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{t:"FINDING GOD IN",p:1,x:122,y:90,w:439,h:109},
{t:"Before you have read a dozen pages",p:1,x:215,y:900,w:249,h:23},
{t:"you will know why we need to keep company with theologians.",p:1,x:125,y:924,w:429,h:23},
{t:"—EUGENE PETERSON ",p:1,x:260,y:961,w:159,h:24},
{t:"FINDING",p:1,x:-35,y:219,w:0,h:42},
{t:" GOD ",p:1,x:-35,y:335,w:0,h:43},
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{t:"T",p:1,x:-627,y:52,w:10,h:18},
{t:" WOULD IT",p:1,x:-542,y:52,w:86,h:18},
{t:" BE LIKE to lose your youngest child to a serial killer? ",p:1,x:-137,y:52,w:399,h:18},
{t:"And ",p:1,x:-104,y:52,w:34,h:18},
{t:"then to have God invite you out for a conversation at the very shack where ",p:1,x:-117,y:76,w:553,h:18},
{t:"the terrible deed took place? ",p:1,x:-455,y:99,w:214,h:18},
{t:"And then imagine that the door to that shack of ",p:1,x:-105,y:99,w:350,h:18},
{t:"horrors opened . . . and before you knew it you had been swept up in the ",p:1,x:-130,y:122,w:540,h:18},
{t:"motherly embrace of a large ",p:1,x:-458,y:146,w:212,h:18},
{t:"African-American woman? ",p:1,x:-258,y:146,w:200,h:18},
{t:"This most unlikely of ",p:1,x:-103,y:146,w:155,h:18},
{t:"stories, as told in William ",p:1,x:-482,y:169,w:188,h:18},
{t:"Y",p:1,x:-477,y:169,w:11,h:18},
{t:"oung’",p:1,x:-431,y:169,w:40,h:18},
{t:"s ",p:1,x:-419,y:169,w:12,h:18},
{t:"The Shack",p:1,x:-343,y:169,w:79,h:18},
{t:", has become a runaway ",p:1,x:-153,y:169,w:186,h:18},
{t:"bestseller",p:1,x:-599,y:192,w:71,h:18},
{t:", and it is easy to see why",p:1,x:-412,y:192,w:190,h:18},
{t:". But even as lives have been ",p:1,x:-187,y:192,w:222,h:18},
{t:"transformed through this book, other readers have sternly denounced it as a ",p:1,x:-105,y:216,w:565,h:18},
{t:"hodgepodge of serious theological error",p:1,x:-377,y:239,w:293,h:18},
{t:", even heresy",p:1,x:-281,y:239,w:100,h:18},
{t:". With one pastor ",p:1,x:-148,y:239,w:130,h:18},
{t:"urging his congregation to read it and another forbidding his congregation to, ",p:1,x:-101,y:262,w:568,h:18},
{t:"many Christians have simply been left confused. ",p:1,x:-308,y:286,w:362,h:18},
{t:"A",p:1,x:-665,y:326,w:11,h:18},
{t:"ware both of the excitement and uncertainty generated by ",p:1,x:-234,y:326,w:429,h:18},
{t:"The Shack",p:1,x:-159,y:326,w:79,h:18},
{t:", ",p:1,x:-146,y:326,w:9,h:18},
{t:"theologian Randal Rauser takes the reader on a fascinating journey through ",p:1,x:-112,y:349,w:564,h:18},
{t:"the pages of the story",p:1,x:-515,y:372,w:160,h:18},
{t:". In successive chapters he explores many of the book’",p:1,x:-111,y:372,w:404,h:18},
{t:"s ",p:1,x:-100,y:372,w:12,h:18},
{t:"complex and controversial issues, from why God the Father is revealed as an ",p:1,x:-102,y:396,w:574,h:18},
{t:"African-American woman, to questions of the ",p:1,x:-337,y:419,w:336,h:18},
{t:"T",p:1,x:-333,y:419,w:10,h:18},
{t:"rinity",p:1,x:-297,y:419,w:35,h:18},
{t:", to the ever-vexing ",p:1,x:-150,y:419,w:146,h:18},
{t:"problem of evil. ",p:1,x:-553,y:442,w:117,h:18},
{t:"Through these chapters Rauser of",p:1,x:-304,y:442,w:252,h:18},
{t:"fers an honest and ",p:1,x:-163,y:442,w:142,h:18},
{t:"illuminating discussion that opens up a new depth to the conversation while ",p:1,x:-116,y:466,w:559,h:18},
{t:"providing the reader with new opportunities for ",p:1,x:-327,y:489,w:346,h:18},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:1,x:-140,y:489,w:192,h:18},
{t:".",p:1,x:-132,y:489,w:4,h:18},
{t:"If you have ever had a conversation on ",p:1,x:-425,y:532,w:226,h:19},
{t:"The Shack",p:1,x:-369,y:532,w:59,h:20},
{t:", whether with an enthusiast or a critic, ",p:1,x:-133,y:532,w:233,h:19},
{t:"you will want to invite this skilled and accessible theologian into the conversation. Before ",p:1,x:-129,y:555,w:523,h:19},
{t:"you have read a dozen pages you will know why we need to keep company with theologians. ",p:1,x:-119,y:578,w:533,h:19},
{t:"They help us keep our conversations on God intelligent, informed, and irenic.",p:1,x:-208,y:602,w:444,h:19},
{t:"—EUGENE H. PETERSON",p:1,x:-511,y:641,w:145,h:20},
{t:"Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology",p:1,x:-422,y:665,w:231,h:19},
{t:", Regent College, V",p:1,x:-316,y:665,w:109,h:19},
{t:"ancouver",p:1,x:-261,y:665,w:52,h:19},
{t:", B.C.",p:1,x:-230,y:665,w:31,h:19},
{t:"RANDAL",p:1,x:-620,y:716,w:54,h:14},
{t:" RAUSER is associate professor of historical theology at ",p:1,x:-291,y:716,w:335,h:14},
{t:"T",p:1,x:-288,y:716,w:8,h:14},
{t:"aylor Seminary",p:1,x:-201,y:716,w:88,h:14},
{t:", Edmonton, ",p:1,x:-126,y:716,w:75,h:14},
{t:"Canada and was granted ",p:1,x:-521,y:740,w:152,h:14},
{t:"T",p:1,x:-517,y:740,w:8,h:14},
{t:"aylor",p:1,x:-487,y:740,w:28,h:14},
{t:"’",p:1,x:-482,y:740,w:2,h:14},
{t:"s first annual teaching award for “Outstanding Service to Students” ",p:1,x:-98,y:740,w:396,h:14},
{t:"in 2005. He authored ",p:1,x:-545,y:763,w:128,h:14},
{t:"Faith Lacking Understanding",p:1,x:-383,y:763,w:169,h:14},
{t:" and the forthcoming Theology in Search of ",p:1,x:-258,y:763,w:262,h:14},
{t:"Understanding",p:1,x:-588,y:786,w:86,h:14},
{t:". He is married to Rae Kyung and they have a 6-year-old daughter",p:1,x:-207,y:786,w:389,h:14},
{t:", Jamie.",p:1,x:-161,y:786,w:46,h:14},
{t:"Theology / Doctrine",p:1,x:-117,y:849,w:86,h:11},
{t:"",p:1,x:-258,y:955,w:9,h:13},
{t:"",p:1,x:-240,y:955,w:51,h:13},
{t:"",p:1,x:-183,y:955,w:51,h:13},
{t:"ISBN 978-1-60657-032-6",p:1,x:-135,y:876,w:119,h:12},
{t:"www",p:1,x:-646,y:964,w:21,h:11},
{t:".authenticbooks.com/paternoster",p:1,x:-490,y:964,w:145,h:11},
{t:"C",p:1,x:-765,y:420,w:3,h:6},
{t:"M",p:1,x:-765,y:445,w:3,h:6},
{t:"Y",p:1,x:-765,y:470,w:3,h:6},
{t:"CM",p:1,x:-764,y:495,w:7,h:6},
{t:"MY",p:1,x:-764,y:520,w:7,h:6},
{t:"CY",p:1,x:-764,y:545,w:7,h:6},
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{t:"FindingGodInTheShack_press.pdf   1/15/09   10:01:53 PM",p:1,x:-329,y:-62,w:324,h:10},
{t:"If you have ever had a conversation on The Shack, ",p:2,x:120,y:266,w:400,h:26},
{t:"whether with an enthusiast or a critic, you will want to ",p:2,x:120,y:293,w:430,h:26},
{t:"invite this skilled and accessible theologian into the ",p:2,x:120,y:320,w:413,h:26},
{t:"conversation. Before you have read a dozen pages ",p:2,x:120,y:346,w:402,h:26},
{t:"you will know why we need to keep company with ",p:2,x:120,y:373,w:390,h:26},
{t:"theologians. They help us keep our conversations on God ",p:2,x:120,y:400,w:452,h:26},
{t:"intelligent, informed, and irenic.",p:2,x:120,y:426,w:253,h:26},
{t:"Eugene H. Peterson",p:2,x:150,y:483,w:145,h:26},
{t:"Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology",p:2,x:150,y:521,w:231,h:20},
{t:"Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.",p:2,x:150,y:541,w:184,h:20},
{t:"Randal Rauser has provided a stunning exploration ",p:2,x:120,y:603,w:405,h:26},
{t:"of William P. Young’s novel The Shack that extends ",p:2,x:120,y:630,w:400,h:26},
{t:"its beauty and impact, whilst simultaneously enabling ",p:2,x:120,y:656,w:424,h:26},
{t:"discussion and refection around some of the most awe-",p:2,x:120,y:683,w:441,h:26},
{t:"inspiring and essential beliefs of the Christian Faith ",p:2,x:120,y:710,w:411,h:26},
{t:"contained within it.",p:2,x:120,y:736,w:150,h:26},
{t:"Jason Clark",p:2,x:150,y:783,w:86,h:26},
{t:"Founding Pastor ",p:2,x:150,y:815,w:98,h:20},
{t:"Sutton Vineyard, London",p:2,x:150,y:835,w:140,h:20},
{t:"Paternoster Publishing",p:5,x:120,y:352,w:115,h:16},
{t:"We welcome your questions and comments.",p:5,x:120,y:368,w:226,h:16},
{t:"USA ",p:5,x:120,y:400,w:28,h:16},
{t:"1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921   ",p:5,x:180,y:400,w:284,h:16},
{t:"www.authenticbooks.com",p:5,x:180,y:416,w:133,h:16},
{t:"UK ",p:5,x:120,y:432,w:22,h:16},
{t:"9 Holdom Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK1 1QR   ",p:5,x:180,y:432,w:341,h:16},
{t:"www.authenticmedia.co.uk",p:5,x:180,y:448,w:139,h:16},
{t:"India ",p:5,x:120,y:464,w:30,h:16},
{t:"Logos Bhavan, Medchal Road, Jeedimetla Village, Secunderabad  ",p:5,x:180,y:464,w:337,h:16},
{t:"500 055, A.P .",p:5,x:180,y:480,w:69,h:16},
{t:"Finding God in Te Shack",p:5,x:120,y:560,w:133,h:16},
{t:"ISBN: 978-1-606570-32-6",p:5,x:120,y:576,w:139,h:16},
{t:"Copyright © 2009 by Randal Rouser",p:5,x:120,y:608,w:191,h:16},
{t:"11 10 09 / 6 5 4 3 2 1",p:5,x:120,y:640,w:114,h:16},
{t:"Published in 2009 by Paternoster, a division of Authentic",p:5,x:120,y:672,w:293,h:16},
{t:"All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without ",p:5,x:120,y:688,w:417,h:16},
{t:"permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations ",p:5,x:120,y:704,w:406,h:16},
{t:"embodied in critical articles or reviews. ",p:5,x:120,y:720,w:203,h:16},
{t:"All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, ",p:5,x:120,y:752,w:427,h:16},
{t:"Today",p:5,x:120,y:768,w:29,h:16},
{t:"’s New International Version® TNIV®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International ",p:5,x:147,y:768,w:408,h:16},
{t:"Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.",p:5,x:120,y:784,w:349,h:16},
{t:"A catalog record for this book is available through the Library of Congress.",p:5,x:120,y:816,w:383,h:16},
{t:"Cover and interior design: projectluz.com",p:5,x:120,y:848,w:214,h:16},
{t:"Editorial team: Steve Wamberg, Michaela Dodd",p:5,x:120,y:864,w:247,h:16},
{t:"Printed in the United States of America",p:5,x:120,y:902,w:203,h:16},
{t:"CONTENTS",p:6,x:286,y:127,w:116,h:36},
{t:"Acknowledgements ",p:6,x:120,y:236,w:141,h:23},
{t:"xi",p:6,x:557,y:236,w:12,h:23},
{t:"Introduction",p:6,x:120,y:286,w:91,h:23},
{t:"Should We Let a Teologian in the Shack? ",p:6,x:150,y:312,w:303,h:24},
{t:"1",p:6,x:560,y:313,w:9,h:23},
{t:"Chapter 1",p:6,x:120,y:363,w:71,h:23},
{t:"Why Tis Teologian Is Especially Fond of Te Shack ",p:6,x:150,y:390,w:386,h:24},
{t:"7",p:6,x:560,y:391,w:9,h:23},
{t:"Chapter 2",p:6,x:120,y:441,w:71,h:23},
{t:"Meeting God Again for the First Time ",p:6,x:150,y:468,w:275,h:23},
{t:"19",p:6,x:551,y:468,w:18,h:23},
{t:"Chapter 3",p:6,x:120,y:518,w:71,h:23},
{t:"Te Mystery of Tree in One ",p:6,x:150,y:546,w:211,h:23},
{t:"43",p:6,x:551,y:546,w:18,h:23},
{t:"Chapter 4",p:6,x:120,y:596,w:71,h:23},
{t:"God with Nobody in Charge ",p:6,x:150,y:623,w:210,h:23},
{t:"67",p:6,x:551,y:623,w:18,h:23},
{t:"Chapter 5",p:6,x:120,y:673,w:71,h:23},
{t:"Te Biggest Problem in the Universe ",p:6,x:150,y:701,w:263,h:23},
{t:"93",p:6,x:551,y:701,w:18,h:23},
{t:"Chapter 6",p:6,x:120,y:751,w:71,h:23},
{t:"Finding Hope in God’s Pain ",p:6,x:150,y:778,w:203,h:23},
{t:"125",p:6,x:542,y:778,w:27,h:23},
{t:"Chapter 7",p:6,x:120,y:828,w:71,h:23},
{t:"When All Will Be Made New ",p:6,x:150,y:856,w:214,h:23},
{t:"147",p:6,x:542,y:856,w:27,h:23},
{t:"Afterword",p:6,x:120,y:906,w:72,h:23},
{t:"Ty Kingdom Come ",p:6,x:150,y:933,w:152,h:23},
{t:"159",p:6,x:542,y:933,w:27,h:23},
{t:"To Jamie",p:7,x:292,y:307,w:104,h:34},
{t:"Because Papa is especially  ",p:7,x:175,y:399,w:357,h:34},
{t:"fond of you",p:7,x:276,y:446,w:137,h:34},
{t:"xi",p:8,x:560,y:942,w:9,h:16},
{t:"ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS",p:8,x:223,y:307,w:242,h:36},
{t:"In late September 2008 I delivered a seminar on Te Shack at ",p:8,x:120,y:405,w:454,h:68},
{t:"McKernan Baptist Church in Edmonton, AB. Te conversa-",p:8,x:145,y:443,w:424,h:23},
{t:"tion that ensued was animated and engaging as a number of ",p:8,x:120,y:471,w:454,h:23},
{t:"people shared penetrating insights and deep questions relating ",p:8,x:120,y:498,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the content of the book. So positive was the experience that ",p:8,x:120,y:526,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it convinced me of the need for a book to lead the many readers ",p:8,x:120,y:553,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Te Shack, both fans and critics, through the nest of complex ",p:8,x:120,y:581,w:454,h:23},
{t:"issues the book raises. At that point I shared my thoughts with ",p:8,x:120,y:608,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Robin Parry, Consigning Editor at Authentic/Paternoster UK, ",p:8,x:120,y:636,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and am deeply thankful for his immediate interest in the project ",p:8,x:120,y:663,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and willingness to issue a contract based on nothing more than an ",p:8,x:120,y:691,w:454,h:23},
{t:"informal proposal sent via email. I am equally grateful to Volney ",p:8,x:120,y:718,w:454,h:23},
{t:"James, Publisher at Authentic/Paternoster US, who has worked ",p:8,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"tirelessly to see the book through to publication while keeping a ",p:8,x:120,y:773,w:454,h:23},
{t:"very tight schedule. Indeed, I am indebted to the entire team at ",p:8,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Authentic/Paternoster who have displayed professionalism and ",p:8,x:120,y:828,w:454,h:23},
{t:"care on this project. Last but not least, I must thank my wife ",p:8,x:120,y:856,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Rae Kyung and daughter Jamie who had to give me up for the ",p:8,x:120,y:883,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in the Shack",p:9,x:120,y:89,w:223,h:19},
{t:"xii",p:9,x:120,y:942,w:12,h:16},
{t:"month of October as every spare moment was spent laboring in ",p:9,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"front of a computer screen. At last I now have time to take you ",p:9,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"both out to Starbucks! ",p:9,x:120,y:186,w:162,h:23},
{t:"1",p:10,x:562,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"INTRODUCTION",p:10,x:262,y:307,w:165,h:36},
{t:"Should We Let ",p:10,x:152,y:425,w:398,h:52},
{t:"a Theologian in ",p:10,x:130,y:470,w:441,h:54},
{t:"the Shack?",p:10,x:201,y:518,w:287,h:52},
{t:"I ",p:10,x:120,y:673,w:41,h:68},
{t:"sat down to read Te Shack after receiving a number of in-",p:10,x:145,y:683,w:424,h:23},
{t:"quiries from pastors and seminary students who had read or ",p:10,x:145,y:711,w:428,h:23},
{t:"heard about this publishing phenomenon. Besides selling nearly ",p:10,x:120,y:738,w:454,h:23},
{t:"5 million copies in less than two years, the book has been the ",p:10,x:120,y:766,w:454,h:23},
{t:"subject of much acclaim and criticism. I was aware of the basic ",p:10,x:120,y:793,w:454,h:23},
{t:"plot: Mackenzie Phillips receives a note in his mailbox signed ",p:10,x:120,y:821,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“Papa” (his wife’s name for God) inviting him for a meeting at ",p:10,x:120,y:848,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the shack. Te shack is the place where his youngest daughter, ",p:10,x:120,y:876,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:11,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"2",p:11,x:120,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"Missy, was killed after she was abducted by a serial killer four ",p:11,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"years earlier. After accepting this invitation, Mack spends an ",p:11,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"unforgettable weekend with God through which he fnds his ",p:11,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"relationship with Papa restored even as he begins healing from ",p:11,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the great sadness of Missy’s death.",p:11,x:120,y:241,w:238,h:23},
{t:"Although I was aware of the book ’s basic premise, when I ",p:11,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"fnally read the book I was struck by the boldness of the narrative ",p:11,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as William P . Young confronted evil in all its ugliness. In a day ",p:11,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when many Christian bookstores are full of volumes on “victori-",p:11,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ous Christian living” but few, if any, on the dark night of the ",p:11,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"soul, Te Shack was distinctive for forcing the reader to confront ",p:11,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a truly unthinkable crime. Even more impressive, the narrative ",p:11,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"did not stop with a safe appeal for justice for all, but instead ",p:11,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"pushed the reader on to the possibility that within God’s world ",p:11,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"forgiveness could extend even to Missy’s killer. Tis profound ",p:11,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and daring treatment of evil was complemented by a depic-",p:11,x:120,y:543,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion of God that was striking in its innovation and theological ",p:11,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sophistication.",p:11,x:120,y:598,w:102,h:23},
{t:"I am, and have always been, interested in reading about, ",p:11,x:150,y:626,w:424,h:23},
{t:"discussing, and debating issues of theology. As a professor of ",p:11,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theology and as a writer, I get this opportunity quite often. ",p:11,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Unfortunately, theology sufers from a serious public relations ",p:11,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"problem, and this becomes evident every time I introduce myself ",p:11,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as a theologian. Once I mention what I do, my new acquain-",p:11,x:120,y:763,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tance typically dons a pained and slightly desperate expression ",p:11,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as she worries about what to say next. Sadly, this describes the ",p:11,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"reaction of many Christians as well, and I’m afraid it refects a ",p:11,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"3",p:12,x:562,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"SHOULD WE LET A THEOLOGIAN IN THE SHACK?",p:12,x:266,y:81,w:303,h:20},
{t:"contemporary society that too often allows busyness to crowd ",p:12,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out refection on the meaning of life.",p:12,x:120,y:158,w:260,h:23},
{t:"Te situation reminds me of the flm Jack Frost, which tells ",p:12,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the unlikely story of a man named Jack Frost (played by Michael ",p:12,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Keaton) who dies in a car accident on Christmas Eve. One year ",p:12,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"later he returns to his grieving wife and son reincarnated as a ",p:12,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"snowman! Now, if you were to meet your late father reincarnated ",p:12,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as a snowman, wouldn ’t you immediately interrogate him on ",p:12,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the nature of life after death, the meaning of life, the nature of ",p:12,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God—something along those lines? But Jack ’s young son Charlie ",p:12,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is more concerned with enlisting his snowman father to beat the ",p:12,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"neighborhood bullies in a snowball fght. So preoccupied is he ",p:12,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with trivialities that he never broaches even one profound ques-",p:12,x:120,y:461,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion with his father. While we may fnd it hard to understand ",p:12,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Charlie’s lack of interest in his father’s unusual afterlife, the fact ",p:12,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is that there are many “Charlie Frost Christians” who are more ",p:12,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"preoccupied with the trivial equivalents of bullies and snowball ",p:12,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fghts than life’s most important questions.",p:12,x:120,y:598,w:301,h:23},
{t:"Why The Shack Is Both ",p:12,x:212,y:649,w:271,h:30},
{t:"Story and Theology",p:12,x:233,y:686,w:222,h:30},
{t:"When I tell people I am writing a theologian ’s response to ",p:12,x:150,y:734,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack, most have reacted with a mixture of enthusiasm and ",p:12,x:120,y:762,w:454,h:23},
{t:"curiosity. However, one fan of the book was rather less impressed. ",p:12,x:120,y:789,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Upon hearing of my intention, he glowered, “It’s a novel, and ",p:12,x:120,y:817,w:454,h:23},
{t:"you can ’t get theology out of a novel!”",p:12,x:120,y:844,w:266,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:13,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"4",p:13,x:120,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"I will admit that at the time that comment took the wind ",p:13,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"out of my sails. And yet, the more I refected on his blessed ",p:13,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"honesty, the more insightful I found it to be. Here, in one terse ",p:13,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sentence, was a succinct expression of an attitude held by many ",p:13,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"people: the suspicion that theology is simply irrelevant. ",p:13,x:120,y:241,w:393,h:23},
{t:"William P . Young recognizes that the best way to engage ",p:13,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"spiritual disinterest and theological skepticism is not through ",p:13,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a lecture, but a story. And so page by page he draws us into ",p:13,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"conversation on the topics that ought to be at the center of our ",p:13,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"attention: What happens after we die? Why is there death and ",p:13,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"evil? What is the meaning of life? Who is God? And as we follow ",p:13,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the story, we have become theologians perhaps without even ",p:13,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"knowing it.",p:13,x:120,y:461,w:81,h:23},
{t:"When Mack initially receives the note from Papa he is ",p:13,x:150,y:488,w:424,h:23},
{t:"rightly skeptical. After all, his seminary education had taught ",p:13,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"him that God does not talk directly to people anymore. If Mack ",p:13,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"had listened to his seminary professors, he would have missed ",p:13,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out on a weekend encounter with God . . . and we would have ",p:13,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"missed out on a great novel!",p:13,x:120,y:626,w:196,h:23},
{t:"Mack ’s theological training does not redeem itself over the ",p:13,x:150,y:653,w:424,h:23},
{t:"next two days either. On the contrary, it consistently shows ",p:13,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"itself to be about as useful as a cocktail umbrella in a rainstorm. ",p:13,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack ’s comment to Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) highlights the gross ",p:13,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"inadequacy of his entire theological education: “I had the right ",p:13,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"answers, sometimes, but I didn ’t know you. Tis weekend, shar-",p:13,x:120,y:791,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing life with you has been far more illuminating than any of ",p:13,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"those answers” (Young 2007, 198; see also 91). Te last thing ",p:13,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we need is more “right answers.” Rather, we need what Mack ",p:13,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"SHOULD WE LET A THEOLOGIAN IN THE SHACK?",p:14,x:266,y:81,w:303,h:19},
{t:"5",p:14,x:562,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"experienced: the knowledge of God. As such, it was not hard to ",p:14,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"detect in my critic’s response a hint of protectiveness. After all, ",p:14,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the last thing fans of the book need is a theologian undermining ",p:14,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the experience of God many have encountered in this story with ",p:14,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a lot of irrelevant and unwelcome analysis.",p:14,x:120,y:241,w:299,h:23},
{t:"Tis critic’s response to the aspirations of the theologian ",p:14,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"reminded me of a similar critique that has been occasionally ",p:14,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"launched against scientifc inquiry. As the claim goes, scientists ",p:14,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"undermine the poet and philosopher’s experience of the world ",p:14,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by ofering a cold and reductionist scientifc analysis. Physicist ",p:14,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Richard Feynman once ofered a helpful response to this criti-",p:14,x:120,y:406,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cism. It all started when he was accosted by an artistic friend who ",p:14,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"began to wax poetically on the beauty of a fower. But then, ",p:14,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the artist complained, when the scientist takes that same fower, ",p:14,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he discards the experience of its poetic beauty and reduces it ",p:14,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to a cold and dull scientifc description. Te complaint of that ",p:14,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"artist is common among many people who fear that science has ",p:14,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"disenchanted the world. ",p:14,x:120,y:598,w:174,h:23},
{t:"Feynman responded by arguing that his friend totally missed ",p:14,x:150,y:626,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the point of science. Te fact is that scientifc discovery does not ",p:14,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"close the door to the beauty of the world, but rather opens new ",p:14,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"doors of beauty heretofore not even imagined!",p:14,x:120,y:708,w:325,h:23},
{t:"First of all, the beauty that [the artist] sees is available to ",p:14,x:150,y:743,w:394,h:23},
{t:"other people and to me, too, I believe, although I might ",p:14,x:150,y:771,w:394,h:23},
{t:"not be quite as refned aesthetically as he is; but I can ",p:14,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"appreciate the beauty of a fower. At the same time I see ",p:14,x:150,y:826,w:394,h:23},
{t:"much more about the fower than he sees. I can imagine ",p:14,x:150,y:853,w:394,h:23},
{t:"the cells in there, the complicated actions inside which ",p:14,x:150,y:881,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:15,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"6",p:15,x:120,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"also have a beauty. I mean it’s not just beauty at this ",p:15,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"dimension of one centimeter, there is also beauty at a ",p:15,x:150,y:158,w:394,h:23},
{t:"smaller dimension, the inner structure. . . . All kinds of ",p:15,x:150,y:186,w:394,h:23},
{t:"interesting questions which shows that a science knowl-",p:15,x:150,y:213,w:390,h:23},
{t:"edge only adds to the excitement and mystery and the ",p:15,x:150,y:241,w:394,h:23},
{t:"awe of a fower. It only adds; I don ’t understand how it ",p:15,x:150,y:268,w:394,h:23},
{t:"subtracts.1",p:15,x:150,y:296,w:72,h:23},
{t:"In the same way that science, properly understood, promises to ",p:15,x:120,y:331,w:454,h:23},
{t:"enrich our appreciation for the beauty of a fower, so I believe ",p:15,x:120,y:358,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theology can enrich our understanding and experience of God. ",p:15,x:120,y:386,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And that includes the experience that many have cherished while ",p:15,x:120,y:413,w:454,h:23},
{t:"reading Te Shack. Te fact is that beneath the surface of this ",p:15,x:120,y:441,w:454,h:23},
{t:"compelling story is an inner structure of equally compelling and ",p:15,x:120,y:468,w:454,h:23},
{t:"beautiful theological themes. Over the next seven chapters we ",p:15,x:120,y:496,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will journey into the labyrinth complexity of these themes and ",p:15,x:120,y:523,w:454,h:23},
{t:"questions as we enter more profoundly into the divine mystery ",p:15,x:120,y:551,w:454,h:23},
{t:"at the heart of Te Shack. ",p:15,x:120,y:578,w:181,h:23},
{t:"1.  Richard P . Feynman, Te Pleasure of Finding Tings Out: Te Best Short ",p:15,x:120,y:861,w:433,h:19},
{t:"Works of Richard P . Feynman, ed. Jefrey Robbins (Cambridge, MA: Perseus ",p:15,x:120,y:881,w:436,h:19},
{t:"Books, 1999), 2.",p:15,x:120,y:901,w:96,h:19},
{t:"7",p:16,x:562,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"CHAPTER 1",p:16,x:283,y:307,w:123,h:36},
{t:"Why This ",p:16,x:224,y:425,w:254,h:52},
{t:"Theologian Is ",p:16,x:158,y:472,w:386,h:52},
{t:"Especially Fond ",p:16,x:137,y:518,w:427,h:52},
{t:"of The Shack",p:16,x:173,y:563,w:343,h:54},
{t:"A s a theologian, I have one big reason to be especially fond ",p:16,x:120,y:719,w:454,h:68},
{t:"of Te Shack. To appreciate the source of my gratitude, I ",p:16,x:161,y:757,w:412,h:23},
{t:"need to say a few words about academic theology over the last ",p:16,x:120,y:785,w:454,h:23},
{t:"forty years. (Trust me, this will not be as painful as it sounds!) ",p:16,x:120,y:812,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Our story begins back in the year 1967 when Catholic theo-",p:16,x:120,y:840,w:450,h:23},
{t:"logian Karl Rahner published a little book called Te Trinity. ",p:16,x:120,y:867,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tere, Rahner observed, “Despite their orthodox confession of ",p:16,x:120,y:895,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:17,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"8",p:17,x:120,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"the Trinity, Christians are, in their practical life, almost mere ",p:17,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"‘ monotheists.’ We must be willing to admit that, should the doc-",p:17,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"trine of the Trinity have to be dropped as false, the major part ",p:17,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of religious literature could well remain virtually unchanged.”1 ",p:17,x:120,y:213,w:443,h:23},
{t:"By calling Christians ",p:17,x:150,y:241,w:158,h:23},
{t:"“almost mere monotheists” Rahner ",p:17,x:312,y:241,w:262,h:23},
{t:"meant that their beliefs about God do not difer signifcantly from ",p:17,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"other forms of monotheism like Judaism and Islam. But how can ",p:17,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this be if, as Christians claim, the very foundation of their belief ",p:17,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in God is found in the doctrine of the Trinity? Rahner’s striking ",p:17,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"claim really shook up theologians as they pondered how it could ",p:17,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be that the doctrine which is supposed to be at the heart of our ",p:17,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"faith was actually somewhere out on the periphery.",p:17,x:120,y:433,w:358,h:23},
{t:"Does the Trinity Matter?",p:17,x:205,y:484,w:278,h:30},
{t:"Rather than simply take Rahner’s word for it, I would suggest ",p:17,x:120,y:533,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that we test his thesis by way of a little thought experiment. ",p:17,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Imagine that the pastor of a typical Baptist church became con-",p:17,x:120,y:588,w:450,h:23},
{t:"vinced that the Trinity was false. Instead of believing that God ",p:17,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is three persons, he came to believe that God is one person who ",p:17,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"plays three roles: sometimes he acts as the Father, other times he ",p:17,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"acts as the Son, and yet other times as the Holy Spirit. Tis view ",p:17,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is called modalism, and it has been considered a heresy by the ",p:17,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christian church since the third century. ",p:17,x:120,y:753,w:291,h:23},
{t:"Now if the doctrine of the Trinity really is important, we ",p:17,x:150,y:780,w:424,h:23},
{t:"would expect that the pastor’s rejection of it in favor of modalism ",p:17,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1.  Karl Rahner, Te Trinity, trans. Joseph Donceel (Tunbridge Wells: Burns ",p:17,x:120,y:881,w:444,h:19},
{t:"and Oates, 1970), 10–11.",p:17,x:120,y:901,w:149,h:19},
{t:"9",p:18,x:562,y:941,w:7,h:16},
{t:"WHY THIS THEOLOGIAN IS ESPECIALLY FOND OF THE SHACK",p:18,x:187,y:81,w:382,h:20},
{t:"would send shockwaves throughout the church. But is this really ",p:18,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"what would happen? I doubt it! On the contrary, I suspect that ",p:18,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as long as he continued to mention the Father, Son, and Spirit, ",p:18,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it wouldn ’t matter if he believed they were all the same person. ",p:18,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te church would continue on as it always had with its weekly ",p:18,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"services, Christmas pageants, potlucks, and various ministries. ",p:18,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In contrast to this, if our Baptist pastor baptized an infant on ",p:18,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Sunday, I bet you would have a church split by Monday! But ",p:18,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"surely this is strange: why would a peripheral question concern-",p:18,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing the practice of baptism be more important for the church ’s ",p:18,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"identity than the supposedly essential doctrine of the Trinity? ",p:18,x:120,y:406,w:435,h:23},
{t:"Teologians knew that Rahner was right. Although we claim ",p:18,x:150,y:433,w:424,h:23},
{t:"to be trinitarian Christians, this doctrine does not make a difer-",p:18,x:120,y:461,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ence to the life of the church. But then the theologians faced the ",p:18,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"challenge of making the Trinity relevant again. Tey took up this ",p:18,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"challenge by doing what theologians do best: they wrote books. ",p:18,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Lots of books. Lots and lots of books. Some were about the ",p:18,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"biblical basis of the Trinity. Others talked about the theological ",p:18,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"or philosophical dimensions of the Trinity. Still others discussed ",p:18,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the historical development of the Trinity. And still others talked ",p:18,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"about the practical and pastoral implications of the Trinity.2 ",p:18,x:120,y:681,w:425,h:23},
{t:"Many of these books were well worth reading. Indeed, some ",p:18,x:150,y:708,w:424,h:23},
{t:"were good enough to qualify as modern classics. And yet, most ",p:18,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"were only ever read by other theologians, which meant they had ",p:18,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"2.  For some examples of more practically oriented and accessible treatments ",p:18,x:120,y:821,w:447,h:19},
{t:"see Millard Erickson, Making Sense of the Trinity: Tree Crucial Questions ",p:18,x:120,y:841,w:421,h:19},
{t:"(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2000); Robin Parry, Worshipping Trinity (Carlisle: ",p:18,x:120,y:861,w:448,h:19},
{t:"Paternoster, 2005); Bruce A. Ware, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, ",p:18,x:120,y:881,w:448,h:19},
{t:"Roles, & Relevance (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005). ",p:18,x:120,y:901,w:297,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:19,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"10",p:19,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"virtually no impact on the neighborhood church. As a result, ",p:19,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we remain stalled in the same place we were forty years ago: ",p:19,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"few pastors know how to preach the Trinity, fewer church goers ",p:19,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"know how to pray the Trinity, and almost no one knows what it ",p:19,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would mean to live the Trinity. ",p:19,x:120,y:241,w:222,h:23},
{t:"At this point you might be wondering whether the doctrine ",p:19,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"of the Trinity ever made a diference to the church. Te answer ",p:19,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is yes it did: the burning torch of Christian truth has burned ",p:19,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"much brighter in the past. To take one example, if we could hop ",p:19,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in a time machine and travel back to the fourth century Roman ",p:19,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Empire, we would have encountered a society that debated the-",p:19,x:120,y:406,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ology with the same vigor that Canadians today debate hockey. ",p:19,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"At that time, big questions were at stake as Christians debated a ",p:19,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"heretical view called Arianism, which said that Jesus was God’s ",p:19,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"greatest creation. ",p:19,x:120,y:516,w:123,h:23},
{t:"Te ferce public debate between orthodox Christianity and ",p:19,x:150,y:543,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Arianism so consumed the general public that people would ",p:19,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"jump into theological debates at the slightest provocation. ",p:19,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Strangers in the streets would get into ferce debates over vari-",p:19,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ous scriptural passages: for instance, how should we understand ",p:19,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the claim that Jesus is God’s “only begotten son” (John 3:16)? ",p:19,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Did the text mean, as the Arians claimed, that Jesus was God’s ",p:19,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"frst creation? Or, as the orthodox Christians argued, was Jesus ",p:19,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"eternally begotten by and equal to God the Father? People of the ",p:19,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"time were passionate about these questions, for they recognized ",p:19,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the heart of Christianity was at stake. ",p:19,x:120,y:818,w:300,h:23},
{t:"We have a snapshot of the debate from Gregory of Nyssa, ",p:19,x:150,y:846,w:424,h:23},
{t:"a bishop of the time. He wrote: “If in this city you ask anyone ",p:19,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"11",p:20,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"WHY THIS THEOLOGIAN IS ESPECIALLY FOND OF THE SHACK",p:20,x:187,y:81,w:382,h:20},
{t:"for change, he will discuss with you whether the Son is begotten ",p:20,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"or unbegotten. If you ask about the quality of bread, you will ",p:20,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"receive the answer that ‘the Father is greater, the Son is less.’ If ",p:20,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"you suggest that a bath is desirable, you will be told that ‘there ",p:20,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was nothing before the Son was created.’ ”3 In other words, ",p:20,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theology was to be found everywhere. It found its way into every ",p:20,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"conversation, every situation. So prevalent was theological dis-",p:20,x:120,y:296,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cussion that, as Gregory’s weary tone suggests, even the bishops ",p:20,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"were getting worn out by the debate!",p:20,x:120,y:351,w:259,h:23},
{t:"If Christians in the past could wear out their bishops with ",p:20,x:150,y:378,w:424,h:23},
{t:"their theological bravado, why is it that today many Christians ",p:20,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"think theology is about as exciting as watching paint dry or ",p:20,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"attending a life insurance seminar? Or to turn the question ",p:20,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"around, how can we reignite that lost passion? And how can we ",p:20,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"get average Christians excited about the doctrine of the Trinity, ",p:20,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so that it again returns to cofee shop conversations, morning ",p:20,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"devotions, and the heart of Christian worship?",p:20,x:120,y:571,w:327,h:23},
{t:"Rediscovering the Trinity in The Shack",p:20,x:124,y:622,w:440,h:30},
{t:"While the answer to our question is surely complex, recently ",p:20,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theology has been given a tremendous boost by, of all things, a ",p:20,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"novel. Not just any novel mind you, for William Paul Young’s ",p:20,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack tells a most unlikely story! Not content simply to rein-",p:20,x:120,y:753,w:450,h:23},
{t:"troduce the Trinity as a doctrine of mere peripheral interest, the ",p:20,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book weaves the triune God into an engaging narrative. Along ",p:20,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"3.  Cited in W.H.C. Frend, Te Early Church (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, ",p:20,x:120,y:881,w:435,h:19},
{t:"1982), 174–5.",p:20,x:120,y:901,w:83,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:21,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"12",p:21,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"the way, it goes to the heart of the most horrifying case of evil ",p:21,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and then makes the truly bold claim that God as triune is crucial ",p:21,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the process by which healing is coming to this world. ",p:21,x:120,y:186,w:398,h:23},
{t:"First, let’s say a word about the story itself. Te Shack ",p:21,x:150,y:213,w:424,h:23},
{t:"opens with the narrator “Willie” reporting that he has recorded ",p:21,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"everything as his close friend Mack had instructed him. (Since ",p:21,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the name Willie is an obvious reference to author William P . ",p:21,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Young, some readers have assumed that the book is claiming to ",p:21,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be a factual account. But Young has made it clear that the book ",p:21,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is fctional, albeit with a signifcant portion of autobiography ",p:21,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thrown in.) We then learn that a few years prior to Willie’s writ-",p:21,x:120,y:406,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing Mack took three of his children camping. At the end of a ",p:21,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wonderful weekend, his son was in a canoeing accident, and in ",p:21,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the melee that ensued, his youngest daughter Missy disappeared. ",p:21,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Within hours it became clear that she had been abducted by a ",p:21,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"serial killer known as the Little Ladykiller. In a matter of hours, ",p:21,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the FBI investigation converged on a remote shack where Missy’s ",p:21,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bloody dress was discovered, though her body was never found. ",p:21,x:120,y:598,w:452,h:23},
{t:"Fast-forward three and a half years and Mack continues ",p:21,x:150,y:626,w:424,h:23},
{t:"to struggle with “the Great Sadness.” Ten one day he receives ",p:21,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an invitation in his mailbox to meet Papa (his wife’s name for ",p:21,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God) at the shack. Perplexed and intrigued, Mack secretly travels ",p:21,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the shack on a Friday evening and is met by an African-",p:21,x:120,y:736,w:450,h:23},
{t:"American woman named Papa, an Asian woman named Sarayu, ",p:21,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and a Jewish man named Jesus: all told, a rather unconventional ",p:21,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Trinity! Over the next two days Mack communes with the three ",p:21,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as he comes to terms with the Great Sadness and embarks on the ",p:21,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"road to healing and reconciliation. ",p:21,x:120,y:873,w:247,h:23},
{t:"13",p:22,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"WHY THIS THEOLOGIAN IS ESPECIALLY FOND OF THE SHACK",p:22,x:187,y:81,w:382,h:20},
{t:"Te book climaxes on Sunday morning when Papa (now ",p:22,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"in male form) takes Mack on a journey to the place where the ",p:22,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"killer buried Missy. Together they return her body to the shack ",p:22,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for a proper burial, complete with an unforgettable memorial ",p:22,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ceremony. After Mack shares a special communion service with ",p:22,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu, he falls asleep, only to wake up in the ",p:22,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"dark, cold cabin. Mack then travels back down the mountain ",p:22,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"where he gets into a serious car accident. As he slowly recovers ",p:22,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the hospital the memories of the weekend gradually return, ",p:22,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"prompting the question of whether it was just a dream. ",p:22,x:120,y:378,w:393,h:23},
{t:"Yet when he has recovered, Mack confrms the truth of the ",p:22,x:150,y:406,w:424,h:23},
{t:"weekend by taking Nan and the police to the grave where the ",p:22,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Little Ladykiller had buried Missy. (Apparently Mack ’s experi-",p:22,x:120,y:461,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ence of relocating and burying Missy’s body did not really oc-",p:22,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cur.) Tis discovery ultimately provides forensic evidence which ",p:22,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"leads to the Little Ladykiller’s arrest and trial. Te book ends ",p:22,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with Mack transformed and transforming: having been recon-",p:22,x:120,y:571,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ciled with his children, wife, and abusive father, he now seeks to ",p:22,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"extend forgiveness to Missy’s killer.",p:22,x:120,y:626,w:245,h:23},
{t:"In the short time since its publication, Te Shack has ignited ",p:22,x:150,y:653,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the church ’s interest in the doctrine of the Trinity more than the ",p:22,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"dozens of theology books that have been published by academic ",p:22,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theologians over the last forty years. It is wonderful (and a bit ",p:22,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"humbling) for the theologian to witness a doctrine that has long ",p:22,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"been locked in the seminary classroom now emerging as a topic ",p:22,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of lively conversations at the local cofee shop, and all because of ",p:22,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a novel! But while those conversations have not typically lacked ",p:22,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for enthusiasm and conviction, many of them would beneft ",p:22,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:23,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"14",p:23,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"from some deeper background as to the theological issues at ",p:23,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"stake. It is to this end that the present book is aimed.",p:23,x:120,y:158,w:374,h:23},
{t:"Six Conversations Inspired by ",p:23,x:175,y:209,w:345,h:30},
{t:"The Shack",p:23,x:287,y:236,w:114,h:29},
{t:"We will begin in chapter two of this book with one of the most ",p:23,x:120,y:284,w:454,h:23},
{t:"controversial aspects of Te Shack: the manifestation of God the ",p:23,x:120,y:312,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father as “Papa,” a large African-American woman, and of the ",p:23,x:120,y:339,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Holy Spirit as an Asian woman named Sarayu. Tis portrayal ",p:23,x:120,y:367,w:454,h:23},
{t:"has yielded some startling, even fantastic charges (including ",p:23,x:120,y:394,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the frenzied charge that Te Shack promotes goddess worship!). ",p:23,x:120,y:422,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But even if those charges are overblown, one might still wonder ",p:23,x:120,y:449,w:454,h:23},
{t:"whether the depiction is appropriate and what it implies about ",p:23,x:120,y:477,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our knowledge of God. In this chapter we shall explore these ",p:23,x:120,y:504,w:454,h:23},
{t:"questions by inquiring into the way that the infnite God ac-",p:23,x:120,y:532,w:450,h:23},
{t:"commodates himself to our limited human minds, so that we ",p:23,x:120,y:559,w:454,h:23},
{t:"can know him.",p:23,x:120,y:587,w:105,h:23},
{t:"Shift to another table in the cofee shop and one might hear ",p:23,x:150,y:614,w:424,h:23},
{t:"an impassioned discussion on how the three persons constitute ",p:23,x:120,y:642,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the one God. On this point some critics have argued that Te ",p:23,x:120,y:669,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Shack’s depiction of God is seriously fawed, for it fails to dis-",p:23,x:120,y:697,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tinguish the three persons. We shall enter into the center of this ",p:23,x:120,y:724,w:454,h:23},
{t:"debate in chapter three as we explore the intriguing way that the ",p:23,x:120,y:752,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book wrestles with the unity and distinction of the Trinity, and ",p:23,x:120,y:779,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ultimately how it distinguishes Sarayu and Jesus in accord with ",p:23,x:120,y:807,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their particular missions as revealed in Scripture.",p:23,x:120,y:834,w:342,h:23},
{t:"Turn to another conversation and one fnds a heated debate ",p:23,x:150,y:862,w:424,h:23},
{t:"in progress concerning questions of authority and submission. ",p:23,x:120,y:889,w:454,h:23},
{t:"15",p:24,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"WHY THIS THEOLOGIAN IS ESPECIALLY FOND OF THE SHACK",p:24,x:187,y:81,w:382,h:20},
{t:"Te question here concerns whether the Father is ultimately in ",p:24,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"charge of the Trinity so that the Son and Spirit eternally submit ",p:24,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to him. Or could it be that the Father is as submitted to the Son ",p:24,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Spirit as they are to him? Tis is not a pointless question, for ",p:24,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"deciding whether there is authority and submission or mutual ",p:24,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"submission within God could have radical implications for how ",p:24,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we organize our relationships here on earth. After all, don ’t we ",p:24,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"want to be more like God? Te view of Te Shack is that all the ",p:24,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"divine persons are submitted to one another and to the creation, ",p:24,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and so all human persons should also be so submitted. We shall ",p:24,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wade into the midst of this debate in chapter four. ",p:24,x:120,y:406,w:359,h:23},
{t:"While the conversations thus far are important, it is those ",p:24,x:150,y:433,w:424,h:23},
