Klampert

The Shack is EVIL!

Have you heard of the book, The Shack? If you haven’t then please come out form under that rock.

I while back I wanted to see what all of the talk about it was so I bought the book, devoured it, and then reviewed it on the blog. I loved it.

Then I started to see all of the negative attention on the net. Mark Driscoll, who I love, describes the book as heretical and that it promotes modalism. Of course there are tons more online who preach against the book as well calling it evil and a non biblical representation of the trinity.

This past weekend my church did a mens retreat with another church form maine. We gave everybody in the groups a copy of the book, let them know it was fiction, it was not theology and more like a parable. They were told to read it and we would discuss it on the retreat.

I bet from the guys who claim it’s evil they would be screaming right now

“Noooooo. you are going to be teaching your men wrong doctrine….”

Well most read it and tore through the book and then God tore through them.

In our discussions we instructed our men to not get hung up on the theology because it is more an allegory and not a theological book. They were to see if they felt like some of the story was their own.

I was floored with what happened.

Did our guys change their minds theologically?

Did our men think  God was a big black woman?

Did they hink the Holy spirit was an asian woman?

No…No….and No….

So what did happen?

Freedom from anger

Freedom from past

freedom from Father issues

bigger view of God

An understanding that God cares.

Our men came face to face with a God that loves them and every one of them, one way or another, walked away understanding that God is bigger than they thought.

Is the Shack Evil? I don’t really care actually, but I am really glad that a simple story made God more real to some hurting and angry men.

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Joel Klampert

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Comments

23 responses to “The Shack is EVIL!”

  1. Fred F. McKinnon Avatar
    Fred F. McKinnon

    100,000 AMENS, bro!

  2. Russ Hutto Avatar
    Russ Hutto

    My take too!

    Russ Huttos last blog post..iSpy iSight Fun

  3. Chris Moncus Avatar
    Chris Moncus

    So at first I thought you were one of those crazy people. Now I see that apparently the same thing happened to you. I don’t cry often reading books. But the junk that got released and the way my heart got changed confirm the power of the book.

    Good take bro.

  4. Chris Moncus Avatar
    Chris Moncus

    Now I’m mad that your comment luv didn’t take for me. Why does Russ get all the attention. BOOOOOO

    🙂

  5. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    WOW! Haven’t read it but love your review. Great stuff!

    Emerys last blog post..Recession

  6. Sheri Avatar
    Sheri

    Hey Joel!

    Thank you so much for a clear and balanced review! I completely agree with you and was shocked when I saw your title! LOL I just HAD to see what you thought!! haha…you hooked me, I have to admit 🙂 But thank you for taking this stand on a book that has done wonders.

    God bless!
    Sheri

  7. Steve"The Czar" Patton Avatar
    Steve”The Czar” Patton

    Freedom is evil so if that book caused freedom, then its evil. Everyone knows that Joel…

    Steve”The Czar” Pattons last blog post..The journey to the miraculous

  8. Jeff M. Miller Avatar
    Jeff M. Miller

    Yeah, but…but…

    Soylent Green is people!

    It’s people!

    Jeff M. Millers last blog post..Without Limits

  9. Wisdom Moon Avatar
    Wisdom Moon

    That’s so cool!

    I’ve heard a lot about The Shack. I’m looking forward to checking out the book.

  10. Kit Palmer Avatar
    Kit Palmer

    Couldn’t agree more. Wow, Christians that aren’t afraid to THINK and even wrestle with questions that they don’t already have an answer for. Who knew they were out there?!?!

    Kit Palmers last blog post..I Want to be Like Edgar!

  11. jordan fowler Avatar
    jordan fowler

    Whilst I am super careful on formal theological study and endorsements, I am struck–as I read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to my 8 year-old-son– as to the historical importance of metaphorical fiction.

    Interestingly, no one seems to be going after the Narnia series despite some obvious differences between Aslan the Lion and Jesus Christ, though Aslan symbolizes him.

