Great Divorce is in for a beat down in the near future.) Where does Olson come out? A balanced, moderate, intelligent, appreciative and overall positive view. Don't start a ministry on it. Don't confuse imagery with heresy. Appreciate the personal core of the story that is touching so many. (Olson collates Young's story of Mack with his own struggles with a pastor father.) Use it as a discussion starter. Be fair and realistic about the overall effect of the book. A fine response to the three-alarm fires that have dominated the internet.

I found this book to be very readable, interesting, enlightening and sometimes inspiring. The author points out areas where he disagrees without seeming harshly critical. He often provides page numbers from "The Shack" as easy reference. He helped me clarify my thoughts about the book. If you only read the last 8 pages, it would be worth having.

Roger E. Olson is a strong voice and well qualified to address the theological issues of The Shack. I read his book using the Kindle and it's possible that my next comments are not as true for the paperback edition of the book, but up front I think it would have helped the book for Dr. Olson's theological position and background to have been better highlighted to put his comments and observations in better perspective. In order to address that, I did a little digging on the net and I found that he is well qualified and has impressive credentials. As a point of interest, although I don't believe we ever crossed paths, he was actually an instructor at Oral Roberts University at the same time I attended there as an undergraduate.

Roger E. Olson is currently a Professor of Theology at Baylor University. He has a very strong educational background and appears to come primarily from a Baptist bent in his education and experience but is also not a dogmatic reformed theologian. He has a very strong body of written work in both Theological Journals as well as popular theology. His accolades include awards from Christianity Today and also an honor from a graduating class designating him as a favorite professor.

While the personal information was helpful to me to put his book in perspective, I think it's very important for a critic (pro or con) of a book like The Shack to self-reveal these positions as otherwise what is patterned as a critique can come across as an "ex cathedra" pronouncement from on high. I think this element could have been a little stronger on the part of Olson and the publisher, and again to be fair, it may be that some of the elements were not as evident in the Kindle edition as in the paperbook. I personally felt it could have been a little more self-evident within the text itself.

In the same vein, several of the comments in the book by Olson lead me to believe that he didn't do a lot of research into knowing more about the author, William P. Young. Most of that information is reasonably accessible on the web and could have been obtained quite easily.

That said, I also have to disclose a personal bias toward any who would approach The Shack from a primarily theological perspective. The Shack clearly is theological in many regards. However, it is clearly, intentionally not a systematic theology nor is it intended to serve as a primer for those seeking that approach. The Shack is in fact to my observation something of a reaction against that sort of approach and in large part has an agenda to restore a strong relational element to a walk with Christ.

That also said, what Olson does in this book is valuable as a response to those vocal, often almost hysterical critics of The Shack who either lack the imagination to understand metaphor and parable or who understand all too well the theological positions promoted within The Shack and simply find it unpalatable and respond with inflated charges of heresy.

Olson to be sure does far more in this book than deal with things dryly and theologically. I was personally impressed with the openness he displayed in relating some of his personal story, especially as it related to his father. Olson clearly understands and sees the personal elements here and opens himself even as he engages with the concepts and thoughts presented.

In terms of approach, Olson identifies the major themes of the book and approaches. By doing so he provides some reassurance, for those who either on their own, or because of their exposure to the diatribes of others, that the conclusions of "heresy" are grossly overstated. By the same token, however, Olson does have a tendency to camp on specific passages of the book and not take the book on a higher level where the comments directed to a particular theme are weighed against each other and taken as a whole. That's an understandable thing coming from a theologian who is afterall examining the theology of the book, but it fails to see the book in its proper context, in my opinion.

An example of this would be Olson's comments with regard to the ecclessiology of The Shack. Olson almost seems to assume that systematic approach to the book that he does toward Scripture and draws several conclusions based upon, in my opinion, the evidence of absence and then proceeds to chastise the book for it's lack of focus on the organized church. The fact is, the purpose and the context of The Shack is based upon the personal walk and restoration of the author, William Paul Young, and ties to counselling and personal restoration.

All these elements considered, I do recommend the book and give Olson credit for a calm and helpful approach. His certainly has a far more reasoned and fair approach than some others.

3 Stars.

Bart Breen

Now THIS is a good critique of The Shack. The author is fair minded, telling where The Shack leaves scripture but understanding why the novel does so. He defends the theology, cautioning when it might be interpreted as heresy, but showing how this can be avoided. All in all, a very good companion to The Shack.

[[ASIN:0830837086 Finding God in the Shack: Seeking Truth in a Story of Evil and Redemption]Whether or not you completely agree with the author, you will gain a deeper understanding of the strength of forgiveness and appreciate the author's viewpoint. Read THE SHACK and then pick up this book!