{t:"we shall consider in the fnal three chapters that become for ",p:24,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"many people critical. In chapter fve we will turn to ask how a ",p:24,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God who is all-loving and all-powerful would allow the horrifc ",p:24,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"murder of young Missy, a child of whom he says he is especially ",p:24,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fond. Te reason, it would seem, is that God allows Missy’s ",p:24,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"death so that he can achieve some kind of greater good out of ",p:24,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it. But what kind of “greater goods” would justify the murder of ",p:24,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a little girl? Could it be that God allows evil for the sake of free ",p:24,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will? And could it be that he allows evil to draw us to him while ",p:24,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"developing our moral character? Even if these answers provide a ",p:24,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"plausible general response to evil, we will feel the painful tension ",p:24,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when we apply them to the specifc death of young Missy.",p:24,x:120,y:763,w:408,h:23},
{t:"Turn to another table wrestling with the problem of evil, ",p:24,x:150,y:791,w:424,h:23},
{t:"and the life and death of Jesus Christ moves to center stage. ",p:24,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Ultimately there is evil because creation is fallen and we are ",p:24,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sick with sin. And so as a response, God has sent his Son to ",p:24,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:25,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"16",p:25,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"bring healing to this fallen creation. In chapter six we will con-",p:25,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sider how Te Shack explains the atoning work of Christ, noting ",p:25,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"both what it does and does not afrm about the atonement. ",p:25,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In particular, we will note how the book ignores (or bypasses) ",p:25,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the language of God’s wrath against sin. Indeed, in its place, ",p:25,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it describes the Father as sufering with the Son. We will also ",p:25,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"consider the controversial question of how far Christ’s atoning ",p:25,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work extends, and specifcally whether it might save some who ",p:25,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have never heard of Christ.",p:25,x:120,y:351,w:190,h:23},
{t:"As we said, the world is sick with sin and in need of the ",p:25,x:150,y:378,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Great Physician. However, with a view of salvation as God rescu-",p:25,x:120,y:406,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing souls for heaven, many Christians have missed the fullness ",p:25,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God’s healing intent. And so in our fnal conversation we ",p:25,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will consider the fullness of biblical salvation as extending to all ",p:25,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"creation. Tis vision is captured in the subtle way that the book ",p:25,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"depicts the renewal of the shack and the surrounding environs ",p:25,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"on Mack ’s unforgettable weekend. Evidently it is not only Mack ",p:25,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that is being made new, but the entire creation as well.",p:25,x:120,y:598,w:384,h:23},
{t:"One fnal word before we begin. Most people who have ",p:25,x:150,y:626,w:424,h:23},
{t:"read or heard about Te Shack are aware of the controversies that ",p:25,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"swirl around the book. Although I appreciate the passion of the ",p:25,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"critics, I have been saddened by a frequent lack of charity that ",p:25,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"has been shown to the book ’s author and its fans. And I have ",p:25,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"been especially disheartened by the advice of some infuential ",p:25,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christian leaders not to read the book. It is true that Te Shack ",p:25,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"asks some hard questions and occasionally takes positions with ",p:25,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"which we might well disagree. But surely the answer is not found ",p:25,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"17",p:26,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"WHY THIS THEOLOGIAN IS ESPECIALLY FOND OF THE SHACK",p:26,x:187,y:81,w:382,h:20},
{t:"in shielding people from the conversation, but rather in leading ",p:26,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"them through it. ",p:26,x:120,y:158,w:122,h:23},
{t:"After all, it is through wrestling with new ideas that one ",p:26,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"learns to deal with the nuance and complexity that characterizes ",p:26,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an intellectually mature faith. Te Shack will not answer all our ",p:26,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"questions, nor does it aspire to. But we can be thankful that it ",p:26,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"has started a great conversation.",p:26,x:120,y:296,w:224,h:23},
{t:"19",p:27,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"CHAPTER 2",p:27,x:283,y:307,w:123,h:36},
{t:"Meeting God ",p:27,x:173,y:425,w:356,h:52},
{t:"Again for the ",p:27,x:161,y:472,w:380,h:52},
{t:"First Time",p:27,x:213,y:518,w:262,h:52},
{t:"While Te Shack has garnered no shortage of praise, it ",p:27,x:120,y:673,w:454,h:68},
{t:"has also managed to stir up its share of controversy. ",p:27,x:181,y:711,w:392,h:23},
{t:"Undoubtedly the single most eyebrow-raising element in the ",p:27,x:120,y:738,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book is the revelation of God the Father as “Papa,” a large ",p:27,x:120,y:766,w:454,h:23},
{t:"African-American woman who gives big hugs and swings her ",p:27,x:120,y:793,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hips when she listens to music. Adding to the surprise is the fact ",p:27,x:120,y:821,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the Holy Spirit appears as a mysterious Asian woman named ",p:27,x:120,y:848,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Sarayu. To complete this puzzling revelation, at one point Mack ",p:27,x:120,y:876,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:28,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"20",p:28,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"is interrogated by a mysterious female character named Sophia ",p:28,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who is later described as the personifcation of God’s wisdom ",p:28,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(more on that later). What exactly is Te Shack attempting to say ",p:28,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with this startling revelation of a two-thirds female and ethni-",p:28,x:120,y:213,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cally diverse vision of God? ",p:28,x:120,y:241,w:196,h:23},
{t:"Some critics have been alarmed by these images, and thus ",p:28,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"have charged the book with capitulating to politically correct ",p:28,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"feminism and even promoting a pagan turn to goddess wor-",p:28,x:120,y:323,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ship! Despite the gravity of these charges, other readers remain ",p:28,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"deeply attracted to the portrayal, and fnd the depiction of God ",p:28,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as Mother appealing. Still others have passed over the motherly ",p:28,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"depiction of Papa and Sarayu as a relatively minor or incidental ",p:28,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"aspect of the narrative. So who exactly is correct? In my view the ",p:28,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"depiction is neither heretical nor unimportant. But it does bring ",p:28,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"us into the midst of some important and fascinating questions ",p:28,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"about the way that the transcendent God of all creation comes ",p:28,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into our small world.",p:28,x:120,y:571,w:149,h:23},
{t:"God, the Biggest Idea of Them All",p:28,x:151,y:622,w:387,h:30},
{t:"At the heart of any proper understanding of God is the concept ",p:28,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of transcendence. Tis word refers to the recognition that God ",p:28,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"remains far beyond (or transcends) our understanding. Consider ",p:28,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the words of Isaiah: “Tis is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is ",p:28,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house ",p:28,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?’ ” (Isaiah ",p:28,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"66:1). Tis verse reminds us that the God who is omnipresent ",p:28,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(that is, present everywhere) is not limited to the buildings we ",p:28,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"erect. God as much transcends the grandest cathedral as the most ",p:28,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:29,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"21",p:29,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"humble country church. But just as we should not think our ",p:29,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"physical houses of worship contain God’s fullness, so we should ",p:29,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"never think that our “conceptual houses,” that is our theological ",p:29,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"understanding of who God is, could ever contain him.",p:29,x:120,y:213,w:384,h:23},
{t:"We can approach the problem of God’s transcendence by ",p:29,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"comparison with another big idea: the Milky Way galaxy. A little ",p:29,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"while ago my six-year-old came up and asked me the size of the ",p:29,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Milky Way. After I explained that it is 100,000 light years across, ",p:29,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her eyebrows furrowed as she silently pondered the answer. Ten ",p:29,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"she thoughtfully replied, ",p:29,x:120,y:378,w:186,h:23},
{t:"“Is ",p:29,x:310,y:378,w:23,h:23},
{t:"that farther than from here to ",p:29,x:338,y:378,w:235,h:23},
{t:"Colorado?” While I had no illusions that she would readily grasp ",p:29,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the concept of a light year, I was caught of guard by just how ",p:29,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"far of her point of comparison was! And yet from her limited ",p:29,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"perspective it made good sense. With no conception of the dis-",p:29,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tance of 100,000 light years, she was grappling with some sort of ",p:29,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comparable scale, and so latched onto the unit of great distance ",p:29,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"most familiar to her: the two day drive our family makes every ",p:29,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"year to visit relatives in Colorado. Even so, I could see just how ",p:29,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"inadequate the comparison was! How could I possibly explain ",p:29,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to her the enormous gulf between photons whizzing through ",p:29,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"outer space at 300,000 kilometers per second for 100,000 years, ",p:29,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and our Hyundai puttering along the highway at one hundred ",p:29,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"kilometers an hour for two measly days? ",p:29,x:120,y:736,w:287,h:23},
{t:"As difcult as it may be to conceive of the vast size of the ",p:29,x:150,y:763,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Milky Way, it is quite literally nothing when compared to the ",p:29,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"transcendent reality of God. Consider that the Milky Way, huge ",p:29,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"though it is, is only one of the more than 100 billion galaxies in ",p:29,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the known universe. Ten consider that this entire universe came ",p:29,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to be because God uttered the phrase, “Let there be light.” When ",p:29,x:120,y:901,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:30,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"22",p:30,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"compared with God, thinking about the Milky Way is nothing! ",p:30,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Teologians have tried to refect the unique majesty of God ",p:30,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with the concept of infnity, that is, the idea that God absolutely ",p:30,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lacks any limit. But if God is truly infnite, then he really does ",p:30,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"transcend our conceptual houses as much as our physical ones, ",p:30,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be they the musings of a six-year-old or the magisterial system ",p:30,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the greatest theologian. As Sallie McFague has put it: “Te ",p:30,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theologian must take his or her models with utmost seriousness, ",p:30,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"exploiting them for all their interpretive potential and yet, at the ",p:30,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"same time, realize they are little more than the babble of infants.”1 ",p:30,x:120,y:378,w:452,h:23},
{t:"The God Who Accommodates Himself",p:30,x:128,y:429,w:432,h:30},
{t:"You might think that with such a gulf to overcome Christians ",p:30,x:120,y:478,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would simply lapse into silence. But on the contrary, Christians ",p:30,x:120,y:505,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are remarkably unfazed by the uniqueness of God. For instance, ",p:30,x:120,y:533,w:454,h:23},
{t:"if you go to church on a Sunday morning you might hear the ",p:30,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"pastor address the hushed congregation with the words: “Te ",p:30,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Lord is in this place.” But what does that mean? Tat God is only ",p:30,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in this place? Isn ’t he everywhere? Or one might hear the worship ",p:30,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"leader pray: “Lord, come into our presence!” Come here . . . as if ",p:30,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God wasn ’t here already? Where is he coming from? If someone ",p:30,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who had never heard of God before were to visit a church, he ",p:30,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"could easily think that God was a person running around the ",p:30,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"world visiting diferent congregations: “Okay, the Holy Spirit ",p:30,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will be at Poughkeepsie Pentecostal Church for the 9:00 a.m. ",p:30,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1.  Sallie McFague, Metaphorical Teology: Models of God in Religious ",p:30,x:120,y:881,w:401,h:19},
{t:"Language (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1982), 131, emphasis added.",p:30,x:120,y:901,w:393,h:19},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:31,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"23",p:31,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"service. Jesus, you go to the Albuquerque Alliance Church for ",p:31,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the 9:30 and we’ll all meet up at St. Claire’s for the 10:00 a.m. ",p:31,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mass.”",p:31,x:120,y:186,w:44,h:23},
{t:"Clearly it is ridiculous to interpret such language literally. ",p:31,x:150,y:213,w:424,h:23},
{t:"But then what lesson should we draw? Ought we to abandon that ",p:31,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"kind of language altogether? Te problem with that response is ",p:31,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Christians did not invent this human way of talking about ",p:31,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God; rather, it was revealed to them in Scripture. As we will note ",p:31,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"more fully below, the Bible is chock full of references to God as ",p:31,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"if he were a human person. But then if we want to understand ",p:31,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"how such language ought to be understood, we should turn back ",p:31,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to refect on how it functions in Scripture.",p:31,x:120,y:433,w:298,h:23},
{t:"In order to understand the practice of describing God in hu-",p:31,x:150,y:461,w:420,h:23},
{t:"man terms, we need to consider the concept of accommodation. ",p:31,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis word comes from a Latin root that refers to the process of ",p:31,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ftting one thing into another. To illustrate I am reminded of ",p:31,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"my days as a teenager when my bedroom was a certifable health ",p:31,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hazard. Occasionally my mother would build up her resolve and ",p:31,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"venture into my room with the demand that I bring some order ",p:31,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the disaster scene. And then with a sweep of her hand she ",p:31,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would tell me to pick up the innumerable items scattered across ",p:31,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the foor and put them away in the closet. Know-it-all teenager ",p:31,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that I was, I would attempt to be the voice of reason by pointing ",p:31,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out that it was simply impossible to ft all those items into that ",p:31,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"small closet. Unfazed, my mom would then quickly gather items ",p:31,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and illustrate how, with a little folding and stacking, everything ",p:31,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"could be made to ft into the closet. ",p:31,x:120,y:846,w:256,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:32,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"24",p:32,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Just as my mom made it possible to ft a large amount of ",p:32,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"material into a small closet, so a good teacher knows how to ft ",p:32,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a big idea in a small mind. Here the equivalent to folding and ",p:32,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"stacking (that is, the process of bringing the idea down to size) ",p:32,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"often occurs through the teacher’s use of creative analogies and ",p:32,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"other comparisons with the student’s background experience. ",p:32,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"For instance, one might explain the concept of serious illness or ",p:32,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"death to a two-year-old by invoking an analogy with a broken ",p:32,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"toy: “In the same way that your radio controlled car is broken, ",p:32,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"grandpa too is broken.” But if God is infnite is even this kind of ",p:32,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"understanding possible? Undoubtedly it would not be if we were ",p:32,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"left to our own speculations on how the infnite God might be. ",p:32,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Fortunately, God has spoken to us through the process of revela-",p:32,x:120,y:461,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion and revealed a variety of points where he is comparable to ",p:32,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our experience. Together these various points of contact anchor ",p:32,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an imperfect but still invaluable conception of the infnite God. ",p:32,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And even more incredibly, he does this not simply to communi-",p:32,x:120,y:571,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cate information to us (as important as this is), but to engage in ",p:32,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"relationship with us!",p:32,x:120,y:626,w:143,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack presents us with a rich picture of God’s accommo-",p:32,x:150,y:653,w:420,h:23},
{t:"dation. Indeed, as we refect on it, we can see that Mack ’s entire ",p:32,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"weekend is only possible because of God’s accommodation. ",p:32,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Since God transcends space, it is already an accommodation for ",p:32,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack to have Papa and Sarayu standing in front of him as if ",p:32,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they were human beings. Jesus’ accommodation is even more ",p:32,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"radical, for his accommodation began at the incarnation two ",p:32,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thousand years ago when the Son of God entered our space and ",p:32,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"time. With that in mind, we can see that Jesus is not simply ",p:32,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:33,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"25",p:33,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"stooping down to interact with Mack for the weekend as if he ",p:33,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"were a human person, for he really is! Now that is what I call ",p:33,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"deep accommodation! (We will return to discuss Jesus’ incarnate ",p:33,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"accommodation in chapter three.)",p:33,x:120,y:213,w:240,h:23},
{t:"Papa, Jesus and Sarayu also adapt themselves to Mack ’s ",p:33,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"limitations in other ways. When Mack sits down to dinner with ",p:33,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Tree and begins sharing with them the joys and struggles ",p:33,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of his family, he is suddenly struck by the absurdity of what ",p:33,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he is doing. Mack is enough of a theologian to know that the ",p:33,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Trinity already knows everything. So why, he wonders, should ",p:33,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he bother with updating them on his family? When Mack poses ",p:33,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this question, Sarayu explains, “We have limited ourselves out ",p:33,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of respect for you. We are not bringing to mind, as it were, our ",p:33,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"knowledge of your children. As we are listening to you, it is as ",p:33,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"if this is the frst time we have known about them, and we take ",p:33,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"great delight in seeing them through your eyes” (106). So even ",p:33,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"though Papa, Jesus and Sarayu already know every detail about ",p:33,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack ’s family, they have decided not to draw on that knowledge. ",p:33,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In this way they are able to deepen their relationship with Mack ",p:33,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"through conversation. ",p:33,x:120,y:653,w:159,h:23},
{t:"Any parent will be able to appreciate what Papa, Jesus ",p:33,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"and Sarayu do for Mack. Everyday when a father picks up his ",p:33,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fve-year-old from kindergarten, the frst thing she wants to do ",p:33,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is teach him all the things she learned that day. “Daddy, guess ",p:33,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"what?!” she earnestly begins from the back seat. “Did you know ",p:33,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that bears sleep all winter? It’s called hi-ber-nay-shun!” And on it ",p:33,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"goes for the entire drive home. Of course Daddy already knows ",p:33,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that bears hibernate, and he knows most everything else she ",p:33,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:34,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"26",p:34,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"tells him too. But even so, he never brings his knowledge into ",p:34,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the conversation, and for obvious reasons. Although she views ",p:34,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the conversation as a way to educate her father, he views it as a ",p:34,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"chance to be close to the child he loves. ",p:34,x:120,y:213,w:282,h:23},
{t:"And so it is when God converses with Mack. Imagine the ",p:34,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"change in the mood of the weekend if Papa had interrupted ",p:34,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack the moment he began to share about his children: “Look, ",p:34,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack, we know everything. Remember? So spare us the update!” ",p:34,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Of course God already knows, but then again from God’s per-",p:34,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"spective the conversation never was about learning something ",p:34,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"new. Rather, it was about relationship with Mack. ",p:34,x:120,y:406,w:356,h:23},
{t:"Accommodation comes in other surprising ways, including ",p:34,x:150,y:433,w:424,h:23},
{t:"through one’s stomach! Troughout the weekend Papa, Jesus, ",p:34,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Sarayu share the most wonderful meals with Mack, par-",p:34,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"taking together in wonderful soups, delicious vegetables, tasty ",p:34,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"meats, and sweet baked goods. Suddenly the thought occurs to ",p:34,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack: since God is spirit, God does not need to eat. So why have ",p:34,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu been packing away all these unnecessary ",p:34,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"calories? Again, the point is not the food but the relationship. ",p:34,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As Papa explains, they ate with Mack simply as another way to ",p:34,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be with Mack: ",p:34,x:120,y:681,w:110,h:23},
{t:"“You need to eat, so what better excuse to be ",p:34,x:232,y:681,w:341,h:23},
{t:"together” (199). Again God is accommodating his infnite being ",p:34,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by coming down to Mack ’s level and entering the human experi-",p:34,x:120,y:736,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ence through the communal sharing of food.",p:34,x:120,y:763,w:316,h:23},
{t:"God’s Accommodation in Scripture",p:34,x:146,y:814,w:397,h:30},
{t:"Te lessons we learn from God’s accommodation in Te Shack ",p:34,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"provide some valuable insights when we turn to accommodation ",p:34,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:35,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"27",p:35,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"in Scripture. For the most part God does not reveal himself ",p:35,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"through direct appearances. (However, some commentators of ",p:35,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Scripture have argued that Moses’ three visitors in Genesis 18 ",p:35,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are a revelation of the Trinity.) Rather, within Scripture God ",p:35,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"typically reveals aspects of his nature through a variety of ac-",p:35,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"commodating fgures of speech including analogies, similes, ",p:35,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"metaphors, and parables.",p:35,x:120,y:296,w:176,h:23},
{t:"To begin with, God is often described with metaphors and ",p:35,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"analogies drawn from our experience with inanimate objects. ",p:35,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"For instance, God is described as a rock, a shield, a horn of salva-",p:35,x:120,y:378,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion and a stronghold (2 Samuel 22:3). Some of these images ",p:35,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are quite powerful and inspirational: think of Martin Luther’s ",p:35,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” In addition, God ",p:35,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is also compared to animals, including an eagle that cares for ",p:35,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"its young (Deuteronomy 32:11). But my favorite non-human ",p:35,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"image of God is found in Psalm 18. In this passage the psalm-",p:35,x:120,y:543,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ist is crying for deliverance from his oppressors when suddenly ",p:35,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God appears as a fre-breathing dragon swooping down to bring ",p:35,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"deliverance! “Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fre came ",p:35,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the ",p:35,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet” (Psalm ",p:35,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"18:8–9). In my view this just might be the coolest description of ",p:35,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God in all Scripture! ",p:35,x:120,y:736,w:149,h:23},
{t:"Images of God as a fortress or protective dragon can be pow-",p:35,x:150,y:763,w:420,h:23},
{t:"erful. But the richest images are surely those that describe God as ",p:35,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"if he were a human person. As such, it is little surprise that human ",p:35,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"language provides the normative form of referring to God within ",p:35,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"church. Rather than functioning literally, this language is clearly ",p:35,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:36,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"28",p:36,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"anthropomorphic (a word that comes from the Greek words for ",p:36,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"human and form), meaning that it describes God as if he had ",p:36,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a human form or human abilities. Consider again the notion of ",p:36,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"space. While God exists everywhere, it is very difcult to think ",p:36,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of and relate to a God who is omnipresent. And so, Scripture ",p:36,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"accommodates God to our experience by describing him as if he ",p:36,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"had a physical body. Tus we fnd references to the fnger of God ",p:36,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Exodus 31:18), the hand and arm of God (Deuteronomy 5:15) ",p:36,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and the face of God (2 Chronicles 30:9). Tese types of descrip-",p:36,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tions are not simply more vivid or natural but can actually be quite ",p:36,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"powerful. For instance, when God condemns Israel’s rebellion he ",p:36,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"declares: “I will certainly hide my face in that day” (Deuteronomy ",p:36,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"31:18). Tis is a powerful way to communicate God’s disapproval ",p:36,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but it would not be available to us if we were restricted to literal ",p:36,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"speech about the omnipresent God.",p:36,x:120,y:516,w:246,h:23},
{t:"Scripture also accommodates God in his infnite knowledge ",p:36,x:150,y:543,w:424,h:23},
{t:"by often describing God as if he were limited in his under-",p:36,x:120,y:571,w:450,h:23},
{t:"standing. Keep in mind the image of Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu ",p:36,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"withholding their perfect knowledge so that they might com-",p:36,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"mune with Mack. Similarly, within Scripture God frequently ",p:36,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"withholds his knowledge. (Te point is not that God becomes ",p:36,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ignorant, but that he does not make his knowledge part of the ",p:36,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"human interaction.) For instance, just when Abraham was about ",p:36,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to sacrifce Isaac, God intervened and said, “Now I know that ",p:36,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"you fear God” (Genesis 22:12). If we interpreted this literally ",p:36,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"then it would imply that God did not know whether Abraham ",p:36,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would be faithful until he tested him. But that cannot be so, ",p:36,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for all the days of Abraham ’s life were written in God’s book ",p:36,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:37,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"29",p:37,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). If God knows ",p:37,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all events before they occur, including every detail of Abraham ’s ",p:37,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"life, then what was the point of the testing? Te point was not ",p:37,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God would learn Abraham was fully committed to him, but ",p:37,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rather that Abraham would learn from and be strengthened by ",p:37,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his own faithfulness. Tus every time God is depicted as learn-",p:37,x:120,y:268,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing, Scripture is accommodating to us. Te same point applies ",p:37,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when we read of God receiving a report of the sin of Sodom ",p:37,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Gomorrah and resolving to go down to see whether it really ",p:37,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is true (Genesis 18:20–21). God is surely not ignorant of the ",p:37,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ongoing events at diferent geographic locations!",p:37,x:120,y:406,w:341,h:23},
{t:"Te case of Hezekiah provides an excellent biblical paral-",p:37,x:150,y:433,w:420,h:23},
{t:"lel for God’s accommodation to Mack. After Hezekiah falls ",p:37,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ill, God tells him that he will die. Upon hearing this shocking ",p:37,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"news, Hezekiah begins to weep before the Lord as he pleads ",p:37,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for a longer life. In response, God sends Isaiah to tell Hezekiah ",p:37,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that he has decided to extend the king’s life (2 Kings 20:1–6). ",p:37,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"If we understood this text literally, then we would conclude that ",p:37,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God changed his mind after hearing Hezekiah ’s prayers. But ",p:37,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"if God knows the future perfectly, then he cannot change his ",p:37,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mind (Numbers 23:19). God always knew that Hezekiah would ",p:37,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"pray for a longer life. And God also knew that he would grant ",p:37,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the request. But then it must be that when God originally said ",p:37,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Hezekiah ’s death was imminent, God knew that it actually was ",p:37,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not. So why did he originally tell Hezekiah he would die? Tink ",p:37,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"back to Mack ’s question to Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu. Why did ",p:37,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they act as if they did not already know every detail about Mack ’s ",p:37,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"family? Te point was so that they might have a conversation ",p:37,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:38,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"30",p:38,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"with Mack. And why did God not tell Hezekiah the ultimate ",p:38,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"outcome at the beginning? So that Hezekiah would come to God ",p:38,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in prayer in a way that would beneft him. God stoops down to ",p:38,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our level and interacts with us as if he were a human being, and ",p:38,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he does it so we can come into relationship with him.",p:38,x:120,y:241,w:354,h:23},
{t:"In addition to being revealed in human form and with hu-",p:38,x:150,y:268,w:420,h:23},
{t:"man limitations, God is also revealed in specifc human roles. ",p:38,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"For instance, God is described as a potter (Isaiah 64:8), a father ",p:38,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Deuteronomy 32:6), a warrior (Exodus 15:3), a king (Exodus ",p:38,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"15:18), a singer (Zephaniah 3:17), a husband (Isaiah 54:5), and ",p:38,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"even as like a drunken soldier awakening from sleep (Psalm ",p:38,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"78:65)! Since these images are all explicitly masculine or at least ",p:38,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"gender neutral, many Christians have found it natural to think ",p:38,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God wholly in male terms. As Mack admitted to Willie, “I’ve ",p:38,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"always sort of pictured him as a really big grandpa with a long ",p:38,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"white fowing beard, sort of like Gandalf in Tolkein ’s Lord of the ",p:38,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Rings” (73). For this reason it is all the more jarring when Papa ",p:38,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"appears to Mack as a large African-American woman and the ",p:38,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Holy Spirit as an Asian woman named Sarayu. With this shock-",p:38,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing encounter, Mack was forced to refect more deeply upon his ",p:38,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thinking about God. In the next two sections we will consider ",p:38,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"why God appears to Mack as a way to challenge his dependence ",p:38,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"on a narrow range of images, and to relieve Mack ’s burden of ",p:38,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"having to conceive of God as Father.",p:38,x:120,y:763,w:257,h:23},
{t:"When an Icon Becomes an Idol",p:38,x:168,y:814,w:352,h:30},
{t:"One of my most vivid memories of a visit to Russia in 1994 ",p:38,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was the sheer abundance of icons on sale at the street markets. ",p:38,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:39,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"31",p:39,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Looking at the piles of icons spread out on blankets for pass-",p:39,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ersby, it was hard to believe that these innocuous little wooden ",p:39,x:120,y:160,w:454,h:23},
{t:"painted images of Christ, saints, and angels had in the past ",p:39,x:120,y:189,w:454,h:23},
{t:"been the cause of fghting and bloodshed. Yet such was the ",p:39,x:120,y:218,w:454,h:23},
{t:"case in the ninth century when advocates of icon use squared ",p:39,x:120,y:246,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of against the critics. Many of the fercest critics alleged that ",p:39,x:120,y:275,w:454,h:23},
{t:"icons of God violated the biblical prohibition against depicting ",p:39,x:120,y:304,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God (Exodus 20:4). Further, the critics denounced all icons ",p:39,x:120,y:333,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as leading to idol worship. Te perception was understand-",p:39,x:120,y:362,w:450,h:23},
{t:"able given that devotees often sat prostrated before an icon in ",p:39,x:120,y:391,w:454,h:23},
{t:"prayer, thereby creating the impression that they were worship-",p:39,x:120,y:420,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ping a piece of wood. Yet advocates of the icons were quick to ",p:39,x:120,y:448,w:454,h:23},
{t:"defend their use. Tese little painted images are not idols, they ",p:39,x:120,y:477,w:454,h:23},
{t:"explained, but rather windows through which we can think ",p:39,x:120,y:506,w:454,h:23},
{t:"about God.",p:39,x:120,y:535,w:83,h:23},
{t:"Christians may continue to debate the use of icons. But the ",p:39,x:150,y:564,w:424,h:23},
{t:"fgurative accommodating descriptions of God that we fnd in ",p:39,x:120,y:593,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Scripture could well be described as literary icons—icons that ",p:39,x:120,y:622,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we read. Scripture certainly paints some vivid word-pictures ",p:39,x:120,y:650,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God. (Tink again of the God-as-a-dragon image of Psalm ",p:39,x:120,y:679,w:454,h:23},
{t:"18!) Just as the user of painted icons must never confuse them ",p:39,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with the reality they represent, so we should not confuse the ",p:39,x:120,y:737,w:454,h:23},
{t:"literary icons of Scripture with literal descriptions. Instead, we ",p:39,x:120,y:766,w:454,h:23},
{t:"should always keep in mind their function as accommodations ",p:39,x:120,y:795,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to our limited intellects. As John Calvin put it (with a touch ",p:39,x:120,y:824,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of impatience): “For who even of slight intelligence does not ",p:39,x:120,y:852,w:454,h:23},
{t:"understand that, as nurses commonly do with infants, God is ",p:39,x:120,y:881,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:40,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"32",p:40,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"wont in a measure to ‘lisp ’ in speaking to us?”2 Tat is, just as ",p:40,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a nurse or mother accommodates the limitations of an infant ",p:40,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with baby talk, so God accommodates to our limitations by ",p:40,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"describing himself within the range of human experience, ",p:40,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"often by speaking as if he were a human.",p:40,x:120,y:241,w:293,h:23},
{t:"Certainly most Christians understand that God ",p:40,x:150,y:268,w:369,h:23},
{t:"is ",p:40,x:524,y:268,w:15,h:23},
{t:"not ",p:40,x:545,y:268,w:28,h:23},
{t:"literally a king sitting on a physical throne, or a warrior clad in ",p:40,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"studded armor, or a dragon fying down from heaven! Tis said, ",p:40,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"if we become too attached to one or another image, we might ",p:40,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fnd that the line between accommodated image and literal real-",p:40,x:120,y:378,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ity becomes blurred. Tis is the danger with Mack ’s tendency to ",p:40,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"assume that, in some sense, God just is a Gandalf grandfather. ",p:40,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And so when Mack arrives at the cabin he receives the jarring ",p:40,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"reminder that God is much more than any image: “Two women ",p:40,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and a man and none of them white? Ten again, why had he ",p:40,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"naturally assumed that God would be white?” (87). ",p:40,x:120,y:543,w:366,h:23},
{t:"Why indeed? Perhaps because it is very natural to allow the ",p:40,x:150,y:571,w:424,h:23},
{t:"limited range of divine accommodations with which we are most ",p:40,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comfortable to become rigid, and eventually exclusive. (In the ",p:40,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"same way, if we come to church week after week and sit in the ",p:40,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"same spot in the same pew, we might come to think that is our ",p:40,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"spot. Tis assumption can lead to great consternation when we ",p:40,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"come one week and fnd some unwelcome stranger sitting in our ",p:40,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"spot!) When God shows up in this “unorthodox” form, Mack be-",p:40,x:120,y:763,w:450,h:23},
{t:"gins to realize how narrow his understanding of God had been: ",p:40,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“all his visuals for God were very white and very male” (93). ",p:40,x:120,y:818,w:427,h:23},
{t:"2.  John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol. 1, ed. John T. ",p:40,x:120,y:881,w:403,h:19},
{t:"McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (London: SCM Press, 1961), 121. ",p:40,x:120,y:901,w:403,h:19},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:41,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"33",p:41,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Te point is not that Mack should stop thinking of God as a ",p:41,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Gandalf grandfather, but rather that he needs to expand beyond ",p:41,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this limiting picture of God simply as a stately white male. As ",p:41,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Papa explains:",p:41,x:120,y:213,w:99,h:23},
{t:"Mackenzie, I am neither male nor female, even though ",p:41,x:150,y:248,w:394,h:23},
{t:"both genders are derived from my nature. If I choose ",p:41,x:150,y:276,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to appear to you as a man or a woman, it’s because I ",p:41,x:150,y:303,w:394,h:23},
{t:"love you. For me to appear as a woman and suggest that ",p:41,x:150,y:331,w:394,h:23},
{t:"you call me Papa is simply to mix metaphors, to help ",p:41,x:150,y:358,w:394,h:23},
{t:"you keep from falling so easily back into your religious ",p:41,x:150,y:386,w:394,h:23},
{t:"conditioning. (93)",p:41,x:150,y:413,w:130,h:23},
{t:"So God appears as an African-American woman to remind Mack ",p:41,x:120,y:448,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God is much greater than any literary icons in Scripture. ",p:41,x:120,y:476,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Whatever you can say about God, whichever image you use to ",p:41,x:120,y:503,w:454,h:23},
{t:"think of him, he always exists beyond these conceptions. It is a ",p:41,x:120,y:531,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lesson that Mack will not soon forget. ",p:41,x:120,y:558,w:271,h:23},
{t:"God Meets You Where You Are",p:41,x:173,y:609,w:343,h:30},
{t:"Successful accommodators recognize that “one size does not ft ",p:41,x:120,y:658,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all.” Rather, an efective teacher will choose the right accom-",p:41,x:120,y:685,w:450,h:23},
{t:"modation for an audience’s experience and knowledge. ",p:41,x:120,y:713,w:389,h:23},
{t:"Consider the way that Jesus sought to communicate a really ",p:41,x:150,y:740,w:424,h:23},
{t:"big and abstract idea: the growth of the Kingdom of God. Given ",p:41,x:120,y:768,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his Jewish Palestinian audience, he lighted upon something ",p:41,x:120,y:795,w:454,h:23},
{t:"familiar to their context: the way a tiny mustard seed grows into ",p:41,x:120,y:823,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a verdant plant in which birds may nest. Tere is no doubt that ",p:41,x:120,y:850,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this was a great image for someone living in Judea. But what ",p:41,x:120,y:878,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:42,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"34",p:42,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"about those of us who have never seen a mustard seed or plant? ",p:42,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"While we might understand the point of the parable, it would ",p:42,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be that much more powerful if it was explained with a more ",p:42,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"familiar image. Now consider Eugene Peterson ’s translation of ",p:42,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this parable in Te Message: “How can I picture God’s kingdom ",p:42,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for you? What kind of story can I use? It’s like a pine nut that a ",p:42,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with ",p:42,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thick branches, and eagles build nests in it” (Luke 13:18–19). ",p:42,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Having grown up in western Canada, a land with its share of ",p:42,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"towering pines and majestic eagles, I fnd this image a much more ",p:42,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"efective explanation of kingdom growth given my background ",p:42,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"experience and context. With the image of a majestic pine tree ",p:42,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"I experience the same “Aha!” moment that was experienced by ",p:42,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus’ original audience. Creating those “Aha!” moments is what ",p:42,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it means to tailor one’s accommodation to one’s audience.",p:42,x:120,y:516,w:407,h:23},
{t:"Clearly an accommodation can be more or less successful. ",p:42,x:150,y:543,w:424,h:23},
{t:"If you seek to accommodate an idea with images that are not ",p:42,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"actually familiar to the other person, then your attempted ac-",p:42,x:120,y:598,w:450,h:23},
