The important thing to remember with The Shack is that it is a work of fiction. There is no 100 pages of end notes in the back of the book like a scholarly nonfiction text. There aren't even many Biblical references within the story, which some would say, "Aha! Its clearly not a good book!" I would say lack of citations would make it a poor scholarly artifact, but that isn't what the author is trying to pass this off as. It's fiction!
Because the Shack is fiction, one would do well to build their theology elsewhere. It presents some interesting ideas and may be helpful in one's Christian walk, but at the end of the day, it is a story, and that is how this should be graded. Take the book's ideas with an open mind, but not an empty mind; that is: read the ideas presented but discern them, don't accept the book's ideas as truths just because they're in print.
All that is said to say, the book is powerful. It has a gripping emotional story arc and this draws one in. It makes for a good read, and the controversial ideas posed challenge preconceptions of what God is and how He operates. It is easy to see why these components make the story both compelling and appalling, depending on one's outlook on Christianity.
My copy of the book is plastered with positive endorsements, and it doesn't take much digging to find contrarian views of the book. It occurred to me that theologian Dr. Greg Boyd's teachings seem to be reflected in large part in this book. His positive review can be found on his blog here. Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship posted a review admonishing people to "Stay out of the Shack."
For my money, I liked the book and it's controversial ideals provided opportunity for discussion about them. Opening dialogs about Christianity is not a bad thing. I don't buy into all of the ideas posed, but do recommend it as a good read. My advice: discern for yourself if this is a good book and whether any of its precepts are worth shaping your life with.
