The Shack ~ Wm. Paul Young

The Shack 
by Wm. Paul Young

I just love to read.  I have read just about every kind of story there is to read out there.  I have grown to the stage where I don't waste my time on obvious filth, fluff, or crazy stupid stuff.  

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, might just be an exception to that rule.  

I have two wonderful friends.  Let's call one of them Thalia, and the other Lacee.  And then there is a third party in this initial story, we shall call her, Jaclyn.  Those of you that are in this story will recognize who you are, should you ever read this article. 

To start, Thalia, comes to me, she wants to start a book club.  She's read this book, The Shack, many years ago.  She bought several copies and given them to friends, in hopes that she will have someone to discuss this book with, but no-one ever comes back to her to discuss it.   "If your interested, can we start with that one?" she says to me.  

Me, I've never heard of this one, and being open to almost anything, "sure, why not".  Hahahahaha, little did I know.

I go home and order the book.  (Online of course, I hate shopping remember).  I send a message to my friend Lacee, "do you wanta?". She replies a day or two later, "I can't find the book at Lifeway is it a Christian book?".  Well I certainly thought so.  In the itty bitty bit of research that I've done it certainly sounded like a Christian book.  In the meantime I had sent a message to Jaclyn to include her in the group.  She immediately replies, "That's a new age book, filled with lies and false teachings, you might want to do some research before you choose to read that one".  

OOOOOHHHHHH really..........  what does that even mean?

I tell Lacee what I just heard, she opts out of the book.  Ok...  Jaclyn was an obvious no... Ok.   Me and Thalia, OK...  I'm good with that. 

I did a little more research, but still I truly don't know what new age means, I don't really understand what false teachings Jaclyn was referring to.   

I CANNOT stand when someone tells me I should reconsider reading something.  Even a lady at our church said that they had a guest speaker one time that came in to talk about this book, and he preached on Sunday that this book would lead you down the wrong road.  

First off, don't tell me not to do something.  Do NOT presume to think that I am so weak minded, and dumbfounded that I can not think for myself.  Do not think for a second that just because you are incapable of sorting fact from fiction (this is a book of fiction folks) that the rest of the population of our churches is so easily brainwashed and led astray.

Secondly, the game is on now, I have to read it.  With everyone around me and online telling me this is in that category of stuff I don't read anymore, I make an exception to my rule.  And you should know me by now, I don't do anything halfway.  So here we go!!!  Hold On to your hat!!!!  And Thalia, I am so glad I did, thank you!!!!


The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

To be honest, I read this book twice.  I read it the first time 2 chapters at a time, so that I could absorb the story, and discuss with Thalia.  This book has an enormous amount of information that just demands you talk about it with someone.  (Thalia, how you held it all in for so long, I just do not know). 

Wm. Paul Young says in an article of his own, that he wrote this book for his children.  To explain to his family a journey that he went on, a journey of finding God (Papa).  It (again) is a book of fiction, but it is filled with tons of theology.  

In my studies thus far, I have found that God reaches out to us first.  Without His initial pursuit of us, we can never find Him.  I completely believe that God can put a note in my mailbox.  He made the heavens and the earth, He can write a note, and stick it in my mailbox if He wants to.  

I also believe that God can appear in any form that He chooses.  He appeared to Moses as a burning bush, I think also if He chose He can appear as Aunt Jemima.  Now I don't know if that's the image that Young intended, but that's the image I have of his Papa.  

This book was truly heartwarming, heart rending, frustrating, aggravating, enlightening and a must read for everyone that is on this journey.  I want to tell you more about it, but I don't want to ruin it.  I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book. And I want you to be too, so I won't detail it out. 



What Does Submission Really Mean?   This is an article written by Wm. Paul Young, it discusses one of the topics of the book.  Submission as we understand it, is not what it was meant to be.  Paul discusses this in the book, as well as more in depth in this article.

Thirteen Heresies in "The Shack"  I just found this article.  It makes some very valid points.  Most of the items listed I would agree are heresies.  However, I don't recall most of them actually being in the book.

I will address one that stands out right now... "7.  God submits to human wishes and choices.  Far from God submitting to us, Jesus said, "Narrow is the way that leads to eternal life."  We are to submit to Him in all things, for His glory and because of what He has accomplished for us (Matthew 7:13-15"

I would counter that with "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him." 1 John 5:14,15.

I would argue that you can find scripture on both sides of any given issue, you can take something out of context and make it suit whatever need you want it to.  I petition all who read this, to have a relationship with God, a one on one real relationship, and YOU decide what this book means to you!

Pastor Larry DeBruyn  This will be the last article I want to address in this post.  The reason that I want to include it here, is the extent at which this man has stretched his imagination is beyond absurd.  Wm. Paul Young, in The Shack, had God come to OUR plane of existence to pull one of His children out of hole.  I firmly believe that God can, has, and will do this for each and every one of His children.  The form, the place, the journey will be different for each and every one of us, but I firmly believe that God will do what He must to save His children.  That being said Wm. Paul Young's vision of God was a robust, lively, black woman named Papa.  I have no doubt whatsoever that God appeared in this form because He was needed in this form.  What form would God take if He appeared to you?  What form would you be expecting?  And what form would have the best results for you?   Just because this form was a robust, lively, black woman, does NOT mean that Mr. Young was reaching all the way to the Black Madonna, and utilizing New Age mysticism, Hinduism, Ultimate Reconciliation nor did it have anything to do with the emergent movement.