{t:"commodation is actually a misfre. For instance, if you asked ",p:42,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"me what Korean kimchi tastes like, I could try explaining it by ",p:42,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comparing it to sauerkraut sprinkled with chili pepper. But the ",p:42,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comparison would only be helpful if you knew what sauerkraut ",p:42,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was. Otherwise you might completely misunderstand: ",p:42,x:120,y:736,w:407,h:23},
{t:"“Sour ",p:42,x:530,y:736,w:44,h:23},
{t:"crowd? So kimchi is like a group of miserable people sprinkled ",p:42,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with chili pepper?” Now that would be a misfre! As bad as ",p:42,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a misfre is, sometimes an attempted accommodation does ",p:42,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"something worse: it backfres. Tis happens when the accom-",p:42,x:120,y:846,w:450,h:23},
{t:"modation not only fails to connect but actually deepens the ",p:42,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:43,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"35",p:43,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"misunderstanding by conveying a false, misleading or harmful ",p:43,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"impression.",p:43,x:120,y:158,w:83,h:23},
{t:"Tis brings me fnally to the metaphor of God as Father. ",p:43,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Everybody knows what fathers are, so this image is in no danger ",p:43,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of misfring. Right? Indeed, the idea of God as Father has reso-",p:43,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nated with generations of Christians based on their experience of ",p:43,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their own fathers as protectors, mentors, friends, and providers ",p:43,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Luke 11:11). Mack ’s wife Nan is an excellent example, as her ",p:43,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"close and intimate relationship with her father provided her with ",p:43,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a context to experience God as Father (38). As a result, Mack ",p:43,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"explained to his new friends while on their camping trip, “She ",p:43,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thinks about God diferently than most folks. She even calls him ",p:43,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Papa because of the closeness of their relationship, if that makes ",p:43,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sense” (37). Tis image powerfully communicates God’s love ",p:43,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and care to Nan. As such, it is hardly surprising that “Papa was ",p:43,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Nan ’s favorite name for God and it expressed her delight in the ",p:43,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"intimate friendship she had with him” (22).",p:43,x:120,y:571,w:308,h:23},
{t:"But the unfortunate reality is that many people have not had ",p:43,x:150,y:598,w:424,h:23},
{t:"a loving human father, and Mack was one of them. Indeed, as a ",p:43,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"child he constantly lived in fear of his abusive, alcoholic father, ",p:43,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"culminating in his futile attempt to report his father’s abuse to ",p:43,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authorities. Upon discovering his son ’s attempted mutiny, Mack ’s ",p:43,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"father retaliated by tying the boy to a tree and beating him for ",p:43,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"two days ",p:43,x:120,y:763,w:69,h:23},
{t:"“with a belt and Bible verses” (8). Tose horrifying ",p:43,x:191,y:763,w:382,h:23},
{t:"experiences have ensured that the image of God as Father, which ",p:43,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"speaks so powerfully to Nan, viciously backfres on Mack. Te ",p:43,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"attempt to think of God as Father blasts Mack with all the pain, ",p:43,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rage and fear that he experienced as a young child. ",p:43,x:120,y:873,w:360,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:44,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"36",p:44,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"To get a sense of Mack ’s adverse reaction to the metaphor, ",p:44,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"think of a child who contracts the stomach fu immediately ",p:44,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"after eating strawberry shortcake. Suddenly that child is utterly ",p:44,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"repulsed by strawberry shortcake. Indeed, the very thought of it ",p:44,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is enough to make her retch. Now she simply cannot conceive ",p:44,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of eating a dessert that is loved by children the world over. And ",p:44,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so it is with Mack ’s view of God as Father. Tat image, which is ",p:44,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"beloved of so many, is now for him utterly repugnant. ",p:44,x:120,y:323,w:384,h:23},
{t:"Tis brings us to the real tragedy: although he cannot think ",p:44,x:150,y:351,w:424,h:23},
{t:"of a loving God as Father, this is the central image that Mack has ",p:44,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"been given, time and again, in the Bible and church. Is it any ",p:44,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"surprise that rather than fnding this image fostering an intimate ",p:44,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"relationship with God, he has come to view God as “brooding, ",p:44,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"distant, and aloof ” (10)? And so when Sarah, one of Mack ’s ",p:44,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"camping neighbors on that fateful weekend, asks whether any-",p:44,x:120,y:516,w:450,h:23},
{t:"one else in the family calls God Papa, Mack responds: “Te kids ",p:44,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have picked it up some, but I’m not comfortable with it. It just ",p:44,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"seems a little too familiar for me. Anyway, Nan has a wonderful ",p:44,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"father, so I think it’s just easier for her” (38). Mack has never had ",p:44,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"anyone he could call Papa (91), and so he cannot now begin to ",p:44,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"think of God in these terms. Tragically, when Papa ofers to be ",p:44,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack",p:44,x:120,y:708,w:38,h:23},
{t:"’s Papa, Mack fnds the ofer “at once inviting and at the ",p:44,x:156,y:708,w:418,h:23},
{t:"same time repulsive” (92). Is this not all sadly ironic, that the ",p:44,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"very image which God intended as the path for accommodating ",p:44,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"relationship has become for Mack an insurmountable obstacle?",p:44,x:120,y:791,w:444,h:23},
{t:"So what hope is there for Mack? In answer to this ques-",p:44,x:150,y:818,w:420,h:23},
{t:"tion I am reminded of a story about Pope John XXIII. In 1958 ",p:44,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Vatican got more than they had bargained for when John ",p:44,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:45,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"37",p:45,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"XXIII was voted in as the 261st pope of the Roman Catholic ",p:45,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Church. Immediately this jolly and humble man began to break ",p:45,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with convention, while causing his cardinals no small amount of ",p:45,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"worry in the process. ",p:45,x:120,y:213,w:151,h:23},
{t:"In one egregious violation of Vatican protocol, John insisted ",p:45,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"on visiting the jailed prisoners of Rome with the explanation ",p:45,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that because they could not come see him, he came to see them! ",p:45,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"I love that story because it reminds me of the way that God too ",p:45,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comes to meet people who, locked in painful prisons of personal ",p:45,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"history, are unable to come see him. In meeting people where ",p:45,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they are, Pope John was doing nothing more than what he had ",p:45,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"learned from Paul who became all things to all people so that he ",p:45,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"might save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). Paul did nothing that he ",p:45,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"did not learn from Jesus, that exemplar of God’s deep accom-",p:45,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"modation to human limitations. Jesus came because he was sent ",p:45,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by God his Father (John 3:16) as an expression of the Father’s ",p:45,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"heart of accommodation. ",p:45,x:120,y:571,w:182,h:23},
{t:"So is it any surprise that the same God that has always met ",p:45,x:150,y:598,w:424,h:23},
{t:"us where we are comes to meet Mack in his prison as well? Papa ",p:45,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is not unaware of Mack’s struggles and his pain. She knows that ",p:45,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his alienation from her traces to his own abusive father: “And ",p:45,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"after what you ’ve been through, you couldn ’t very well handle a ",p:45,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"father right now, could you?” (93). So, just as John was driven ",p:45,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by love to pick up his papal robes and sashay into Rome’s dark-",p:45,x:120,y:763,w:450,h:23},
{t:"est prisons, so Papa now adopts the form of a loving mother ",p:45,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to meet Mack in his dark prison. She gently informs him,  “If ",p:45,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"I choose to appear to you as a man or a woman, it’s because I ",p:45,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"love you” (93).",p:45,x:120,y:873,w:107,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:46,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"38",p:46,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"As incredible as this is, the most amazing part of the story ",p:46,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"is yet to come. Unlike the pope who cannot release anybody ",p:46,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"from prison, Papa not only meets Mack in his prison but then ",p:46,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"works to free him from it. With motherly care, Papa begins to ",p:46,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work with Jesus and Sarayu to renovate Mack ’s heart and remove ",p:46,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the roadblocks that have impeded his ability to embrace her as ",p:46,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father. Te fnal moment of healing comes unexpectedly on ",p:46,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Saturday after Sarayu brings Mack to a mysterious meadow. ",p:46,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Here a wonderful scene begins to unfold. First children spill into ",p:46,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the meadow, their frolicking forms accented with brilliant auras ",p:46,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"displaying the vivid life of the new creation. Gradually a large ",p:46,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"circle of adults encircles the playing children and then beyond ",p:46,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"them emerges a ring of angels. Ten suddenly the euphoric scene ",p:46,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is broken as one of the adults begins to show distress which ",p:46,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"becomes visible through the violent fashes of his aura. When ",p:46,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack enquires as to this fellow’s problem, Sarayu explains that ",p:46,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the man is Mack ’s father. Tis man, who had once been Mack ’s ",p:46,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"worst nightmare, is now consumed by guilt and remorse for the ",p:46,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"pain he caused his son. With this revelation, Mack is overcome ",p:46,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by emotion and the desire for reconciliation. And so he breaks ",p:46,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out into the meadow and runs to meet his father like “a little boy ",p:46,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wanting his daddy” (215). With tears running down his cheeks, ",p:46,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack takes his father’s face in his hands and ofers forgiveness. ",p:46,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As they embrace, he at last receives the human papa he had so ",p:46,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"long desired.",p:46,x:120,y:791,w:90,h:23},
{t:"Now that he has been healed, Mack is no longer repulsed ",p:46,x:150,y:818,w:424,h:23},
{t:"by the image of fatherhood. Indeed, rather than backfring, he ",p:46,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"can now see in this image something of the love and care that ",p:46,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:47,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"39",p:47,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"refects the heart of God. Tis leads to yet another surprise for ",p:47,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack. When he awakens on Sunday morning, Papa the woman ",p:47,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is not to be found. Instead, Mack meets a grandfatherly persona, ",p:47,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"though one rather more striking and rugged than his familiar ",p:47,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Gandalf image: “He had silver-white hair pulled back into a po-",p:47,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nytail, matched by a gray-splashed mustache and goatee. Plaid ",p:47,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"shirt with sleeves rolled up, jeans, and hiking boots completed ",p:47,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the outft of someone ready to hit the trail. ‘Papa?’ Mack asked” ",p:47,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(218). Indeed, since Mack has forgiven his human father he can ",p:47,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"now experience God as Father (221). With his beloved God as ",p:47,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father Mack is ready for the painful journey ahead in which ",p:47,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(as yet unbeknownst to Mack), he will retrieve Missy’s body for ",p:47,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a proper burial. Since Mack will need his heavenly Father to ",p:47,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"strengthen him through this new ordeal, this is the way that ",p:47,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Papa has come to him (219). ",p:47,x:120,y:516,w:208,h:23},
{t:"Is There Room for a Mother God?",p:47,x:153,y:567,w:382,h:30},
{t:"Evangelicals have typically been dismissive of (or even hostile ",p:47,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to) attempts to describe God with female analogies and meta-",p:47,x:120,y:643,w:450,h:23},
{t:"phors. Often the complaint is that such concerns refect political ",p:47,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"correctness run amok or even the infltration of a dangerous ",p:47,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"feminist agenda. But Mack ’s experience raises a critical urgency ",p:47,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the question. Mack demonstrates that it is not only women ",p:47,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with an ideological axe to grind who are reluctant to call God ",p:47,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father. Tere are also many people (women and men) who have ",p:47,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"experienced deep pain at the hands of abusive males. ",p:47,x:120,y:835,w:375,h:23},
{t:"Some, like Mack, have been terrorized by human fathers. ",p:47,x:150,y:863,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Others have been sexually abused by “father” priests. And still ",p:47,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:48,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"40",p:48,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"others have only the vaguest memory of a father who long ago ",p:48,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"abandoned the family. Perhaps in some cases the light of God as ",p:48,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father can break through these bleak histories. But what if the ",p:48,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"image of God as Father continues to hover like an ominous cloud ",p:48,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"on their horizon, blocking out the light of God’s love? Must one ",p:48,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"remain with this image which, far from fostering intimacy, has ",p:48,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"become a painful obstacle?",p:48,x:120,y:296,w:187,h:23},
{t:"We can begin to address this question by considering rel-",p:48,x:150,y:323,w:420,h:23},
{t:"evant Scriptures. While there is no doubt that the Bible is heavily ",p:48,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"weighted to male analogies and metaphors, there is a smattering ",p:48,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of female and maternal fgures of speech to be found. To begin ",p:48,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with, God is likened to a mother: “As a mother comforts her ",p:48,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over ",p:48,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:13). In the New Testament God implicitly ",p:48,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"assumes a female role in Jesus’ parables of a woman mixing yeast ",p:48,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into dough (Matthew 13:33) and a woman ’s search for a lost coin ",p:48,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Luke 15:8–9). Te maternal properties of animals are applied to ",p:48,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God when he is described as being like a bear robbed of her cubs ",p:48,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Hosea 13:8), while Jesus compares his concern for Jerusalem to ",p:48,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a hen longing to gather her chicks (Matthew 23:37). ",p:48,x:120,y:653,w:375,h:23},
{t:"Speaking of Jesus, many Christians have interpreted the ",p:48,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"character of Wisdom through whom God made the world in ",p:48,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Proverbs 8:22–36 as an Old Testament reference to Christ. Te ",p:48,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"New Testament supports this interpretation since it claims that ",p:48,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God created all things through Christ (John 1:3; 1 Corinthians ",p:48,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). In addition, Jesus refers to ",p:48,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"himself as the wisdom of God (Matthew 11:19), a confession ",p:48,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"which is echoed by Paul (1 Corinthians 1:24). Te idea of Jesus ",p:48,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"MEETING GOD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME",p:49,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"41",p:49,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"as the divine wisdom is striking since the word for wisdom in ",p:49,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"both Hebrew and Greek is feminine (in Hebrew: hokmah; in ",p:49,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Greek: sophia). Could it be that Sophia, the shadowy female ",p:49,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fgure who interrogates Mack in the cave as the personifcation ",p:49,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God’s wisdom, is actually Jesus appearing in female form? Te ",p:49,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Shack ofers no fnal clarity on the point, but it is an intriguing ",p:49,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"speculation.",p:49,x:120,y:296,w:84,h:23},
{t:"So we return to our question. Is it ever appropriate to think of ",p:49,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"God as Mother or to pray “Our Mother, who art in heaven . . .”? ",p:49,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack ofers us no settled position on this question. But it ",p:49,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"does challenge the human tendency to become entrenched in ",p:49,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"one narrow set of images for God. If we become too commit-",p:49,x:120,y:433,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ted to one or another image of God, it can become an idol for ",p:49,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ourselves and a stumbling block for others. ",p:49,x:120,y:488,w:307,h:23},
{t:"So how far do you think God will go to meet people in ",p:49,x:150,y:516,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the midst of their sufering? Te Shack suggests that it is much ",p:49,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"farther than we could ever have imagined.",p:49,x:120,y:571,w:296,h:23},
{t:"DIGGING DEEPER",p:49,x:262,y:681,w:164,h:29},
{t:"(1) ",p:49,x:120,y:744,w:22,h:20},
{t:"How does somebody decide which descriptions in Scripture are ",p:49,x:150,y:744,w:411,h:20},
{t:"anthropomorphic and which are not? What about descriptions ",p:49,x:150,y:770,w:405,h:20},
{t:"of God as having human emotion? Does God really get angry, ",p:49,x:150,y:797,w:399,h:20},
{t:"suffer, and love us, or are these accommodations to the human ",p:49,x:150,y:823,w:416,h:20},
{t:"emotional life?",p:49,x:150,y:849,w:96,h:20},
{t:"(2) ",p:49,x:120,y:892,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Given that Jesus taught us to address God in prayer as “Our ",p:49,x:150,y:892,w:395,h:20},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:50,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"42",p:50,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Father” (Matthew 6:9) is it improper for someone to pray to God ",p:50,x:150,y:131,w:417,h:20},
{t:"as Mother? ",p:50,x:150,y:157,w:74,h:20},
{t:"(3) ",p:50,x:120,y:200,w:22,h:20},
{t:"How would you advise someone who, like Mack, felt alienated ",p:50,x:150,y:200,w:402,h:20},
{t:"from God the Father because of an abusive human father?",p:50,x:150,y:226,w:380,h:20},
{t:"(4) ",p:50,x:120,y:269,w:22,h:20},
{t:"What sort of images of God do you find most comfortable? ",p:50,x:150,y:269,w:381,h:20},
{t:"(5) ",p:50,x:120,y:312,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Given that Christians have long embraced multi-ethnic ",p:50,x:150,y:312,w:363,h:20},
{t:"portrayals of Jesus, is it ever permissible to depict Jesus as a ",p:50,x:150,y:338,w:404,h:20},
{t:"woman? If not, then why not?",p:50,x:150,y:364,w:190,h:20},
{t:"43",p:51,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"CHAPTER 3",p:51,x:283,y:307,w:123,h:36},
{t:"The Mystery of ",p:51,x:146,y:425,w:410,h:52},
{t:"Three in One",p:51,x:174,y:472,w:341,h:52},
{t:"Being a theologian is often a thankless task. Take the case of ",p:51,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:68},
{t:"Apollinaris. One of the greatest theologians of the fourth ",p:51,x:159,y:664,w:415,h:23},
{t:"century, and a staunch defender of orthodoxy, he nonetheless ",p:51,x:120,y:691,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ended life branded a heretic. His crime? He had dared develop ",p:51,x:120,y:719,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an account of the incarnation which was deemed inadequate by ",p:51,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his peers. And so with the dreaded H word (heresy), a whole ",p:51,x:120,y:774,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lifetime of diligent work for the church could be overshadowed. ",p:51,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Within Christianity there are few words that cut to the ",p:51,x:150,y:829,w:424,h:23},
{t:"quick as sharply as heresy. And Te Shack has certainly been ",p:51,x:120,y:856,w:454,h:23},
{t:"charged with its share of heresies. Perhaps the most serious of ",p:51,x:120,y:884,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:52,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"44",p:52,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"these concerns is a view that we have already touched upon: ",p:52,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"modalism. To recap, according to modalism God is not three ",p:52,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"distinct persons but rather one person who acts in three roles ",p:52,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in history. On this view, God is like an actor who dons three ",p:52,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"diferent masks during his performance. In this way, God frst ",p:52,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"acts as the Father and then as the Son and fnally as the Spirit. ",p:52,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Given that modalism has been denounced as a heresy since ",p:52,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the early third century, it is no small matter that Te Shack has ",p:52,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"been charged with this theological error. But before we allow ",p:52,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this book ’s contributions to be overshadowed, we must consider ",p:52,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"whether the dreaded H word is a legitimate charge?",p:52,x:120,y:406,w:361,h:23},
{t:"In fact, the critic can marshal an impressive list of texts in ",p:52,x:150,y:433,w:424,h:23},
{t:"support of the charge. Consider frst Papa ’s description of the ",p:52,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"incarnation: ",p:52,x:120,y:488,w:90,h:23},
{t:"“When we three spoke ourself into human exis-",p:52,x:213,y:488,w:356,h:23},
{t:"tence as the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose ",p:52,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. Even though ",p:52,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we have always been present in this created universe, we now ",p:52,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"became fesh and blood” (99; see also 100 and 201). Rather than ",p:52,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"afrm that God’s Son became incarnate (John 1:14), this pas-",p:52,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sage seems to suggest that the Father, Son, and Spirit all became ",p:52,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"incarnate, as if all three squeezed into the developing body of ",p:52,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus in Mary’s womb! But surely this bizarre notion cannot be ",p:52,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"correct. So is there another interpretation of Papa ’s words? Te ",p:52,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"other obvious possibility is that Papa is meaning to afrm that ",p:52,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the three persons are really one person who incarnated as Jesus. ",p:52,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Unfortunately, this more plausible interpretation is modalistic.",p:52,x:120,y:818,w:441,h:23},
{t:"Is there any other evidence to support the modalist inter-",p:52,x:150,y:846,w:420,h:23},
{t:"pretation of Te Shack? Consider that Papa says, “I am God. ",p:52,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:53,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"45",p:53,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"I am who I am” (97). In other words, Papa claims for herself ",p:53,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the unique name of God (Exodus 3:14). To complicate matters, ",p:53,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"later Sarayu claims the same name for herself: “I am that I am. I ",p:53,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will be who I will be!” (204). But if there is one I AM, and both ",p:53,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Papa and Sarayu claim to be the I AM, then are not Papa and ",p:53,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Sarayu one and the same person? ",p:53,x:120,y:268,w:237,h:23},
{t:"Tis matter is of no small concern, for as I said in the ",p:53,x:150,y:296,w:424,h:23},
{t:"frst chapter, the doctrine of the Trinity is an essential mark of ",p:53,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christian identity. Deny it and you are labeled with that ugly ",p:53,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"word “heretic.” So is there enough evidence in Te Shack to con-",p:53,x:120,y:378,w:450,h:23},
{t:"vict the book of heresy? While I admit that the reference to the ",p:53,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"three speaking themselves into existence is unfortunate, in this ",p:53,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"chapter I shall argue that once we understand the doctrine of ",p:53,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Trinity and Te Shack’s subtle presentation of it, we will see ",p:53,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the book is not heretical at all. In fact, it presents a stimulat-",p:53,x:120,y:516,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing articulation of what Christians should believe about God! ",p:53,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Indeed, when all the evidence is in, we will be left to wonder ",p:53,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"how the critics could have ever drawn their conclusions to begin ",p:53,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with. ",p:53,x:120,y:626,w:41,h:23},
{t:"The Paradoxical Trinity in Scripture",p:53,x:139,y:677,w:410,h:30},
{t:"One of my problems with some of the critics of Te Shack is ",p:53,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that they have criticized tensions in the book ’s depiction of God ",p:53,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"without ever acknowledging similar tensions in the Bible’s depic-",p:53,x:120,y:780,w:449,h:23},
{t:"tion of God. ",p:53,x:120,y:808,w:93,h:23},
{t:"As such, we need to begin by noting that many critics of ",p:53,x:150,y:835,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Christianity have charged the doctrine of the Trinity with being ",p:53,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"contradictory. After all, Trinitarians claim that there are three ",p:53,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:54,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"46",p:54,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"divine and distinct persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, but yet there ",p:54,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is only one God. Tis led eighteenth century Unitarian Joseph ",p:54,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Priestley to complain that the claim that Father, Son, and Spirit ",p:54,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are one God “is certainly as much a contradiction, as to say ",p:54,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Peter, James, and John, having each of them every thing ",p:54,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that is requisite to constitute a complete man, are yet altogether ",p:54,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not three men, but only one man.”1 According to critics like ",p:54,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Priestley, if Christians are going to recognize three divine beings ",p:54,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"then they should come out and admit that they really are trithe-",p:54,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ists (that is, that they believe there are three gods)! It is merely ",p:54,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"stubborn, muddled thinking that allows them to insist that they ",p:54,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are monotheists.",p:54,x:120,y:433,w:116,h:23},
{t:"Priestley has a legitimate argument. So why did the church ",p:54,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"ever adopt a doctrine that appears to be contradictory? Te ",p:54,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"question is especially pressing since Christianity is not like some ",p:54,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"religious traditions (e.g., Zen Buddhism) that deliberately em-",p:54,x:120,y:543,w:450,h:23},
{t:"brace paradoxes of reason as a way to clear the mind for mystical ",p:54,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"enlightenment. On the contrary, Christians have generally taken ",p:54,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"reason very seriously. As a result, they recognize that an appar-",p:54,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ently contradictory doctrine is not a trivial matter. But even so, ",p:54,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they fnd themselves driven to afrm each of the core doctrinal ",p:54,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"afrmations of the Trinity that, when taken together, appear ",p:54,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to lead to a contradiction. Tat is, they believe that Scripture ",p:54,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"afrms that there is one God, that the Father, Son, and Spirit are ",p:54,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God, and that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct. Let’s take ",p:54,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1.  Joseph Priestley, Te Teological and Miscellaneous Works of Joseph Priestley, ",p:54,x:120,y:881,w:450,h:19},
{t:"ed. John Towil Rutt (No Place: G. Smallfeld, 1786), 34.",p:54,x:120,y:901,w:327,h:19},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:55,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"47",p:55,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"a moment to consider some of the biblical evidence for each of ",p:55,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"these claims.",p:55,x:120,y:158,w:89,h:23},
{t:"Tere is one God. Tis is the simplest confession to establish, ",p:55,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"for monotheism is the consistent teaching of Scripture (Exodus ",p:55,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"3:14; Isaiah 44:6) and was never questioned by the early ",p:55,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christians (1 Corinthians 8:6; James 2:19). ",p:55,x:120,y:268,w:310,h:23},
{t:"Te Father, Son, and Spirit are God. Troughout the New ",p:55,x:150,y:296,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Testament the title God is consistently applied to the Father ",p:55,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(e.g., Matthew 6:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6). But is there also evidence ",p:55,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for the deity of the Son and Spirit? Jesus is explicitly identifed as ",p:55,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God in a few key passages including John 1:1, 1:18, and Tomas’ ",p:55,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"incredible confession in John 20:28 where he declares to Jesus, ",p:55,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“My Lord and my God!” Other passages refer to the divinity ",p:55,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Christ including Romans 9:5, Colossians 1:15 and 2:9, and ",p:55,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Hebrews 1:10–12 where the writer applies the description of ",p:55,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Yahweh in Psalm 102:25–27 to Jesus. But my single favorite ",p:55,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"example of a Scripture for Christ’s deity comes in the enigmatic ",p:55,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book of Revelation: while the Lord God proclaims himself the ",p:55,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“ Alpha and Omega” in 1:8 (compare Isaiah 44:6), later in 22:13 ",p:55,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus describes himself as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning ",p:55,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and end (compare Hebrews 13:8). With this divine title, we fnd ",p:55,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a truly beautiful revelation of Christ’s full divinity coming at the ",p:55,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fnal climax of all Scripture! In addition to these texts the early ",p:55,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christians directed prayers (Acts 7:59–60; 1 Corinthians 16:22; ",p:55,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"2 Corinthians 12:8; Revelation 22:20) and praises (Hebrews ",p:55,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"13:21; 2 Peter 3:18) to Jesus. Indeed, God commands his angels ",p:55,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to worship Christ (Hebrews 1:6) and in Revelation we see a vi-",p:55,x:120,y:846,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sion of every creature in heaven and earth praising God and the ",p:55,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:56,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"48",p:56,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Lamb (5:13)! When one considers that all these afrmations are ",p:56,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"being made by recent converts from Judaism, the most vigor-",p:56,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ously monotheistic religion the world has ever known, the efect ",p:56,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is simply staggering! Somehow the early followers of Jesus were ",p:56,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"driven to recognize his equal deity to the Father even as they ",p:56,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"continued to maintain their commitment to monotheism.",p:56,x:120,y:268,w:411,h:23},
{t:"Tere is little doubt that the Scriptures portray the Spirit ",p:56,x:150,y:296,w:424,h:23},
{t:"as fully divine, for he is the Spirit of God (Matthew 3:16) and ",p:56,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Christ (Romans 8:9). In addition, the one unforgiveable sin ",p:56,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is blaspheming the Spirit (Mark 3:29) and lying to the Spirit is ",p:56,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"equivalent to lying to God (Acts 5:3–4). Tus much of the early ",p:56,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Spirit debate was instead concerned with whether the Spirit was ",p:56,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a distinct person. Te problem arose because the word “spirit” ",p:56,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"may also be translated as breath, and “breath of God” sounds ",p:56,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"like it belongs in the same anthropomorphic category as hand of ",p:56,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Lord (Exodus 7:5) and eyes of the Lord (Genesis 18:3,10). ",p:56,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Nobody is inclined to confess the Father, Son, and eyes of God, ",p:56,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so why would one confess Father, Son, and Spirit/breath of ",p:56,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God?) Nonetheless, the church concluded that the Spirit was ",p:56,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not merely an anthropomorphic description of God breathing ",p:56,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but instead was a distinct person. ",p:56,x:120,y:681,w:238,h:23},
{t:"One excellent reason to believe the Spirit is a person is ",p:56,x:150,y:708,w:424,h:23},
{t:"because Jesus did. After all, Jesus promised the Spirit as another ",p:56,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comforter (that means, another like Jesus, one of the same kind) ",p:56,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who would come in his absence (John 14:16–17). If Jesus is a ",p:56,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"divine person, then this implies another divine person to come. ",p:56,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis interpretation is reinforced by the fact that Jesus refers to ",p:56,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Spirit not with the grammatically appropriate pronoun “it,” ",p:56,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:57,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"49",p:57,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"but rather the personal “he” as in “he will testify about me” (John ",p:57,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"15:26) and “he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). ",p:57,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis is not how you describe breath! Not surprisingly, the early ",p:57,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"church experienced the Spirit as a personal reality who spoke to ",p:57,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and guided the apostles (Acts 9:31, 13:2). ",p:57,x:120,y:241,w:298,h:23},
{t:"Te Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct. Finally, we turn to ",p:57,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"a large number of New Testament texts that clearly distinguish ",p:57,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the persons. For instance, during the baptism of Jesus the ",p:57,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father spoke from heaven and the Spirit descended as a dove ",p:57,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Luke 3:21–22). Given the distinct roles that the Father, Son, ",p:57,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Spirit all played in this single event, it appears rather im-",p:57,x:120,y:406,w:450,h:23},
{t:"plausible to suppose that the baptism consisted of one divine ",p:57,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"person simultaneously assuming all three roles! Indeed, the three ",p:57,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"persons repeatedly distinguish themselves from one another as ",p:57,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when Jesus prayed to the Father in Gethsemane and promised ",p:57,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Spirit in the upper room. In addition, we could add numer-",p:57,x:120,y:543,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ous other passages where the persons are clearly distinguished ",p:57,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(see Matthew 28:19–20; 1 Corinthians 12:4–6; 2 Corinthians ",p:57,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"13:14; Ephesians 2:18; 1 Peter 1:2–12; Jude 20–21; Revelation ",p:57,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1:4–5). ",p:57,x:120,y:653,w:56,h:23},
{t:"Tis evidence suggests that far from setting out to concoct ",p:57,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"an apparently contradictory doctrine, Christians were forced to ",p:57,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this set of afrmations by the New Testament revelation itself. ",p:57,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But while this may indeed be the witness of Scripture, it does ",p:57,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not diminish the fact that it appears to entail a contradictory ",p:57,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"afrmation that one equals three! While Christians admit the ",p:57,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"problem, instead of conceding that the teaching is contradictory, ",p:57,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they explain it as a paradox (that is, an apparent contradiction). ",p:57,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:58,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"50",p:58,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Tree points support this claim. First, the doctrine of the Trinity ",p:58,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is not stated in a straightforwardly contradictory manner. Tat ",p:58,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is, Christians do not say that “the one God is three Gods.” Tat ",p:58,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would be contradictory. Rather, they claim that the one God ",p:58,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is three persons. While this maneuver may be insufcient to ",p:58,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"guarantee the coherence of the doctrine, it is sufcient to avoid ",p:58,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an overt contradiction.2 ",p:58,x:120,y:296,w:171,h:23},
{t:"Of course some people will remain skeptical, believing that ",p:58,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Christians are just trying to hide a contradictory claim with an ",p:58,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"appeal to paradox. Tis brings us to our second point: that even ",p:58,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"highly rational and rigorous disciplines like mathematics and the ",p:58,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"science of quantum physics admit of many paradoxes that are ",p:58,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"accepted by the specialists in each discipline.3 But if mathemati-",p:58,x:120,y:461,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cians and physicists can rationally accept paradoxes based on ",p:58,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their data sets, surely theologians may as well. Should it surprise ",p:58,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"us that there is much in heaven and earth that we cannot fully ",p:58,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"understand? As the great mathematician and apologist Blaise ",p:58,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Pascal observed, “Reason ’s fnal step is to recognize that there is ",p:58,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an infnity of things beyond it.”4 Indeed, Willie makes a similar ",p:58,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"point in Te Shack when he suggests that certain mysteries may ",p:58,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"2.  For a survey of some of the attempts Christian theologians have pursued ",p:58,x:120,y:761,w:443,h:19},
{t:"to explain the doctrine’s coherence see my Faith Lacking Understanding ",p:58,x:120,y:781,w:412,h:19},
{t:"(Carlisle: Paternoster, 2008), ch. 2. ",p:58,x:120,y:801,w:205,h:19},
{t:"3.  For an overview of paradoxes related to mathematical infnity see the ",p:58,x:120,y:821,w:422,h:19},
{t:"introduction to A.W. Moore, Te Infnite (London and New York: Routledge, ",p:58,x:120,y:841,w:452,h:19},
{t:"1990). ",p:58,x:120,y:861,w:42,h:19},
{t:"4.  Blaise Pascal, Pensées, ed. and trans. Roger Ariew (Indianapolis/",p:58,x:120,y:881,w:386,h:19},
{t:"Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Co., 2005), 55.",p:58,x:120,y:901,w:277,h:19},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:59,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"51",p:59,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"only be comprehensible in a realm of ",p:59,x:120,y:131,w:286,h:23},
{t:"“suprarationality” that ",p:59,x:410,y:131,w:164,h:23},
{t:"transcends our puny minds (67). ",p:59,x:120,y:158,w:236,h:23},
{t:"Finally, we come to our third point: if there is any place ",p:59,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"in all human knowledge where we would expect to encounter ",p:59,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"paradoxes, it would surely be in our attempt to understand God! ",p:59,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Remember in chapter two that we noted a central attribute of ",p:59,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God is infnity, his absolute transcendence over our concepts. ",p:59,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But then Christianity appears to posit a paradox right where we ",p:59,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would expect to encounter one, in the doctrine of God! From that ",p:59,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"perspective, it may well be that the paradox we face is not so ",p:59,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"much a problem as a sign that we really are grappling with the ",p:59,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"infnite God! As Papa observes, “Who wants to worship a God ",p:59,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who can be fully comprehended, eh? Not much mystery in that” ",p:59,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(101). ",p:59,x:120,y:488,w:48,h:23},
{t:"Is The Shack Modalistic?",p:59,x:205,y:539,w:279,h:30},
{t:"One could concede that the Scriptures present a mystery and ",p:59,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"still argue that Te Shack blunders of the trail of mystery and ",p:59,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into the briars of modalistic heresy. Te initial problem with that ",p:59,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"charge, based as it is upon a few passages from Te Shack, is that ",p:59,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"one could also quote selectively from Scripture to support mo-",p:59,x:120,y:698,w:450,h:23},
{t:"dalism. For instance, the familiar messianic prophecy in Isaiah ",p:59,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"9:6 describes the child to be born as both “Everlasting Father” ",p:59,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and “Prince of Peace.” But wait! Tis seems to suggest that Jesus, ",p:59,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Prince of Peace, is the same individual as the Everlasting ",p:59,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father, and this implies modalism! In addition, Jesus’ claim that ",p:59,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he is one with the Father (John 10:10) could be interpreted ",p:59,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as meaning that they are one and the same person. Te same ",p:59,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:60,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"52",p:60,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"interpretation could be derived from Jesus’ claim that whoever ",p:60,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"has seen him has seen the Father (John 14:9). So Scripture can ",p:60,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be used to develop a case for modalism! However, before you ",p:60,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"panic, be assured that it is not a good case. Tis list ignores both ",p:60,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the context of the relevant passages as well as the wider testimony ",p:60,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Scripture.",p:60,x:120,y:268,w:87,h:23},
{t:"So now the obvious question: if even Scripture can be se-",p:60,x:150,y:296,w:420,h:23},
{t:"lectively quoted in favor of modalism, what about Te Shack? ",p:60,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Is there evidence that the critics have developed an erroneous ",p:60,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"case based on a few problem texts? In response, let’s begin with ",p:60,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a point so obvious that it could easily be overlooked. One way ",p:60,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we argue against modalism in Scripture is rooted in the repeated ",p:60,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"distinction of Father, Son, and Spirit in the biblical narrative ",p:60,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(e.g., in Jesus’ baptism). By the same token, the fact that Te ",p:60,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Shack repeatedly distinguishes Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu likewise ",p:60,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"counts against modalism. Indeed, on multiple occasions Mack is ",p:60,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"simultaneously present with Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu (frequently ",p:60,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sharing a communal feast), and he watches them interact with ",p:60,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"intimacy and love. If this is one God simply playing three simul-",p:60,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"taneous roles, then it is quite the unique (and misleading) party ",p:60,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"trick!",p:60,x:120,y:681,w:36,h:23},
