(clip is 7 minutes, ht Emergent Village)
It was no surprise to me that my opinion and views about The Shack are polar opposite to Mark’s. To begin with, The Shack is not a work of doctrine or theology, it is fiction. However, to be fair, there are issues of doctrine and theology addressed as themes, conversations, and metaphors in the book.
The trinity is a major theme of the book. Mark’s view has no tolerance for God the Father represented as a female, and he believes that to represent Him as a fictional character is making a graven image. Also, Mark’s doctrine strongly opposes a non-hierarchical understanding of the trinity.
According to him, those who accept the picture of God - Father, Son, and Spirit - described in the book The Shack are undiscerning and embracing a heretical doctrine.
I agree with Mark’s conclusion that the book addresses the biggest question there is, “Who is God?”
Does the popularity of this book reflect a resonance among readers with an understanding of God as He really is, or is it the mindless embrace of a gullible public embracing a heretical view of God?
What do you think of Mark’s objections?