    Wonder if The Shack draws such thunder because it is closer to reality and less obviously metaphor?

    jordan fowlers last blog post..Free Tune from Brent

  12. Paul Wilkinson Avatar
    Paul Wilkinson

    This is a really healthy perspective; especially in that it diffuses a lot of the anger and strong rhetoric that surrounds this book. As a bookseller, I’ve noticed that anything that has become wildly successful has been awash in controversy: Purpose Driven Life, Left Behind Series, Veggie Tales, and now The Shack. (Okay, maybe they aren’t lining up to attack the Gaither Videos and all those Amish novels…)

    Can’t believe some of the comments that include, “haven’t read it yet.” What are you waiting for?

  13. alex mclean Avatar
    alex mclean

    marketing worked – I thought you might be becoming a nut job. Read the post and came here to say ‘amen’, but Fred already gave you 10,000, so here’s +1!

    alex mcleans last blog post..Miles is a Yellow Belt

  14. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    I am so thankful to you for writing this post. I had heard so many negative comments about the Shack that for months I refused to buy it. But finally a friend that I respect greatly said it changed her life forever. I took a chance and figured if it got to be too much, Id just stop reading.

    I can tell you, this book “got to me” more than any message I’ve ever heard preached, or any song I’ve heard sung. Although it is fiction, there’s such a dominance of GODS LOVE that jumps off the pages. I was healed from a huge hurt while reading this book and have recommended it to many people.

    Kellis last blog post..4 years….

  15. Nef Avatar
    Nef

    Funny, many of the comments amount to, “I thought you were crazy then I found out you agreed with MY view of the book. WooHoo!” My reading suggestion; once you have read and completely understood every word of the Bible you might consider reading something else, even the Shack. The Bible is the book that should move you, make you cry, help you deal with any issue. The Bible with the aid of the Holy Spirit gives us a right understanding of God. Something that you won’t find in the Shack. You got to wonder about any book review that starts with ‘check your mind (theology) at the door.’ Lots of things can make you feel. I was quite inspired the first time I watched Rocky, I cried when I watch Schindler’s List. But they did not improve my relationship or understanding of God.

    Nefs last blog post..Reflections on Who I Am in Christ

  16. Don Blosser Avatar
    Don Blosser

    Thanks for a breath of sanity, Nef. I also cried when I read the Shack. Who wouldn’t? But that book is a blasphemous insult. How can anyone who loves Jesus be OK with Him being portrayed as a bowl-dropping clumsy incompetent who can’t even catch one lousy fish. Come on, this is the Lord Jesus who created ALL things and keeps billions of galaxies right in place. The same Jesus who died in my place for my sins—but not according to W.P. Young who denies Christ’s substitutionary atonement. No wonder since God apparently “doesn’t need to punish sin”. Wake up people! The next step is drinking the kool-aid.

    (google Jim Jones if you didn’t get that last part)

  17. Don Blosser Avatar
    Don Blosser

    And you, Joel?
    How long had these men been around you and they somehow didn’t know Jesus cared?! How come you couldn’t use the Bible and your own life to teach them that?
    and “Is the Shack Evil? I don’t really care actually,”
    Come on, what is that? My flesh wants to invoke the word idiotic but no, I’m not gonna say it.
    “It made God more real”? really? More real like Isaiah experienced in Isa. 6? More real like with the disciples on the mount of transfiguration? More real like John the Apostle in Rev. 1?
    Or more real like a pull-string teddy bear that gives out new age lollypops and giggles, “I don’t do punishment”, I never see anything bad you do, Church & Bible?BORING!, oops, clumsy me, etc, etc.