{t:"Let us now consider the problematic point where Papa ",p:60,x:150,y:708,w:424,h:23},
{t:"seems to say the three become incarnate as one. Te one thing ",p:60,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we should observe here is that Mack does not understand this ",p:60,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to imply modalism. Rather, Papa ’s statement prompts Mack to ",p:60,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"puzzle over the mysterious relations of the Trinity: “Tere’s that ",p:60,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"whole Trinity thing, which is where I kind of get lost” (100). ",p:60,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Sure Mack may get lost when he thinks about the Trinity, but ",p:60,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:61,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"53",p:61,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"then he’s just like the rest of us. Te important point is that here ",p:61,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as elsewhere the book opts for mystery rather than modalism.",p:61,x:120,y:158,w:433,h:23},
{t:"If one ever needed a good sign that Te Shack is not modal-",p:61,x:150,y:186,w:420,h:23},
{t:"istic, one would fnd it in the fact that other critics have charged ",p:61,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it with the exact opposite error of tritheism! Tese critics worry ",p:61,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that there is too much distinction in Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu and ",p:61,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so they must be three gods! But surely these two charges cancel ",p:61,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"one another out! In fact, Te Shack clearly rejects both modalism ",p:61,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and tritheism. As Papa says, ",p:61,x:120,y:351,w:210,h:23},
{t:"“We are not three gods, and we ",p:61,x:333,y:351,w:241,h:23},
{t:"are not talking about one god with three attitudes, like a man ",p:61,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who is a husband, father, and worker. I am one God and I am ",p:61,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely the one” ",p:61,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(101). To hammer the point home, Papa then goes on to explain ",p:61,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that if modalism were in fact true then God could not be loving ",p:61,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in his own being. Since God is loving in his own being, he must ",p:61,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be Trinity! Te mystery of the Trinity is undoubtedly great: how ",p:61,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"could it be that Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu are three distinct and ",p:61,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fully divine persons, and yet there is only one God? However we ",p:61,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work this out, we should take Te Shack’s advice and embrace ",p:61,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mystery rather than heresy.",p:61,x:120,y:653,w:190,h:23},
{t:"Is The Shack just confused?",p:61,x:189,y:704,w:310,h:30},
{t:"Perhaps the critic ought to concede that Te Shack is not really ",p:61,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"modalistic, but could the book just be confused? Could it be ",p:61,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Te Shack does not really know what it believes? Indeed, ",p:61,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"perhaps the mixed signals of identity and distinction which ",p:61,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"prompt contradictory charges simply arise from this confusion. ",p:61,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In fact, I would argue that the tension between one and three ",p:61,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:62,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"54",p:62,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"that exists in Te Shack is a sign of good biblical theology. Tis ",p:62,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will become clear if we turn back to the Scriptures, for it is here ",p:62,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the tension between the one and three is rooted.",p:62,x:120,y:186,w:372,h:23},
{t:"I’ll ",p:62,x:150,y:213,w:23,h:23},
{t:"give three examples. Let’s begin with the ",p:62,x:178,y:213,w:316,h:23},
{t:"“ Angel of ",p:62,x:499,y:213,w:74,h:23},
{t:"the Lord” passages in the Old Testament, for these have long ",p:62,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"puzzled interpreters (see for instance Genesis 16:7–13; Exodus ",p:62,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"3:2–6). Te mystery lies in the fact that that whenever the Angel ",p:62,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the Lord appears, it is both distinguished from God and ",p:62,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"identifed with God. For instance, immediately after the Angel ",p:62,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the Lord halts Abraham from carrying through his sacrifce ",p:62,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Isaac, the Angel calls to Abraham, though it is the Lord who ",p:62,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"speaks: “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you ",p:62,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ",p:62,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"I will surely bless you” (Genesis 22:16–17). But how can it be ",p:62,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that when the Angel of the Lord speaks it is God who speaks? Is ",p:62,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the angel really God or distinct from God? Certainly the angel ",p:62,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cannot be both?",p:62,x:120,y:571,w:113,h:23},
{t:"As we continue to mull over that puzzle, we fnd a very ",p:62,x:150,y:598,w:424,h:23},
{t:"similar mystery at the very beginning of John ’s gospel: “Te ",p:62,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Here ",p:62,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the “Word” is Jesus. And so John seems to be saying that the ",p:62,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Word both is God and yet is distinct from God at the same time. ",p:62,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But how can this be? How can the Word be with God and also ",p:62,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be God? While this mystery remains with us, it is interesting ",p:62,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to note that many theologians in the early church linked the ",p:62,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"puzzling Angel of the Lord passages with Jesus by arguing that ",p:62,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Angel was Jesus before the incarnation! (One fnds implicit ",p:62,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"support for this claim in the fact that the Angel of the Lord ",p:62,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:63,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"55",p:63,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"makes no appearance in the New Testament, perhaps because he ",p:63,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is now in our midst as Jesus.) ",p:63,x:120,y:158,w:209,h:23},
{t:"Finally, let us consider one more difcult passage, this one ",p:63,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"in the writings of Paul: “Now the Lord is the Spirit. . . . And ",p:63,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, ",p:63,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, ",p:63,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians ",p:63,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"3:17–18). Tis is puzzling because elsewhere Paul clearly distin-",p:63,x:120,y:323,w:450,h:23},
{t:"guishes Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:30; 1 Corinthians ",p:63,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"6:11). In fact he does so later in this very letter (2 Corinthians ",p:63,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"13:14)! And yet in the two verses cited above he seems to identify ",p:63,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus and the Spirit. How do we explain these apparently con-",p:63,x:120,y:433,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tradictory statements concerning the Angel of the Lord, God, ",p:63,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus, and the Spirit? ",p:63,x:120,y:488,w:150,h:23},
{t:"Te interesting thing about the biblical passages in ques-",p:63,x:150,y:516,w:420,h:23},
{t:"tion is that they refect a tension very much like the one present ",p:63,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"within Te Shack. Tis is the tension between afrming the ",p:63,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"identity of three distinct persons within the one God while ",p:63,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"avoiding both modalism and tritheism. Troughout Scripture, ",p:63,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and particularly in the New Testament, there is an attempt to ",p:63,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"afrm both the identity and distinction. Remember that Papa ",p:63,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Sarayu claim for themselves the one divine name “I AM.” ",p:63,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Is this evidence of modalism? Certainly no more so than when ",p:63,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus claims the one divine name in John 8:58, “Before Abraham ",p:63,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was born, I AM!” And let us not forget that Jesus commends ",p:63,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his disciples to baptize in the (singular) name of Father, Son, ",p:63,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Spirit (Matthew 28:19). In other words, Te Shack’s patterns ",p:63,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:64,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"56",p:64,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"of identity and distinction trace back to prior patterns within ",p:64,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Scripture.",p:64,x:120,y:158,w:69,h:23},
{t:"Given the mysterious nature of the biblical witness, how ",p:64,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"should Christians state the doctrine of the Trinity? If we are ",p:64,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"concerned to avoid heresy, what should we say that we believe? ",p:64,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Consider again Papa ’s defnition: “I am one God and I am three ",p:64,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely the one” ",p:64,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(101). It is fascinating to observe that this statement is actually ",p:64,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"quite similar to some very infuential formal statements of the ",p:64,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"doctrine of the Trinity. Consider the Catholic Church ’s infuen-",p:64,x:120,y:378,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tial Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 which defned the Trinity as ",p:64,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“one supreme reality . . . incomprehensible and inefable, which ",p:64,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is truly Father, Son and Holy Spirit; at once the three persons ",p:64,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"taken together and each of them singly.”5 Tis is exactly what ",p:64,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack says! As both defnitions remind us, we must be care-",p:64,x:120,y:516,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ful not to think of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three parts of ",p:64,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the one God. Rather, each fully is the one God and yet they are ",p:64,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"distinct and there is one God. Many of Te Shack’s critics would ",p:64,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"do well if they could articulate this mystery as well as the book ",p:64,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they criticize!",p:64,x:120,y:653,w:93,h:23},
{t:"Contemplating the Trinity can certainly be a disorienting ",p:64,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"afair as you are constantly being drawn between thinking about ",p:64,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God as one and as three. You see this when Philip, upon asking ",p:64,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus to see the Father, is informed that he is seeing the Father ",p:64,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in Jesus (John 14:9). You see it when the early Christians are ",p:64,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"warned that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God (Acts 5:4). ",p:64,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"5.  Cited in David Brown, Te Divine Trinity (London: Duckworth, 1985), ",p:64,x:120,y:881,w:442,h:19},
{t:"242.",p:64,x:120,y:901,w:26,h:19},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:65,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"57",p:65,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"And you see it when Mack has a conversation with Papa about ",p:65,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"limitation and then later Sarayu refers back to the conversation ",p:65,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as if she had been speaking with him (106)! Tis is not modalism ",p:65,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"because Mack then turns to Papa confused, and Papa looks back ",p:65,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"at him knowingly (that is, Papa and Sarayu are diferent). But it ",p:65,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is a subtle reference to the dynamism between the one and three. ",p:65,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te beautiful oscillation between the unity and distinction is ",p:65,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"evident when Mack frst meets the three and asks which of them ",p:65,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is God: “ ‘I am,’ said all three in unison. Mack looked from one ",p:65,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the next, and even though he couldn ’t begin to grasp what he ",p:65,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was seeing and hearing, he somehow believed them” (87). And ",p:65,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fnally, we see it near the end of Mack ’s stay when, at Missy’s ",p:65,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"memorial, Sarayu sings Missy’s song and then “God, all three, ",p:65,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"simultaneously said, ‘Amen ’ ” (233). Perhaps no theologian has ",p:65,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"described this dizzying experience of the triune God as well as ",p:65,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the fourth century theologian Gregory Nazianzen:",p:65,x:120,y:543,w:354,h:23},
{t:"No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illu-",p:65,x:150,y:578,w:390,h:23},
{t:"mined by the splendour of the Tree; no sooner do I ",p:65,x:150,y:606,w:394,h:23},
{t:"distinguish Tem than I am carried back to the One. ",p:65,x:150,y:633,w:394,h:23},
{t:"When I think of any One of the Tree, I think of him ",p:65,x:150,y:661,w:394,h:23},
{t:"as the whole, and my eyes are flled, and the greater part ",p:65,x:150,y:688,w:394,h:23},
{t:"of what I am thinking of escapes me. I cannot grasp the ",p:65,x:150,y:716,w:394,h:23},
{t:"greatness of that One so as to attribute a greater great-",p:65,x:150,y:743,w:390,h:23},
{t:"ness to the rest. When I contemplate the Tree together, ",p:65,x:150,y:771,w:394,h:23},
{t:"I see but one torch, and cannot divide or measure out ",p:65,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"the undivided light.6 ",p:65,x:150,y:826,w:150,h:23},
{t:"6.  Cited in Vladimir Lossky, Te Mystical Teology of the Eastern Church ",p:65,x:120,y:881,w:424,h:19},
{t:"(Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1976), 46. ",p:65,x:120,y:901,w:342,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:66,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"58",p:66,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Tis same dynamic mystery pervades the Scriptures as lowly hu-",p:66,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"man beings meet the infnitely mysterious Tree-in-One. And ",p:66,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so it is an ever present reality for Mack during his unforgettable ",p:66,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"weekend.",p:66,x:120,y:213,w:66,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack’s nuanced portrayal of the three divine persons ",p:66,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"extends to the unique way the narrative identifes the distinct ",p:66,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"characteristics of each. As such, we shall end the chapter with a ",p:66,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"refection on the very diferent revelations of Sarayu and Jesus.",p:66,x:120,y:323,w:439,h:23},
{t:"Meeting the Mystery of Sarayu",p:66,x:171,y:374,w:347,h:30},
{t:"Having been raised in the Pentecostal church, I lived for years ",p:66,x:120,y:423,w:454,h:23},
{t:"within a tradition that strongly emphasizes the Holy Spirit. Yet ",p:66,x:120,y:450,w:454,h:23},
{t:"even Pentecostals can struggle with thinking of the Spirit in ",p:66,x:120,y:478,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fully personal terms. I recall one pastor who described how, after ",p:66,x:120,y:505,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a crowd had gathered to receive the Spirit at an altar call, the ",p:66,x:120,y:533,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Spirit roared into the room and then “bounced of one fellow ",p:66,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and hit another!” But the Spirit is not like a pinball bouncing ",p:66,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"around the congregation. While this may have been an unfor-",p:66,x:120,y:615,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tunate statement, it refects the fact that Christians have always ",p:66,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"struggled to think about the Spirit in personal terms. After all, ",p:66,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"while the Father and Son are revealed throughout the Scripture ",p:66,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in concrete and personal metaphors (with the Son even becom-",p:66,x:120,y:725,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing incarnate), there are no equally concrete and personal images ",p:66,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the Spirit. On the contrary, the most dominant image for ",p:66,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Spirit is that of wind: “Te wind blows wherever it pleases. ",p:66,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or ",p:66,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John ",p:66,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"3:8). Te image of wind is intriguing both in what it does and ",p:66,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:67,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"59",p:67,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"does not reveal of the Spirit. Wind is always in movement and is ",p:67,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"seen not directly but rather only through its efects in the world. ",p:67,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In addition, the concept of wind/breath provides an image that ",p:67,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is intimate and penetrating. Tese characteristics of the wind ",p:67,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"capture something of the Spirit’s action in the world.",p:67,x:120,y:241,w:372,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack refects the movement of the Spirit along with the ",p:67,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"fact that the Spirit is the most intangible of the persons. We read ",p:67,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the following of Mack ’s frst encounter with Sarayu:",p:67,x:120,y:323,w:365,h:23},
{t:"As she stepped back, Mack found himself involuntarily ",p:67,x:150,y:358,w:394,h:23},
{t:"squinting in her direction, as if doing so would allow ",p:67,x:150,y:386,w:394,h:23},
{t:"his eyes to see her better. But strangely, he still had a ",p:67,x:150,y:413,w:394,h:23},
{t:"difcult time focusing on her; she seemed almost to ",p:67,x:150,y:441,w:394,h:23},
{t:"shimmer in the light and her hair blew in all directions ",p:67,x:150,y:468,w:394,h:23},
{t:"even though there was hardly a breeze. It was almost ",p:67,x:150,y:496,w:394,h:23},
{t:"easier to see her out of the corner of his eye than it was ",p:67,x:150,y:523,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to look at her directly. (84)",p:67,x:150,y:551,w:190,h:23},
{t:"With this image, Te Shack communicates the dynamism of ",p:67,x:120,y:586,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Sarayu as the wind that is constantly in movement (120). In ",p:67,x:120,y:613,w:454,h:23},
{t:"addition, like the wind she is impossible to perceive directly, as ",p:67,x:120,y:641,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“she seemed to phase in and out of his vision” (85). And so the ",p:67,x:120,y:668,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work of Sarayu remains mysterious and unpredictable, for “like ",p:67,x:120,y:696,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her name, she wafted about like a playful eddying wind and he ",p:67,x:120,y:723,w:454,h:23},
{t:"never quite knew which way she was blowing” (130).",p:67,x:120,y:751,w:375,h:23},
{t:"Te mystery comes upon us in other surprising ways. Many ",p:67,x:150,y:778,w:424,h:23},
{t:"people who have been present at the death of a loved one describe ",p:67,x:120,y:806,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the sense that something was withdrawn at death. Scientists in ",p:67,x:120,y:833,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the nineteenth century actually had a term for this: they called ",p:67,x:120,y:861,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it the vitalistic life force, and when the force left, death resulted. ",p:67,x:120,y:888,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:68,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"60",p:68,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Unfortunately this description never caught on as a theory. ",p:68,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Perhaps it was too mysterious for the modern scientifc mind. ",p:68,x:120,y:158,w:438,h:23},
{t:"To this day, exactly what occurs at death remains largely ",p:68,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"mysterious. Biblically speaking, we have an answer: when the ",p:68,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Spirit that gives life withdraws that breath, death ensues (Psalm ",p:68,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"104:30; Job 34:14–15). As such, the Spirit is radically present to ",p:68,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all living things, granting life every moment. Within this light it ",p:68,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is fascinating to see how this is refected when Mack is embraced ",p:68,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by Sarayu. Amazingly, she penetrates his very being so that he ",p:68,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cannot tell where his body ends and her enlivening presence ",p:68,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"begins: “Mack suddenly felt lighter than air, almost as if he were ",p:68,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"no longer touching the ground. She was hugging him without ",p:68,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hugging him, or really without even touching him. Only when ",p:68,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"she pulled back, which was probably just seconds later, did he ",p:68,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"realize that he was still standing on his feet” (85). Such is the ",p:68,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"description of one’s encounter with the Spirit that gives life to all ",p:68,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"things and then comes to indwell within the believer. ",p:68,x:120,y:571,w:379,h:23},
{t:"In addition, the Spirit works to empower and inspire human ",p:68,x:150,y:598,w:424,h:23},
{t:"beings to accomplish various tasks including great works of aes-",p:68,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"thetic beauty (Exodus 31:1–5). How incredible it is to contem-",p:68,x:120,y:653,w:450,h:23},
{t:"plate the fact that great works of art refect ways that the Spirit ",p:68,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"works to mediate beauty and bring glory back to God the Father ",p:68,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so that culture may praise God as does creation (Psalm 19:1–2). ",p:68,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Sarayu manifests the Spirit’s creative and enlivening presence ",p:68,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"within creation with her role as the keeper of the gardens (87). ",p:68,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In addition to her artistry within creation that is manifested in ",p:68,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the garden, she refects her presence within human culture and ",p:68,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"art by singing Missy’s beautiful song (96, 108), an image that is ",p:68,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:69,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"61",p:69,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"especially profound if Missy’s original composition of the song ",p:69,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was inspired by the Spirit!",p:69,x:120,y:158,w:182,h:23},
{t:"Jesus Christ, Man and Mediator",p:69,x:163,y:209,w:362,h:30},
{t:"In contrast to Papa who changes form from female to male ",p:69,x:120,y:258,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as needs may require, and to Sarayu who remains perpetually ",p:69,x:120,y:285,w:454,h:23},
{t:"intangible and mysterious, Mack ’s encounters with Jesus are ",p:69,x:120,y:313,w:454,h:23},
{t:"strikingly concrete and tangible. Instead of changing form, Jesus ",p:69,x:120,y:340,w:454,h:23},
{t:"remains concretely present as a frst century Jewish carpenter ",p:69,x:120,y:368,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with a good sense of humor . . . and rather average looks (84, ",p:69,x:120,y:395,w:454,h:23},
{t:"compare Isaiah 53:2). As a result, Mack naturally fnds himself ",p:69,x:120,y:423,w:454,h:23},
{t:"more comfortable around Jesus, for Jesus just seems “more real, ",p:69,x:120,y:450,w:454,h:23},
{t:"or tangible” (110) than Papa or Sarayu. As Mack put it, “It’s ",p:69,x:120,y:478,w:454,h:23},
{t:"like I’ve always known you. But Papa isn ’t at all what I expected ",p:69,x:120,y:505,w:454,h:23},
{t:"from God, and Sarayu, she’s way out there” (110). Jesus also ",p:69,x:120,y:533,w:454,h:23},
{t:"acknowledges that he is diferent from Papa and Sarayu when he ",p:69,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"explains to Mack: “Since I am human we have much in common ",p:69,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to begin with” (110). ",p:69,x:120,y:615,w:153,h:23},
{t:"So, while Mack initially fnds it difcult to relate to the ",p:69,x:150,y:643,w:424,h:23},
{t:"almost over-bearing presence of Papa and the mysterious nature ",p:69,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Sarayu, he always fnds Jesus approachable: “He admitted to ",p:69,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"himself that he liked Jesus a lot, but he seemed the least godlike ",p:69,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the three” (117). Te uniquely concrete presence of Jesus ",p:69,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"becomes manifest in a mundane but striking fashion when Jesus ",p:69,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hugs Mack and (contrary to the airy embrace of Sarayu) it actu-",p:69,x:120,y:808,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ally feels like a hug! (85, 219).",p:69,x:120,y:835,w:209,h:23},
{t:"With that simple but profound refection that a hug from ",p:69,x:150,y:863,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Jesus is a real human hug, we enter into one of the greatest ",p:69,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:70,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"62",p:70,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"mysteries in theology: the incarnation of God the Son as Jesus ",p:70,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christ (John 1:14). Sadly, Christians have often failed to under-",p:70,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"stand the full import of this mystery. It is here that Te Shack has ",p:70,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"something very important to show us. To begin with, we need ",p:70,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to recognize the full implications of the fact that Christ made ",p:70,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"himself nothing (Philippians 2:7), and thereby took on the full ",p:70,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"limitations of humanity. But even when Christians afrm the ",p:70,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fullness of the incarnation, they are often unaware of the radical ",p:70,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"extent of the Christian claim. You see, the incarnation is not ",p:70,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"simply an anomalous event that occurred for a span of about ",p:70,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"three decades some two millennia ago, but rather it remains ",p:70,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a living reality today! Jesus did not leave his humanity behind ",p:70,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when he ascended back to heaven. Rather, he ascended to the ",p:70,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"right hand of the Father as the eternally incarnate God-Man ",p:70,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(1 Timothy 2:5). ",p:70,x:120,y:516,w:123,h:23},
{t:"If this is what Christians are supposed to believe, then why ",p:70,x:150,y:543,w:424,h:23},
{t:"do so many Christians apparently believe that Jesus eventually ",p:70,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sloughed of his humanity? I suspect that many assume that ",p:70,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when Jesus was exalted to the highest place (Philippians 2:9) ",p:70,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he must have left his humanity behind. But in fact Scripture ",p:70,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"nowhere suggests that Christ’s exaltation entailed the end of the ",p:70,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"incarnation. On the contrary, Christ had a fully human resur-",p:70,x:120,y:708,w:450,h:23},
{t:"rection body (Luke 24:38–43; John 20:26–29), and he ascended ",p:70,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"embodied to the right hand of the Father (Luke 24:51). He will ",p:70,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"return in this same way (Acts 1:11) as the Son of Man (Matthew ",p:70,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"16:27). Te great mystery of God the Son taking on the humble ",p:70,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"human estate continues when the incarnate Son then exalts his ",p:70,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"humanity back into the divine.",p:70,x:120,y:873,w:219,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:71,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"63",p:71,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Even if Christ is eternally incarnate, one might reasonably ",p:71,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"wonder what diference this makes. To illustrate, let’s think of ",p:71,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the contrast between a person going for a two week short-term ",p:71,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mission among India ’s Dalits (otherwise known as the untouch-",p:71,x:120,y:213,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ables, India ’s lowest socio-economic class) and another person ",p:71,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"going to work with the Dalits for the rest of his life. While we ",p:71,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"might admire the short-term missionary’s commitment (that’s ",p:71,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not the way I’d want to spend my vacation!) there simply is a ",p:71,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"diferent order of commitment with the lifetime missionary. ",p:71,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"We cannot even conceive of giving our whole lives for such a ",p:71,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"service. Years after the frst missionary has returned to his North ",p:71,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"American life, the second missionary will continue to labor ",p:71,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"among the Dalits. Now that shows a uniquely profound love for ",p:71,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this people. ",p:71,x:120,y:488,w:86,h:23},
{t:"Tis is what the incarnation entails. How incredible that ",p:71,x:150,y:516,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Christ’s extraordinary identifcation with the human condition ",p:71,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is like the second missionary! Consider that just as the second ",p:71,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"missionary continues to work for the Dalits, so even now Christ ",p:71,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"continues to work as mediator before the Father (1 Timothy ",p:71,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"2:5). Tis does not undermine Jesus’ once for all sacrifce on ",p:71,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the cross but rather refects the fact that he continues to work ",p:71,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as our mediator in the application of that atoning work to our ",p:71,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lives. Te writer to the Hebrews explains further: “Terefore he ",p:71,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is able to save completely those who come to God through him, ",p:71,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). ",p:71,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And so, just as it was crucial that Christ undertake his atoning ",p:71,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work as fully God and fully man, so it remains important that ",p:71,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his mediating work continues to be carried out as “fully God ",p:71,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:72,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"64",p:72,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"and fully man.” Te incredible result, as Paul explains, is that we ",p:72,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"may approach God with freedom and confdence through faith ",p:72,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in Christ (Ephesians 3:12). ",p:72,x:120,y:186,w:195,h:23},
{t:"Is there a way that we might render this concept of Christ’s ",p:72,x:150,y:213,w:424,h:23},
{t:"ongoing mediatorial role more concrete? To answer this question ",p:72,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we can turn to the topic of prayer. On his unforgettable weekend ",p:72,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack rightly puzzles over the idea of praying for the meal when ",p:72,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his three table companions are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ",p:72,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But few people can claim to have sat down with one (or more) ",p:72,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"persons of the Trinity for dinner. For most of us, the normative ",p:72,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"way of communing with God is through prayer, and so it is ",p:72,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"important to understand the proper form of prayer. ",p:72,x:120,y:433,w:368,h:23},
{t:"How is prayer taught and modeled in the New Testament? ",p:72,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"While there are four places in the New Testament where prayers ",p:72,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are directed to Christ (cited above), these do not appear to be ",p:72,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"normative for the church. Rather, as a regular practice Jesus ",p:72,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"taught us to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9), and this direc-",p:72,x:120,y:571,w:449,h:23},
{t:"(Matthew 6:9), and this direc-",p:72,x:350,y:571,w:219,h:23},
{t:"tion for prayer was taken up in the early church (Acts 12:5; ",p:72,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Colossians 1:3). While prayers are directed to the Father, Christ ",p:72,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is the mediator of our prayers, the one through whom we pray to ",p:72,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Father: “Trough Jesus, therefore, let us continually ofer to ",p:72,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God a sacrifce of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his ",p:72,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"name” (Hebrews 13:15). It is only because of the work of Christ ",p:72,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that we are called children of God and thus can approach the ",p:72,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father of Jesus in prayer as our Father. As a result, while praying ",p:72,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to Jesus is certainly proper since he is God, if we only pray to ",p:72,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE MYSTERY OF THREE IN ONE",p:73,x:364,y:81,w:205,h:19},
{t:"65",p:73,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Jesus we tend to lose the fact that his work is to mediate our ",p:73,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"prayers to the Father.7 ",p:73,x:120,y:158,w:158,h:23},
{t:"Te life of prayer is but one way that Jesus continues as the ",p:73,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"mediator of our relationship with God. As Mack discovers the ",p:73,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"concrete and approachable presence of Jesus, he is being brought ",p:73,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into encounter with the wonderful mystery that Christ remains ",p:73,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our mediator to the Father. It is through his intimate conversa-",p:73,x:120,y:296,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion with Jesus that Mack is brought back to Papa where he ",p:73,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ultimately fnds forgiveness and the restoration of relationship. ",p:73,x:120,y:351,w:446,h:23},
{t:"DIGGING DEEPER",p:73,x:262,y:461,w:164,h:29},
{t:"(1) ",p:73,x:120,y:524,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you think that the doctrine of the Trinity makes a difference ",p:73,x:150,y:524,w:412,h:20},
{t:"in the spiritual life of your church or in your personal devotions?",p:73,x:150,y:550,w:418,h:20},
{t:"(2) ",p:73,x:120,y:593,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you find one of the three persons easier to approach than ",p:73,x:150,y:593,w:398,h:20},
{t:"others? If so, why?",p:73,x:150,y:619,w:120,h:20},
{t:"(3) ",p:73,x:120,y:662,w:22,h:20},
{t:"What do you think of the notion that Jesus Christ has eternally ",p:73,x:150,y:662,w:410,h:20},
{t:"identified with the human condition?",p:73,x:150,y:689,w:240,h:20},
{t:"(4) ",p:73,x:120,y:732,w:22,h:20},
{t:"How you would respond to the claim that the doctrine of the ",p:73,x:150,y:732,w:392,h:20},
{t:"Trinity is contradictory?",p:73,x:150,y:758,w:152,h:20},
{t:"7.  See Alan Torrance, “Being of One Substance with the Father,” in ",p:73,x:120,y:861,w:398,h:19},
{t:"Christopher Seitz, ed., Nicene Christianity: Te Future For a New Ecumenism ",p:73,x:120,y:881,w:442,h:19},
{t:"(Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2001), 59.",p:73,x:120,y:901,w:257,h:19},
{t:"67",p:74,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"CHAPTER 4",p:74,x:283,y:307,w:123,h:36},
{t:"God with ",p:74,x:217,y:425,w:268,h:52},
{t:"Nobody in ",p:74,x:207,y:472,w:289,h:52},
{t:"Charge",p:74,x:248,y:518,w:193,h:52},
{t:"Let’s play a word association game. When you hear the word ",p:74,x:120,y:673,w:454,h:68},
{t:"God, what descriptors spring into your mind? If you ’re like ",p:74,x:154,y:711,w:420,h:23},
{t:"most people you think of words like ",p:74,x:120,y:738,w:277,h:23},
{t:"“sovereign,” ",p:74,x:399,y:738,w:87,h:23},
{t:"“powerful,” ",p:74,x:490,y:738,w:84,h:23},
{t:"“stern,” “absolute,” and “mighty.” Based on this perspective, you ",p:74,x:120,y:766,w:454,h:23},
{t:"might expect an encounter with God to be distinctively awe-",p:74,x:120,y:793,w:450,h:23},
{t:"some, perhaps marked by fashes of lightning, peals of thunder, ",p:74,x:120,y:821,w:454,h:23},
{t:"howling winds . . . and a fair degree of knee-knocking terror. ",p:74,x:120,y:848,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(See Exodus 19:16–19 for a sampling.) ",p:74,x:120,y:876,w:279,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:75,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"68",p:75,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"As such, it is all the more surprising that the frst sign of ",p:75,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"God’s presence in the shack is not extreme weather conditions, ",p:75,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but rather the warm and inviting sound of laughter! (81). If this ",p:75,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is a surprise to Mack, his perplexity only deepens when he frst ",p:75,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"meets those three tittering characters. Unsure of their identity, he ",p:75,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"asks whether more persons may be expected: “Te three looked ",p:75,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"at one another and laughed. ‘No, Mackenzie,’ chuckled the ",p:75,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"black woman. ‘We is all that you get, and believe me, we’re more ",p:75,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"than enough” (85). Te whole tone of the conversation is wrong: ",p:75,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"these people are too goofy to be God! Mack ’s initial shock only ",p:75,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"deepens as he witnesses the casual, intimate, and apparently very ",p:75,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"undivine way that the three interact with one another in relaxed, ",p:75,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"often humorous, and generally delightful exchanges. Tus, while ",p:75,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Moses is warned that no one can look upon God’s face and live ",p:75,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Exodus 33:20), Mack has no problem peering directly at the ",p:75,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"three ",p:75,x:120,y:543,w:40,h:23},
{t:"“with silly grins plastered to their faces” (200). And in ",p:75,x:162,y:543,w:411,h:23},
{t:"contrast to the image of God hidden in the swirling clouds and ",p:75,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"crashing thunder of Mt. Sinai, the only divine crash Mack hears ",p:75,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is when Jesus fumbles in the kitchen:",p:75,x:120,y:626,w:260,h:23},
{t:"Jesus had dropped a large bowl of some sort of batter or ",p:75,x:150,y:661,w:394,h:23},
{t:"sauce on the foor, and it was everywhere. It must have ",p:75,x:150,y:688,w:394,h:23},
{t:"landed close to Papa because the lower portion of her ",p:75,x:150,y:716,w:394,h:23},
{t:"skirt and bare feet were covered in the gooey mess. All ",p:75,x:150,y:743,w:394,h:23},
{t:"three were laughing so hard that Mack didn ’t think they ",p:75,x:150,y:771,w:394,h:23},
{t:"were breathing. Sarayu said something about humans ",p:75,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"being clumsy and all three started roaring again. (104)",p:75,x:150,y:826,w:383,h:23},
{t:"By this point it has become manifestly evident that Te Shack in-",p:75,x:120,y:861,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tends to give the classic “high” view of God a thorough retooling. ",p:75,x:120,y:888,w:454,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:76,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"69",p:76,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"In place of the distant sovereign Lord we now meet what a friend ",p:76,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of mine refers to as “the giggling Godhead,” a surprisingly ap-",p:76,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"proachable, laid back, and generally mirthful deity. ",p:76,x:120,y:186,w:363,h:23},
{t:"What ",p:76,x:150,y:213,w:46,h:23},
{t:"is ",p:76,x:202,y:213,w:15,h:23},
{t:"perhaps most ",p:76,x:224,y:213,w:109,h:23},
{t:"surprising about God ",p:76,x:339,y:213,w:175,h:23},
{t:"in ",p:76,x:521,y:213,w:19,h:23},
{t:"the ",p:76,x:546,y:213,w:27,h:23},
{t:"shack is that this retooled image is not simply ofered as a ",p:76,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"supplement or counterbalance to the familiar exalted notion. ",p:76,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Indeed, there is little if any evidence in the book of the God ",p:76,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"described by our word association game. Tat absence seems ",p:76,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to be intentional, for at the heart of Te Shack’s depiction of ",p:76,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God is a rejection of the traditional conception of a monarch ",p:76,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ruling over a submissive creation. In this chapter we will take ",p:76,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a closer look at the book’s depiction of God and in particular ",p:76,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"its rejection of any notion of hierarchy in God. As we will see, ",p:76,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack ofers a rethinking of these concepts which is radi-",p:76,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cal and far-reaching. Whether or not one ultimately agrees ",p:76,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with the depiction, it provides an intriguing illustration of ",p:76,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the way one’s doctrine of the Trinity can powerfully shape ",p:76,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"one’s view of the world.",p:76,x:120,y:598,w:174,h:23},
{t:"Thinking about the Giggling God",p:76,x:153,y:649,w:383,h:30},
{t:"Te depiction of a laughing God has elicited responses no less ",p:76,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"polarized than those prompted by the image of Papa as an ",p:76,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"African-American woman. Some have embraced the image of ",p:76,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an intimate, laughing God as a liberating and refreshing chal-",p:76,x:120,y:780,w:450,h:23},
{t:"lenge to the picture of God as angry, judgmental, and distant. ",p:76,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But others worry that a mirthful, giggling God does not liberate ",p:76,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"us so much as refect the distortions of a culture that is widely ",p:76,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"skeptical of power, authority, and reverence. ",p:76,x:120,y:890,w:314,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:77,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"70",p:77,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Let’s begin by considering the extent to which the depiction ",p:77,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"ofers a helpful critique of an overly humorless picture of God. ",p:77,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis struck me one day when I visited an art gallery and saw a ",p:77,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"painting of Christ’s triumphal entry to Jerusalem in which Jesus ",p:77,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was riding his donkey utterly stone-faced in the midst of an ec-",p:77,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"static crowd! Te picture seemed to imply, bizarrely enough, that ",p:77,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"laughter was somehow beneath Jesus, as if God cannot deign to ",p:77,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"crack a smile. But where did this strange idea come from? All the ",p:77,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"evidence suggests that Jesus was very witty and had an excellent ",p:77,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sense of humor!1 What’s wrong with Jesus telling a silly joke to ",p:77,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the apostles around the campfre? Could it be that when Jesus ",p:77,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"told a joke it was as much a sign of his deity as his humanity?",p:77,x:120,y:433,w:432,h:23},
{t:"While one might in principle afrm Te Shack’s challenge to ",p:77,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the image of God as a “dour deity,” we could still worry that the ",p:77,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book overcompensates for that error when it describes Father, ",p:77,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son, and Spirit as having “silly grins plastered to their faces.” ",p:77,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, who was no friend of Christianity, ",p:77,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"used to refer sarcastically to the deity of religious faith as “good ",p:77,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"old God.” We need to ask whether Te Shack has yielded implicit ",p:77,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"support to Lacan by depicting the Trinity as a merry band of ",p:77,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"jokers. By the same token, does the wider church inadvertently ",p:77,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"reinforce such withering attitudes when it treats God more like ",p:77,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a harmless old groundskeeper than the Lord of the manor? Do ",p:77,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we provide unwitting fuel for Lacan ’s derision when we bend ",p:77,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"over backward to remove all reverence and awe in a bid for ",p:77,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"seeker sensitivity? What does it say about our view of God when ",p:77,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1.  See Earl F. Palmer, Te Humor of Jesus: Source of Laughter in the Bible ",p:77,x:120,y:881,w:421,h:19},
{t:"(Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2001).",p:77,x:120,y:901,w:272,h:19},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:78,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"71",p:78,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"pastors ofciate in church dressed up as if they were on the way ",p:78,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the beach while congregants recline in padded pews cradling ",p:78,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their Starbucks cofee? In short, have we become dangerously ",p:78,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"casual when gathered in the presence of Almighty God? Donald ",p:78,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"McCullough observes:",p:78,x:120,y:241,w:158,h:23},
{t:"Visit a church on Sunday morning—almost any will ",p:78,x:150,y:276,w:394,h:23},
{t:"do—and you will likely fnd a congregation comfort-",p:78,x:150,y:303,w:390,h:23},
{t:"ably relating to a deity who fts nicely within precise ",p:78,x:150,y:331,w:394,h:23},
{t:"doctrinal positions, or who lends almighty support to ",p:78,x:150,y:358,w:394,h:23},
{t:"social crusades, or who conforms to individual spiritual ",p:78,x:150,y:386,w:394,h:23},
{t:"experiences.  But you will not likely fnd much awe or ",p:78,x:150,y:413,w:394,h:23},
{t:"sense of mystery.  Te only sweaty palms will be those ",p:78,x:150,y:441,w:394,h:23},
