Comments on: My Review of The Shack http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/ This is my story and I'm sticking to it. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:21:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ben Cotten http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/comment-page-1/#comment-2160 Ben Cotten Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:57:16 +0000 http://www.bencotten.net/?p=1017#comment-2160 This says it better than I did. i wish I had thought of this analogy to explain my issues with the book. Check it out: <a href="http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/shack-fiction-and-non-fictional.html" target="_blank">http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/shack-fict...</a> This says it better than I did. i wish I had thought of this analogy to explain my issues with the book.

Check it out: http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/shack-fict…

]]> By: Ben Cotten http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/comment-page-1/#comment-2161 Ben Cotten Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:57:16 +0000 http://www.bencotten.net/?p=1017#comment-2161 This says it better than I did. i wish I had thought of this analogy to explain my issues with the book. Check it out: <a href="http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/shack-fiction-and-non-fictional.html" target="_blank">http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/shack-fict...</a> This says it better than I did. i wish I had thought of this analogy to explain my issues with the book.

Check it out: http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/shack-fict…

]]> By: Tlynnsmith http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/comment-page-1/#comment-2147 Tlynnsmith Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:47:19 +0000 http://www.bencotten.net/?p=1017#comment-2147 Haven't read the book, and probably won't read it. While I think you made some very good points, I guess the biggest point to me it is that the book is fiction. Can Christians "get something" out of a theologically "unsound" work? Sure. This book is not the only book that 's not "tight" theologically. We all must get into the practice of evaluating everything we hear and read, against the Word of God. If this book will give us some much-needed practice, then that's good. However, if there is any "truth" in it, take that and go with it. Leave the rest. I have to do that with every book I read. New Christians aren't often able to do that, but we can still start them on the path of...evaluation and discernment, straight off the molding block. Jesus was both God and man. For Him to show up, down here, in the form of a human being was definitely a...step down, don't you think? Why did he step down from all things majestic and grand, to dwell on earth? While He was here, He lived among and identified with His creation. That was very relational. He never ceased to be grand and majestic. He was still all that. But He presented Himself in a much "less-majestic" way. He didn't show up on a white horse, with a scepter, with "Faithful and True" across His chest. He came as an infant, who grew into a...man. He's called El "Shaddai", which comes from the hebrew word for breast, '"shad". We are made in God's image. So, since that's the case, He can definitely be a mother and a father to us . He possesses the nurturing qualities that are most often attributed to "mothers". God is complete...He lacks nothing. Haven't read the book, and probably won't read it. While I think you made some very good points, I guess the biggest point to me it is that the book is fiction. Can Christians "get something" out of a theologically "unsound" work? Sure. This book is not the only book that 's not "tight" theologically. We all must get into the practice of evaluating everything we hear and read, against the Word of God. If this book will give us some much-needed practice, then that's good. However, if there is any "truth" in it, take that and go with it. Leave the rest. I have to do that with every book I read. New Christians aren't often able to do that, but we can still start them on the path of…evaluation and discernment, straight off the molding block.

Jesus was both God and man. For Him to show up, down here, in the form of a human being was definitely a…step down, don't you think? Why did he step down from all things majestic and grand, to dwell on earth? While He was here, He lived among and identified with His creation. That was very relational. He never ceased to be grand and majestic. He was still all that. But He presented Himself in a much "less-majestic" way. He didn't show up on a white horse, with a scepter, with "Faithful and True" across His chest. He came as an infant, who grew into a…man.

He's called El "Shaddai", which comes from the hebrew word for breast, '"shad". We are made in God's image. So, since that's the case, He can definitely be a mother and a father to us . He possesses the nurturing qualities that are most often attributed to "mothers". God is complete…He lacks nothing.

]]> By: C Angel http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/comment-page-1/#comment-2137 C Angel Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:47:34 +0000 http://www.bencotten.net/?p=1017#comment-2137 Yeah, I agree with what Mike G said that the book reaches across barriers and gets people thinking and talking about Jesus. Even in the light of poor theology ( soft pedaling the atonement, God the father and dancing a little too close to universalism), the shack is quite engaging. It comes across very non-religious and gently pulls on our emotional strings, it gets people thinking. It's amazing the response here on your blog, Ben! Yeah, I agree with what Mike G said that the book reaches across barriers and gets people thinking and talking about Jesus. Even in the light of poor theology ( soft pedaling the atonement, God the father and dancing a little too close to universalism), the shack is quite engaging. It comes across very non-religious and gently pulls on our emotional strings, it gets people thinking. It's amazing the response here on your blog, Ben!

