The Shack
The Shack The image of God can be interpreted many ways. Most envision Him as a Father Time figure that sits on a cloud thumbing his long, silver beard. Some view God as an uncompromising demiurge, while others choose to believe He is a loving deity with bountiful grace. While some consider the Holy Trinity one being, others believe it to be three separate entities. William P. Young, in his fictional novel, The Shack, takes a very different approach on his view of God. The author personifies the Holy Trinity in terms that very few have ever considered. In the formative years of William P. Young’s life, significant events occurred that shaped his presentation of God. The images portrayed in his book conflict with the belief of many Christians today. The Shack is centered on Mackenzie Allen Phillips, a middle aged father of five. ‘Mack’, as his family and friends know him, suffered a traumatic childhood. His father, an elder in the church, was an alcoholic and often beat Mack and his mother. When Mack was thirteen, he decided the abuse had to end. He put varmint poison in every beer bottle around the house and left his mother with a simple note that read, “I hope someday you can forgive me”. He spent the next ten years traveling and working at random jobs around the globe. In his early twenties, he began studying theology at a seminary in Australia. When he graduated, Mack decided to come back to the states and make peace with his family. He then moved to Oregon where he met and married Nannette A. Samuelson. The story of The Shack opens on a harsh winter day in March. Mack is going about his normal morning routine of drinking coffee and beginning his workday. Despite the beauty of the snow, Mack’s Great Sadness is weighing especially heavy on him. As any other morning, he makes the trek down his long, icy driveway to retrieve the day’s mail. After a long struggle, he reaches the mailbox only to find a mysterious, unmarked envelope with his name typewritten on
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