{t:"of the preacher unsure whether the sermon will go over; ",p:78,x:150,y:468,w:394,h:23},
{t:"the only shaking knees will be those of the soloist about ",p:78,x:150,y:496,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to sing the ofertory.2",p:78,x:150,y:523,w:149,h:23},
{t:"Note that nobody escapes McCullough ’s criticism for he indicts ",p:78,x:120,y:558,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with equal aplomb evangelicals (those who emphasize doctrinal ",p:78,x:120,y:586,w:454,h:23},
{t:"positions), liberals (those who emphasize social crusades), and ",p:78,x:120,y:613,w:454,h:23},
{t:"charismatics (those who emphasize spiritual experiences). In ",p:78,x:120,y:641,w:454,h:23},
{t:"other words, every tradition can lose a reverent sense of the holy ",p:78,x:120,y:668,w:454,h:23},
{t:"otherness of God. But God is not our buddy, life coach, or (as ",p:78,x:120,y:696,w:454,h:23},
{t:"many contemporary worship songs might suggest) our romantic ",p:78,x:120,y:723,w:454,h:23},
{t:"consort. Surely we can reject the image of God as humorless, au-",p:78,x:120,y:751,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tocratic tyrant without needing to reinvent him as court jester!",p:78,x:120,y:778,w:441,h:23},
{t:"2.  Donald McCullough, Te Trivialization of God: Te Dangerous Illusion ",p:78,x:120,y:881,w:431,h:19},
{t:"of a Manageable Deity (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1995), 13.",p:78,x:120,y:901,w:363,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:79,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"72",p:79,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Many ",p:79,x:150,y:131,w:46,h:23},
{t:"Christians ",p:79,x:203,y:131,w:76,h:23},
{t:"today ",p:79,x:287,y:131,w:43,h:23},
{t:"might ",p:79,x:338,y:131,w:46,h:23},
{t:"be ",p:79,x:393,y:131,w:21,h:23},
{t:"tempted ",p:79,x:421,y:131,w:63,h:23},
{t:"to ",p:79,x:492,y:131,w:19,h:23},
{t:"dismiss ",p:79,x:519,y:131,w:55,h:23},
{t:"McCullough ’s complaint as the predictable grumblings of an-",p:79,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"other sullen theologian glowering in the back pew. Away with ",p:79,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this churchy old school formality! Christ has liberated us from ",p:79,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the pompous formality of religion and left us free to “approach ",p:79,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God’s throne of grace with confdence” (Hebrews 4:16). Tat ",p:79,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"just may mean coming to church dressed in a loud Hawaiian ",p:79,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"shirt and fip fops. Perhaps. But then it is interesting to observe ",p:79,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that McCullough ’s grumbling is echoed by atheist writer Barbara ",p:79,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Ehrenreich. In her recent book Bait and Switch, a lively explora-",p:79,x:120,y:378,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion of unemployment in America, Ehrenreich visits a job fair ",p:79,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"at the Mt. Paran Church of God. Tere she is informed by the ",p:79,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"speaker (Francois) that the key to getting a job is networking. ",p:79,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"While Ehrenreich has heard this advice many times before, ",p:79,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Francois then advises his audience that they should begin the pro-",p:79,x:120,y:516,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cess by networking . . . with God! Tough an atheist, Ehrenreich ",p:79,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fnds this suggestion religiously ofensive, even ridiculous:",p:79,x:120,y:571,w:395,h:23},
{t:"I’m ",p:79,x:150,y:606,w:28,h:23},
{t:"sorry, this is too much for me. I endured the ",p:79,x:183,y:606,w:361,h:23},
{t:"Norcross Fellowship Lunch as an atheist, but now, at ",p:79,x:150,y:633,w:394,h:23},
{t:"the Mt. Paran Church of God, I discover that I am a ",p:79,x:150,y:661,w:394,h:23},
{t:"believer, and what I believe is this: if the Lord exists, ",p:79,x:150,y:688,w:394,h:23},
{t:"if there is some conscious being whose thought the ",p:79,x:150,y:716,w:394,h:23},
{t:"universe is—some great spinner of galaxies, hurler of ",p:79,x:150,y:743,w:394,h:23},
{t:"meteors, creator and extinguisher of species—if some ",p:79,x:150,y:771,w:394,h:23},
{t:"such being should manifest itself, you do not “network” ",p:79,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:80,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"73",p:80,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"with it any more than you would light a cigarette on the ",p:80,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"burning bush. Francois is guilty of blasphemy.3",p:80,x:150,y:158,w:331,h:23},
{t:"Where does the idea that we can network with God come from ",p:80,x:120,y:193,w:454,h:23},
{t:"other than the emasculated conception of Lacan ’s good old God? ",p:80,x:120,y:221,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Could it be that occasionally Christians have become so com-",p:80,x:120,y:248,w:450,h:23},
{t:"fortable with God that, as Ehrenreich charges, they have waded ",p:80,x:120,y:276,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into the dangerous waters of blasphemy?",p:80,x:120,y:303,w:286,h:23},
{t:"Tese are difcult questions and we certainly cannot resolve ",p:80,x:150,y:331,w:424,h:23},
{t:"them here. As for Te Shack, it may be that the appropriateness ",p:80,x:120,y:358,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the book ’s depiction of God depends on who reads the book ",p:80,x:120,y:386,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and what prior conception of deity they bring to it. Some read-",p:80,x:120,y:413,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ers may well fnd themselves in a similar place to Mack. Perhaps ",p:80,x:120,y:441,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they have experienced severe trauma or abuse in their lives and ",p:80,x:120,y:468,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as a result they have come to view God as harsh, distant, and ",p:80,x:120,y:496,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cold. For such people the depiction of God in Te Shack might ",p:80,x:120,y:523,w:454,h:23},
{t:"indeed be a liberating corrective that redresses excessive distance ",p:80,x:120,y:551,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with the warmth, love, and joy of the triune God. But many ",p:80,x:120,y:578,w:454,h:23},
{t:"others have never agonized over their own sinfulness or imbibed ",p:80,x:120,y:606,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the notion of the fear of God (Exodus 20:20). Teir conception ",p:80,x:120,y:633,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God is dangerously over-familiar; perhaps he is merely the ",p:80,x:120,y:661,w:454,h:23},
{t:"patron saint of their comfortable suburban lifestyle. For these ",p:80,x:120,y:688,w:454,h:23},
{t:"people the depiction of a mirthful image of God may ultimately ",p:80,x:120,y:716,w:454,h:23},
{t:"serve to reinforce already dangerous preconceptions.",p:80,x:120,y:743,w:367,h:23},
{t:"3.  Barbara Ehrenreich, Bait and Switch: Te (Futile) Pursuit of the ",p:80,x:120,y:879,w:426,h:21},
{t:"American Dream (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2005), 139.",p:80,x:120,y:899,w:443,h:21},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:81,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"74",p:81,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Rejecting Hierarchy in  ",p:81,x:216,y:130,w:271,h:30},
{t:"God . . . and Beyond",p:81,x:228,y:157,w:233,h:30},
{t:"Te term “Job ’s comforter” has come down to us as a reference ",p:81,x:120,y:205,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for someone who ofers cold comfort in the midst of sufering. ",p:81,x:120,y:232,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Rather than an empathetic shoulder to cry on, a Job ’s com-",p:81,x:120,y:260,w:450,h:23},
{t:"forter ofers a cool analysis of one’s pain. Here we encounter an ",p:81,x:120,y:287,w:454,h:23},
{t:"irony, for when God arrives on the scene he one-ups all of Job ’s ",p:81,x:120,y:315,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“friends” by ofering not a fatherly embrace, but rather a ferce ",p:81,x:120,y:342,w:454,h:23},
{t:"blast of divine sovereignty, beginning with those piercing words: ",p:81,x:120,y:370,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“Where were you when I laid the earth ’s foundation? Tell me, if ",p:81,x:120,y:397,w:454,h:23},
{t:"you understand” (Job 38:4). ",p:81,x:120,y:425,w:204,h:23},
{t:"Tis picture of the ferce judge about summarizes the ",p:81,x:150,y:452,w:424,h:23},
{t:"way that many people have viewed God. It is a picture of the ",p:81,x:120,y:480,w:454,h:23},
{t:"unapproachable divine authority fgure that comes to render ",p:81,x:120,y:507,w:454,h:23},
{t:"judgment. And it fnds little support within Te Shack. In fact, ",p:81,x:120,y:535,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rather than encourage conceptions of God as authoritarian while ",p:81,x:120,y:562,w:454,h:23},
{t:"human beings are servile, Te Shack encourages a picture of God ",p:81,x:120,y:590,w:454,h:23},
{t:"submitting to us! Images of God laughing, joking, and even ",p:81,x:120,y:617,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fumbling in the kitchen all serve to deconstruct the lofty images ",p:81,x:120,y:645,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of deity that Christians have imbibed since their earliest days in ",p:81,x:120,y:672,w:454,h:23},
{t:"front of the venerable Sunday school fannelgraph.",p:81,x:120,y:700,w:356,h:23},
{t:"One would expect that shifting our view from the angry, ",p:81,x:150,y:727,w:424,h:23},
{t:"haranguing deity of Job to the joking fgure of Te Shack would ",p:81,x:120,y:755,w:454,h:23},
{t:"change how we view our relationship with God. And while the ",p:81,x:120,y:782,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book clearly intends to do this, its intent is even more ambi-",p:81,x:120,y:810,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tious, for it challenges us to rethink (and reject) authoritarian ",p:81,x:120,y:837,w:454,h:23},
{t:"structures wherever they are found. Te assumption here is ",p:81,x:120,y:865,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that if God comes to us not as authoritative judge but rather ",p:81,x:120,y:892,w:454,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:82,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"75",p:82,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"as humble servant, then we should adopt the servant’s attitude ",p:82,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of submission to one another. But to what extent? Apparently ",p:82,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack places no limit on this leveling of power and sees it ",p:82,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as extending from marital and familial relations, through the ",p:82,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"church, and to the entire political and social organization of ",p:82,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"society. But ultimately it turns us back to God, for the spirit of ",p:82,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"submission that God expresses to creation is revealed to be part ",p:82,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God’s own life. Contrary to the deep-seated assumption that ",p:82,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God the Father is “in charge” of the Trinity, Te Shack envisions ",p:82,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the divine life as a community of mutual submission. Since the ",p:82,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book ’s challenge to all conceptions of authority and submission ",p:82,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"begins here, this is where we shall begin as well.",p:82,x:120,y:433,w:335,h:23},
{t:"Within Te Shack the three divine persons are depicted as ",p:82,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"freely interacting with one another as intimate old friends. Te ",p:82,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"picture is clearly intended to subvert any notion that the Son ",p:82,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Spirit submit to the Father. Tis image of perfect equality ",p:82,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and mutual submission completely catches Mack of guard. Like ",p:82,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so many Christians, he has always assumed the priority of the ",p:82,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father: “I know that you are all one and all, and that there are ",p:82,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"three of you. But you respond with such graciousness to each ",p:82,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"other. Isn ’t one of you more the boss than the other two?” (121). ",p:82,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te question falls fat. Indeed, Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu respond ",p:82,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with blank stares as if (though omniscient) they cannot even ",p:82,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"conceive of the notion of a hierarchy. But surely this cannot be ",p:82,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"right! It must be that Jesus and Sarayu are submitted to Papa. So ",p:82,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack persists:",p:82,x:120,y:818,w:99,h:23},
{t:"“I am talking about who ’s in charge. Don ’t you have a ",p:82,x:150,y:853,w:394,h:23},
{t:"chain of command?”",p:82,x:150,y:881,w:146,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:83,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"76",p:83,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"“Chain of command? Tat sounds ghastly!” Jesus said. ",p:83,x:150,y:131,w:388,h:23},
{t:"“ At ",p:83,x:150,y:158,w:27,h:23},
{t:"least binding,” Papa added as they both started ",p:83,x:181,y:158,w:363,h:23},
{t:"laughing, and then Papa turned to Mack and sang, ",p:83,x:150,y:186,w:394,h:23},
{t:"“Tough chains be of gold, they are chains all the same.” ",p:83,x:150,y:213,w:394,h:23},
{t:"(122)",p:83,x:150,y:241,w:39,h:23},
{t:"Papa and Jesus could not be clearer. Tere simply is no room for ",p:83,x:120,y:276,w:454,h:23},
{t:"submission to authority within God. Papa ’s words are particu-",p:83,x:120,y:303,w:450,h:23},
{t:"larly striking: chains of gold are still chains, and so is a chain of ",p:83,x:120,y:331,w:454,h:23},
{t:"command!",p:83,x:120,y:358,w:75,h:23},
{t:"One can appreciate Mack ’s perplexity. If a person has always ",p:83,x:150,y:386,w:424,h:23},
{t:"assumed that within any social arrangement there must always ",p:83,x:120,y:413,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be one individual in charge, then the rejection of a chain of ",p:83,x:120,y:441,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authority could be very disconcerting, rather like getting in a car ",p:83,x:120,y:468,w:454,h:23},
{t:"without a driver! So the question arises: if there is no top-down ",p:83,x:120,y:496,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authority, then how is the divine life structured? Papa explains, ",p:83,x:120,y:523,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“Mackenzie, we have no concept of fnal authority among us, ",p:83,x:120,y:551,w:454,h:23},
{t:"only unity. We are in a circle of relationship, not a chain of com-",p:83,x:120,y:578,w:450,h:23},
{t:"mand. . . . Hierarchy would make no sense among us” (122). ",p:83,x:120,y:606,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Within the Trinity the entire notion of authority and submission ",p:83,x:120,y:633,w:454,h:23},
{t:"makes no sense, for each person is submitted to the others. As ",p:83,x:120,y:661,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus explains, “Tat’s the beauty you see in my relationship ",p:83,x:120,y:688,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with Abba and Sarayu. We are indeed submitted to one another ",p:83,x:120,y:716,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and have always been so and always will be. Papa is as much ",p:83,x:120,y:743,w:454,h:23},
{t:"submitted to me as I to him, or Sarayu to me, or Papa to her. ",p:83,x:120,y:771,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is ",p:83,x:120,y:798,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all about relationships of love and respect” (145).",p:83,x:120,y:826,w:346,h:23},
{t:"From this perspective, the analogy of a driverless car careen-",p:83,x:150,y:853,w:420,h:23},
{t:"ing madly down the street is simply misguided. A more apt ",p:83,x:120,y:881,w:454,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:84,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"77",p:84,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"analogy builds on the notion that authority is pointless in perfect ",p:84,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"community. As such, God is in no more need of a hierarchy of ",p:84,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authority than the New Jerusalem will require a police service to ",p:84,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"enforce the rule of law! You don ’t need the police in a perfectly ",p:84,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"redeemed society. And you certainly don ’t need a captain for the ",p:84,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"good ship Trinity! Te only time you might need to appeal to ",p:84,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a person in charge is if there is a potential for confict, and this ",p:84,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"certainly does not apply to God.",p:84,x:120,y:323,w:228,h:23},
{t:"What exactly does this notion of mutual divine submission ",p:84,x:150,y:351,w:424,h:23},
{t:"look like? Perhaps the single most vivid illustration comes when ",p:84,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack witnesses a moment of devotional fellowship shared by ",p:84,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus and Papa. At the end of his frst day with the Trinity, Mack ",p:84,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"watches Jesus take Papa ’s hands and lovingly share his appre-",p:84,x:120,y:461,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ciation for her submission: “I loved watching you today, as you ",p:84,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"made yourself fully available to take Mack ’s pain into yourself, ",p:84,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and then give him space to choose his own timing. You honored ",p:84,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"him and you honored me” (107). Reading this passage one gets ",p:84,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the sense that we, along with Mack, are allowed just a glimpse of ",p:84,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the profound glory that Jesus shared with the Father before the ",p:84,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"world began (John 17:5). Could it really be that this exchange of ",p:84,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mutual submission between Papa and Jesus captures the essence ",p:84,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God’s glory? ",p:84,x:120,y:708,w:110,h:23},
{t:"If we accept that the Father, Son, and Spirit are mutually ",p:84,x:150,y:736,w:424,h:23},
{t:"submitted to one another, we will fnd it afects a number of ",p:84,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"other theological views. Most immediately it will afect our ",p:84,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"understanding of how we relate to God. Te common notion ",p:84,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of divine/human relations is of God blasting down from on ",p:84,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"high while human beings grovel. Could it really be that the ",p:84,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:85,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"78",p:85,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"divine-human relationship is also characterized by mutual sub-",p:85,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"mission so that we are called to submit to God only because he ",p:85,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"has already submitted to us (145)? Tis is the conclusion that ",p:85,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack comes to in the shack: “ ‘God, the servant,’ he chuckled ",p:85,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but then felt a welling up again as the thought made him pause. ",p:85,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"‘It is more truly God, my servant’ ” (236–237). God, my ser-",p:85,x:120,y:268,w:450,h:23},
{t:"vant?! Tis is certainly a jolting phrase! How does one reconcile ",p:85,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it with the idea that we are God’s servants and he is the master? ",p:85,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tink for instance of Jesus’ chilling parable of God as the master ",p:85,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who bequeathed gold to his servants to use for his gain. When ",p:85,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he returns, he will judge the faithfulness of the servants, and ",p:85,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the lazy servant will be cast out into the weeping and gnashing ",p:85,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of teeth (Matthew 25:29). Tis doesn ’t sound like God is our ",p:85,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"servant!",p:85,x:120,y:488,w:54,h:23},
{t:"Presumably the paradigm for God’s servant relationship to ",p:85,x:150,y:516,w:424,h:23},
{t:"us is found in Christ: though in very nature God, he did not ",p:85,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"consider equality with God something to hold on to, but instead ",p:85,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"emptied himself of his status, and submitted to the world in the ",p:85,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"form of a servant. Consider the profound words of the second ",p:85,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"century theologian Melito who observed, “you bound his good ",p:85,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hands, which had formed you out of earth.”4 Did the hands that ",p:85,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"created all things really submit to being bound by human rebels? ",p:85,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As incredible as this submission is, we need to emphasize as well ",p:85,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Christ did not become incarnate despite his divinity, as if ",p:85,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he gave up his deity to become human, or perhaps was less fully ",p:85,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"divine to begin with. Rather, Jesus’ actions truly are a revelation ",p:85,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"4.  Melito of Sardis, “A Homily on the Passover, ” in trans. and ed. Richard A. ",p:85,x:120,y:881,w:441,h:19},
{t:"Norris, Te Christological Controversy (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980), 43.",p:85,x:120,y:901,w:434,h:19},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:86,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"79",p:86,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"of the servant heart of God. And if Jesus submitted to us, the ",p:86,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father too submitted to us by giving up his Son as they together ",p:86,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work in one unifed redemptive movement.",p:86,x:120,y:186,w:307,h:23},
{t:"Te idea that Father, Son, and Spirit submit to one another ",p:86,x:150,y:213,w:424,h:23},
{t:"and to the world has all sorts of radical implications for human ",p:86,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"relations as well. To begin with, we are called to embody radical ",p:86,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mutual submission at the heart of Christian discipleship. After ",p:86,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all, we are called to take up our crosses which surely implies ",p:86,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the willing surrender of any prerogatives of power (Luke 9:23; ",p:86,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Ephesians 5:2; Philippians 2:5). Sadly, the temptation to fnd ",p:86,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"recourse to authority is great, for we still like to know that some-",p:86,x:120,y:406,w:450,h:23},
{t:"one is in charge (especially if we’re that person!). Who is going to ",p:86,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"call the meeting to order? Who can I go to if I have a complaint? ",p:86,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Who is responsible for this mess? Where is the driver, manager, ",p:86,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"or head pastor? But this tendency to erect authority/submission ",p:86,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hierarchies inevitably tends to marginalize the radical call for ",p:86,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mutual submission. Take the example of marriage. Paul com-",p:86,x:120,y:571,w:450,h:23},
{t:"mands husband and wife to submit to one another (Ephesians ",p:86,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"5:21). But rather than have this verse condition everything ",p:86,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that follows, we have often focused on the very next verse as ",p:86,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"determinative: wives submit to your husbands (Ephesians 5:22)! ",p:86,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"When we insist on having somebody ultimately in charge we ",p:86,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"continue to perpetuate hierarchies that marginalize the call for ",p:86,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mutual submission. ",p:86,x:120,y:763,w:143,h:23},
{t:"Interestingly, just as we like to know which persons carry ",p:86,x:150,y:791,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the authority, so we often look to see which principles ought to ",p:86,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be prioritized in our Christian walk. Tis can begin innocently ",p:86,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"enough, but if we are not careful it quickly devolves into a rigid ",p:86,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:87,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"80",p:87,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"legalism where following Christ is reduced to a list of dos and ",p:87,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"don ’ts (206). But far from following a list of dos and don ’ts, sanc-",p:87,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tifcation is about becoming a person who has been transformed ",p:87,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:49; ",p:87,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"2 Corinthians 3:18). Consequently, just as we reject ranking ",p:87,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"persons, so we need to reject ranking priorities. When Sarayu ",p:87,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"suggests as much to Mack, she is initially met by perplexity: “But ",p:87,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"don ’t you want us to set priorities? You know: God frst, then ",p:87,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"whatever, followed by whatever?” (206). As tempting as such ",p:87,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"legalism may be, we need to recognize that the Christian life is ",p:87,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not about following rules. Rather, it must always be centered on ",p:87,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a relationship with Jesus (197).  ",p:87,x:120,y:433,w:228,h:23},
{t:"Te implications of Te Shack’s anti-hierarchical thesis are ",p:87,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"even more radical when they are extended to the institutional, ",p:87,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hierarchical church. Te roots of the institutional church are ",p:87,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"deep indeed: one already sees authoritarian structures emerging ",p:87,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"within a couple decades of the Apostle John ’s death when Ignatius ",p:87,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Antioch famously instructed churches to “follow the bishop ",p:87,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as Jesus Christ followed the Father.”5 From this humble begin-",p:87,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ning, the church has continued to develop complex institutions ",p:87,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of authority and submission, frameworks which have tragically ",p:87,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"often led to coercive and oppressive abuses of authority which ",p:87,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"frustrate God’s liberating intention for the church. One of the ",p:87,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"most shocking is surely the rampant sex abuse scandal among ",p:87,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Catholic clergy: since 1950 the Catholic Church has paid out ",p:87,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"5.  Ignatius, “Epistle to the Smyrnaeans,” in Henry Bettenson and Chris ",p:87,x:120,y:861,w:423,h:19},
{t:"Maunder, Documents of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford ",p:87,x:120,y:881,w:410,h:19},
{t:"University Press, 1999), 69.",p:87,x:120,y:901,w:160,h:19},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:88,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"81",p:88,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"over $2 billion dollars in settlements for sexual abuse claims.6 ",p:88,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"One could certainly argue that the majority of these abuses were ",p:88,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"made possible because of a religious culture where the lowly laity ",p:88,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"were expected to be highly deferential to religious authorities. ",p:88,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And this is ultimately rooted in a powerful authority/submission ",p:88,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"structure. Tragically, this structure has often given abusive priests ",p:88,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"free reign over the most vulnerable members of the church.",p:88,x:120,y:296,w:417,h:23},
{t:"Still, it would surely be a mistake to blame one kind of ",p:88,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"church governance as if the problem was purely episcopal (the ",p:88,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rule of bishops). Indeed, the dictatorial head pastor or board ",p:88,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"chair in a small Baptist church can wreak equally grievous ",p:88,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"abuses. And this turns us back to the radical nature of Te Shack’s ",p:88,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thesis: all such structures of authority and submission should ",p:88,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be reconsidered. Mack too is deeply dissatisfed with the abuses ",p:88,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in his own Christian background. But as Jesus explains, Mack ’s ",p:88,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"aversion to the church lies not with the church as God intended ",p:88,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it. Rather, he is reacting understandably to the gradual accretion ",p:88,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of abusive hierarchies of authority/submission. Tus Jesus seeks ",p:88,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to soften Mack ’s aversion to the church by assuring him, “You ’re ",p:88,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"only seeing the institution, a man-made system. Tat’s not what ",p:88,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"I came to build. What I see are people and their lives, a living ",p:88,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"breathing community of all those who love me, not buildings ",p:88,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and programs” (178). ",p:88,x:120,y:736,w:156,h:23},
{t:"6.  Meredith Buel, “Pope Expresses Deep Shame Over Clergy Sex Abuse ",p:88,x:120,y:841,w:423,h:19},
{t:"Scandal,” Voice of America News [online] available at http://www.voanews.",p:88,x:120,y:861,w:426,h:19},
{t:"com/english/archive/2008-04/2008-04-15-voa18.cfm?CFID=57282066&CF",p:88,x:120,y:881,w:449,h:19},
{t:"TOKEN=15404393.",p:88,x:120,y:901,w:123,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:89,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"82",p:89,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Te message is clear: if we are to recognize the true nature ",p:89,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"of the church, we should look not to the external, bureaucratic ",p:89,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"structures, but rather to people. Our problem is that the church, ",p:89,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"which consists of people in relation to God and each other, has ",p:89,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"often been obscured by its all-too-fallible visible institutions. ",p:89,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And so the key to liberating the church is found in recognizing ",p:89,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that its life is rooted not in institutions, but rather in the love ",p:89,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and mutual submission modeled by Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu.",p:89,x:120,y:323,w:425,h:23},
{t:"We need to appreciate how radical this non-institutional ",p:89,x:150,y:351,w:424,h:23},
{t:"conception of the church really is. According to Jesus, the ",p:89,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"church consists in “relationships and simply sharing life” (178). ",p:89,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"What is striking is what this minimalistic defnition of church ",p:89,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"excludes: it says nothing about the nature or administration of ",p:89,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sacraments, the ordination of clergy, the organization or mis-",p:89,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sion of the church, the commissioning of art and architecture, ",p:89,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the formulation and refnement of creeds and catechisms, the ",p:89,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"exercise of church discipline, the place of social and political ",p:89,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"action, and much more. Indeed, Jesus’ minimalistic defnition ",p:89,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"implies that God would look askance upon all such questions ",p:89,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of institutional formation, preferring instead that we focus all ",p:89,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our energy upon the cultivation of individual relationships. In ",p:89,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fact, it would seem that the optimal Christian community looks ",p:89,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"very much like the thousands of house churches that now dot ",p:89,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the suburbs of North America: perhaps a dozen believers sharing ",p:89,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Word and song in someone’s humble living room. All this ",p:89,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"suggests that Jesus might have a few things to say to the pope. If ",p:89,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus’ words to Mack are any guide, he would probably instruct ",p:89,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the pontif to sell of all the church ’s property, dispense with the ",p:89,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:90,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"83",p:90,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"bishops and bureaucracy, donate his papal tiara and vestments to ",p:90,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the local Goodwill, and join a house church!",p:90,x:120,y:158,w:313,h:23},
{t:"Tis repudiation of any organizing principles or hierarchies ",p:90,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"of power also extends to the organization of all of society: “ ",p:90,x:120,y:213,w:424,h:23},
{t:"‘I’ m ",p:90,x:542,y:213,w:32,h:23},
{t:"not too big on religion,’ Jesus said a little sarcastically, ‘and not ",p:90,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"very fond of politics or economics either.’ Jesus’ visage darkened ",p:90,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"noticeably. ‘And why should I be? Tey are the man-created trin-",p:90,x:120,y:296,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ity of terrors that ravages the earth ’ ” (179). With these strong ",p:90,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"words, the rejection of institutional hierarchies is extended to ",p:90,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"every dimension of society. Tus in Te Shack Jesus criticizes all ",p:90,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hierarchies, including those that structure human institutions ",p:90,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"from the state to marriage, as requiring laws and enforcement ",p:90,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of laws which lead to oppression and inhibit the development of ",p:90,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"true relationship (122–123). ",p:90,x:120,y:488,w:206,h:23},
{t:"Rethinking Hierarchy in the World",p:90,x:145,y:539,w:398,h:30},
{t:"Te Shack certainly must be given credit for presenting an ambi-",p:90,x:120,y:588,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tious and far-reaching thesis. But to what extent should (or can) ",p:90,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we reject all hierarchies? Rather than address each one of the ",p:90,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"areas raised in the book, I’ll focus on the prioritization of rules ",p:90,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"within the Christian life, the organization of the church, and the ",p:90,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"organization of society.",p:90,x:120,y:725,w:162,h:23},
{t:"Te question “How does one become like Christ?” is a ",p:90,x:150,y:753,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Christian version of a more general question: “How does one ",p:90,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"become a good person?” Tis question has preoccupied thinkers ",p:90,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for centuries. Many of those who have thought about ethical for-",p:90,x:120,y:835,w:450,h:23},
{t:"mation have found it tempting to fnd recourse to rules, as if one ",p:90,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"could be ethical simply by following the right rules. But a purely ",p:90,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:91,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"84",p:91,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"rule-based approach to ethics or sanctifcation is reductionistic ",p:91,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and legalistic. Yet can we therefore conclude that rules and the ",p:91,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"prioritization of rules have no place in the life of discipleship? ",p:91,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"After all, when Jesus was asked about priorities, he identifed ",p:91,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"two priorities: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and ",p:91,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37) and ",p:91,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“ ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets ",p:91,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:39–40). So ",p:91,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it would seem that we cannot simply talk about the journey to ",p:91,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"holiness as a relationship with Jesus, for that journey is directed ",p:91,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by these two principles.",p:91,x:120,y:406,w:166,h:23},
{t:"What about Te Shack’s view of the organized church? Here ",p:91,x:150,y:433,w:424,h:23},
{t:"I think we need to be especially careful given that the book ’s ",p:91,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"conception of church is not that revolutionary after all; indeed, ",p:91,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it looks strikingly like a typical “low church Protestantism.” As ",p:91,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"George Marsden has observed, “One of the striking features ",p:91,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of much of evangelicalism is its general disregard for the in-",p:91,x:120,y:571,w:450,h:23},
{t:"stitutional church.”7 Like other rejections of the institutional ",p:91,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"church, one fnds here both trenchant critiques as well as overly ",p:91,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"simplistic solutions. Surely it is correct to say that the church is ",p:91,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a people in special relationship with God, each other, and the ",p:91,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"world. But this does not require us to marginalize the institu-",p:91,x:120,y:708,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tional expression of the church. Is it not possible that the same ",p:91,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God who speaks through spontaneous charismatic experiences ",p:91,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and intimate communal gatherings in one’s living room, might ",p:91,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"also work through the beauty of the Anglican Book of Common ",p:91,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"7.  Cited in Stanley J. Grenz, Renewing the Center: Evangelical Teology in a ",p:91,x:120,y:881,w:440,h:19},
{t:"Post-Teological Era (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2000), 288.",p:91,x:120,y:901,w:403,h:19},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:92,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"85",p:92,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Prayer, the mystical Eastern Orthodox liturgy, and even the ",p:92,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"austere Roman Catholic College of Cardinals (along with the ",p:92,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Pope!)? Might it be that a categorical rejection of institutional ",p:92,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hierarchy represents an overreaction to the abuse of power in ",p:92,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"favor of a rather naïve assumption that “all you need is love”? ",p:92,x:120,y:241,w:434,h:23},
{t:"Our questions continue when we turn to consider hierarchy ",p:92,x:150,y:268,w:424,h:23},
{t:"with the secular state. After all, Paul appears to afrm the state as ",p:92,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a God-ordained power: “Let everyone be subject to the govern-",p:92,x:120,y:323,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God ",p:92,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"has established. Te authorities that exist have been established ",p:92,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by God” (Romans 13:1). And it certainly is no secret that Paul ",p:92,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"made good use of the authority and status that he derived from ",p:92,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his Roman citizenship (see Acts 16:37; 22:25,28). Indeed, the ",p:92,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sweeping condemnation of authority/submission hierarchies in ",p:92,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack leaves it unclear whether it is permissible for Christians ",p:92,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to serve in the police or military, or in judicial, legislative, or ",p:92,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"executive branches of government. (If all such participation is de-",p:92,x:120,y:571,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nied, then Te Shack faces the same counter-cultural weaknesses ",p:92,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as classic Anabaptism.) More radically, it leaves one wondering ",p:92,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"whether there ought to be even secular governance or whether ",p:92,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the book in fact espouses anarchy (literally: no rule)!",p:92,x:120,y:681,w:368,h:23},
{t:"Any attempt to move beyond authority/submission struc-",p:92,x:150,y:708,w:420,h:23},
{t:"tures faces one huge problem: we don ’t live in a perfect world. ",p:92,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Children still need to be corrected by parents, police need to reign ",p:92,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in civil disobedience, and entire armies may even be required to ",p:92,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"restore the rule of law. Practically speaking how does Te Shack ",p:92,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"propose we live in this world? Importantly, the book leaves open ",p:92,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the possibility of participating in these fallen structures. As Papa ",p:92,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:93,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"86",p:93,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"observes, “We work within your systems even while we seek to ",p:93,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"free you from them” (123). As such, it may be that Papa would ",p:93,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"advocate Christians continue to participate within the author-",p:93,x:120,y:186,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ity/submission structures that dominate the political, economic, ",p:93,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and social landscape. However, if such participation is allowed ",p:93,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it is not without obligation; rather, Christians should participate ",p:93,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"within fallen structures of power with the intent and goal of ",p:93,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"redeeming them to the point where the hierarchy of power ",p:93,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"no longer remains. To say the least, if this view were followed ",p:93,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"consistently, it would turn Christianity into a radical agent for ",p:93,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"social and political change. ",p:93,x:120,y:406,w:194,h:23},
{t:"The Son Will Be Made Subject to Him",p:93,x:127,y:457,w:434,h:30},
{t:"While Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu all speak unambiguously against ",p:93,x:120,y:505,w:454,h:23},
{t:"any form of authority/submission ",p:93,x:120,y:533,w:262,h:23},
{t:"in healthy relationships, ",p:93,x:387,y:533,w:187,h:23},
{t:"it must be said that the actual witness of Scripture is much ",p:93,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"more ambiguous. Indeed, one could derive a scriptural basis ",p:93,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for hierarchy within the Trinity beginning with Philippians 2. ",p:93,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Here we need to keep in mind the importance for theologians ",p:93,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of what I call the “God is as God reveals” principle. According ",p:93,x:120,y:670,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to this principle, theology depends upon the assumption that ",p:93,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the way God reveals himself in the world is a faithful refection ",p:93,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the way God really is. For example, if God reveals himself to ",p:93,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be a loving community of three distinct persons, then he actu-",p:93,x:120,y:780,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ally is a loving community of three distinct persons. We don ’t ",p:93,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"speculate that God really might be four or fve persons, or one ",p:93,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"person playing three roles. Tis principle is crucial, because if ",p:93,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:94,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"87",p:94,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"we didn ’t accept it, we would lose any ability to know anything ",p:94,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God in himself.",p:94,x:120,y:158,w:133,h:23},
{t:"Let’s keep the God is as God reveals principle in mind as we ",p:94,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"turn back to Philippians 2. Here we face an important question: ",p:94,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"why was it the Son who made himself nothing, and the Father ",p:94,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who then exalted the Son? According to our principle it is rea-",p:94,x:120,y:268,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sonable to infer that this pattern of God’s action in history is not ",p:94,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"arbitrary, but rather that it refects something about the eternal ",p:94,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"relations in the Trinity. In the same way that the revelation of ",p:94,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God as three persons leads us to conclude that God really is three ",p:94,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"persons, so the revelation of the Father/Son relation as authority/",p:94,x:120,y:406,w:449,h:23},
{t:"submission leads us to conclude that the Father/Son relation is ",p:94,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authority/submission. ",p:94,x:120,y:461,w:159,h:23},
{t:"Indeed, if we pull back to consider the entire sweep of the ",p:94,x:150,y:488,w:424,h:23},
{t:"New Testament we fnd this pattern is more widely represented. ",p:94,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Father sends both Christ (John 5:26; 6:57; 1 John 4:14) and ",p:94,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Spirit (John 14:26; Galatians 4:6) into the world. In turn, ",p:94,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Son refects a submission to the Father’s will throughout his ",p:94,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"life (Matthew 26:39; Galatians 1:4). He tells his disciples that he ",p:94,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"speaks by the Father’s authority (John 14:10) and does exactly ",p:94,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"what the Father commands: “For I did not speak on my own, ",p:94,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I ",p:94,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have spoken” (John 12:49; 14:31). And so while Jesus certainly ",p:94,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"did not wish to face the sufering of the cross, he nonetheless ",p:94,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"submitted to the will of his Father: “My Father, if it is possible, ",p:94,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” ",p:94,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Matthew 26:39). ",p:94,x:120,y:846,w:130,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:95,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"88",p:95,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"To go further, we could conclude that there is something like ",p:95,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"a chain of command in God. If the Son appears to be submitted ",p:95,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the Father, the Spirit in turn appears to be submitted to the ",p:95,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son. Consider that the Spirit is sent by the Son to the disciples, ",p:95,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and will only speak what he hears (John 16:13) to the end of glo-",p:95,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"rifying the Son (John 16:14). In addition, while one fnds both ",p:95,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Father and Son being worshipped in Scripture (Revelation ",p:95,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"5:11–13), one does not fnd equivalent places where worship is ",p:95,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"directed to the Spirit. We should not conclude from this that the ",p:95,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Spirit is not divine or worthy of worship. Rather it points us back ",p:95,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the Spirit’s specifc role being concerned with the exaltation of ",p:95,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Son. And ultimately the work of both Jesus and the Spirit is ",p:95,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"directed back to the Father (Romans 15:6; Ephesians 3:20–21). ",p:95,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Although there are a few places where Jesus refers to the Father ",p:95,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"glorifying him (John 8:54; 17:5) in a way that seems to reverse ",p:95,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the order, even this occurs so that Christ might glorify the Father ",p:95,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(John 17:1). As such, one could legitimately conclude that God ",p:95,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"consists of a hierarchy running upwards from the Spirit through ",p:95,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Son and ultimately to the Father.",p:95,x:120,y:626,w:260,h:23},
