The back story of the book's road to publication is very interesting. The author(s) wrote it, revised, and then tried to sell it to a publisher. Christian publishers thought it was too controversial. Traditional publishers thought it was too religious. So, they decided to set up their own company and self-publish. Little did they know the the book would go on to sell 10 millions copies and appear on the New York Times best seller list for 70 weeks.
The book was pretty good. We had a vigorous discussion about the theology in it. I thought the book glossed over the role a church community can play in a life of faith, but everyone else really liked it a lot. Otherwise, I think it had pretty sound theology (even if it was a little bit introductory, though there's certainly a place for books like that).
In fact, it reminded me how much I love Thomas Merton's New Seeds of Contemplation, just because it contains some of the move moving reflections on God I've ever encountered. If The Shack is a good place to start in the journey of faith, Merton is an excellent second step.
-- Lisa
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