Author Roger Olson takes the reader on play by play of William Young's The Shack as he explores the book's many complex and controversial issues. As you read, you will see that Olsen has the heart of a theologian and he looks at the book from this perspective. The discussion is illuminating as well as intriguing and provides the reader with new opportunities for finding God in The Shack.

This is one of those rare, extremely rare, cases where the sequel (actually a followup book) is as good and probablay better than the original

"The Shack" was outstanding. It effectively freed God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit from the molds of orthodoxy that have held them captive for 2,000 years.

This book discusses the breaking of that mold and brings the new way of thinking all together, pointing out where "The Shack" got it right and where it may have gone a little too far. This book puts it all together without being "too theological," which was one of The Shack's main assets.

Both are significant contributions to Christian thought, study, and consideration.

Both books, expecially this one, are far better than most of the sermons I have heard over the last 50 years or so. Far better (and I've heard some good ones!!!)

Read the books, both of them. They will warm your heart and make you think.

But if you have to choose one, choose this one!!!

I have recommended this book to many of my friends. I typically am not drawn to fictional books about God...however this book helped me to fall in love with God again. I needed to see God in this light to get passed some "religious" junk that was between God and me. I realize the book is fictional and therefore treat it as such...but the writer took me on a journey to realize that God is a loving God and that bad things happen in this life due to the evil in this world. Read it...enjoy it and then get your bible out so that you too can fall in love with our God.

It is, of course, no substitute for reading The Shack, but it is a sympathetic reflection on the theological themes present in Paul Young's modern parable. I respect Olson's scholarship in historical theology (especially since he often cited my dissertation on Arminius in his recent book on Arminianism and consequently I thought I would receive a balanced, thoughtful assessment of The Shack(which I did).

There was much I liked about the book, but I was also somewhat (mildly) disappointed. Olson reviews The Shack positively. He does not think Young's parable is heretical in relation to the Great Tradition of the church (the ecumenical councils), though he recognizes that many of its points would be heretical within some denominational traditions (e.g., Reformed theology)--and even Olson's own writings have been regarded as heretical by some on some of the same points that The Shack would be condemend (e.g., human freedom). If Olson is critical of The Shack's theology, it is on issues like prevenient grace, regeneration, ambiguous atonement theology and ecclesiology. But his criticisms are rather mild.

My disappointment, however, was with the ahistorical reading of the novel, that is, there was no consideration of Young's own purpose, background or metaphors for his journey. There was little recognition that the "shack" functions as a metaphor for the woundness of one's life and the journey of recovery toward healing.

I understand that a novel may stand alone without an author's background providing the hermeneutical frame for reading it, but this publication gives us hints and clear clues that we should read this novel within the frame of Young's own life. For example, it was written for his children so that they could understand how his vision of God had changed through his redemption as a fallen minister. The acknowledgements at the end reveal that the "shack" is a metaphor for the soul's woundness. Indeed, in Young's own life, the "shack" is his own murdered childhood (Missy).

If we don't understand that, then we will misread the intent of the parable. While Olson recognizes that the novel is not a "systematic theology," he does tend to read it through the lens of a discipleship manual or, as he put it, "trusting God, following Jesus and being transformed" (p. 123). But this misses the point, I think. <em>The Shack</em> is about Young's recovery journey, about his own redemption, through an encounter with God that is telescoped into two-day dream. It is not a discipleship manual, nor an ecclesiology, nor a systematic theology. It is an expanded parable of a Jobian prodigal son who returns to discover the Father's love. I think Olson misses the metaphor and thus the real impact of the redemptive story Young narrates, especially about Young's own life.

Another example of this is how one perceives the ending. For some, as it was for Olson, it was "all sweetness and light" (pp. 129ff). Though recognizing the parallel with Job, the "happy ending" is off-putting because it is disconnected from the reality of Young's own personal recovery. His children recognize their father's "happy ending"--it is his real story. His vision (the way he thinks about God, relates to God and experiences God) changed his life and God recovered him for ministry through this novel. It is not everyone's "ending," but it is Young's.

Despite this, however, Olson's book is a light (too much so perhaps for my tastes) review of The Shack's theology in the light of biblical and historical concerns as well as existential realities. He reflects on the themes through Scripture but also in the light of historical theology. He recognizes the criticisms of the book--yields to a few of them (very few), but ultimately recommends the book as a way of walking through significant themes that daily challenge believers. I would recommend Olson's book as a healthy interaction with Young's novel.