Comments on: Noted: Mark Driscoll on “The Shack”

By: KT

KT — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:33:39 +0000

I’m so surprised that Mark does not like this book. A lot of what he says in his other sermons lines right up with the allegorical story in this book. I listen to his messages online all the time and believe he is a very gifted teacher. I have not known him to be so “off base” as I really believe he is here in his opinions…no, his strong dissuasive comments about the book.

Listening to his clip and all his arguments with the content of the book, he clearly has not read the book or read it with presumptions of what it was before he read it. I agree he is entitled to his opinion and agree that it is a bad one.

This book really does have the ability to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” did for his!

Clearly we should go to Jesus and the Scripture for our basis of love and truth and our everything! I just think God can use other works - teachers, authors, artists, and creation itself! - to help us know Him, too.

If you are going to make comments like “how many christians are escaping into novels instead of finding refuge in Christ?” then you need to live that comment/indicated belief further, which would be to believe that then you shouldn’t listen to a story you pastor has to share or listen to a single other teacher out there - because then that is not JUST and ONLY the Bible or Jesus! I’m not saying ALL books and authors should be considered teachers, but some certainly are , and they are inspired by God as teachers.

By: bruce

bruce — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:57:56 +0000

These comments sadden my heart. So many divisions today and attacks one against another. Personal feelings are of the greatest purpose for many here. What they think and how they feel toward another who differs instead of knowing who God is by scripture. You must be made new to enter into Gods kingdom!!! Woe is you who are not made new!

By: Bob Hyatt

Bob Hyatt — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:00:02 +0000

I talked with Paul Young the other day- he’s good friends with the co-author of Mark’s latest books. He knows that as of this point in time, Mark hasn’t read the book.

There were a couple of slightly concerning things here- but not what Mark was accusing Young of. I reviewed it and took on his charges point by point.

Mark’s got his heart in the right place- if he actually read this book and saw how Jesus-centric it was, he might change his mind.

(I started to type something smart-alecky about Mark never changing his mind but got convicted by what I’d recently read in the Shack about how we judge each other… Nice!)

By: Scott Varney

Scott Varney — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:50:45 +0000

I read the book. I was familiar with the criticisms before hand. I expected to be critical of the story. I love the book and love how a story can teach the heart about the relationship God so desires with us all.

Mark, read the book as a story. Paul does not try to tell us God the father IS a woman or human in any way. The characters representing the trinity are fictional ideas designed to allow the main fictional character to interact in a more relateable way to the trinity. Later in the book God the father is represented as a male father figure to better relate to the fictional point of that part of the story. Goddess worship?

Mark, I appreciate your zeal for truth and agree truth should be defended and protected. In this case your just wrong, stop and see the good work God is doing with this story.

By: Pastor Dan

Pastor Dan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:06:52 +0000

Yea…I’m a Pastor and I didn’t get any of that out of The Shack. I don’t agree with anything of Mark’s issues. I understand the theological definitions of all of his problems with the book, I just don’t think he is right. I believe the story is a work of fiction that parallels deep truths about God’s character. Christ himself used the art of story to paint pictures of God and the Kingdom. According to Mark’s logic, that makes Jesus a heretic.

I doubt he read the book and if he did, he did it with a judgmental and pharisaical attitude. He is entitled to his opinion…I just think it’s a bad one.

By: desu

desu — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:21:50 +0000

Check out MIlwaukee based conservative radio station for CrossTalk Program (hosted by a woman that does seem cross alot) for the show they hosted July 2. A pastor Larry DeBryn (sp?) picked author and book apart. Interesting article still in process of reading posted under herescope.blog.com I believe. what do you think Michael Spencer to his claim re the black madonna theory? LB made ref to a paragraph on 182 beginning with “They arrived at the door of the workshop… thru mac asking the question re all roads. This gentleman seemed to think this was total heresey but I think he missed the words “come from” and “were”. LB also had big issue with Jesus not being addressed as the Christ.
Still like the book but depend on the Bible for all truth.

By: smiley

smiley — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:23:23 +0000

how many christians are escaping into novels instead of finding refuge in Christ?

By: smiley

smiley — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:19:36 +0000

thank you mark for sticking your neck way out there. when christians take a stand they will be accused,and attacked. Like you’re not supposed to have a conviction? huh?. Am I supposed to learn doctrine from a novel as I do from the Holy Bible?. Thank you for making the point, although not explicitly, that the holy scriptures are the only inspired words necessary and worthy to reveal to us God’s true nature. If some people have been helped along by reading The Shack, they have been helped along in spite of having read it. God’s sovereignty will not be violated, no matter how emotional the appeal.

By: Drew B.

Drew B. — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:02:06 +0000

Mark Driscoll claims to understand the Trinity.

After listening to the above clip, I can tell Driscoll hasn’t even begun to wrestle with difficult concepts that comes from studying the Trinity.

As a MDiv student who has taken a course by R. Letham on the Trinity, but would claim to still know little of this great subject, it is clear that Driscoll hasn’t read historical or current authorship in this area.

Driscoll is a pastor, with lots on his mind. He doesn’t have the time to be the expert he wishes to be. I hope he realizes his error in his comments and publicly retracts them. Furthermore, there is no reason to mock people like M. Smith for endorsing a book…

By: desu

desu — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:41:09 +0000

When I started to read “The Shack” I was at first a bit concerned about Young’s portrayal of the Trinity. Continuing to read I was surprised by what unfolded not just in the book but in my heart. First of all I got the fact that this portrayal was a way that a man who had been greatly wounded was able to process and begin to understand the love of the GOD of the Bible. Kind of wierded out by the Sarayu portrayal but again got the
idea that all was being done as Oloryn above stated so well was “He’s using this scenario to get across some things that he thinks people otherwise don’t ordinarily see about God.” Not for a minute did I think that Young intended to confuse his audience or add some “new agey” crud to Christianity, (leave that to Oprah”. Ok finally what occured was I came to a better idea of HOW MUCH GOD LOVES HIS CREATION AND CREATURES!! Me and you. I mean really love and care and desire that we live a life as loved people. Thanks Young. I needed it like a great shot in the arm. When I read Isaiah 54: 5,10,11 , it makes easier for this little pea brain to understand how much our creator cares and loves and desires to have relationship with us.