Finding God in The Shack
Finding God in The Shack – Twice!
Two books have appeared in the last six months with the same title – “Finding God in ‘The Shack”.
Both are written by theologians and examine the theology in the top-selling Christian novel, The Shack by William Young. Both are written in a very readable style with page references to the version of The Shack sold in the UK.
 Many people have been helped by reading The Shack including several customers of re:fresh books & christian resources. But is it just the “feel good factor” or does the book really answer the big questions about God and suffering; and does it stand up to serious theological evaluation? After all it is only a novel! So should we expect it to deal effectively with great issues like the Trinity, good and evil, and forgiveness?
Both authors say “yes” although one is more qualified in his response. Both authors display a high regard for the theological understanding of The Shack's author, William Young. Both books are reviewed below - but first, about The Shack itself.
Finding God in The Shack by Roger E. Olson
Published by IVP. £8.99
“It seems to me that the message of The Shack is 90 percent right on” says Roger Olson, a Professor of theology in Waco, Texas. “…it faithfully portrays God’s character through his fullest and most direct revelation – Jesus Christ. It testifies to the truth that God is absolutely good and trustworthy, and is not in any sense the author of evil or innocent suffering.”
 Olson’s critique is more rigorous than Rauser’s and he covers a wider spread of issues raised by The Shack but his conclusions are similar. He writes not only as a theologian but as one who has personal experience of one of the book’s secondary themes – parental abuse. He starts right at the heart of the book by looking at the question “Where is God in Senseless, Innocent suffering?” moving on to the Trinity and then the issue of God and evil. Each chapter heading poses a provocative but relevant question such as “Will child abusers be in Heaven?” Among issues which leave him uncomfortable with The Shack are the absence of any concept of Satan and the book’s failure to introduce any clear message about the importance of Christian community in following Christ.
Olson’s book includes questions for individual or group study, prepared by Andrew T Le Peau (Author of many of the well-known Lifebuilder study guides.) These cover each of the 12 chapters but with a recommendation that they can be grouped in pairs to make a six-session series. There are also 20 questions for a single group session.
Finding God in The Shack by Randal Rauser
Published by Authentic/Paternoster. £7.99
Randal Rauser is an associate professor of historical theology in Canada. Although his book treats weighty subjects, it is very readable. Rauser goes beyond The Shack to explore the wider theological issues involved, defining terms for the lay reader, but always comes back to The Shack. Footnotes refer to other books on subjects covered and each chapter ends with four or five discussion questions.
 After an introductory chapter he goes straight to what is probably the most provocative aspect of the book – the portrayal of God as a large African-American woman – and discusses the way in which the Bible itself accommodates our understanding with images of God as a potter, a warrior, a husband, and even a drunken soldier. He then examines the book’s treatment of The Trinity; the contrast between the austerity of our traditional concept of God and Young’s genial characters; and the undergirding issue of “Why does God allow cruelty and suffering?” The Shack challenges many of our Christian preconceptions but Rauser finds much to commend.
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