The Shack

I don't normally read books on theology but this was on The Great American Read list so I HAD to get to it. It wasn't an awful read, I loved the narrator who really made the whole sad story sound homey and comforting. Mackenzie Phillips isn't in a great place in his life. After the brutal disappearance of his daughter and the strain it placed on his family, he's hardly equipped to deal with religion, he's just going through the motions. One day he receives an odd piece of mail, a note from God telling him to meet him at the shack (the last known place his daughter was at), and against his better judgement he actually goes. What transpires there in that shack changes his outlook on life, his attitude, and his spirituality. This book questions your beliefs on God, Jesus, the Holy Trinity, the afterlife, the what ifs and many other questions, especially the classic; "why do bad things happen to good people?"

An Enlightening Read!

Understanding theology and philosophy of religion is a daunting task. Thankfully this compilation of prolific writers, saints, and theologians is tactfully cut up into bite size portions that the average person can digest and understand. James Stuart Bell takes the most significant passages from Christian writers and thinkers that influenced the masterpieces of C. S. Lewis and puts them all together in this great work. Bell even goes so far as to write a short biography of each individual quoted/referenced in the book and why C. S. Lewis was impacted by their work.

The amount of time that must have gone into compiling this truly magnificent work is staggering, there are hundreds of beautiful inspiring passages artfully grouped into categories so that they can better be understood as a whole. This book is great not only for C. S. Lewis fans who want to see where he gathered his inspiration from, but for people trying to get a deeper grasp on the complexities and beauty of the Christian faith. Unlike other philosophical religious works, this gathers many different thinkers and doesn't try to overwhelm you with the magnitude of their great work. It's an enlightening and inspiring read.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Press in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.