The Shack Revisited:  C. Baxter Kruger, PH.D.

Dr. Kruger has all of the theology spelled out for the Shack.  I, honestly, only read a few chapters of this book.  It's a good book to read if it's been a while since you read The Shack.  I read what I did, thinking to myself, "Yea I know, I just read that"  So I'm going to wait a bit to read it.  The foreword is by Young, I take that to mean that he endorses the context.










I am reminded of something that Mark Virgler said in 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice:  Satan will pervert anything and everything that we allow him to.  He has all but stolen Christmas.  All things that are real and true, they will be counterfeited by Satan.  There may be things in this book that are seen as "new age" or "false" or even "heresy", but are they really?  New Age may be deemed bad, but what is its basis?  Is it based off of something that was "stolen" by Satan?  

For all the naysayers out there, learn to read for yourself.  Don't let someone else judge something, do it for yourself.  Invest time in the Bible, and in your relationship with God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit.  There used to be a day when we didn't have our own bibles, and the preacher had to tell us what it said.  I'm so glad I don't live in those days.  I love having a one-on-one relationship with God, I love our walks, and our talks, and I love knowing that I know that I know.  (Lacee that one's for you, cause you know my left brain doesn't work that way most of the time).  And I am eager to know more and more, and hope that you take the time to read this book.  If nothing else, it was great to read!!


Additional Resources

Windblown Media 2007 This is a reading guide and a discussion guide in one.  It has a sort of disconnect, but did have some good questions in it. 

The Reverend Toppie Bates  Some more really good discussion questions. 

Rev. Galen Lowery  I liked this study guide the best of what I found, but the link is not currently working.  (Sorry)

Discussion Questions

A Few More Discussion Questions



Wm. Paul Young  You will find his blog here, with articles on his current books, as well as upcoming projects.  You can also find a link to subscribe to his emails here!


The discussion questions that I pulled out of the articles for Thalia and I to go over are here:

Study Guide by Rev. Galen Lowery

1.       In The Shack, Jesus tells Mack that he (Jesus) has been trying to catch a huge lake trout for weeks.  However, in all of Scripture, Jesus never uses animals for pleasure or fun.  In the Bible, animals are used to bring honor, glory, and to accomplish that which pleases the Lord.  Where does Jesus invest most of His time in Scripture?  What does this say about how, where, when and in what ways we should be investing our time?

2.       “All evil flows from independence, and independence is your choice.”  Comment on that statement.  What is evil?  What is your understanding of the origin of evil?  When does evil initially appear in Scripture?

3.       What scripture supports the fact that each person has one or more angels?

Windblown Media

4.       Chapter 14:  The discussion turns to the Ten Commandments “Trying to keep law is a declaration of independence – a way of trying to keep control… It grants you the power to judge others and feel superior to them”.  In what ways do we do this in our own lives?

5.       Chapter 18:  Mack thought it was strange that he would get in a wreck after spending the weekend with God.  What are your thoughts about this?

Discussion Guide of Windblown Media

6.       If God were to invite you somewhere to encounter your obstacles in your relationship, where would that be?

7.       If God wrote you a note to meet and you went, what image might God portray to you that would be easy to accept?  What image might God portray that would be hard to accept?

8.       Does God have a sense of humor?  Where in the book do you see evidence of that?  Where in the Bible?

9.       Jesus asks Mack, “Where do you spend most of your time?  In your mind, in your imagination, in the present, in the past, or in the future?”  How would you answer this question?

10.   “Every time you forgive, the world changes”.  Could you forgive the person that took your child from you?

The Rev. Toppie Bates/ St. James Epis. Church

11.   “You…were created to be loved.  So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around.” (97)  How do pain, depression, doubt, fear, etc, act as limitations?

12.   What does the garden of your soul look like?

13.   Do you truly believe that God is “especially fond of you”?  How do you know?

What Does Submission Really Mean? Wm. Paul Young

14.   “What I found in my own research and exploration of the Bible is that, instead of a hierarchy, you have an eternally equal, face-to-face reality inside the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.  What are your thoughts on this?

Is The Shack Heresy? By Wayne Jacobsen

15.   “The content of this book does take a harsh look at how many of our religious institutions and practices have blinded people to the simple Gospel and replaced it with a religion of rules and rituals that have long ceased to reflect the Lord of Glory”  Let’s discuss.

16.   Ultimate reconciliation, emergent movement, Hinduism, New Age Philosophy.  Discussion.

The Shack, “Elousia,” & the Black Madonna by Pastor Larry DeBruyn

17.    “I am fearful that the book’s painting of God, even though fictional, might promote the wrong image of him.”