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Review
If you have ever had a conversation on The Shack, whether with an enthusiast or a critic, you will want to invite this skilled and accessible theologian into the conversation. Before you have read a dozen pages you will know why we need to keep company with theologians. They help us keep our conversations on God intelligent, informed and irenic. Eugene H. Peterson Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.
Product Description
What would it be like to lose your youngest child to a serial killer? And then to have God invite you out for a conversation at the very shack where the terrible deed took place? And then imagine that the door to that shack of horrors opened . . . and before you knew it you had been swept up in the motherly embrace of a large African American woman? This most unlikely of stories, as told in William Young’s The Shack, has become a runaway bestseller and it is easy to see why. The book brings us on a redemptive journey through the shacks’ of deepest pain and suffering in our lives, guided by the triune God of Christian faith. But even as lives have been transformed through this book, other readers have sternly denounced it as a hodgepodge of serious theological error, even heresy. With one pastor urging his congregation to read it and another forbidding his congregation to, many Christians have simply been left confused. Aware both of the excitement and uncertainty generated by The Shack, theologian Randal Rauser takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the pages of the story. In successive chapters he explores many of the book’s complex and controversial issues. Thus he explains why God the Father is revealed as an African American woman, he defends the book’s theology of the Trinity against charges of heresy and he considers its provocative denial of a Trinitarian hierarchy. But at its heart The Shack is a response to evil and so Rauser spends the final three chapters considering the book’s explanation for why God allows evil, how the atoning work of Christ offers new hope for a suffering world and ultimately how this hope extends to all of creation. Through these chapters Rauser offers an honest and illuminating discussion which opens up a new depth to the conversation while providing the reader with new opportunities for Finding God in The Shack. "If you have ever had a conversation on The Shack, whether with an enthusiast or a critic, you will want to invite this skilled and accessible theologian into the conversation. Before you have read a dozen pages you will know why we need to keep company with theologians. They help us keep our conversations on God intelligent, informed and irenic." Eugene H. Peterson Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.
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Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dig deeper into the theological questions raised in 'The Shack',
By
This review is from: Finding God in The Shack (Paperback)
Randal Rauser, an associate professor of historical theology at Taylor Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, explores the religious controversy sparked by William Paul Young's 2007 novel, `The Shack,' in his latest publication, `Finding God in The Shack.'As Rauser states in the Introduction, "theology can enrich our understanding and experience of God. And that includes the experience that many have cherished reading The Shack. The fact is that beneath the surface of this compelling story is an inner structure of equally compelling and beautiful theological themes." Throughout the seven chapters of the book, Rauser explores these themes, with most chapters ending with a series of discussion questions, entitled `Digging Deeper.' These questions, as well as Rauser's interesting and well-thought-out commentary, add to the conversations and responses that have been generated by the bestseller. In `Finding God in The Shack,' Rauser discusses the theological issues raised in Young's novel with a knowledgeable voice. In taking the arguments back to the Bible and theology, he reminds Christians of where the answers can truly be found. Probably one of the most debated aspects of `The Shack' is its challenge to the traditional perception of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit through the personifications of `Papa,' a large African-American woman; Jesus, an ordinary-looking Middle Eastern man and Sarayu, an ethereal Asian woman. Rauser states that these depictions are not necessarily heretical since they can be explained by the theological understanding that God shows himself in an easily-comprehended manner. "God accommodates to our limitations by describing himself within the range of human experience, often by speaking as if he were a human." This can be found in biblical descriptions of God as a king, a warrior, or a dragon. God cannot be limited to any of these depictions. He is all of this and more. Rauser goes on to state that the problem is not thinking of God in new and innovative ways that are relatable to our human experience; it occurs when we define God solely based on a limited metaphorical term. Our understanding of God should not be narrow; therefore, `The Shack' is beneficial in that it presents God in a new, unorthodox manner while maintaining a scriptural basis. The nature of God is complex and has been debated for centuries. `The Shack' has brought the discussion out of church halls and into the coffee shops. Rauser joins the dialogue on the Trinity, hierarchy within the Godhead, the existence of evil and the after life with intelligence and wit. Those who have read `The Shack' and found themselves looking for answers will discover that `Finding God in The Shack' is an informative exploration into these questions.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
with an interest to understand the issues in "The Shack",
By
This review is from: Finding God in The Shack (Paperback)
I come to the discussion table as a fluent Christian but with no educational title. I perceive through the experiences I enjoy with God and seek to enrich my experience. The book "The Shack" came at a pivotal point in my life that I must say changed it forever for Christ. Many of my perceptions of what the Bible taught were altered with this profound book. So I needed to read someone else's critique of "The Shack" to better understand some of the controversy surrounding it. And this book written by Randal Rauser was clear and informative. His way of writing and his theology relates to my understanding of the scriptures and definitely clarifies "The Shack" for me. What Randal writes did not change anything for me that I had already experienced from my "Shack" experience; rather it embraces it in a way that gave me a more thorough understanding of God's way. It also helped me look at the scripture to confirm that the truth had not been eroded. So for anyone wanting to find God and to look in your shack I would encourage you to seek God as he can be found, even when we have had painful experiences in life. The book 'The Shack' can open door of a loving God, and this book by Randal Rauser will help make it real. Also if you haven't done so already search the internet for the video clip where Paul Young shares his life's story at Patrice's home. [...].
5.0 out of 5 stars
great support for the Shack,
By
This review is from: Finding God in The Shack (Paperback)
I know that there are many critics against the Shack but Randal captures many of those concerns and deals with them from a very balanced perspective. The area where he helped me the most was in the are of how God can use the loss of a loved one for the betterment of those left behind without jeapordizing God's character. I truly believe this is a great read for anyone who has read the Shack.
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