{t:"When one considers this set of texts in light of the “God is ",p:95,x:150,y:653,w:424,h:23},
{t:"as God reveals” principle, we have very strong grounds to con-",p:95,x:120,y:681,w:450,h:23},
{t:"clude that there is an authority/submission hierarchy within the ",p:95,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Trinity. However, things are not quite that simple, for if we are ",p:95,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not careful the principle could end up proving too much. After ",p:95,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all, when Jesus was called “Good teacher” he replied, “No one ",p:95,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is good—except God alone” (Luke 18:19). In addition, Jesus ",p:95,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"observed that “the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28) and ",p:95,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"noted concerning his return that only the Father knows the day ",p:95,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:96,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"89",p:96,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"or hour (Matthew 24:36). Te danger then is that a “God is as ",p:96,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God reveals” reading of these texts may force us to say that the ",p:96,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son is less than the Father!",p:96,x:120,y:186,w:187,h:23},
{t:"Since orthodox Christians are unwilling to accept that con-",p:96,x:150,y:213,w:420,h:23},
{t:"clusion, they have typically dealt with these difcult inferiority ",p:96,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"texts by limiting their application to Christ’s humble state in ",p:96,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the incarnation in which he emptied himself of his divine status ",p:96,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Philippians 2:7). Tat is, Jesus is not lesser than the Father ",p:96,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"except in the limitations of the incarnation. And while he is ",p:96,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"omniscient in his divinity, as a human he did not know the day ",p:96,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"or hour of his return. But if we can marginalize these inferiority ",p:96,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"texts this easily, why not extend the same treatment to the Christ ",p:96,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Spirit submission texts? Hence, we could say that the Son ",p:96,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Spirit assumed a submission to the Father only in the world ",p:96,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"while it could just as well have been the Father who adopted the ",p:96,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"submissive role. Te Shack seems to say something more radical ",p:96,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"yet. While it is true that the Son and Spirit submitted to the ",p:96,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father, in doing so they were not merely stepping down from the ",p:96,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"glory of divinity for a time, but rather were expressing the very ",p:96,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"nature of God. True leadership is found in the one who submits: ",p:96,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who ",p:96,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"serves?” (Luke 22:27). As such, in coming into the world to serve ",p:96,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"humanity, the Son and Spirit were expressing the glory of God ",p:96,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"no less than the Father.",p:96,x:120,y:763,w:163,h:23},
{t:"At this point we seem to be at something of an impasse. It ",p:96,x:150,y:791,w:424,h:23},
{t:"appears that, depending on one’s assumptions, one can read the ",p:96,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"New Testament to support either the Father’s authority or the ",p:96,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mutual submission of the three. But perhaps there is another ",p:96,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:97,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"90",p:97,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"way to establish whether hierarchy exists in God: to identify ",p:97,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"texts which depict authority/submission relations continuing ",p:97,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"after the completion of the redemptive roles that Christ and the ",p:97,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Spirit assume within creation. ",p:97,x:120,y:213,w:215,h:23},
{t:"To begin with, we could note the signifcance of Romans ",p:97,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"11:36 in which Paul says that all things are from, through and ",p:97,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to God the Father. Tis verse appears to move beyond God’s ",p:97,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"action in history to assert the Father’s priority in eternity. So, the ",p:97,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"consummation of reconciliation is always depicted as occurring ",p:97,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"through Christ back to God the Father (Colossians 1:20). In ",p:97,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"keeping with our observation that God’s exaltation of the Son ",p:97,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"brings glory back to himself, Paul declares that “every tongue ",p:97,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the ",p:97,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father” (Philippians 2:11). Taken together, such passages seem ",p:97,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to point toward the continued authority and priority of the ",p:97,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father in eternity. But the most signifcant passage is found in ",p:97,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1 Corinthians 15:24–28: ",p:97,x:120,y:571,w:181,h:23},
{t:"Ten the end will come, when he hands over the ",p:97,x:150,y:606,w:394,h:23},
{t:"kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all ",p:97,x:150,y:633,w:394,h:23},
{t:"dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until ",p:97,x:150,y:661,w:394,h:23},
{t:"he has put all his enemies under his feet. Te last enemy ",p:97,x:150,y:688,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything ",p:97,x:150,y:716,w:394,h:23},
{t:"under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has ",p:97,x:150,y:743,w:394,h:23},
{t:"been put under him, it is clear that this does not include ",p:97,x:150,y:771,w:394,h:23},
{t:"God himself, who put everything under Christ. When ",p:97,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"he has done this, then the Son himself will be made ",p:97,x:150,y:826,w:394,h:23},
{t:"subject to him who put everything under him, so that ",p:97,x:150,y:853,w:394,h:23},
{t:"God may be all in all. ",p:97,x:150,y:881,w:157,h:23},
{t:"GOD WITH NOBODY IN CHARGE",p:98,x:372,y:81,w:197,h:19},
{t:"91",p:98,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"In this passage Paul moves beyond Christ’s action in redemptive ",p:98,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"history to the backdrop of eternity. Tus when reconciliation is ",p:98,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"complete, Christ will hand the kingdom back to the Father. Tis ",p:98,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"passage would certainly seem to imply (if not explicitly teach) ",p:98,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the continued submission of the Son under the Father’s perfect ",p:98,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authority. ",p:98,x:120,y:268,w:72,h:23},
{t:"Te questions of authority and submission in God and the ",p:98,x:150,y:296,w:424,h:23},
{t:"world are great and cannot be settled here. But having ventured ",p:98,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into the midst of the discussion, one could get the feeling that ",p:98,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"there may be more common ground than is commonly recog-",p:98,x:120,y:378,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nized. If the Trinity is a perfect community of three persons, ",p:98,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"what sense is there in appeals to the Father’s authority over the ",p:98,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son and Spirit? And to the extent that we attempt to justify ",p:98,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our appeals to authority and power by pointing to the Father’s ",p:98,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authority over the Son we miss the point, for the Father would ",p:98,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"never impose authority, as we are often wont to do. ",p:98,x:120,y:543,w:360,h:23},
{t:"We may inevitably fnd ourselves participating in structures ",p:98,x:150,y:571,w:424,h:23},
{t:"of power in this world, but what if those who found themselves ",p:98,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in leadership positions assumed the true role of a servant leader? ",p:98,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Not that trite cliché of the business leadership literature, a ",p:98,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"leader who gives up his parking space and privileges to motivate ",p:98,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"productivity and build morale. Instead, what about true servant ",p:98,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"leadership expressed in Christ’s service to us? What if presidents, ",p:98,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"pastors and husbands/fathers expressed whatever God-given ",p:98,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"authority they might have by keeping the feet of those under ",p:98,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their authority sparklingly clean (John 13:14–16)? ",p:98,x:120,y:818,w:359,h:23},
{t:"I suspect that then we might fnd ourselves moving beyond ",p:98,x:150,y:846,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the authority/submission debate altogether.",p:98,x:120,y:873,w:305,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:99,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"92",p:99,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"DIGGING DEEPER",p:99,x:262,y:129,w:164,h:29},
{t:"(1) ",p:99,x:120,y:192,w:22,h:20},
{t:"How do you react to the depiction of God in The Shack as ",p:99,x:150,y:192,w:372,h:21},
{t:"mirthful and laughing?",p:99,x:150,y:218,w:151,h:20},
{t:"(2) ",p:99,x:120,y:261,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you believe that hierarchies of power in marriage, the ",p:99,x:150,y:261,w:373,h:20},
{t:"church, and/or the wider society need to be rejected or that they ",p:99,x:150,y:288,w:420,h:20},
{t:"should be reformed? If the latter, what would truly reformed ",p:99,x:150,y:314,w:393,h:20},
{t:"hierarchies look like?",p:99,x:150,y:340,w:137,h:20},
{t:"(3) ",p:99,x:120,y:383,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you believe that authority/submission exists within the ",p:99,x:150,y:383,w:381,h:20},
{t:"Trinity? If so, how would you respond to the argument that if ",p:99,x:150,y:409,w:396,h:20},
{t:"Christ is eternally subordinate then he is inferior?",p:99,x:150,y:436,w:325,h:20},
{t:"(4) ",p:99,x:120,y:478,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you agree that the essence of church is found in personal ",p:99,x:150,y:478,w:399,h:20},
{t:"relationship? What implications does that view have for the ",p:99,x:150,y:505,w:392,h:20},
{t:"traditional institutional structures, offices, practices, and ",p:99,x:150,y:531,w:382,h:20},
{t:"missions of the church?",p:99,x:150,y:557,w:155,h:20},
{t:"(5) ",p:99,x:120,y:600,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Jesus undoubtedly assumed the role of a servant. But is he our ",p:99,x:150,y:600,w:413,h:20},
{t:"servant now?",p:99,x:150,y:626,w:85,h:20},
{t:"93",p:100,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"CHAPTER 5",p:100,x:283,y:307,w:123,h:36},
{t:"The Biggest ",p:100,x:191,y:425,w:320,h:52},
{t:"Problem in the ",p:100,x:147,y:472,w:409,h:52},
{t:"Universe",p:100,x:231,y:518,w:227,h:52},
{t:"It is his moment of truth. Mack is in the cave being inter-",p:100,x:120,y:673,w:450,h:68},
{t:"rogated by the mysterious female fgure that he would later ",p:100,x:145,y:711,w:428,h:23},
{t:"learn is Sophia. To this point he has been suppressing the fact ",p:100,x:120,y:738,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that he still blames God for the loss of Missy. (Apparently Mack ",p:100,x:120,y:766,w:454,h:23},
{t:"has not yet come to terms with the futility of trying to hide his ",p:100,x:120,y:793,w:454,h:23},
{t:"true feelings from the God that knows everything.) Determined ",p:100,x:120,y:821,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to get Mack to admit to his anger against God, Sophia pointedly ",p:100,x:120,y:848,w:454,h:23},
{t:"asks: “Isn ’t that your complaint, Mackenzie? Tat God has failed ",p:100,x:120,y:876,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:101,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"94",p:101,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"you, that he failed Missy? Tat before the Creation, God knew ",p:101,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that one day your Missy would be brutalized, and still he cre-",p:101,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ated? And then he allowed that twisted soul to snatch her from ",p:101,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"your loving arms when he had the power to stop him. Isn ’t God ",p:101,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to blame, Mackenzie?” (161). Sophia will not stop until she gets ",p:101,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an honest answer. As she persists, Mack ’s defenses begin to break ",p:101,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"down until all his pent up anger fnally bubbles to the surface ",p:101,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and he responds with fury: Yes! God is to blame!! He is to blame ",p:101,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for the hurricane that foods a coastal city! He is to blame for ",p:101,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the refugees slaughtered in the midst of a bloody war! He is to ",p:101,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"blame for the young man dying of cancer! And he is most surely ",p:101,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to blame for the death of an innocent little child at the hands ",p:101,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of a sadistic maniac! What could possibly be said in the defense ",p:101,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of a God who not only anticipated, but even planned for and ",p:101,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"oversaw each of these horrors?",p:101,x:120,y:516,w:211,h:23},
{t:"How Could God Be Especially  ",p:101,x:173,y:567,w:357,h:30},
{t:"Fond of Missy?",p:101,x:260,y:594,w:169,h:30},
{t:"Soon after Mack meets Papa, she begins to mention all the ",p:101,x:120,y:642,w:454,h:23},
{t:"people of whom she is especially fond. Te list continues to ",p:101,x:120,y:669,w:454,h:23},
{t:"grow until Mack fnally realizes that her fondness is in fact ",p:101,x:120,y:697,w:454,h:23},
{t:"without limit: “When I think of each of my children individu-",p:101,x:120,y:724,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ally, I fnd that I am especially fond of each one” (155; see also ",p:101,x:120,y:752,w:454,h:23},
{t:"118–119). But if God is especially fond of everybody, why ",p:101,x:120,y:779,w:454,h:23},
{t:"does the world not refect that fact? Why is it that so often God ",p:101,x:120,y:807,w:454,h:23},
{t:"seems arbitrary and capricious? Alas, examples are not hard to ",p:101,x:120,y:834,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fnd. ",p:101,x:120,y:862,w:38,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:102,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"95",p:102,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"Just consider the case at the heart of Te Shack. At the same ",p:102,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"time that Missy disappears, young Amber Ducette from the ",p:102,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"neighboring campsite also turns up missing. Initially everyone ",p:102,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hopes that Missy and Amber will be found together. Nonetheless, ",p:102,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Amber’s father Emil is clearly relieved when he returns to the ",p:102,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"camp shortly thereafter to report that his daughter was discov-",p:102,x:120,y:268,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ered safe: “ ",p:102,x:120,y:296,w:81,h:23},
{t:"‘We found her,’ explained Emil, his face lighting up, ",p:102,x:199,y:296,w:375,h:23},
{t:"then turning somber as he realized what he had implied. ‘I mean, ",p:102,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we found Amber’ ” (45). Even as Emil’s fear dissolved into relief, ",p:102,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack ’s would continue to build until it would culminate in the ",p:102,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"horrifying realization that Missy had been abducted by a serial ",p:102,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"killer. But how could this have happened? If God is especially ",p:102,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fond of Missy (92, 167, 185) and her father (92, 234), then how ",p:102,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"could he have allowed her to become the star attraction in the ",p:102,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"nightmarish fantasies of a sociopathic pervert?",p:102,x:120,y:516,w:324,h:23},
{t:"If only the horror of Te Shack were a one-of anomaly. But, ",p:102,x:150,y:543,w:424,h:23},
{t:"tragically, this disparity of outcomes is repeated countless times ",p:102,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"around the world every day in a myriad of ways. It is seen when ",p:102,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"one man ’s house is destroyed by a tornado while his neighbor’s ",p:102,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"remains untouched, or when one woman lives into her nineties ",p:102,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"while her twin sister died of cholera as an infant. Too often the ",p:102,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"same providence that ofers a warm pat to one person strikes out ",p:102,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with a backhand to another. Te point was memorably made by ",p:102,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"nineteenth century atheist Robert Ingersoll who described one ",p:102,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"man ’s description of God’s providential hand on his life: “A few ",p:102,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"years ago he was about to go on a ship, when he was detained. ",p:102,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"He did not go, and the ship was lost with all on board. ‘Yes!’ I ",p:102,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"said, ",p:102,x:120,y:873,w:36,h:23},
{t:"‘ do you think the people who were drowned believed in ",p:102,x:158,y:873,w:415,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:103,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"96",p:103,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"special Providence?’ ”1 Ingersoll’s disgust is understandable. Too ",p:103,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"often those who fnd themselves beneftting from the warm pat ",p:103,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of providence overlook the agony of those who receive the sting-",p:103,x:120,y:186,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing backhand. ",p:103,x:120,y:213,w:104,h:23},
{t:"So why is it that some people are subjected to incredible ",p:103,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"agonies throughout their lives while others enjoy all the pleasures ",p:103,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this world can ofer? Surely this widespread disparity cannot be ",p:103,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"due to human merit (as if we always got just what we deserved), ",p:103,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for many scoundrels have enjoyed the warm pat of providence ",p:103,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"while many saints have sufered the stinging backhand (think ",p:103,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Job). But then if providential blessings and pains do not refect ",p:103,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our worthiness, is God just cruelly arbitrary, like the sociopathic ",p:103,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mafoso who can coolly murder an associate at lunch and then ",p:103,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bounce his toddler on his knee before dinner?",p:103,x:120,y:488,w:322,h:23},
{t:"Stated as such the objection presumes that God is behind ",p:103,x:150,y:516,w:424,h:23},
{t:"every event, planning each one. But why think that God ex-",p:103,x:120,y:543,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ercises this kind of control? Maybe this is where the problem ",p:103,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"arises. Rather than thinking of God as a micromanager oversee-",p:103,x:120,y:598,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing every detail, wouldn ’t it be better to think of him as a CEO ",p:103,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who runs a vast Fortune 500 company? Te CEO’s role is not to ",p:103,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"manage paper clip supplies, but rather to run the multinational ",p:103,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"empire. So, by the same token, isn ’t it better to think of God as ",p:103,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"running a vast creation while not concerning himself directly ",p:103,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with the details?",p:103,x:120,y:763,w:114,h:23},
{t:"Tere is no doubt that the God of “big picture providence” ",p:103,x:150,y:791,w:424,h:23},
{t:"who cannot bother with the details is a tempting option. It ",p:103,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1.  Robert G. Ingersoll, Lectures and Essays, (Te Tree Series in One Volume) ",p:103,x:120,y:881,w:443,h:19},
{t:"(London: Watts & Co., 1926), second series, 117.",p:103,x:120,y:901,w:289,h:19},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:104,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"97",p:104,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"sounds appropriately lordly and yet does not directly implicate ",p:104,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God in specifc instances of evil and sufering. Unfortunately, ",p:104,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it contradicts the biblical view that God’s meticulous concern ",p:104,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for creation extends down to the number of hairs on our heads ",p:104,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Matthew 10:30) and out to all events as God “works out ev-",p:104,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"erything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians ",p:104,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1:11). Given passages like this, it is hardly surprising that the ",p:104,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mainstream ",p:104,x:120,y:323,w:87,h:23},
{t:"theological ",p:104,x:215,y:323,w:81,h:23},
{t:"position ",p:104,x:304,y:323,w:62,h:23},
{t:"has ",p:104,x:375,y:323,w:27,h:23},
{t:"always ",p:104,x:410,y:323,w:49,h:23},
{t:"viewed ",p:104,x:468,y:323,w:53,h:23},
{t:"God’s ",p:104,x:529,y:323,w:44,h:23},
{t:"providence as meticulous (covering every detail). A particularly ",p:104,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lucid and intriguing presentation of the traditional perspective is ",p:104,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"found in Lake Wobegon Days, Garrison Keillor’s fctional account ",p:104,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of small town life. At one point Keillor narrates a debate among ",p:104,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the young boys of the town concerning God’s foreknowledge ",p:104,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and providence:",p:104,x:120,y:488,w:112,h:23},
{t:"Near the clearing was a giant tree we called the Pee Tree; ",p:104,x:150,y:523,w:394,h:23},
{t:"a long rope hung from a lower branch, which when you ",p:104,x:150,y:551,w:394,h:23},
{t:"swung hard on it took you out over the edge and showed ",p:104,x:150,y:578,w:394,h:23},
{t:"you your real death. You could let go at the end of the ",p:104,x:150,y:606,w:394,h:23},
{t:"arc and fall to the rocks and die if you wanted to.",p:104,x:150,y:633,w:347,h:23},
{t:"Jim said, “It’s not that far—it wouldn ’t kill you.” He ",p:104,x:179,y:661,w:364,h:23},
{t:"was bucking for captain. Lance said, “So jump then. I ",p:104,x:150,y:688,w:394,h:23},
{t:"dare you.” Tat settled it. It would kill you, all right. It ",p:104,x:150,y:716,w:394,h:23},
{t:"would break every bone in your body, just like Richard. ",p:104,x:150,y:743,w:394,h:23},
{t:"He was twelve and drove his dad’s tractor and fell of ",p:104,x:150,y:771,w:394,h:23},
{t:"and it ran over him and killed him. He was one boy ",p:104,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"who died when I was a boy, and the other was Paulie ",p:104,x:150,y:826,w:394,h:23},
{t:"who drowned in the lake. Both were now in heaven ",p:104,x:150,y:853,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:105,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"98",p:105,x:120,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"with God where they were happy. It was God’s will that ",p:105,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"it would happen. 2",p:105,x:150,y:158,w:128,h:23},
{t:"God created the world and ordained everything to be ",p:105,x:150,y:216,w:394,h:23},
{t:"right and perfect, then man sinned against God’s Will, ",p:105,x:150,y:243,w:394,h:23},
{t:"but God still knew everything. Before the world was ",p:105,x:150,y:271,w:394,h:23},
{t:"made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, ",p:105,x:150,y:298,w:394,h:23},
{t:"God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our ",p:105,x:150,y:326,w:394,h:23},
{t:"house, and He had me all sketched out down to what ",p:105,x:150,y:353,w:394,h:23},
{t:"size my feet would be (big), which bike I would ride (a ",p:105,x:150,y:381,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Schwinn), and the fve ears of corn I’d eat for supper ",p:105,x:150,y:408,w:394,h:23},
{t:"that night.3",p:105,x:150,y:436,w:80,h:23},
{t:"Tis ",p:105,x:120,y:471,w:34,h:23},
{t:"is ",p:105,x:160,y:471,w:15,h:23},
{t:"surprisingly sophisticated theology for young boys! ",p:105,x:181,y:471,w:392,h:23},
{t:"According to the Christian tradition it is indeed correct to say ",p:105,x:120,y:498,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God foreknew (and in some sense willed) the size of our feet, ",p:105,x:120,y:526,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the type of bike we ride, and even the menu for every meal of our ",p:105,x:120,y:553,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lives (Psalm 139:16), even as God controls the whole sweep of ",p:105,x:120,y:581,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cosmic history. Tere is nothing too magnifcent or miniscule to ",p:105,x:120,y:608,w:454,h:23},
{t:"escape God’s meticulous providential control. ",p:105,x:120,y:636,w:325,h:23},
{t:"Unfortunately, the degree to which the Christian afrms ",p:105,x:150,y:663,w:424,h:23},
{t:"meticulous providential control is precisely the degree to which ",p:105,x:120,y:691,w:454,h:23},
{t:"one is forced to confront the problem of evil. When discussing ",p:105,x:120,y:718,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the problem of evil it has often been tempting to abstract the ",p:105,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"discussion to a generalized notion of “evil,” which is kept at ",p:105,x:120,y:773,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a safe distance from real, concrete cases. (Evil as an abstract ",p:105,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"2.  Garrison Keillor, Lake Wobegon Days (New York: Penguin, ",p:105,x:120,y:859,w:399,h:21},
{t:"1986), 11.",p:105,x:120,y:879,w:67,h:21},
{t:"3.  Keillor, Lake Wobegon Days, 12.",p:105,x:120,y:899,w:225,h:21},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:106,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"99",p:106,x:554,y:941,w:15,h:16},
{t:"category lacks emotional bite.) Yet if God knows such triviali-",p:106,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ties as how much corn we will eat for dinner, then he knew that ",p:106,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Richard would be killed by a tractor and Paulie would drown ",p:106,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the lake. So why did he allow these horrifc events? And why ",p:106,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"did he allow that murder that sits like a black hole at the center ",p:106,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Te Shack? Surely on this point we all agree with Mack: ",p:106,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“Even in such a world of relative morality, causing harm to a ",p:106,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"child is still considered absolutely wrong. Period!” (59). Nor ",p:106,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are we simply speaking in the present case only of harming a ",p:106,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"child, but of (presumably) raping and then murdering her! So ",p:106,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"how do we reconcile the goodness of God with the incredible ",p:106,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"evil of Missy’s death? ",p:106,x:120,y:433,w:155,h:23},
{t:"We can present the dilemma between God’s providential ",p:106,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"control and goodness and the existence of evil as follows:",p:106,x:120,y:488,w:400,h:23},
{t:"(1) As all-loving, God would want to prevent every evil.",p:106,x:150,y:531,w:398,h:23},
{t:"(2) As all-powerful, God could prevent every evil.",p:106,x:150,y:575,w:354,h:23},
{t:"(3) Missy was murdered by a serial killer.",p:106,x:150,y:619,w:292,h:23},
{t:"Surely if God is all-loving he would not have desired that Missy ",p:106,x:120,y:663,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be murdered by a serial killer. If love means anything it means ",p:106,x:120,y:691,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God would spare a sweet, innocent child from the horrors ",p:106,x:120,y:718,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Missy experienced! As Jesus put it, “If you, then, though ",p:106,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how ",p:106,x:120,y:773,w:454,h:23},
{t:"much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those ",p:106,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). And surely if God is all-powerful ",p:106,x:120,y:828,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he could have prevented Missy from being murdered by a serial ",p:106,x:120,y:856,w:454,h:23},
{t:"killer. After all, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis ",p:106,x:120,y:883,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:107,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"100",p:107,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"18:14; see also Jeremiah 32:27). So how can we reconcile God as ",p:107,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all-loving and all-powerful to Missy’s death?",p:107,x:120,y:158,w:309,h:23},
{t:"Te attempt to explain how the goodness and love of God ",p:107,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"can be reconciled with the problem of evil is called theodicy. ",p:107,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"According to the classic defnition coined by John Milton, a ",p:107,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theodicy seeks “to justify the ways of God to man.” Tat is, it ",p:107,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"seeks to explain how the existence of evil is compatible with ",p:107,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God’s perfect nature. We will begin with two straightforward ",p:107,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ways that one might reconcile God’s existence with Missy’s ",p:107,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"tragic death: either deny that God is all-loving or deny that he ",p:107,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is all-powerful. ",p:107,x:120,y:406,w:109,h:23},
{t:"Rethinking God’s Love",p:107,x:215,y:457,w:258,h:30},
{t:"Our frst pass at theodicy will consider the possibility that God ",p:107,x:120,y:505,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is not all-loving. While this may come as a surprise to many ",p:107,x:120,y:533,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christians, this is the position of a major theological tradition ",p:107,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"called Calvinism (named after its most infuential exponent ",p:107,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"John Calvin). To be more specifc, Calvinists believe that God ",p:107,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is perfect in his love, but he chooses not to show this love to all ",p:107,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his creatures. ",p:107,x:120,y:670,w:95,h:23},
{t:"To begin with, the Calvinist believes that God controls all ",p:107,x:150,y:698,w:424,h:23},
{t:"events perfectly, including free human choices. Tat is, God ",p:107,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"gives us the desires that we freely fulfll, both good and bad. ",p:107,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Other Christians disagree and think instead that while God ",p:107,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"can know what we will do in advance, he cannot make us do ",p:107,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it if we are truly free.) As a result, Calvinists believe that God ",p:107,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"could have made the world such that Adam and Eve would never ",p:107,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have fallen. It follows that Adam and Eve sinned because God ",p:107,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:108,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"101",p:108,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"gave them the free desires to sin. Likewise, the Little Ladykiller ",p:108,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sinned because God gave him the will to sin. Everyone who sins ",p:108,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"does so because God has formed his or her character to do so. ",p:108,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As Paul tersely put it, “Terefore God has mercy on whom he ",p:108,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden” ",p:108,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Romans 9:18). So the reason there is evil in the world is simple: ",p:108,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"though perfectly loving, God wants there to be some evil!",p:108,x:120,y:296,w:405,h:23},
{t:"Tis Calvinist view raises an obvious question: why would a ",p:108,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"perfectly loving God desire evil in the world? In order to explain ",p:108,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this, the Calvinist denies what many Christians assume: that God ",p:108,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"loves all his creatures equally. Rather, God’s ultimate concern is ",p:108,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to manifest his glory most fully. Terefore, God is concerned to ",p:108,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ensure that creation provides the best opportunity for God to ",p:108,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"display his magnifcent attributes. Consider this analogy: if we ",p:108,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"think of the great political leaders of history we will fnd that ",p:108,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the leaders most revered are those who led their people through ",p:108,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"times of great adversity. Tink of Winston Churchill barking out ",p:108,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"defantly against the Führer his famous “We shall fght them on ",p:108,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the beaches” speech. It was the adversity of wartime that allowed ",p:108,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Churchill’s ",p:108,x:120,y:653,w:81,h:23},
{t:"stellar ",p:108,x:207,y:653,w:45,h:23},
{t:"leadership ",p:108,x:260,y:653,w:75,h:23},
{t:"qualities ",p:108,x:342,y:653,w:63,h:23},
{t:"to ",p:108,x:412,y:653,w:19,h:23},
{t:"emerge. Similarly, ",p:108,x:437,y:653,w:136,h:23},
{t:"adversity within creation provides an opportunity for God to ",p:108,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"display his leadership qualities. ",p:108,x:120,y:708,w:222,h:23},
{t:"In the midst of adversity God is able to manifest his mercy ",p:108,x:150,y:736,w:424,h:23},
{t:"and love to those creatures he has decreed to choose the good. ",p:108,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"At the same time, he manifests his wrath and justice to those ",p:108,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"creatures he has decreed to choose the evil (Romans 9:22–23). ",p:108,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Trough all the good and evil, God’s glory is more fully on dis-",p:108,x:120,y:846,w:450,h:23},
{t:"play than if he had willed a creation where everyone did his will ",p:108,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:109,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"102",p:109,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"perfectly. One fnal point: the same reasoning that applies to the ",p:109,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"present age applies in eternity as well. Tere, too, rebellion must ",p:109,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be present so God’s fullest display of attributes can be manifest. ",p:109,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As such, Calvinists believe that God decrees that some people ",p:109,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would reject the ofer of salvation so that God can rightly damn ",p:109,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"them eternally and thereby ensure that his perfect wrath and ",p:109,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"justice are both forever on display.",p:109,x:120,y:296,w:240,h:23},
{t:"Calvinism has biblical texts to which it can appeal in sup-",p:109,x:150,y:323,w:420,h:23},
{t:"port. For instance, the Israelites ultimately went to war against ",p:109,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Canaan to display God’s power and wrath: “For it was the Lord ",p:109,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so ",p:109,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without ",p:109,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mercy, as the Lord had commanded” (Joshua 11:20). Just as ",p:109,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God hardened the hearts of the Canaanites so that he might ",p:109,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"judge them for their wickedness, might God have hardened the ",p:109,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"heart of Missy’s killer so he might judge him? “It was the Lord ",p:109,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"himself who hardened the Little Ladykiller’s heart to kill Missy.” ",p:109,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"If so, then we could explain Missy’s death as one way that God ",p:109,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"displays his glory more fully, perhaps by exercising his wrath and ",p:109,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"justice in the temporal (or eternal) punishment of the killer.",p:109,x:120,y:653,w:422,h:23},
{t:"I confess that I am one of many people who fnd Calvinism ",p:109,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"not only unpalatable but nearly incomprehensible. Let’s start ",p:109,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with God’s glory. I don ’t accept that the only way to have a ",p:109,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"high appreciation of God’s glory is by seeing God crush human ",p:109,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rebellion. Tere have been many great leaders in history who ",p:109,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have led their people in peacetime. Couldn ’t God have fully ",p:109,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"displayed his attributes through peaceful rule as well? Indeed, ",p:109,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Calvinism is in danger of Manichaeism, the view that good and ",p:109,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:110,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"103",p:110,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"evil are equal and necessary opposites so that good can only be ",p:110,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"known to the extent that evil exists. But my biggest problem is ",p:110,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with Calvinism ’s view of God’s love. Contrary to the Calvinist ",p:110,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"claim that God only loves some creatures and hates others, I ",p:110,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"believe that God loves all people (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). ",p:110,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack believes this as well since Papa is adamant that she is ",p:110,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"especially fond of all her creatures. In fact, when Mack comes ",p:110,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the cabin he appears to hold a Calvinist view, for he assumes ",p:110,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God chooses to save some people and damn others. Indeed, ",p:110,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it is this assumption which haunts Mack by making God seem ",p:110,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cruel and arbitrary. But Sophia is determined to challenge this ",p:110,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"assumption. To illustrate how misguided his thinking is, she ",p:110,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"forces him to be honest about his own accusation against God. ",p:110,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"To this end, she demands that he choose which of his children ",p:110,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will be damned eternally. When Mack recoils in horror at the ",p:110,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"very thought, Sophia calmly replies: “I am only asking you to do ",p:110,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"something that you believe God does” (162). Te book implies ",p:110,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God is even more horrifed than Mack at the suggestion ",p:110,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the divine love might be limited. And so this frst attempt at ",p:110,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theodicy is not open to us.",p:110,x:120,y:653,w:187,h:23},
{t:"Rethinking God’s Power",p:110,x:208,y:704,w:273,h:30},
{t:"If we refuse to accept any limitation in God’s love for creation, ",p:110,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we could still resolve the problem of evil by accepting a limit to ",p:110,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his power. In other words, God is not able to prevent or eliminate ",p:110,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all evil. Tis is the way that Rabbi Harold Kushner explained the ",p:110,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"goodness of God after his three year old son Aaron was diag-",p:110,x:120,y:863,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nosed with progeria, a terrible disease in which the aficted child ",p:110,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:111,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"104",p:111,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"ages at an accelerated rate until he/she dies of old age, typically ",p:111,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the early teen years. (Aaron died when he was fourteen.) As ",p:111,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Kushner bluntly put it, “God does not want you to be sick or ",p:111,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"crippled. He didn ’t make you have this problem, and He doesn ’t ",p:111,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"want you to go on having it, but He can ’t make it go away. Tat ",p:111,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is something which is too hard even for God.”4 According to ",p:111,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Kushner, when sufering happens to us it is not for us to ask why ",p:111,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it happened because there is no reason. Sometimes evil happens, ",p:111,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but God is doing his best to fght it.",p:111,x:120,y:351,w:254,h:23},
{t:"Kushner’s views of God as limited (even impotent) never ",p:111,x:150,y:378,w:424,h:23},
{t:"caught on with evangelicals. However, a modifed limitation ",p:111,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"view has recently attracted much interest from some evangelicals. ",p:111,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"According to this view, known as Open Teism, God wanted free ",p:111,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"creatures to populate his world. And creatures can only be free if ",p:111,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God does not know what they will do. To explain, consider this ",p:111,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"illustration: if God foreknew that I would eat a bowl of pasta ",p:111,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for lunch tomorrow then it would seem I could not choose to ",p:111,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"eat anything else but that bowl of pasta. If God knows I will ",p:111,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"do it, then I must do it. But since God wants me to be free in ",p:111,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"my choices, including my lunch choices, then he cannot know ",p:111,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"what I will choose. As a result, it must be that God will learn ",p:111,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"tomorrow what I will choose to eat along with the rest of us. I ",p:111,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"might eat pasta, I might eat a hot dog, and then again I might just ",p:111,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"skip a meal. God will just have to wait and see.",p:111,x:120,y:763,w:331,h:23},
{t:"Open theists believe that they are being faithful to the bibli-",p:111,x:150,y:791,w:420,h:23},
{t:"cal depictions of God learning, changing his mind, and failing ",p:111,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"4.  Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Tings Happen to Good People (New York: ",p:111,x:120,y:881,w:443,h:19},
{t:"Avon Books, 1981), 129.",p:111,x:120,y:901,w:145,h:19},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:112,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"105",p:112,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"to anticipate eventual outcomes. Tey complain that Christians ",p:112,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have been too quick to “dismiss” these texts as anthropomorph-",p:112,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"isms (as we did in chapter two). Like us, God faces the future ",p:112,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as an unknown. Indeed, God may fnd himself saying “Whoa, ",p:112,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"I didn ’t see that coming!” (Genesis 6:6–7). But even if this hap-",p:112,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"But even if this hap-",p:112,x:425,y:241,w:144,h:23},
{t:"pens, we need not worry too much:  God is infnitely resourceful ",p:112,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to face whatever comes to be, so that ultimately he will see his ",p:112,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"plans accomplished. ",p:112,x:120,y:323,w:146,h:23},
{t:"Again, even as infnitely resourceful, God cannot prevent ",p:112,x:150,y:351,w:424,h:23},
{t:"every evil situation that arises. Even if success in the war is ",p:112,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"secured, there may be many unexpected casualties in the battle. ",p:112,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis means that the open theist takes a view of God’s relation to ",p:112,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"evil that is similar to Kushner: the open theist afrms that God ",p:112,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is unable to prevent every evil and that there are many horrible ",p:112,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"events that simply have no point. Tat is, there are many events ",p:112,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God didn ’t know would happen, and that he didn ’t want to ",p:112,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"happen, but now that they have happened, he will do his best to ",p:112,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bring good out of them. ",p:112,x:120,y:598,w:175,h:23},
{t:"So it may be with Missy’s death. Tere is no reason why ",p:112,x:150,y:626,w:424,h:23},
{t:"this happened; God did not foresee it, and when it happened, ",p:112,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it shocked and saddened God as much as Mack. But God will ",p:112,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work to bring good out of it.",p:112,x:120,y:708,w:204,h:23},
{t:"Just as Te Shack shuts the door to Calvinism, so it blocks of ",p:112,x:150,y:736,w:422,h:23},
{t:"the way to Open Teism. Te strongest statement comes when ",p:112,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Papa explains to Mack her unique perspective on the repeated ",p:112,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mistakes made by fallen human beings:",p:112,x:120,y:818,w:276,h:23},
{t:"“Let’s say, for example, I am trying to teach you how not ",p:112,x:150,y:853,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to hide inside of lies, hypothetically of course,” she said ",p:112,x:150,y:881,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:113,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"106",p:113,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"with a wink. “And let’s say that I know it will take you ",p:113,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"forty-seven situations and events before you will actually ",p:113,x:150,y:158,w:394,h:23},
{t:"hear me—that is, before you will hear clearly enough to ",p:113,x:150,y:186,w:394,h:23},
{t:"agree with me and change. So when you don ’t hear me ",p:113,x:150,y:213,w:394,h:23},
{t:"the frst time, I’m not frustrated or disappointed, I’m ",p:113,x:150,y:241,w:394,h:23},
{t:"thrilled. Only forty-six more times to go.” (187)",p:113,x:150,y:268,w:339,h:23},
{t:"Since Open Teism claims that God cannot know even one ",p:113,x:120,y:303,w:454,h:23},
{t:"future free human action, this statement contradicts Open ",p:113,x:120,y:331,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Teism forty-seven times! And I believe Te Shack is right to ",p:113,x:120,y:358,w:454,h:23},
{t:"do so, for Scripture repeatedly afrms that God foreknows all ",p:113,x:120,y:386,w:454,h:23},
{t:"events, including human actions (see for instance Isaiah 46:10; ",p:113,x:120,y:413,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Luke 22:34, 60; Acts 4:28; 1 Peter 1:1–2). Tis view has sig-",p:113,x:120,y:441,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nifcant implications for it implies that nothing is left to chance ",p:113,x:120,y:468,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in God’s world. As John Calvin observed, “I see that men have ",p:113,x:120,y:496,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a very bad custom, that where one ought to say ",p:113,x:120,y:523,w:361,h:23},