  18. Don Blosser Avatar
    Don Blosser

    Joel,
    I’m sorry for invoking the word idiotic and hurting your feelings. Really. It wasn’t very Christlike.
    Now… why don’t you get some time alone with Jesus and apologize to HIM for promoting a book that makes Him look like a bowl-dropping incompetent oaf and denies what he went through for us on the cross.
    And why don’t you respond to my questions here, instead of taking it offline and emailing me (not to really answer my questions but just to tell me I offended you and to defend yourself)?
    My number one question of course is, how can a man entrusted with leading others “not care” if he is introducing them to a book that is evil? or a collection of blatant contradictions of Biblical truth???
    BTW, when “Papa” tells Mack that she never left Jesus at Calvary, Young was broadcasting loud and clear his warped theological rejection of substitutionary atonement, something he has confirmed in numerous post-publication interviews. And when “Papa” said “I don’t need to punish sin”, Young was effectively ripping out pages of the Bible and burning them. You apparently are/were lacking the spiritual discernment to detect that. I think The Shack is a sort of discernment test. You flunked. Sorry if that hurts your feelings but maybe I also care about the people you are misleading.
    Also BTW, when I said:
    “How long had these men been around you and they somehow didn’t know Jesus cared?! How come you couldn’t use the Bible and your own life to teach them that?”,
    I wasn’t questioning your character or Bible knowledge. I was just trying to point out that you didn’t need a reprehensible book like the Shack to teach your guys about God’s love.

    Peace,
    Don

  19. Don Blosser Avatar
    Don Blosser

    “When Christ Jesus comes as king, he will be the judge of everyone, whether they are living or dead. So with God and Christ as witnesses, I charge you to preach God’s message. Do it willingly, even if it isn’t the popular thing to do. You must correct people and point out their sins. But also cheer them up, and when you instruct them, always be patient. The time is coming when people won’t listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories.” 2 Timothy 4:1-4 CEV

  20. Joel Klampert Avatar
    Joel Klampert

    Don..I responded to you via email because I don’t want animosity and accusations posted on my personal blog.

    What you said was your opinion and you are welcome to that but your attacks and judgments were and are way out of line. I am not offended because I dont know you so your opinion has no bearing on if I will sleep at night. But it seems to me you have way too much time on your hands to go after and verbally attack somebody you don’t know on a blog you don’t read.

    I did not answer your questions because there are 5 bazillian sites that answer those questions and I don’t really feel like wasting my time justifying myself to a complete stranger who’s only purpose seems to be to break down brothers in Christ.

    your apology for being unchristlike was followed by another dig and an admonition for me to repent. I would suggest you look at the Log in your own eye.

    Also your last post and inference as to me being a “false” or “seeker sensitive” teacher is not only bogus but ubsurd.

    If I had time I would find the 500 verses in the bible to speak to people who judge when they should not or condemn when they should not. Feel free to look them up on your own.

    Since you decided that email in a normal discussion was not good enough and you want to throw garbage on my site I would ask you to find another site you can fill your day with typing judgments instead of my own.

  21. Mud Puppy Avatar
    Mud Puppy

    I like what Rob Bell has to say about critics…

    “There are around a billion people in the world who don’t have clean drinking water, and 46 million Americans don’t have health care. That means if they get sick, they don’t have anywhere to go. Half of the world, 3 billion people, live on less than two American dollars a day, so the world is an emergency.

    It’s on fire.

    It’s drowning.

    It’s an absolute crisis, and when followers of Jesus can think of nothing better to do with their time than to pick apart and shred to pieces the work of other followers of Jesus who are trying to do something about the world, that’s tragic, and I don’t owe those people anything. The world is desperately in need of people who will break themselves open and pour themselves out for the reconciliation of all things. When a Christian can find nothing better to do with their time in the face of this much pain and heartbreak, you start realizing that some Christians need to be saved.”

    … but then again, I’ve heard Bell is a heretic himself. 🙂
    .-= Mud Puppy´s last blog ..Stretching =-.

  22. Will Cayer Avatar
    Will Cayer

    I was on the retreat with Joel. What i found was Men who ended up sharing honestly about their feeling about God. We grew closer to The Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit as well as each other. All the brothers from our church grew closer to each other, Jesus Christ and the reading of God’s Holy Word. I loved the Shack, I love God, I love his Holy word. I love all of you who have responded to this blog. God is able to speak to me in many ways. And I say to God, speak to me in anyway you can to get me to be more Like Christ. Most important to be like Him in all i do.

  23. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    Don,
    I think you missed this part of the verse.. 🙂
    “..You must correct people and point out their sins. But also cheer them up, and when you instruct them, always be patient.” 2 Timothy 4:2 CEV
    .-= Adam´s last blog ..Pray. Save. Give. =-.

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