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Still, as the back cover of the book clearly indicates, The Shack is mostly a story of a soul wrestling with a perennial human question: Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? In navigating this question, Young takes on a host of common—and he believes mistaken—beliefs about God's nature and character, human agency and suffering, and salvation. The responses he offers are a mixed bag—some spot on and freshly articulated, others disputed and unoriginal, and others—well, they'll make you cringe.

Yet Young's book has clearly struck a nerve, likely with those who have been burned by deep tragedy, bad church experiences, and churchgoers who consistently misrepresent Christ. Judging from The Shack's continued sales and largely glowing reviews, this is a sizable group.

Showing good faith to Young and his empathetic readers means demonstrating pastoral as well as prophetic concern in engaging the book. If all we do is pounce on theological errors without first taking the time to understand the story behind them, we will only confirm the opinions of the church and its representatives that Young and fans of his book already hold.

Reading between the lines, I see a formerly troubled soul who's made peace with God about his past, but is still not at peace with the church. I'd love to see the book become an occasion for open conversation with "spiritual but not religious" folks burned by church experience. Here's an opportunity to show good faith—to Christ, his church, and her teachings; to authors and their work; and to readers who rejoice in learning they are not alone.

Exclusive for CT Online readers: Download chapter one of The Shack by William P. Young, free from Oasis Audio and powered by Audible.com.

Derek R. Keefe is assistant editor at Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

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