{t:"‘God willed ",p:113,x:483,y:523,w:91,h:23},
{t:"this, ’ they say ‘fortune willed this.’ ”5 We cannot explain Missy’s ",p:113,x:120,y:551,w:454,h:23},
{t:"death simply as bad luck. As Papa explains, everything is part ",p:113,x:120,y:578,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the divine plan:",p:113,x:120,y:606,w:132,h:23},
{t:"“Mack,” said Papa with an intensity that caused him to ",p:113,x:150,y:641,w:394,h:23},
{t:"listen very carefully, “we want to share with you the love ",p:113,x:150,y:668,w:394,h:23},
{t:"and joy and freedom and light that we already know ",p:113,x:150,y:696,w:394,h:23},
{t:"within ourself. We created you, the human, to be in ",p:113,x:150,y:723,w:394,h:23},
{t:"face-to-face relationship with us, to join our circle of ",p:113,x:150,y:751,w:394,h:23},
{t:"love. As difcult as it will be for you to understand, ",p:113,x:150,y:778,w:394,h:23},
{t:"everything ",p:113,x:150,y:806,w:73,h:23},
{t:"that ",p:113,x:230,y:806,w:31,h:23},
{t:"has ",p:113,x:270,y:806,w:26,h:23},
{t:"taken ",p:113,x:303,y:806,w:41,h:23},
{t:"place ",p:113,x:353,y:806,w:37,h:23},
{t:"is ",p:113,x:398,y:806,w:14,h:23},
{t:"occurring ",p:113,x:420,y:806,w:67,h:23},
{t:"exactly ",p:113,x:495,y:806,w:49,h:23},
{t:"5.  John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol. 1, ed. John T. ",p:113,x:120,y:881,w:403,h:19},
{t:"McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (London: SCM Press, 1961), 208.",p:113,x:120,y:901,w:399,h:19},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:114,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"107",p:114,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"according to this purpose, without violating choice or will ” ",p:114,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"(124–125, emphasis added).",p:114,x:150,y:158,w:201,h:23},
{t:"Troubling thought it may be to admit, Missy’s murder was part ",p:114,x:120,y:193,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God’s purpose or plan.",p:114,x:120,y:221,w:179,h:23},
{t:"Before we pursue this claim further, we should also point ",p:114,x:150,y:248,w:424,h:23},
{t:"out that Open Teism does not absolve God of responsibility ",p:114,x:120,y:276,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in Missy’s death. According to the FBI, the Little Ladykiller ",p:114,x:120,y:303,w:454,h:23},
{t:"probably spent a full day or two stalking Missy (57). Even if ",p:114,x:120,y:331,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God did not know the killer’s exact next move, God certainly ",p:114,x:120,y:358,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was aware of his intentions. After all, he had seen him do it ",p:114,x:120,y:386,w:454,h:23},
{t:"before! And yet God never intervened to stop the murder, even ",p:114,x:120,y:413,w:454,h:23},
{t:"though he could have done it in innumerable ways without ",p:114,x:120,y:441,w:454,h:23},
{t:"violating anyone’s free will. For instance, he could have strate-",p:114,x:120,y:468,w:450,h:23},
{t:"gically placed a tree branch on the path that would cause the ",p:114,x:120,y:496,w:454,h:23},
{t:"killer to fall and sprain his ankle. Or perhaps at the moment ",p:114,x:120,y:523,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the killer was closing in on Missy sitting at the picnic ",p:114,x:120,y:551,w:454,h:23},
{t:"table, God could have ensured that a meteorite would hurtle ",p:114,x:120,y:578,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out of the sky leaving a smoking crater where the killer once ",p:114,x:120,y:606,w:454,h:23},
{t:"stood. (Incidentally, that’s my favorite outcome as it is very ",p:114,x:120,y:633,w:454,h:23},
{t:"close to a good old fashioned divine smiting!) Perhaps after ",p:114,x:120,y:661,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Missy had been abducted, God could have placed a nail on the ",p:114,x:120,y:688,w:454,h:23},
{t:"road which would puncture the Little Ladykiller’s tire, making ",p:114,x:120,y:716,w:454,h:23},
{t:"escape impossible. But instead of preventing the crime in one ",p:114,x:120,y:743,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of these ways, God allowed it to unfold over several agonizing ",p:114,x:120,y:771,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hours. Can we really say that God didn ’t see this coming, or ",p:114,x:120,y:798,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that he allowed it to happen for no reason?",p:114,x:120,y:826,w:309,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:115,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"108",p:115,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"God in Search of Greater Goods",p:115,x:164,y:130,w:361,h:30},
{t:"If we agree with Te Shack that evil cannot be explained because ",p:115,x:120,y:178,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of a limit in God’s love or his power, then why does he allow evil? ",p:115,x:120,y:206,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Let’s begin with an analogy. Little Jamie is having a wonderful ",p:115,x:120,y:233,w:454,h:23},
{t:"day playing at home when suddenly her mom interrupts her play ",p:115,x:120,y:261,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to take her to the doctor. Jamie replies that she is not sick, but ",p:115,x:120,y:288,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her mom insists. When they arrive at the clinic, Jamie is ushered ",p:115,x:120,y:316,w:454,h:23},
{t:"into a room and a nurse comes in with a long, scary needle. As ",p:115,x:120,y:343,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jamie is instructed to name all the Sesame Street characters on ",p:115,x:120,y:371,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the wall poster, the child suddenly feels the pain of this needle ",p:115,x:120,y:398,w:454,h:23},
{t:"plunging into her arm. Shortly thereafter Jamie begins to feel ",p:115,x:120,y:426,w:454,h:23},
{t:"unwell and she develops a slight fever that evening. Although she ",p:115,x:120,y:453,w:454,h:23},
{t:"feels better the next day, she cannot understand why, when she ",p:115,x:120,y:481,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was perfectly healthy, her mother would make her have a painful ",p:115,x:120,y:508,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and scary needle that would make her sick. ",p:115,x:120,y:536,w:307,h:23},
{t:"While this may be a problem for Jamie, we can know that ",p:115,x:150,y:563,w:424,h:23},
{t:"her mother was seeing to it that Jamie received a fu shot to ",p:115,x:120,y:591,w:454,h:23},
{t:"prevent her from contracting a potentially fatal illness. In fact ",p:115,x:120,y:618,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we can think of many cases where children are subjected to pain ",p:115,x:120,y:646,w:454,h:23},
{t:"because their parents have a greater purpose that the children ",p:115,x:120,y:673,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cannot understand. Could it be that God too has reasons suf-",p:115,x:120,y:701,w:450,h:23},
{t:"fcient to justify incredible evils like Missy’s murder? And might ",p:115,x:120,y:728,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we reconcile God’s perfect love and power with evil in this way? ",p:115,x:120,y:756,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis idea is known as a greater goods theodicy, and the basic idea ",p:115,x:120,y:783,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is that God allows particular evils to occur because he intends to ",p:115,x:120,y:811,w:454,h:23},
{t:"draw greater goods out of them. But what kind of goods would ",p:115,x:120,y:838,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God plan to bring out of creation? Let’s consider two: free will ",p:115,x:120,y:866,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and moral development or soul-making.",p:115,x:120,y:893,w:284,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:116,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"109",p:116,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"According to the Calvinist view, free will consists of a person ",p:116,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"being able to do whatever God has made them desire to do. But ",p:116,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"many people fnd that idea to make no sense. Surely if I am truly ",p:116,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"free then not even God can decide my will: I must make my ",p:116,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"own decisions. And that means that if I am free I must be able to ",p:116,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"choose good or evil. As such, God creates free creatures because ",p:116,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it is a moral good, even though he knows that it will result in a ",p:116,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"limited amount of evil. ",p:116,x:120,y:323,w:167,h:23},
{t:"Consider the Tiny Tykes piano. Tis is a toddler’s piano ",p:116,x:150,y:351,w:424,h:23},
{t:"with a measly four keys on the keyboard: C, E, G, and high C. ",p:116,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis limited selection of keys has an important by-product: the ",p:116,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sounding of any combination of these keys always produces a ",p:116,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"harmonious sound; it is simply impossible to produce dissonance ",p:116,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"or cacophony on this piano. But consider what is lost! With such ",p:116,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a limited set of keys we cannot even play “Rock-a-Bye-Baby,” let ",p:116,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"alone Rachmaninof! As such, anyone who is seriously interested ",p:116,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in teaching their child piano will instead opt for a keyboard with ",p:116,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"all 88 keys. Although they recognize that this will result in some ",p:116,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"frustration given the potential for dissonance, it is more than ",p:116,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ofset by the potential for much more complex music. ",p:116,x:120,y:653,w:385,h:23},
{t:"By the same token, God could have created creatures that ",p:116,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"could not choose evil. But instead he created free creatures with ",p:116,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the potential for evil, recognizing that ultimately the good of ",p:116,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"truly free creatures would more than ofset the limited dis-",p:116,x:120,y:763,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sonance. Te idea that free will is a greater good is central to ",p:116,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack’s theodicy (125). Papa explains that ",p:116,x:120,y:818,w:345,h:23},
{t:"“ All evil fows ",p:116,x:468,y:818,w:106,h:23},
{t:"from independence, and independence is your choice. If I were ",p:116,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to simply revoke all the choices of independence, the world as ",p:116,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:117,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"110",p:117,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"you know it would cease to exist and love would have no mean-",p:117,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing” (190). In other words for love to be meaningful it requires ",p:117,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"freedom. Again, Papa warns: “If I were to simply revoke all the ",p:117,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"choices of independence, the world as you know it would cease ",p:117,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to exist and love would have no meaning. Tis world is not a ",p:117,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"playground where I keep all my children free from evil. Evil is ",p:117,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the chaos of this age that you brought to me, but it will not have ",p:117,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the fnal say” (94–95). Love is not meaningful if it is compelled ",p:117,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and determined. Only if it is freely chosen is it signifcant. Tus, ",p:117,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the evil of the world arises from the choices of human beings ",p:117,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"which God allows because of his desire to be in relation with ",p:117,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"truly free creatures.",p:117,x:120,y:433,w:135,h:23},
{t:"Te goods for which God allows evil also extend to the ",p:117,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"processes by which people come to make better choices, and ",p:117,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this brings us to the ",p:117,x:120,y:516,w:167,h:23},
{t:"idea of moral development or soul-",p:117,x:292,y:516,w:277,h:23},
{t:"making. Just as a rigorous exercise program of body-making ",p:117,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will involve much physical pain, so the process of soul-making, ",p:117,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of becoming a more responsible moral person in the image of ",p:117,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christ, will entail some physical and emotional pain. In order ",p:117,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to develop a solid moral character one must experience some ",p:117,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"frustration, disappointment, danger, and scarcity of resources. ",p:117,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Only then will one learn to be patient, hopeful, courageous, ",p:117,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and generous. ",p:117,x:120,y:736,w:104,h:23},
{t:"To illustrate, within Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the ",p:117,x:150,y:763,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Chocolate Factory there is a horrid little girl named Veruca Salt ",p:117,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who gets whatever she wants. When Veruca wants to win one ",p:117,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the golden tickets to visit Mr. Wonka ’s factory, her father ",p:117,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"shuts down his entire nut factory and instructs all his employees ",p:117,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:118,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"111",p:118,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"to spend their days unwrapping Wonka bars! Veruca is abso-",p:118,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"lutely intolerable until a few days later when she gets her ticket. ",p:118,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Absolutely unable to handle any denial of her demands, she ",p:118,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is a self-centered, spoiled brat. Imagine if Veruca ’s parents had ",p:118,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"disciplined her properly and taught her virtues of patience, self-",p:118,x:120,y:241,w:449,h:23},
{t:"denial, and generosity. She would not only be a much better ",p:118,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"child, but a happier one as well. (But alas, then she would have ",p:118,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"been a much duller character in the book!)",p:118,x:120,y:323,w:300,h:23},
{t:"And so, God allows us to experience sufering and evil to ",p:118,x:150,y:351,w:424,h:23},
{t:"spur on our moral development (Proverbs 3:11–12; Hebrews ",p:118,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"12:5–6) to the end that we will be able to enter the divine circle ",p:118,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Love. Tis dimension of the greater goods theodicy is implied ",p:118,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the book when Papa promises to Mack, “If you could only ",p:118,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"see how all of this ends and what we will achieve without the ",p:118,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"violation of one human will—then you would understand” ",p:118,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(125). Not only is God respecting human will, but he is draw-",p:118,x:120,y:543,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing those free creatures on to maturity through the occasionally ",p:118,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"painful process of soul-making. Could we begin to speculate ",p:118,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"on which character-forming goods God might have drawn out ",p:118,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Missy’s death? It is certainly possible that Missy could have ",p:118,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"developed bravery and trust in God through the ordeal. Mack ’s ",p:118,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"transformation is more obvious, for he moves from being harshly ",p:118,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"judgmental of God and the human race to being one who lives ",p:118,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in humility and love. Te transformation is evident when we ",p:118,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"contrast Mack ’s initial desire that Missy’s killer be damned to ",p:118,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hell (161) with his later desire to extend forgiveness to the killer ",p:118,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(248). Could it be that Mack ’s transformation provides one ",p:118,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"piece in the explanation of Missy’s death? ",p:118,x:120,y:873,w:295,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:119,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"112",p:119,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Are We Mere Means to God’s Ends?",p:119,x:146,y:130,w:396,h:30},
{t:"According to the greater goods theodicy, God allows everything ",p:119,x:120,y:178,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bad that happens for a greater good. God allowed Mack to slip ",p:119,x:120,y:206,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and fall on his driveway in the ice storm because of the greater ",p:119,x:120,y:233,w:454,h:23},
{t:"goods that God sought to bring out of this event. Te same is ",p:119,x:120,y:261,w:454,h:23},
{t:"true of the time when, as a child, Mack was tied to a tree and ",p:119,x:120,y:288,w:454,h:23},
{t:"beaten by his father for two days. Even in the case of Missy be-",p:119,x:120,y:316,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing murdered by a sociopath, God purposes the event to draw ",p:119,x:120,y:343,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out greater goods. Such is the power of this explanation that ",p:119,x:120,y:371,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it neatly explains every horrifc evil with the promise that each ",p:119,x:120,y:398,w:454,h:23},
{t:"contributes to a total greater good than would have otherwise ",p:119,x:120,y:426,w:454,h:23},
{t:"come about had the event not occurred. ",p:119,x:120,y:453,w:286,h:23},
{t:"Still, while the greater goods theodicy may be plausible as a ",p:119,x:150,y:481,w:424,h:23},
{t:"general explanation of evil, it immediately begins to run into a ",p:119,x:120,y:508,w:454,h:23},
{t:"problem when we seek to apply it to specifc cases like Missy’s ",p:119,x:120,y:536,w:454,h:23},
{t:"murder. To put it bluntly, there is something deeply unsatisfy-",p:119,x:120,y:563,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing about explaining such a horrendous evil as part of God’s ",p:119,x:120,y:591,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“magnifcent tapestry” (176). Does this not make God look ",p:119,x:120,y:618,w:454,h:23},
{t:"shockingly calloused, as if he simply “runs the numbers” on the ",p:119,x:120,y:646,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sum total consequences of every particular event to decide which ",p:119,x:120,y:673,w:454,h:23},
{t:"children should live and which should die? ",p:119,x:120,y:701,w:306,h:23},
{t:"It is as if God looked down to consider whether Missy should ",p:119,x:150,y:728,w:424,h:23},
{t:"live or die. “Let’s see, if she lives, ten units of soul-making good-",p:119,x:120,y:756,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ness will be produced. But if she dies ffteen units of soul-making ",p:119,x:120,y:783,w:454,h:23},
{t:"goodness will be produced along with four units of soul-destroying ",p:119,x:120,y:811,w:454,h:23},
{t:"badness. Since her death will produce more goodness on balance, ",p:119,x:120,y:838,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Missy must die.” Doesn ’t this sound rather grotesque? ",p:119,x:120,y:866,w:377,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:120,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"113",p:120,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Within ethics, there is a theory like this called utilitarianism. ",p:120,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Te core of utilitarianism is that the right ethical action in any ",p:120,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"given circumstance is that which produces the greatest amount ",p:120,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of total good. While this might initially sound plausible as an ",p:120,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ethical theory, it implies that no action is intrinsically wrong. ",p:120,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Every action is to be judged on the total good it produces, and if ",p:120,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the rape and murder of a child produces the most good, that is ",p:120,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the right course of action. But surely this cannot be right: some ",p:120,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"acts are always wrong whatever their consequences! ",p:120,x:120,y:351,w:364,h:23},
{t:"To sum up the problem, greater goods theodicy seems to ",p:120,x:150,y:378,w:424,h:23},
{t:"present God as the ultimate utilitarian. Just think, every mo-",p:120,x:120,y:406,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ment of every day God is allowing some individuals to undergo ",p:120,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the most unspeakable sufering because of his greater purposes. ",p:120,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Some are being butchered, others tortured, and others are slowly ",p:120,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wasting away, all for the sake of producing a quantum of good. ",p:120,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As Mack bluntly puts it, “It all sounds like the end justifes the ",p:120,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"means, that to get what you want you will go to any length, even ",p:120,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"if it costs the lives of billions of people” (125). As staggering as ",p:120,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the statistic of billions of suferers may be, for Mack the problem ",p:120,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ultimately is centered on God’s use of one little girl: “And what ",p:120,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is the value in a little girl being murdered by some twisted devi-",p:120,x:120,y:681,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ant?” (125).",p:120,x:120,y:708,w:84,h:23},
{t:"I have already noted that Te Shack takes the bold stance that ",p:120,x:150,y:736,w:424,h:23},
{t:"God allows every event as part of his purposes (125, 176). Tis ",p:120,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"entails that there was some sort of plan behind Missy’s death: ",p:120,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God foreknew and planned her death for a reason. So does the ",p:120,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"book ofer a response to the charge that greater goods theodicy ",p:120,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"turns God into a cold, heartless utilitarian? Interestingly, the ",p:120,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:121,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"114",p:121,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"book appears to avoid this problem not by explaining how God ",p:121,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"might have used Missy’s death, but rather by denying that he ",p:121,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"uses people in this way! Tus, when Mack complains that he ",p:121,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cannot imagine any outcome that would justify evil, Papa tersely ",p:121,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"replies: “We’re not justifying it. We are redeeming it” (127). Tis ",p:121,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is signifcant, for rather than afrm that she is working both to ",p:121,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"justify and redeem evil, Papa denies altogether any justifcation. ",p:121,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But this sounds more like the Open view of providence than an ",p:121,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"appeal to greater goods. Nor is this an isolated inconsistency. ",p:121,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"When Mack asks whether Papa planned Missy’s death for the ",p:121,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"good of Mack ’s spiritual growth, Papa responds with an abrupt ",p:121,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rebuke: “Tat’s not how I do things” (185). With this rebuke ",p:121,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"she seems to reject not only Mack ’s proposed explanation for ",p:121,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"why Missy died, but also the very notion that there could be any ",p:121,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"explanation. And despite the fact that everything that occurs is ",p:121,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"taking place according to God’s plan (125), Sophia is emphatic ",p:121,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Papa did not plan that Missy would be killed, for Papa does ",p:121,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not need evil to accomplish her good purposes (165). Finally, ",p:121,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when Mack charges Papa with using evil to force people back to ",p:121,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her (a form of utilitarianism), again Papa rejects the very sugges-",p:121,x:120,y:653,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion (190).",p:121,x:120,y:681,w:77,h:23},
{t:"The Charge of the Protest Atheist",p:121,x:154,y:732,w:380,h:30},
{t:"We fnd ourselves facing a puzzle. To begin with, Te Shack af-",p:121,x:120,y:780,w:450,h:23},
{t:"frms God’s providential control over evil for his purposes. Just as ",p:121,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God allows the sufering of the oyster to create a beautiful pearl ",p:121,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(177), so he allows the sufering of creation to achieve greater ",p:121,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"goods. But then the book refuses at every point any suggestion ",p:121,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:122,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"115",p:122,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"that God allowed Missy’s sufering and death to achieve greater ",p:122,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"goods. How does one explain this inconsistency? Is it simply a ",p:122,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"loose end in the text? Given the centrality of the question of ",p:122,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"evil, that would seem to be a pretty signifcant loose end. Could ",p:122,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it be instead that Te Shack recognizes that while greater goods ",p:122,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"theodicy may be great in the abstract, it becomes problematic ",p:122,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when applied to specifc circumstances? ",p:122,x:120,y:296,w:283,h:23},
{t:"To answer this question, let’s consider the problem of Missy’s ",p:122,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"death more closely. Te problem with Missy’s murder emerges in ",p:122,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"striking fashion when Jesus ofers words of comfort to Mack by ",p:122,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"assuring him that both he and Sarayu were with Missy through ",p:122,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her ordeal. When Mack asks whether Missy knew of their pres-",p:122,x:120,y:433,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ence, Jesus replies: “Not at frst—the fear was overwhelming and ",p:122,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"she was in shock. It took hours to get up here from the campsite. ",p:122,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But as Sarayu wrapped herself around her, Missy settled down” ",p:122,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(173). And then with some fnal words of comfort, Jesus adds: ",p:122,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“I can tell you there was not a moment that we were not with ",p:122,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her. She knew my peace, you would have been proud of her. She ",p:122,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was so brave!” (173). Although these words ofer some comfort ",p:122,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to Mack, there is also something disturbing about them. Te ",p:122,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"problem is that Jesus is not describing the bravery of a child ",p:122,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who endured a fu shot or even a root canal. Rather this is God ",p:122,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"describing a child who endured unspeakable violations culmi-",p:122,x:120,y:736,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nating in her own murder. How could Jesus and Sarayu have ",p:122,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"passively stood by as the killer had his way with Missy?",p:122,x:120,y:791,w:386,h:23},
{t:"Te problem with greater goods theodicy becomes painfully ",p:122,x:150,y:818,w:424,h:23},
{t:"evident in the documentary Deliver Us from Evil. Tis unforget-",p:122,x:120,y:846,w:450,h:23},
{t:"table flm chronicles the Catholic Church ’s sexual abuse scandal ",p:122,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:123,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"116",p:123,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"by focusing upon the crimes of Father Oliver O’Grady, a priest ",p:123,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who molested dozens of children over several decades (some as ",p:123,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"young as nine months old). Te flm surveys the destruction ",p:123,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"O’Grady wrought in a number of lives including that of Ann ",p:123,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jyono. O’Grady started raping Jyono when she was but fve ",p:123,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"years old, often in her home just down the hall from her parents. ",p:123,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And he continued to do it for seven years. Although she is now ",p:123,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thirty-nine years old, Ann remains haunted by the unspeakable ",p:123,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"horrors endured by that fve year old. Needless to say her par-",p:123,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ents’ discovery of this terrible crime has destroyed them. Now ",p:123,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her once devoutly Catholic father looks into the camera and, ",p:123,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with his voice quavering and his daughter weeping beside him, ",p:123,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"spits out the words: “I made up my mind. Tere is no God. I do ",p:123,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not believe in a God, alright? All these rules, everything, they’re ",p:123,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"made up by man, you know?” ",p:123,x:120,y:516,w:216,h:23},
{t:"If you want a vivid demonstration of the problems with ",p:123,x:150,y:543,w:424,h:23},
{t:"greater goods theodicy, just look to Bob Jyono. Can we imagine ",p:123,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fnding a “word of comfort” knowing that Jesus and Sarayu were ",p:123,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with Ann during her seven years of rape? Would we even dare to ",p:123,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"propose to those touched by this evil some greater good to justify ",p:123,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Ann ’s nightmare? Is it any surprise that Mr. Jyono, convinced ",p:123,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that there could be no explanation from a loving God, has ",p:123,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rejected his religious belief? ",p:123,x:120,y:736,w:196,h:23},
{t:"Here we fnd ourselves in the deep waters of protest ",p:123,x:150,y:763,w:424,h:23},
{t:"atheism. While the protest atheist may believe there is no ",p:123,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God, his view is distinctive because he resolves that even if ",p:123,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"there were a God he would not recognize that God as a moral ",p:123,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:124,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"117",p:124,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"protest to the sufering in the world. I saw a vivid example of ",p:124,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"protest atheism some years ago when the prominent physician ",p:124,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Canadian Henry Morgentaler debated William Lane Craig ",p:124,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"on the existence of God. During the question and answer ",p:124,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"section one young man asked Morgentaler whether he would ",p:124,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bow to God if it could be proved to him that God existed. ",p:124,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Morgentaler, who had once survived a German concentration ",p:124,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"camp, responded with thinly veiled disdain that he would ",p:124,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bow to no one, God included!",p:124,x:120,y:351,w:223,h:23},
{t:"It may well be that the most infuential articulation of ",p:124,x:150,y:378,w:424,h:23},
{t:"protest atheism in all literature is found in Russian novelist ",p:124,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Fyodor Dostoevsky’s master work Te Brothers Karamazov. ",p:124,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"At one point in this labyrinth story the young priest named ",p:124,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Alyosha meets his atheistic brother Ivan at a restaurant. It is ",p:124,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not long before the conversation shifts to matters of God and ",p:124,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Ivan presents the heart of his objection to God in a number ",p:124,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of heart-breaking accounts of the abuse of children. Perhaps ",p:124,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the most agonizing is the case of a fve-year-old girl who was ",p:124,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mercilessly beaten by her heartless parents: ",p:124,x:120,y:626,w:312,h:23},
{t:"Tey beat her, fogged her, kicked her, not knowing ",p:124,x:150,y:661,w:394,h:23},
{t:"why themselves, until her whole body was nothing but ",p:124,x:150,y:688,w:394,h:23},
{t:"bruises; fnally they attained the height of fnesse: in the ",p:124,x:150,y:716,w:394,h:23},
{t:"freezing cold, they locked her all night in the outhouse, ",p:124,x:150,y:743,w:394,h:23},
{t:"because she wouldn ’t ask to get up and go in the middle ",p:124,x:150,y:771,w:394,h:23},
{t:"of the night (as if a fve-year-old child sleeping its sound ",p:124,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"angelic sleep could have learned to ask by that age)—",p:124,x:150,y:826,w:389,h:23},
{t:"for that they smeared her face with her excrement and ",p:124,x:150,y:853,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:125,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"118",p:125,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"made her eat the excrement, and it was her mother, her ",p:125,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"mother who made her!6 ",p:125,x:150,y:158,w:171,h:23},
{t:"As Ivan would no doubt say, an evil of this degree is far in excess ",p:125,x:120,y:193,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of anything that could possibly be justifed as the route to a ",p:125,x:120,y:221,w:454,h:23},
{t:"greater good. (Could God not have derived enough good from ",p:125,x:120,y:248,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the child’s beating alone? Did she have to eat her excrement too?) ",p:125,x:120,y:276,w:454,h:23},
{t:"When the full implications are weighed, it seems that appealing ",p:125,x:120,y:303,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to theodicy to explain such evil is not a consolation but rather an ",p:125,x:120,y:331,w:454,h:23},
{t:"insult. Ivan continues,",p:125,x:120,y:358,w:157,h:23},
{t:"Can you understand that a small creature, who cannot ",p:125,x:150,y:393,w:394,h:23},
{t:"even comprehend what is being done to her, in a vile ",p:125,x:150,y:421,w:394,h:23},
{t:"place, in the dark and the cold, beats herself on her ",p:125,x:150,y:448,w:394,h:23},
{t:"strained little chest with her tiny fst and weeps with her ",p:125,x:150,y:476,w:394,h:23},
{t:"anguished, gentle, meek tears for “dear God” to protect ",p:125,x:150,y:503,w:394,h:23},
{t:"her—can you understand such nonsense, my friend ",p:125,x:150,y:531,w:394,h:23},
{t:"and my brother, my godly and humble novice, can you ",p:125,x:150,y:558,w:394,h:23},
{t:"understand why this nonsense is needed and created?7 ",p:125,x:150,y:586,w:384,h:23},
{t:"Ivan objects fundamentally to the very notion of theodicy for ",p:125,x:120,y:621,w:454,h:23},
{t:"its unforgiveable conclusion that the torture, rape, and murder ",p:125,x:120,y:648,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of little girls could be justifed by God’s cosmic purposes. Ivan ’s ",p:125,x:120,y:676,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rage is palpable as he concludes his seething indictment against ",p:125,x:120,y:703,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Alyosha ’s God: “Who wants to know this damned good and evil ",p:125,x:120,y:731,w:454,h:23},
{t:"at such a price? Te whole world of knowledge is not worth the ",p:125,x:120,y:758,w:454,h:23},
{t:"tears of that little child to ‘dear God.’ ”8 ",p:125,x:120,y:786,w:282,h:23},
{t:"6.  Fyodor Dostoevsky, Te Brothers Karamazov, trans. Richard Pevear and ",p:125,x:120,y:841,w:434,h:19},
{t:"Larissa Volokhonsky (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992), 241-2.",p:125,x:120,y:861,w:373,h:19},
{t:"7.  Dostoevsky, Te Brothers Karamazov, 242.",p:125,x:120,y:881,w:263,h:19},
{t:"8.  Dostoevsky, Te Brothers Karamazov, 242.",p:125,x:120,y:901,w:263,h:19},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:126,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"119",p:126,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"For a protest atheist like Ivan, this is the fnal objection to ",p:126,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"theodicy and ultimately to God. No possible good could justify ",p:126,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the tears shed by this child beaten and locked in the latrine, or ",p:126,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"those that soaked Ann ’s pillow as she was raped, or those that ",p:126,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"spilled onto the foor of the shack as Missy was murdered. Every ",p:126,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"attempt to justify and redeem such evils with respect to some ",p:126,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hypothesized greater good only adds the fnal insult.",p:126,x:120,y:296,w:368,h:23},
{t:"Why Is God Silent?",p:126,x:235,y:347,w:218,h:30},
{t:"Any person with a modicum of sensitivity to sufering must ",p:126,x:120,y:395,w:454,h:23},
{t:"surely admit the emotive pull in the protest atheist’s position. ",p:126,x:120,y:423,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But is an atheistic world where evil happens for no purpose ",p:126,x:120,y:450,w:454,h:23},
{t:"really preferable? As difcult as it may be to stomach greater ",p:126,x:120,y:478,w:454,h:23},
{t:"goods theodicy when it is applied to specifc cases, surely the ",p:126,x:120,y:505,w:454,h:23},
{t:"alternative is far worse! On this point the protest atheist is ",p:126,x:120,y:533,w:454,h:23},
{t:"like the person who indignantly informs her doctor that she ",p:126,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would sooner face death than the hopeful prognosis that comes ",p:126,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"through a course of chemotherapy. Te greater goods explana-",p:126,x:120,y:615,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion for evil does not ofer an easy answer, but in contrast to ",p:126,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"atheism it does ofer hope.",p:126,x:120,y:670,w:191,h:23},
{t:"So why does God not make clearer his reasons for allowing ",p:126,x:150,y:698,w:424,h:23},
{t:"specifc evils? Te frst reason, which is implied by the inadequacy ",p:126,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of greater goods theodicy when applied to specifc cases, is that ",p:126,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this knowledge would not be particularly helpful to us. Just as ",p:126,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus knew that it would not be helpful to give Mack specifc ",p:126,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"details concerning Missy’s ordeal (173) so God knows that it ",p:126,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would often not be helpful for us to have the details of why we ",p:126,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sufer. Tis was Harold Kushner’s experience when he faced the ",p:126,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:127,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"120",p:127,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"imminent death of his son: “Te books I turned to were more ",p:127,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"concerned with defending God’s honor, with logical proof that ",p:127,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bad is really good and that evil is necessary to make this a good ",p:127,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"world, than they were with curing the bewilderment and the ",p:127,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"anguish of the parent of a dying child.”9 Tus while theodicy ",p:127,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"may have great value in the ivory tower of speculative discussion, ",p:127,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it is of negligible value for those in the trenches of sufering.",p:127,x:120,y:296,w:422,h:23},
{t:"C.S. Lewis provides an excellent illustration of the point. ",p:127,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Tis author of Te Problem of Pain, one of the twentieth century’s ",p:127,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"most efective theodicies, found his own book cold comfort when ",p:127,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he lost his wife to cancer. And so in order to come to terms with ",p:127,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his anguish Lewis wrote a very diferent book, A Grief Observed, ",p:127,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in which arguments recede into the shadows. In their place we ",p:127,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fnd agonized personal refections: “People get over these things. ",p:127,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Come, I shan ’t do so badly. One is ashamed to listen to this voice ",p:127,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but it seems for a little to be making out a good case. Ten comes ",p:127,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a sudden jab of red-hot memory and all this ",p:127,x:120,y:571,w:340,h:23},
{t:"‘ commonsense’ ",p:127,x:463,y:571,w:111,h:23},
{t:"vanishes like an ant in the mouth of a furnace.”10 But even if the ",p:127,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"arguments of theodicy are vaporized in the furnace of sufering ",p:127,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we ought not conclude that they are illegitimate or valueless, but ",p:127,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"simply that their application is limited. So in the case of Mack, ",p:127,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it may be that Papa ’s refusal to provide a specifc explanation for ",p:127,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Missy’s death is less a matter of inconsistency than the wisdom of ",p:127,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a father who withholds knowledge that would be of little value.",p:127,x:120,y:763,w:446,h:23},
{t:"9. Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Tings Happen to Good People, 4.",p:127,x:120,y:881,w:386,h:19},
{t:"10. C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed (New York: Bantam Books, 1976), 2. ",p:127,x:120,y:901,w:412,h:19},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:128,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"121",p:128,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"I would suggest a second reason why God refuses to explain ",p:128,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"why Missy died: those reasons may be too complex for Mack to ",p:128,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"understand. As Papa explains:",p:128,x:120,y:186,w:209,h:23},
{t:"Tere are millions of reasons to allow pain and hurt ",p:128,x:150,y:221,w:394,h:23},
{t:"and sufering rather than to eradicate them, but most ",p:128,x:150,y:248,w:394,h:23},
{t:"of those reasons can only be understood within each ",p:128,x:150,y:276,w:394,h:23},
{t:"person ’s story. I am not evil. You are the ones who ",p:128,x:150,y:303,w:394,h:23},
{t:"embrace fear and pain and power and rights so read-",p:128,x:150,y:331,w:390,h:23},
{t:"ily in your relationships. But your choices are also not ",p:128,x:150,y:358,w:394,h:23},
{t:"stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice ",p:128,x:150,y:386,w:394,h:23},
{t:"you make for the ultimate good and the most loving ",p:128,x:150,y:413,w:394,h:23},
{t:"outcome. (125)",p:128,x:150,y:441,w:110,h:23},
{t:"Let’s think about the claim being made here. In order to under-",p:128,x:120,y:476,w:450,h:23},
{t:"stand all the reasons why God allows a particular evil in some-",p:128,x:120,y:503,w:450,h:23},
{t:"one’s life, we must understand each person ’s story fully. So for ",p:128,x:120,y:531,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack to understand why God allowed Missy’s death, he would ",p:128,x:120,y:558,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have to know her full story. And this would require him to know ",p:128,x:120,y:586,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his wife’s story, those of his children, and of countless other lives ",p:128,x:120,y:613,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Missy impacted through her life and death. ",p:128,x:120,y:641,w:342,h:23},
{t:"Perhaps you have heard of the famous butterfy illustration ",p:128,x:150,y:668,w:424,h:23},
{t:"of how all things are intimately interconnected. According to ",p:128,x:120,y:696,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the illustration, a butterfy’s futtering wings today in China ",p:128,x:120,y:723,w:454,h:23},
{t:"could create thunderstorms next week in California. If the fut-",p:128,x:120,y:751,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tering of a butterfy’s wing could lead to such large scale efects ",p:128,x:120,y:778,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the world, what impact might the death of a child have ",p:128,x:120,y:806,w:454,h:23},
{t:"upon the world? Tere could literally be millions of reasons why ",p:128,x:120,y:833,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God allowed Missy’s death as the impact of that event fanned ",p:128,x:120,y:861,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out over the globe afecting innumerable other situations, all ",p:128,x:120,y:888,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:129,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"122",p:129,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"working toward God’s fnal intention to weave the sufering of ",p:129,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this world into a magnifcent tapestry. It may be that the best ",p:129,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we can do is trust that God has his reasons of which we cannot ",p:129,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"yet conceive (222).",p:129,x:120,y:213,w:137,h:23},
{t:"Some years ago American public television (PBS) used to ",p:129,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"produce a program starring painter Bob Ross called “Te Joy of ",p:129,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Painting.” Ross ’s enduring popularity came from his conviction ",p:129,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that anybody could paint coupled with his easy and soft-spoken ",p:129,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"instruction. One of the most memorable moments of the ",p:129,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"program would come when Ross would be in the midst of a ",p:129,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"beautiful painting—perhaps a lovely pastoral scene with lake, ",p:129,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"trees, and mountains—and then he would suddenly scar the ",p:129,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"canvas with an ugly stroke of paint. “Oh no, Bob!” his viewing ",p:129,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"audience would cry out. ",p:129,x:120,y:488,w:182,h:23},
{t:"“What a terrible mistake!” But then ",p:129,x:305,y:488,w:269,h:23},
{t:"Ross would calmly assure the viewers that in painting there are ",p:129,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"no mistakes but only “happy little accidents.” And with that he ",p:129,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would methodically begin to transform that garish mark into a ",p:129,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"beautiful, towering pine tree that accentuated the painting in a ",p:129,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"way the viewer could never have anticipated. ",p:129,x:120,y:626,w:319,h:23},
{t:"At times, theologians have referred to the fall of Adam and ",p:129,x:150,y:653,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Eve as a “felix culpa” or “happy fall.” Te point was not that the ",p:129,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fall was a good thing, but rather that through this terrible event, ",p:129,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God brought something wonderful in the life and death of his ",p:129,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son. Our challenge is to follow Mack to begin viewing the most ",p:129,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"garish scars of creation through the eyes of faith. Perhaps then ",p:129,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we can begin to see that God will ultimately redeem each ter-",p:129,x:120,y:818,w:450,h:23},
{t:"rible event within an emerging picture of beauty in which there ",p:129,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UNIvERSE",p:130,x:301,y:81,w:268,h:19},
{t:"123",p:130,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"will no longer be mourning, crying or pain, for the old order of ",p:130,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"things will have passed away (Revelation 21:4).",p:130,x:120,y:158,w:332,h:23},
{t:"DIGGING DEEPER",p:130,x:262,y:268,w:164,h:29},
{t:"(1) ",p:130,x:120,y:332,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Given that theodicy is of negligible value for aiding those in the ",p:130,x:150,y:332,w:420,h:20},
{t:"midst of suffering, just what is its value? ",p:130,x:150,y:358,w:274,h:20},
{t:"(2) ",p:130,x:120,y:401,w:22,h:20},
{t:"The assumption of the free will argument is that free will ",p:130,x:150,y:401,w:376,h:20},
{t:"requires the ability to choose evil. Does that mean that God is ",p:130,x:150,y:427,w:407,h:20},
{t:"not free since he cannot sin? And what about the human beings ",p:130,x:150,y:453,w:420,h:20},
{t:"redeemed in eternity? If we will no longer be able to sin, will we ",p:130,x:150,y:479,w:418,h:20},
{t:"not be free?",p:130,x:150,y:506,w:76,h:20},
