Multi-million-dollar 'Shack' stirs jealousy, outrage

In truth, only a handful of writers sit in the pantheon of "successful authors." I put that in quotes because success usually means dollars and cents – with a heavy emphasis on dollars.

Money is why Christian publishers wish to constantly knock-off Rick Warren's "Purpose-Driven Life," or Joel Osteen's "Your Very, Very, Very Most Spectacular Life Right Now!" (okay, I'm being a little bit sarcastic).

Financial success keeps the doors open and the lights on and feeds a lot of people. Very few writers can be purists, and not many have a free ride to pursue writing, like Emily "Failure to Launch" Dickinson. Heck, even Dickens and Twain wrote for pay.

All that to say, writers who are well-paid and famous tend to attract the ugliness of jealousy from other writers. We have to be honest about that.

So when we look at the meteoric rise of William Paul Young, author of the runaway bestseller "The Shack," we need to keep in mind that the guy came seemingly from nowhere to sit in the pantheon. The title is approaching 10 million in print. That's quite a bit better than one of my recent titles sold. By about 10 million (but let's not dwell on unpleasantness).

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Young, an Oregon-based writer who just a few years ago was working multiple jobs, watched as a couple friends invested in his little story. That faith in the project paid off in a massive way, as "The Shack" has become not only financially successful … it has also struck a nerve among readers all across the U.S. In fact, Timothy Beal of The Chronicle of Higher Education puts it very succinctly:

"In today's book market, some might behold the huge success of William Paul Young's evangelical Christian novel, 'The Shack,' as something of a miracle," Beal writes. "Originally self-published in a garage by Young and two friends who maxed out their credit cards to pay for printing and distribution, it has now sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into 34 languages. It has been on The New York Times bestseller list for 84 consecutive weeks, mostly at No. 1."

The story of a grieving father, Mack, whose daughter was murdered, "The Shack" traces the father's path from grief to understanding, and along the way redefines – for some – our concept of God.

For example, the "God" figure in "The Shack" is a heavyset black woman. Although I don't intend even a subliminal reference here – Oprah – I do think it's almost too ironic that theology in "The Shack" plays very well with the spirituality of America's most famous talk-show host and cultural change agent.

I should also be honest about the trajectory of this review: it arcs toward a conservative stance. Young's own spirituality has been a huge flashpoint of controversy, and better writers than me have examined his motives. Still, having interviewed the likeable Young several weeks ago, I wanted to share some thoughts, as well as take a look at the book itself.

For example, notice my use of the word "likeable." Conservative Christians who have a bone to pick with Young and his now-iconic novel feel compelled to preface their negative reviews with a "nice" reference to Young. Why? Conservative Christian commentators are always behind the eight ball in terms of demeanor and how they'll be perceived by the wider culture. In short, "fundamentalists" are usually portrayed as "mean-spirited" and out-of-touch.

This is relevant, because how a reviewer is perceived impacts the review itself. I even dismiss the criticism over Young's writing ability (the manuscript went through several revisions, and some reviewers sniff their high-brow disapproval of Young's abilities; again, these are writers who have considerably less money than Mack's alter-ego, and I think this impacts a great many reviews, especially when they are dissing a writer's ability).

Now to the book itself. Many have taken issue with Young's alleged unorthodox views. It should be noted that the vast majority of people do not have a problem with it, because they embrace a spirituality that is a much bigger tent than the old-fashioned fundamentalist revivals were held in during a simpler time.

For example, to the charge that he is a universalist – the belief that in the end, all people will be saved – Young told me he is not a universalist. He also affirmed his belief in a "fundamentalist" view of Christianity, such as a belief in the physical resurrection of Christ, etc.

But therein, as they say, lies the rub. In checking other reviews of Young's work, I discovered that he seems to make statements that tend to "make everybody happy." In other words, he can be a universalist while denouncing it at the same time. Thus, he demonstrates the quintessential post-modern talking points.

"The Shack" is a poignant tale of a man who returns to the scene of his daughter's murder, in order to find closure. At the scene, he encounters God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit – the Christian "Trinity."

The key question for me, as a reviewer and Christian, is the controversy over Young's spirituality. Specifically, can this book be harmful for readers, or redemptive?

With his kind of sales numbers, Young is long past being a blip on the radar. To a certain degree, he has had an impact on the culture. My sense is that he has affirmed those with a liberal spirituality, "converted" some lukewarm believers, and disturbed orthodox Christians.

Southern Baptist Albert Mohler Jr., a leading light of the conservative movement, has called Young's book "deeply subversive," "scripturally incorrect" and even "dangerous."

He is referring to, I assume, Young's penchant for minimizing reliance on Scripture alone. There seems to be a free-wheeling emphasis in "The Shack" on personal experience and feelings, something the Bible warns against.

There are both subtle and overt challenges to orthodoxy in "The Shack"; I've mentioned Young's portrayal of God as a large black woman. The Bible is pretty clear that God is referred to through the use of male pronouns, and that as the creator of the universe, he dwells both outside of time and even outside our overall understanding of his essence.

But in small ways, Young also places ideas into the minds of readers. In a quote that opens Chapter 12 ("In the Belly of the Beasts"), the author has this from Blaise Pascal:
"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

The statement could perfectly describe al-Qaida, but on the other hand, has been used as a dig at orthodox Christians, those nattering nabobs of fundamentalism who are becoming more unpopular in our day.

The entire feel of "The Shack" is centered on shedding "old" ways of seeing God, Scripture and Christianity. This new Christianity has found common ground with radical scholars like Marcus Borg and John Spong.

It's interesting – at least to me – that Christian leaders like Mark Driscoll take exception to Young's breakout book. Driscoll himself is the target of conservative Christians, for his own somewhat unorthodox approaches to preaching.

Still, Driscoll has said, "If you haven't read 'The Shack,' don't!"

One of the problems conservative Christians have with "The Shack" is the portrayal of God.

At one point, the (okay, I'll say it) Oprah-esque figure says to Mack, "Don't just stand there gawkin' with your mouth open like your pants are full."

That kind of dialogue and imagery just doesn't square with our understanding of God from Scripture.

Of course, many don't have a problem with that.

Others of us do, however, and the portrayal of God is one of the reasons I urge readers to be very cautious with "The Shack."

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