Chuckling in the shack
This theology prof might be ok with a laughing Christ (remembering this picture may just give evidence to your age) but he has some serious issues with a chuckling Trinity. His real problem with the book isn't necessarily theological. He states it here:
"I guess my real irritation is with Young himself. I felt it was tawdry to write a sentimental book about a murdered girl (Missy) whose father (Mack) is eventually able to forgive her murderers – and just for good measure is also able to forgive his own father for abandoning him when he was a boy. Sentimentality robs forgiveness of its redemptive shine – "Daddy, I'm so sorry! Daddy, I love you..." – and steps over the line of self-restraint and appropriate show of emotion into silliness. Sentiment, when sugar-coated, rots the teeth of their creative bite and can be malevolent if not malignant."
I can't read this book. Having read reviews from both sides and having read the excerpts that have been published elsewhere, I just know I won't be able to stand it...
1 comment:
I read it last year at my parents' recommendation. While I found some of the ideas to be helpful to me at the time, and can think of certain types of people, or people in certain situations who I would recommend it to, it is not at all well-written, and the theology could be very confusing and unhelpful for some. It's definitely not worth all the hype. Ruins what value was there.
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