]]> By: Ben Cotten http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/comment-page-1/#comment-2136 Ben Cotten Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:44:29 +0000 http://www.bencotten.net/?p=1017#comment-2136 Thanks for stopping by, Mike! Thanks for the tip on the Driscoll stuff. Found it on YouTube. And I thought I was hard on the book! Here it is: [youtube pK65Jfny70Y <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jfny70Y" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jfny70Y</a> youtube] Thanks for stopping by, Mike! Thanks for the tip on the Driscoll stuff. Found it on YouTube. And I thought I was hard on the book! Here it is:

[youtube pK65Jfny70Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jfny70Y youtube]

]]> By: Gail http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/comment-page-1/#comment-2135 Gail Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:32:12 +0000 http://www.bencotten.net/?p=1017#comment-2135 <blockquote>Gail was unable to reach my site on her computer to read the review, but still wanted to comment. She emailed this in to me. -Ben</blockquote> I have just finished reading and I feel greatly challenged in my love relationship with God. I know that The Shack has a lot in it that is not exactly correct with the Bible, but as Christians, what can we do or what kind of impact will we have on the world around us if we don't have that intimate love relationship first? I think there are a lot of " believers" out there that just don't get the intimate love relationship thing! I was brought up too be very independent and I have had to fight that nature in me every step that I take toward God or anything that He wants me to do. Whereas, maybe this might not be the first book that you would recommend to a non-believer or new Christian, I would say that the Lord certainly used it as a challenge in my own life and I am going to recommend it to others that I think are mature enough to step over the erring parts. Why throw out the baby with the bath water?

Gail was unable to reach my site on her computer to read the review, but still wanted to comment. She emailed this in to me. -Ben

I have just finished reading and I feel greatly challenged in my love relationship with God. I know that The Shack has a lot in it that is not exactly correct with the Bible, but as Christians, what can we do or what kind of impact will we have on the world around us if we don't have that intimate love relationship first? I think there are a lot of " believers" out there that just don't get the intimate love relationship thing! I was brought up too be very independent and I have had to fight that nature in me every step that I take toward God or anything that He wants me to do.

Whereas, maybe this might not be the first book that you would recommend to a non-believer or new Christian, I would say that the Lord certainly used it as a challenge in my own life and I am going to recommend it to others that I think are mature enough to step over the erring parts.

Why throw out the baby with the bath water?

]]> By: Kathy http://www.bencotten.net/life/christian/my-review-of-the-shack/comment-page-1/#comment-2134 Kathy Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:20:05 +0000 http://www.bencotten.net/?p=1017#comment-2134 Excellent review Ben. You make an excellent point about what exactly ministered to the person: the book or the Holy Spirit? I think we need to keep this in mind with everything. It's easy for me to accept theology from books other than the Bible and in the past I have often used poor substitutes for Biblical truth. An impotent gospel, after all, is much easier to accept than the real thing. The idea that I can be saved and continue living my life is very appealing. The idea that God will accommodate me and my worldview is also appealing, and deceptive. I personally had a very strong emotional response to the book. I admit I accepted some of that bad theology without searching the scriptures. I also admit that the Holy Spirit uncovered some things that I might not otherwise have let Him expose and heal had I not read the book. But I appreciate how you laid out so clearly the need for a "both/and" view of God. It's something I tend to gloss over all too often. Excellent review Ben. You make an excellent point about what exactly ministered to the person: the book or the Holy Spirit? I think we need to keep this in mind with everything.

It's easy for me to accept theology from books other than the Bible and in the past I have often used poor substitutes for Biblical truth. An impotent gospel, after all, is much easier to accept than the real thing. The idea that I can be saved and continue living my life is very appealing. The idea that God will accommodate me and my worldview is also appealing, and deceptive.

I personally had a very strong emotional response to the book. I admit I accepted some of that bad theology without searching the scriptures. I also admit that the Holy Spirit uncovered some things that I might not otherwise have let Him expose and heal had I not read the book. But I appreciate how you laid out so clearly the need for a "both/and" view of God. It's something I tend to gloss over all too often.

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