Ian Moore Moore itibaren 15050 Molino dei Torti AL, Italio itibaren 15050 Molino dei Torti AL, Italio

As someone who read The Swiss Family Robinson a dozen times in childhood, there is a special place in my heart for books originally written by a man for his children that are eventually published and widely read. Given my own struggles to produce even the smallest pieces of music or literature that someone might actually care to experience, I cannot imagine the dedication required to write something of this length and quality with such a motive. (Of course, I am sure that in both cases the original manuscripts were heavily edited by professionals, but the underlying stories and themes came from the author of record.) The Shack is quite effective as a study in theodicy for the masses, presenting Young’s ideas in a manner that rarely feels like a dry, theoretical thesis. Along the way Young shares his answers to many of the great open questions of theology, and I find his opinions to be echo or inform my own thoughts more often than not. There is a danger, however, that many of the readers of The Shack will take these interpretations as universal doctrine where uncertainty should reign. Indeed, Young may have more influence on the theology of the average American than any person living today. Although I found the exposition enjoyable, the story in which it is framed often got in the way. I could suspend my disbelief regarding the nature and appearance of God — after all, Young’s guess is as good as mine — but Mack’s character was too often unreal. I admit that I have not experienced love from the perspective of a parent or the anger of one whose child has been a victim of a horrendous crime, but the way Mack feels these emotions seems over the top. Mack is purported to be a seminary graduate, but he responds as though he is completely unaware of some of the basic tenets of Christianity. Certainly one could get through seminary without believing these things, but he could never have passed his classes without understanding them. Despite its issues, I would recommend the book to anyone who finds metaphysical questions worth asking. At 250 pages of mass-market diction it makes a fast and thought-provoking read.