The Shack

William P. Young

Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.

This book's Disciple Making Purpose

This book may feel a bit “not theological” or “pushing the boundaries” (see Known Concerns below) but we have found it to be highly effective to address areas of hurt, forgiveness, loss, and perception of God. Simply put, the challenges are worth the result. We use the challenges (like God is first presented as a woman) to clarify that God is actually Father but meets us right where we are in need. Disciples are typically not theologians and can navigate the challenges easily. It’s good to remember that most disciples are looking for solutions and answers to pain, hurt, and unanswered questions about whether God loves them. We would never remove this book from the list unless it was absolutely necessary.

Key Topics or Truths

How to Have a Relationship with God.
Forgiveness of Self.
Forgiveness of Others.

This Book is Good For...

Folks who have difficulty with forgiveness or trusting God to meet them where they are.

How We Use this Book to Make Disciples

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Since this is a novel, we break the reading into four sections (one for each week) and discuss the book in a book club format after each week’s reading. Here’s our chapter breakdown by week:

  1. Chapters Foreword-4
  2. Chapters 5-8
  3. Chapters 9-12
  4. Chapters 13-After Words

Here are a list of Biblical topics and truths with related questions that The Shack brings to light (worthy of discussing – thanks to AI for the list),

  • The Nature of God (The Trinity)
    • How does The Shack portray the Trinity differently from traditional Christian teachings?
    • What are the implications of depicting God the Father as a Black woman named ‘Papa’?
    • Is the equality shown between the three persons of the Trinity biblically accurate?
  • The Problem of Evil and Suffering
    • How does The Shack deal with the problem of suffering and God’s goodness?
    • Does the book provide a satisfying answer to why God allows bad things to happen, especially to innocent people?
    • Can God still be trusted even when life seems unjust?
  • Forgiveness and Redemption
    • What does The Shack say about forgiveness—both of others and of oneself?
    • Is the process Mack goes through consistent with biblical forgiveness?
    • Does the book present a universalist view of salvation?
  • Scripture and Authority
    • Does The Shack rely on Scripture, or does it rely more on imagination?
    • How do you evaluate the theological messages in The Shack compared to what the Bible teaches?
    • Is it appropriate to use fictional portrayals to teach theological truths?
  • Free Will and Human Responsibility
    • How does the book depict free will and human choice in relation to God’s plan?
    • Does God limit His own sovereignty to allow for human freedom?
  • The Church and Religion
    • What critique does The Shack offer of organized religion and institutions?
    • Is the rejection of structure and tradition healthy or harmful in the Christian life?

The book is a super-easy read and disciples will have no trouble managing the reading. Our book club format is simple. We still talk individually to each disciple individually asking questions like,

  • We read chapters x to y this week in the Shack. Sue what did you think?
  • Bob, did any of these truths directly apply to you? Like have you ever faced a struggle like this?
  • Mary, how did you handle the presentation of God in these chapters?
  • Tom, what do you think are the main takeaways this week?

If no one in the group hits one of the discussion topics, we often ask, “Did anyone notice….” and at least ask their thoughts and guide them if they got something that isn’t right on point.

Real Life Story

“The Shack” is a one of a kind invitation to journey to the very heart of God. Through my tears and cheers, I have been indeed transformed by the tender mercy with which William Paul Young opened the veil that too often separated me from God and from myself. With every page, the complicated do’s and don’t that distort a relationship into a religion were washed away as I understood Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the first time in my life.

Know Issues or Controversies

William P. Young has the passion of a theologian but he is not a theologian.

Some Christians push back on Young presenting God as a black woman but Young is not making a theological argument for the gender or race of God. He is a fiction writer using a literary tool to get readers to understand that God will meet you where you are on your journey.

Some Christians push back on the assertion that this book helps newer believers understand the trinity. Again, Young is not making a theological statement. He is writing fiction and revealing the trinity in his perspective to an audience that he wants to know God and understand forgiveness.

We love this book because of the healing we have seen it bring. Healing between people. Healing for a person who has been wronged by a person who doesn’t care. And healing from shame and a poor view of God.

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William P. Young
Book Details
Pathway Steps: 1, 4
  • Phase: Year 1
  • Book Type: Fiction
  • Flair: Eye Opening, Storytelling
  • Tags: Christian Living, Easy Read
Reading Time
Four Weeks
Start Reading After Week 19
9 Pages per Day
11 Minutes per Day
Related Reads

This book pairs extremely well with Fully You and Search for Significance as it addresses many of the same basic “felt” and real needs that we have a humans created by God.