{t:"(3) ",p:130,x:120,y:549,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you find the thought that Jesus and the Holy Spirit ",p:130,x:150,y:549,w:352,h:20},
{t:"accompanied Missy throughout her ordeal comforting or ",p:130,x:150,y:575,w:367,h:20},
{t:"disturbing?",p:130,x:150,y:601,w:74,h:20},
{t:"(4) ",p:130,x:120,y:644,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you believe that The Shack maintains the balance between ",p:130,x:150,y:644,w:407,h:21},
{t:"God anticipating and redeeming sinful events without actually ",p:130,x:150,y:670,w:412,h:20},
{t:"causing those events?",p:130,x:150,y:697,w:144,h:20},
{t:"(5) ",p:130,x:120,y:739,w:22,h:20},
{t:"How do you respond to the idea that God used Missy’s murder to ",p:130,x:150,y:739,w:419,h:20},
{t:"achieve greater goods? ",p:130,x:150,y:766,w:154,h:20},
{t:"125",p:131,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"CHAPTER 6",p:131,x:283,y:307,w:123,h:36},
{t:"Finding Hope in ",p:131,x:131,y:425,w:441,h:52},
{t:"God",p:131,x:208,y:472,w:108,h:52},
{t:"’ s Pain",p:131,x:319,y:472,w:161,h:52},
{t:"One of the most haunting depictions of evil is found in ",p:131,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:68},
{t:"Elie Wiesel’s ",p:131,x:171,y:664,w:97,h:23},
{t:"harrowing autobiographical account ",p:131,x:276,y:664,w:273,h:23},
{t:"of ",p:131,x:555,y:664,w:18,h:23},
{t:"the Holocaust in the book Night. Among the litany of horrors ",p:131,x:120,y:691,w:454,h:23},
{t:"recorded in the book, the most agonizing may be the occasion ",p:131,x:120,y:719,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when a small boy was sentenced to death on the gallows while ",p:131,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the other prisoners were forced to watch. As Wiesel recounts, the ",p:131,x:120,y:774,w:454,h:23},
{t:"horror was compounded by the fact that the boy’s light weight ",p:131,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"led to a slow and torturous death by strangulation:",p:131,x:120,y:829,w:357,h:23},
{t:"For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling ",p:131,x:150,y:864,w:394,h:23},
{t:"between life and death, dying in slow agony under our ",p:131,x:150,y:891,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:132,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"126",p:132,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was ",p:132,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was ",p:132,x:150,y:158,w:394,h:23},
{t:"still red; his lips were not yet glazed.",p:132,x:150,y:186,w:254,h:23},
{t:"Behind me, I heard the same man asking:",p:132,x:179,y:213,w:293,h:23},
{t:"“Where is God now?”",p:132,x:179,y:241,w:155,h:23},
{t:"And I heard a voice within me answer him:",p:132,x:179,y:268,w:305,h:23},
{t:"“Where is He? Here He is—He is hanging here on ",p:132,x:179,y:296,w:364,h:23},
{t:"this gallows . . .”1",p:132,x:150,y:323,w:120,h:23},
{t:"While some readers interpreted Wiesel’s comment as marking ",p:132,x:120,y:358,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a retreat to atheism, in fact he was alluding to the mysterious ",p:132,x:120,y:386,w:454,h:23},
{t:"notion that God somehow sufers with his people. Could it be ",p:132,x:120,y:413,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the sovereign Lord of the universe is present in and with a ",p:132,x:120,y:441,w:454,h:23},
{t:"child facing the most horrifc death? ",p:132,x:120,y:468,w:259,h:23},
{t:"Wiesel makes the point clear in his memoirs when he turns ",p:132,x:150,y:496,w:424,h:23},
{t:"to address the problem of the Holocaust in a haunting three ",p:132,x:120,y:523,w:454,h:23},
{t:"page mediation titled “God’s Sufering: A Commentary.” Te ",p:132,x:120,y:551,w:454,h:23},
{t:"passage begins:",p:132,x:120,y:578,w:105,h:23},
{t:"Here is what the Midrash tells us. When the Holy One, ",p:132,x:150,y:613,w:394,h:23},
{t:"blessed be His name, comes to liberate the children of ",p:132,x:150,y:641,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Israel from their exile, they will say to him: “Master ",p:132,x:150,y:668,w:394,h:23},
{t:"of the Universe, it is You who dispersed us among the ",p:132,x:150,y:696,w:394,h:23},
{t:"nations, driving us from Your abode, and now it is You ",p:132,x:150,y:723,w:394,h:23},
{t:"who bring us back. Why is that?” And the Holy One, ",p:132,x:150,y:751,w:394,h:23},
{t:"blessed be His name, will reply with this parable. One ",p:132,x:150,y:778,w:394,h:23},
{t:"day a king drove his wife from his palace, and the next ",p:132,x:150,y:806,w:394,h:23},
{t:"day he had her brought back. Te queen, astonished, ",p:132,x:150,y:833,w:394,h:23},
{t:"1.  Elie Wiesel, Night (New York: Bantam Books, 1982), 61–2.",p:132,x:120,y:901,w:367,h:19},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:133,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"127",p:133,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"asked him: ",p:133,x:150,y:131,w:86,h:23},
{t:"“Why did you send me away yesterday ",p:133,x:239,y:131,w:304,h:23},
{t:"only to bring me back today?” ",p:133,x:150,y:158,w:234,h:23},
{t:"“Know this,” replied ",p:133,x:387,y:158,w:157,h:23},
{t:"the king, “that I followed you out of the palace, for I ",p:133,x:150,y:186,w:394,h:23},
{t:"could not live in it alone.” So the Holy One, blessed ",p:133,x:150,y:213,w:394,h:23},
{t:"be His name, tells the children of Israel: “Having seen ",p:133,x:150,y:241,w:394,h:23},
{t:"you leave my abode, I left it too, that I might return ",p:133,x:150,y:268,w:394,h:23},
{t:"with you.”2",p:133,x:150,y:296,w:80,h:23},
{t:"Just as God ofers Job no explanation for his sufering, so in ",p:133,x:120,y:331,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this parable the king ofers no explanation for why he sent his ",p:133,x:120,y:358,w:454,h:23},
{t:"queen out of the palace. Even while evil remains a mystery, the ",p:133,x:120,y:386,w:454,h:23},
{t:"parable assures us that the king was with his queen in the midst ",p:133,x:120,y:413,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of her sufering. Similarly, God ofers no clear and specifc ",p:133,x:120,y:441,w:454,h:23},
{t:"reasons why he has allowed his people to experience incredible ",p:133,x:120,y:468,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sufering—but he does promise that he is present with them in ",p:133,x:120,y:496,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the midst of it.",p:133,x:120,y:523,w:108,h:23},
{t:"Tis perplexing parable of the king’s self-imposed exile takes ",p:133,x:150,y:551,w:424,h:23},
{t:"on a whole new level of meaning for the Christian who believes ",p:133,x:120,y:578,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that God has accompanied his people into exile by literally ",p:133,x:120,y:606,w:454,h:23},
{t:"becoming incarnate in their midst. God does not merely sufer ",p:133,x:120,y:633,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and identify with us as God—in itself a profound and perplex-",p:133,x:120,y:661,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing notion—but as a human being as well. By identifying with ",p:133,x:120,y:688,w:454,h:23},
{t:"human sufering God stood in solidarity with all the sufering ",p:133,x:120,y:716,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and pain of this world. Could it be that here, in the weakness of ",p:133,x:120,y:743,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the cross, we fnd God’s fnal triumph over evil?",p:133,x:120,y:771,w:335,h:23},
{t:"2.  Elie Wiesel, All Rivers Run to the Sea (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, ",p:133,x:120,y:881,w:405,h:19},
{t:"1995), 103. ",p:133,x:120,y:901,w:72,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:134,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"128",p:134,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Jesus Suffered with Us",p:134,x:218,y:130,w:252,h:30},
{t:"On the long drive up to Wallowa Lake, Mack shared with his ",p:134,x:120,y:178,w:454,h:23},
{t:"children the legend of the Indian princess of the Multnomah ",p:134,x:120,y:206,w:454,h:23},
{t:"tribe. According to the story, a sickness broke out among the ",p:134,x:120,y:233,w:454,h:23},
{t:"men of the tribe and then quickly began to claim one victim ",p:134,x:120,y:261,w:454,h:23},
{t:"after another. As the situation grew desperate, the medicine man ",p:134,x:120,y:288,w:454,h:23},
{t:"shared with the tribe how his father had foretold years before ",p:134,x:120,y:316,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that such an illness would strike the tribe. Further his father had ",p:134,x:120,y:343,w:454,h:23},
{t:"said that the disease could only be cured if a chief",p:134,x:120,y:371,w:369,h:23},
{t:"’",p:134,x:491,y:371,w:4,h:23},
{t:"s daughter ",p:134,x:494,y:371,w:79,h:23},
{t:"should willingly surrender her life by throwing herself of a high ",p:134,x:120,y:398,w:454,h:23},
{t:"clif. Although the tribal leaders determined that they could ",p:134,x:120,y:426,w:454,h:23},
{t:"never request that kind of sacrifce, one princess volunteered ",p:134,x:120,y:453,w:454,h:23},
{t:"herself by journeying to the clifs in the dead of night and casting ",p:134,x:120,y:481,w:454,h:23},
{t:"herself to her death so that the tribe might live. In a miraculous ",p:134,x:120,y:508,w:454,h:23},
{t:"commemoration of her sacrifce, the waters of the Multnomah ",p:134,x:120,y:536,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Falls began to spill over the clif from that point, marking the ",p:134,x:120,y:563,w:454,h:23},
{t:"princess ’s gift with a perpetual cascade of living water.",p:134,x:120,y:591,w:377,h:23},
{t:"Mack had always enjoyed sharing this story with his chil-",p:134,x:150,y:618,w:420,h:23},
{t:"dren, for “It had all the elements of a true redemption story, ",p:134,x:120,y:646,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not unlike the story of Jesus . . .” (29). But while Missy was ",p:134,x:120,y:673,w:454,h:23},
{t:"usually fascinated by the story, this time she appeared strangely ",p:134,x:120,y:701,w:454,h:23},
{t:"subdued. Te reason, as Mack later discovered, was due to the ",p:134,x:120,y:728,w:454,h:23},
{t:"troubling connection between the Multnomah prophecy and ",p:134,x:120,y:756,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God’s seemingly cruel demand that Jesus must die to save hu-",p:134,x:120,y:783,w:450,h:23},
{t:"manity. In response, Mack explained: “His daddy didn ’t make ",p:134,x:120,y:811,w:454,h:23},
{t:"him die. Jesus chose to die because he and his daddy love you ",p:134,x:120,y:838,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and me and everyone in the world. He saved us from our sick-",p:134,x:120,y:866,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ness, just like the princess” (31). And so it is with this central ",p:134,x:120,y:893,w:454,h:23},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:135,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"129",p:135,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Christian doctrine that it presents us simultaneously with the ",p:135,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"mystery of God submitting his own Son to a sacrifcial death, ",p:135,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and the most glorious truth that he did it so that we might ",p:135,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"become his children. As important as theodicy may be for the ",p:135,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christian pondering sufering in the world, it is here at the foot ",p:135,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the cross that one encounters the greatest and fnal response ",p:135,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to the problem of evil. ",p:135,x:120,y:296,w:162,h:23},
{t:"What sort of hope is found in the cross? To begin with there ",p:135,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"is the hope of solidarity that is found in the knowledge that God ",p:135,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"identifes with us in our sufering. God hung on the gallows with ",p:135,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that child just as the king ventured out into the marketplace ",p:135,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"after his queen. I suspect that only people who have experienced ",p:135,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"very great sufering can appreciate the profound implications of ",p:135,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this claim. To take one example, in the year ad 177 a vicious per-",p:135,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"secution broke out in Lyons (in what is today southern France) ",p:135,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in which Christians were subjected to the cruelest of tortures. ",p:135,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"One young woman named Blandina was tortured for days while ",p:135,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a young man named Sanctus writhed in agony as burning hot ",p:135,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"brass plates were pressed into the most vulnerable portions of ",p:135,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his body. In addition, the church lost its beloved aged Bishop ",p:135,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Pothinus after he received a severe beating. What would the ",p:135,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cross have meant to the sufering saints of Lyons?",p:135,x:120,y:708,w:346,h:23},
{t:"Te answer came with ",p:135,x:150,y:736,w:181,h:23},
{t:"Ireaneaus, one ",p:135,x:338,y:736,w:112,h:23},
{t:"of ",p:135,x:457,y:736,w:18,h:23},
{t:"the ",p:135,x:483,y:736,w:26,h:23},
{t:"greatest ",p:135,x:516,y:736,w:57,h:23},
{t:"theologians of the early church and the appointed replacement ",p:135,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for Bishop Pothinus. In light of his church ’s experience with ",p:135,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sufering, ",p:135,x:120,y:818,w:70,h:23},
{t:"Irenaeus understood the signifcance ",p:135,x:196,y:818,w:280,h:23},
{t:"of ",p:135,x:483,y:818,w:18,h:23},
{t:"claiming ",p:135,x:509,y:818,w:65,h:23},
{t:"that Christ stands in solidarity with us. He knew that because ",p:135,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Christ had sufered with us, we could view our suferings as a ",p:135,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"means of identifcation with our Lord (1 Peter 4:13). Irenaeus ",p:135,x:120,y:901,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:136,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"130",p:136,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"developed the implications of this teaching even as he sought to ",p:136,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"refute a popular heresy of the time called Gnosticism. According ",p:136,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to Gnosticism, God could not sufer and since Jesus was God ",p:136,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he only pretended to sufer on the cross. Irenaeus’ reply came ",p:136,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"directly out of the incredible sufering experienced by his own ",p:136,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"church:",p:136,x:120,y:268,w:53,h:23},
{t:"If he did not really sufer, it is no credit to him, since ",p:136,x:150,y:303,w:394,h:23},
{t:"there was no passion. And where we are concerned, when ",p:136,x:150,y:331,w:394,h:23},
{t:"we begin actually to sufer he will seem a deceiver as he ",p:136,x:150,y:358,w:394,h:23},
{t:"exhorts us to get ourselves beaten and to turn the other ",p:136,x:150,y:386,w:394,h:23},
{t:"cheek, if he did not frst sufer in the same way himself. ",p:136,x:150,y:413,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Just as he led his disciples astray too by exhorting us ",p:136,x:150,y:441,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to put up with things he did not put up with. What ",p:136,x:150,y:468,w:394,h:23},
{t:"is more, we will be greater than our teacher inasmuch ",p:136,x:150,y:496,w:394,h:23},
{t:"as we sufer and bear things which our teacher neither ",p:136,x:150,y:523,w:394,h:23},
{t:"sufered nor bore.3",p:136,x:150,y:551,w:130,h:23},
{t:"Let it never be said that theology does not have an impact on real ",p:136,x:120,y:586,w:454,h:23},
{t:"life! As Irenaeus observes, if Christ was merely playacting on the ",p:136,x:120,y:613,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cross, then Blandina, Sanctus, and Pothinus would have noth-",p:136,x:120,y:641,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing to learn from him; indeed, they would have become greater ",p:136,x:120,y:668,w:454,h:23},
{t:"than their teacher! In the same way that seasoned soldiers would ",p:136,x:120,y:696,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not accept the appointment of a sergeant who had never seen ",p:136,x:120,y:723,w:454,h:23},
{t:"combat, so Christian saints could hardly appreciate a savior who ",p:136,x:120,y:751,w:454,h:23},
{t:"had never known sufering! As such, it was critical that the Lyons ",p:136,x:120,y:778,w:454,h:23},
{t:"saints know that Christ had stood in solidarity with Blandina, ",p:136,x:120,y:806,w:454,h:23},
{t:"3.  Ireanaeus, “Against Heresies,” in Richard A. Norris, trans. and ed., Te ",p:136,x:120,y:881,w:432,h:19},
{t:"Christological Controversy (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980), 53.",p:136,x:120,y:901,w:377,h:19},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:137,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"131",p:137,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Sanctus, and Pothinus, and that whatever else they might face in ",p:137,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the valley of the shadow of death, he would carry them through. ",p:137,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Jesus the Great Physician . . .  ",p:137,x:179,y:209,w:345,h:30},
{t:"and So Much More",p:137,x:237,y:236,w:214,h:30},
{t:"As profound as it is to think of Jesus Christ identifying with us ",p:137,x:120,y:284,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in our sickness, we could never be satisfed with a savior who ",p:137,x:120,y:312,w:454,h:23},
{t:"only sufered with us. A patient ultimately seeks a doctor not ",p:137,x:120,y:339,w:454,h:23},
{t:"simply so he can express empathy but rather so that he can bring ",p:137,x:120,y:367,w:454,h:23},
{t:"healing. And we seek a God who gives not just his tears but a ",p:137,x:120,y:394,w:454,h:23},
{t:"steady hand that will dry our tears. As Mack observes, Christ ",p:137,x:120,y:422,w:454,h:23},
{t:"came to heal us of our sickness. But precisely how does that ",p:137,x:120,y:449,w:454,h:23},
{t:"healing come about? ",p:137,x:120,y:477,w:149,h:23},
{t:"As we saw in chapter fve, Mack ’s understanding of God’s ",p:137,x:150,y:504,w:424,h:23},
{t:"love is hampered by the very diferent fates of Amber Ducette ",p:137,x:120,y:532,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Missy. How could God be all-loving if he left Missy to die? ",p:137,x:120,y:559,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In response, Sophia gives Mack a lesson he shall never forget ",p:137,x:120,y:587,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when she turns his questions (or rather his thinly veiled ac-",p:137,x:120,y:614,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cusations) back on him. Te climax of her cross-examination ",p:137,x:120,y:642,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comes when she demands that Mack decide which of his very ",p:137,x:120,y:669,w:454,h:23},
{t:"own children he will decide to damn and which he will allow to ",p:137,x:120,y:697,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be saved. Tough Mack refuses to countenance this unthinkable ",p:137,x:120,y:724,w:454,h:23},
{t:"choice, his interrogator continues to press the question. Finally, ",p:137,x:120,y:752,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with an increasing sense of desperation, he pleads, “Could I go ",p:137,x:120,y:779,w:454,h:23},
{t:"instead? If you need someone to torture for eternity, I’ll go in ",p:137,x:120,y:807,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their place” (163).",p:137,x:120,y:834,w:128,h:23},
{t:"Tough Mack does not realize it, with that desperate plea, ",p:137,x:150,y:862,w:424,h:23},
{t:"he has found himself in rarefed company indeed. Recall Moses, ",p:137,x:120,y:889,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:138,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"132",p:138,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"who pleaded with God to forgive the Israelites for their wor-",p:138,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ship of the golden calf. If God would not forgive, then Moses ",p:138,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"opted to stand in solidarity with his people by requesting that ",p:138,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his own name be blotted out of God’s book of life (Exodus ",p:138,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"32:32). Remember the apostle Paul, who was so anguished at ",p:138,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the plight of the Israelites that he expressed his own willingness ",p:138,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to be damned if only in this way Israel might be saved (Romans ",p:138,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"9:3). In this formidable tradition, Mack too expresses the will-",p:138,x:120,y:323,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ingness to be damned out of love for his children. But while ",p:138,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our frst reaction to Moses and Paul might be admiration for ",p:138,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their selfessness, from another perspective one could argue that ",p:138,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their positions were not admirable at all. To illustrate, consider ",p:138,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a groom who misses his own wedding reception because he ",p:138,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"decided to ofer his banquet meal to a homeless man. We would ",p:138,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not consider this man ’s actions commendable! On the contrary, ",p:138,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"we would consider him to have insulted his bride and wedding ",p:138,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"party. Couldn ’t one argue by the same token that Moses, Paul, ",p:138,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and Mack have insulted their God and the hosts of heaven by ",p:138,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"opting for fnite and fallible humans?",p:138,x:120,y:626,w:262,h:23},
{t:"Te charge is an intriguing one, and when one thinks about ",p:138,x:150,y:653,w:424,h:23},
{t:"it, it does seem sensible. Te only problem is that it is shown ",p:138,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to be false by the very heart of God. Moses and Paul were not ",p:138,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"deviating from the proper norm but rather were expressing the ",p:138,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"inexplicable love of God in the mystery of the Son, who opted to ",p:138,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"leave his perfect communion with the Father to realize our salva-",p:138,x:120,y:791,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion. What is more, it is the Father who surrendered this perfect ",p:138,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"communion by sending him! Amazingly, for Moses, Paul, and ",p:138,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack to surrender themselves for the sake of a sufering people ",p:138,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:139,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"133",p:139,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"is but one way to express the beauty of what Jesus did for us. ",p:139,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"In opting to die in his children ’s place, Mack has inadvertently ",p:139,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"expressed the very heart of God.",p:139,x:120,y:186,w:227,h:23},
{t:"But what is it that Jesus did for us? As we saw in chapter fve, ",p:139,x:150,y:213,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the reality of evil is deep and perplexing. Any account of how ",p:139,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God is working against and through it will inevitably be partial. ",p:139,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te core term is atonement, the process of at-one-ment by which ",p:139,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sinful creatures are brought back into relationship with God. ",p:139,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"How can we understand this mystery? Here we must return to ",p:139,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the concept of accommodation that was central in chapter two. ",p:139,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te fact is that we may not be able to understand literally how ",p:139,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God has acted through the cross to save us, but he has revealed ",p:139,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to us a number of accommodating images to explain aspects of ",p:139,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this mysterious act of love in terms accessible to us.",p:139,x:120,y:488,w:360,h:23},
{t:"In concluding this section, we will consider a few of these ",p:139,x:150,y:516,w:424,h:23},
{t:"images. To begin with, our sinful state is often compared to ",p:139,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sickness and even death to clarify that people are truly dead in ",p:139,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"their sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). Absolutely unable to ",p:139,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"save themselves, it is Jesus who comes as the Great Physician to ",p:139,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"heal us from our sickness (Mark 2:17; Luke 4:23) and indeed ",p:139,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to resurrect us back to life in his Spirit. Te New Testament of-",p:139,x:120,y:681,w:450,h:23},
{t:"fers other accommodating images as well. For instance, Christ’s ",p:139,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"work is described as a reconciliation (katallage), an image that ",p:139,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"calls to mind the settling of debts in the marketplace. Tus, ",p:139,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God the Father “was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, ",p:139,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not counting people’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19; ",p:139,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cf. Romans 5:11). In addition, Paul describes Christ’s work in ",p:139,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"terms of redemption (apolutrosis), a term that calls to mind a ",p:139,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:140,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"134",p:140,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"person ’s ",p:140,x:120,y:131,w:59,h:23},
{t:"liberation from slavery: ",p:140,x:184,y:131,w:179,h:23},
{t:"“ All ",p:140,x:370,y:131,w:30,h:23},
{t:"are justifed freely by ",p:140,x:406,y:131,w:167,h:23},
{t:"his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” ",p:140,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Romans 3:24). Again, salvation comes from the grace of the ",p:140,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Father through Christ. ",p:140,x:120,y:213,w:164,h:23},
{t:"Te images are varied: we were dead and Christ brought us ",p:140,x:150,y:241,w:424,h:23},
{t:"back to life, we were sick and he healed us, in debt and he paid ",p:140,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for us, in slavery and he liberated us. And so when Mack asks ",p:140,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"what the atonement accomplished, Papa replies matter-of-factly: ",p:140,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“Nothing much. Just the substance of everything that love pur-",p:140,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"posed from before the foundations of Creation” (191). ",p:140,x:120,y:378,w:389,h:23},
{t:"As I said, the New Testament provides a number of accom-",p:140,x:150,y:406,w:420,h:23},
{t:"modating images in Scripture, but not all of them make it into ",p:140,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te Shack. Notably absent is the image of atonement as salvation ",p:140,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"from the wrath of God. Tis is not surprising given Te Shack’s ",p:140,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"downplaying of the sovereign side of God. But the challenge for ",p:140,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"us is to ask whether the result is a truncated image of atonement. ",p:140,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"We shall ask this question in two steps, frst by confronting the ",p:140,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wrath of God in Scripture, and then turning to consider that ",p:140,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wrath within the cross.",p:140,x:120,y:626,w:161,h:23},
{t:"The Wrathful God",p:140,x:241,y:677,w:206,h:30},
{t:"Ask most anyone to give an example of the low point in church ",p:140,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"history and they will probably point to the Crusades . . . and for ",p:140,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"good reason. Crusaders in the frst sack of Jerusalem in 1099 ",p:140,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"proudly wrote home of how the blood from the Muslim infdels ",p:140,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ran in the streets up to their ankles. Raymond of Aguilers, a ",p:140,x:120,y:835,w:454,h:23},
{t:"chaplain in the army, recounts: “In all the . . . streets and squares ",p:140,x:120,y:863,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the city, mounds of heads, hands and feet were to be seen.” ",p:140,x:120,y:890,w:454,h:23},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:141,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"135",p:141,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"He concluded, “What an apt punishment! Te very place that ",p:141,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"endured for so long blasphemies against God was now masked ",p:141,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the blood of the blasphemers.”4 Such accounts prompt one ",p:141,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to ask how anyone could have carried out such atrocities while ",p:141,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"thinking they had the blessing of God! And yet, even if we ac-",p:141,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cept that Jesus laid down a new ethic for the church, holy war ",p:141,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was a familiar part of Israel’s history. Indeed, Israel was sent in ",p:141,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to conquer Canaan through the destruction of entire societies, ",p:141,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"infants and the elderly included (Deuteronomy 20:16–17). ",p:141,x:120,y:351,w:422,h:23},
{t:"No doubt Christians familiar only with the comfortable ",p:141,x:150,y:378,w:424,h:23},
{t:"suburban God that has taken up residence in many North ",p:141,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"American churches will fnd the Old Testament accounts of holy ",p:141,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"war absolutely incomprehensible. As a result, they may seek to ",p:141,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"beat a hasty retreat to the meek Jesus who provides a marked ",p:141,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"contrast to the violent and capricious Old Testament God of war. ",p:141,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As Mack puts it, “I understand Jesus’ love, but God is another ",p:141,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"story. I don ’t fnd them to be alike at all” (163). ",p:141,x:120,y:571,w:339,h:23},
{t:"But the reality is that ",p:141,x:150,y:598,w:163,h:23},
{t:"“gentle Jesus” ofers limited respite ",p:141,x:316,y:598,w:258,h:23},
{t:"from divine violence. Indeed, when we turn to the book of ",p:141,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Revelation we do not fnd a denunciation of the regional and ",p:141,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ethnic violence in the Old Testament, but rather an elevation ",p:141,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of it to a truly cosmic scale. Indeed, the images of violent judg-",p:141,x:120,y:708,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ment within this prophetic book dwarf the atrocities of the most ",p:141,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"violent battles of military history. In one unforgettable image, ",p:141,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God’s angel of judgment is described as gathering grapes from ",p:141,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the earth and throwing them into the great winepress of his ",p:141,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"4.  Cited in Piers Paul Read, Te Templars (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo ",p:141,x:120,y:881,w:411,h:19},
{t:"Press, 2001), 83. ",p:141,x:120,y:901,w:100,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:142,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"136",p:142,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"wrath where they are “trampled in the winepress outside the city, ",p:142,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and blood fowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ ",p:142,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia” (Revelation 14:19–20). ",p:142,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te image calls to mind God exercising his wrath as he smashes ",p:142,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rebellious sinners to a lifeless pulp under the divine heel, leading ",p:142,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to a cascading river of blood both deep and wide! Nor is this ",p:142,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"promise of punishment a singular anomaly, for warnings against ",p:142,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the impending judgments of hell pervade the New Testament ",p:142,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(see for instance Matthew 25:41,46; Jude 7). ",p:142,x:120,y:351,w:320,h:23},
{t:"Few Christians are glad to fnd such stomach churning im-",p:142,x:150,y:378,w:420,h:23},
{t:"ages in Scripture (and we would certainly have our worries about ",p:142,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"those who were glad). Still the fact remains that the violence is ",p:142,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"there, and somehow or other it must be addressed. But how? ",p:142,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"How does one reconcile the God of seething wrath with the ",p:142,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"image of a loving Jesus who embraced the prostitute and tax ",p:142,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"collector? Surely we can sympathize with Mack ’s puzzlement ",p:142,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when he asks:",p:142,x:120,y:571,w:96,h:23},
{t:"“But what about your wrath? It seems to me that if ",p:142,x:150,y:606,w:394,h:23},
{t:"you ’re going to pretend to be God Almighty, you need ",p:142,x:150,y:633,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to be a lot angrier.”",p:142,x:150,y:661,w:134,h:23},
{t:"“Do I now?”",p:142,x:150,y:688,w:89,h:23},
{t:"“Tat’s what ",p:142,x:150,y:716,w:96,h:23},
{t:"I’ d ",p:142,x:251,y:716,w:22,h:23},
{t:"think. Weren ’t you always running ",p:142,x:278,y:716,w:266,h:23},
{t:"around killing people in the Bible?” (119)",p:142,x:150,y:743,w:295,h:23},
{t:"Mack has raised a fair question. If anything the image of God ",p:142,x:120,y:778,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in Te Shack simply compounds the problem. If Papa really is so ",p:142,x:120,y:806,w:454,h:23},
{t:"jolly, easy-going, and submissive, then why does she come across ",p:142,x:120,y:833,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in Scripture as dangerously violent? ",p:142,x:120,y:861,w:254,h:23},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:143,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"137",p:143,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Indeed, after reading the accounts of Scripture, a person ",p:143,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"could be led to suspect that at some deep level God enjoys ",p:143,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the violence. When Mack boldly inquires as to whether this ",p:143,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is true of Papa, he is taken aback by her response: “He could ",p:143,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"see a deep sadness in her eyes. ",p:143,x:120,y:241,w:237,h:23},
{t:"‘I am not what you think I ",p:143,x:359,y:241,w:214,h:23},
{t:"am, Mackenzie. I don ’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is ",p:143,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It’s not ",p:143,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it’ ” (119–120). ",p:143,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Note the signifcance of Papa ’s response. Not only does she ",p:143,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"make clear that she does not enjoy punishing people in hell, ",p:143,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"but she adds that she does not actually punish people at all. ",p:143,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Rather, God simply leaves rebel human beings to their own ",p:143,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sinful wills to be punished by the consequences of their own ",p:143,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"choices.",p:143,x:120,y:488,w:58,h:23},
{t:"Tis notion that God does not actively punish people in ",p:143,x:150,y:516,w:424,h:23},
{t:"hell was popularized by C.S. Lewis who famously described ",p:143,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the gates of hell as being locked from the inside, a phrase that ",p:143,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"suggested it was human will alone that kept people in hell. ",p:143,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Unfortunately that claim does not appear particularly plausible ",p:143,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"given the prevalence of New Testament images that describe ",p:143,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God actively casting human beings into the furnace or outer ",p:143,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"darkness of eternal punishment (Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; ",p:143,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"25:30; Revelation 14:9–11; 20:15). Whatever else we might ",p:143,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"conclude about God, Scripture certainly seems to teach that he ",p:143,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will exercise a ferce and wrathful judgment against those who ",p:143,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are not found in Christ (Romans 8:1). It would seem that the ",p:143,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wrath of God is not so easily avoided.",p:143,x:120,y:846,w:265,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:144,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"138",p:144,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Did Jesus Save Us from God’s Wrath?",p:144,x:135,y:130,w:419,h:30},
{t:"In addition to all the other problems human beings face—dead in ",p:144,x:120,y:178,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sin, sick, in debt, and enslaved, we now fnd the most disturbing ",p:144,x:120,y:206,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fact of all: we are all under the holy wrath of God! But if those ",p:144,x:120,y:233,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who are not found in Christ face God’s wrath, then this suggests ",p:144,x:120,y:261,w:454,h:23},
{t:"something truly remarkable about the atonement: namely that ",p:144,x:120,y:288,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in his atoning death on the cross Jesus absorbed God’s wrath. ",p:144,x:120,y:316,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Could this also be an accommodating explanation of the mys-",p:144,x:120,y:343,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tery of atonement? Te evidence for this imagery is found in two ",p:144,x:120,y:371,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Greek words—hilasterion and hilasmos—which have often been ",p:144,x:120,y:398,w:454,h:23},
{t:"translated as “sacrifce of atonement” or “atoning sacrifce”: ",p:144,x:120,y:426,w:420,h:23},
{t:"Romans 3:25: “God presented him as a sacrifce of ",p:144,x:150,y:461,w:394,h:23},
{t:"atonement, through faith in his blood. ",p:144,x:150,y:488,w:277,h:23},
{t:"1 John 2:2: “He is the atoning sacrifce for our sins, ",p:144,x:150,y:531,w:394,h:23},
{t:"and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole ",p:144,x:150,y:558,w:394,h:23},
{t:"world.” ",p:144,x:150,y:586,w:56,h:23},
{t:"1 John 4:10: “Tis is love: not that we loved God, but ",p:144,x:150,y:628,w:394,h:23},
{t:"that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifce ",p:144,x:150,y:656,w:394,h:23},
{t:"for our sins.”",p:144,x:150,y:683,w:90,h:23},
{t:"Te meaning of the words “sacrifce of atonement” and “atoning ",p:144,x:120,y:718,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sacrifce” includes the concept that upon the presentation of the ",p:144,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sacrifce, God’s wrath is satisfed, that is he is propitiated. To be ",p:144,x:120,y:773,w:454,h:23},
{t:"propitiated simply means to have your wrath turned away or ",p:144,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"satisfed. ",p:144,x:120,y:828,w:64,h:23},
{t:"For instance, imagine that you become enraged after you ",p:144,x:150,y:856,w:424,h:23},
{t:"discover that your car has been vandalized. Now imagine how ",p:144,x:120,y:883,w:454,h:23},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:145,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"139",p:145,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"your anger would dissipate if the teenager responsible were to ",p:145,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"come to your door, consumed by guilt, with a tearful apology ",p:145,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and an ofer to make full reparations. No doubt unless you ",p:145,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have a heart of stone you would fnd your anger melting away ",p:145,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with this act of reconciliation: in this way you would have been ",p:145,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"propitiated or satisfed. Tis image of atonement suggests that ",p:145,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in a similar way God is outraged against our sin but that in the ",p:145,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"death of Christ his wrath against us is satisfed.",p:145,x:120,y:323,w:330,h:23},
{t:"Even as we explain atonement as the satisfaction of God’s ",p:145,x:150,y:351,w:424,h:23},
{t:"wrath, we need to be careful to avoid the danger of pitting a ",p:145,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wrathful Father against a compassionate Son. Although it may ",p:145,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be natural to think that because God is wrathful he therefore ",p:145,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cannot act out of love, Scripture will not allow it. Rather, it ",p:145,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is the Father who has acted out of love to reconcile us to him ",p:145,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(2 Corinthians 5:19) through the death of his Son (John 3:16; ",p:145,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1 John 4:10). It is the Father who sent the Son to propitiate his ",p:145,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wrath against our sin. ",p:145,x:120,y:571,w:157,h:23},
{t:"Confused yet? Nobody said that understanding the atone-",p:145,x:150,y:598,w:420,h:23},
{t:"ment would be easy. Even if we cannot get the mechanics quite ",p:145,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"clear in our minds, we should strive to be faithful to the images ",p:145,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"revealed to us. And here the key point is that the atonement is ",p:145,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"an act of the Father’s love. As John Calvin put it, “For it was ",p:145,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not after we were reconciled to him through the blood of his ",p:145,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son that he began to love us. Rather, he has loved us before the ",p:145,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"world was created, that we also might be his sons along with his ",p:145,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"only-begotten Son.”5 ",p:145,x:120,y:818,w:151,h:23},
{t:"5.  John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol. 1, ed. John T. ",p:145,x:120,y:881,w:403,h:19},
{t:"McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (London: SCM Press, 1961), 506.",p:145,x:120,y:901,w:399,h:19},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:146,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"140",p:146,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"In place of the image of the Father visiting wrath upon the ",p:146,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"Son, Te Shack depicts the Father as sufering with the Son! Tus ",p:146,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"when Mack incredulously asks Papa how she can sympathize ",p:146,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"with his experience of losing Missy, she sadly looked down at ",p:146,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her hands. “His gaze followed hers and for the frst time Mack ",p:146,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"noticed the scars in her wrists, like those he now assumed Jesus ",p:146,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"also had on his. She allowed him to tenderly touch the scars, ",p:146,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"outlines of a deep piercing, and he fnally looked up again into ",p:146,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"her eyes. Tears were slowly making their way down her face” ",p:146,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(95–96; see also 222). Tis theme of the Father’s sufering is ",p:146,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"reiterated elsewhere in the book. Consider when Sophia asks ",p:146,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack:",p:146,x:120,y:433,w:44,h:23},
{t:"“Haven ’t you seen the wounds on Papa too?” ",p:146,x:150,y:468,w:320,h:23},
{t:"“I didn ’t understand them. How could he . . .”",p:146,x:150,y:496,w:327,h:23},
{t:"“For love. He chose the way of the cross where mercy ",p:146,x:150,y:523,w:394,h:23},
{t:"triumphs over justice because of love.” (164–165)",p:146,x:150,y:551,w:350,h:23},
{t:"Te claim that the Father was wounded on the cross, that he too ",p:146,x:120,y:586,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was victim in the death of Christ, is startling and so requires a ",p:146,x:120,y:613,w:454,h:23},
{t:"closer examination.",p:146,x:120,y:641,w:136,h:23},
{t:"Some critics have charged these passages with modalism ",p:146,x:150,y:668,w:424,h:23},
{t:"based on the claim that the Father bears the marks of crucifxion. ",p:146,x:120,y:696,w:454,h:23},
{t:"However, the argument of the text is not that the Father was the ",p:146,x:120,y:723,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son on the cross, but rather that the Father sufered with the ",p:146,x:120,y:751,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Son on the cross. If these passages are troubling, it is not because ",p:146,x:120,y:778,w:454,h:23},
{t:"they suggest modalism, but rather because they replace the di-",p:146,x:120,y:806,w:450,h:23},
{t:"vine wrath with an unrestricted conception of divine sufering. ",p:146,x:120,y:833,w:454,h:23},
{t:"However, the book is ambiguous about the extent to which Papa ",p:146,x:120,y:861,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is open to sufer since she also makes claims that suggest she ",p:146,x:120,y:888,w:454,h:23},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:147,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"141",p:147,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"exists beyond sufering: “By nature I am completely unlimited, ",p:147,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"without bounds. I have always known fullness. I live in a state of ",p:147,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"perpetual satisfaction as my normal state of existence” (98; see ",p:147,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"also 97–98).",p:147,x:120,y:213,w:87,h:23},
{t:"Charting the Limits of Salvation",p:147,x:160,y:264,w:368,h:30},
{t:"When I was growing up, I came to believe that the pinnacle of ",p:147,x:120,y:313,w:454,h:23},
{t:"evangelism is found in the fearless street preacher who stands ",p:147,x:120,y:340,w:454,h:23},
{t:"boldly on the street corner proclaiming the gospel while thrust-",p:147,x:120,y:368,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing little booklets on the Four Spiritual Laws to every passerby. ",p:147,x:120,y:395,w:454,h:23},
{t:"To be saved by Christ meant that you had to recognize your sin, ",p:147,x:120,y:423,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and accept Jesus into your heart. Today I have come to realize ",p:147,x:120,y:450,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that things are not that simple, or if they are there is at least no ",p:147,x:120,y:478,w:454,h:23},
{t:"consensus within the Christian community on it. ",p:147,x:120,y:505,w:352,h:23},
{t:"Te question of the limits of salvation has long been debated ",p:147,x:150,y:533,w:424,h:23},
{t:"among Christians. As such, it is not surprising that the discus-",p:147,x:120,y:560,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sion fnds its way into Te Shack as well. Consider the following ",p:147,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"conversation between Jesus and Mack:",p:147,x:120,y:615,w:271,h:23},
{t:"“Tose who love me come from every system that ",p:147,x:150,y:650,w:394,h:23},
{t:"exists. Tey were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or ",p:147,x:150,y:678,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Muslims.”",p:147,x:150,y:705,w:71,h:23},
{t:"“Does that mean,” asked Mack, “that all roads will lead ",p:147,x:150,y:733,w:394,h:23},
{t:"to you?” ",p:147,x:150,y:760,w:63,h:23},
{t:"“Not at all,” smiled Jesus . . . “What it does mean is that ",p:147,x:150,y:788,w:394,h:23},
{t:"I will travel any road to fnd you.” (182)",p:147,x:150,y:815,w:283,h:23},
{t:"Tis exchange has ignited a signifcant amount of debate. What ",p:147,x:120,y:850,w:454,h:23},
{t:"precisely does it say about salvation, and is that message compat-",p:147,x:120,y:878,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ible with Christian conviction?",p:147,x:120,y:905,w:218,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:148,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"142",p:148,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Some critics have charged Te Shack with pluralism, namely ",p:148,x:150,y:131,w:424,h:23},
{t:"the view that there are many ways to be saved, and Jesus is but ",p:148,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"one of them. While this is a popular view in our contemporary ",p:148,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"pluralistic culture, it is not compatible with Christian belief in ",p:148,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the uniqueness of Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Fortunately, ",p:148,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"pluralism is not to be found in Te Shack. As Jesus makes clear ",p:148,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to Mack, if you are saved it means that Jesus found you!",p:148,x:120,y:296,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Te real question at issue concerns how salvation comes ",p:148,x:150,y:323,w:424,h:23},
{t:"through Christ. Te view with which I was raised said that people ",p:148,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"must know about Jesus and pray the sinner’s prayer in order to be ",p:148,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"saved. Tis is a form of exclusivism according to which a person ",p:148,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"must hear the gospel in order to be saved by it (see Romans ",p:148,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"10:8–15). While exclusivism has been the predominant position ",p:148,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the history of the church, there has always been a minority ",p:148,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"opinion known as inclusivism. According to this view a person ",p:148,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"can be saved by Christ without having heard the name of Christ. ",p:148,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Most Christians are already inclusivists regarding the salvation ",p:148,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of Old Testament believers, infants, and the severely retarded. So ",p:148,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"might it not be true also of some lost souls in far of lands who ",p:148,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have never heard the gospel? ",p:148,x:120,y:653,w:204,h:23},
{t:"Does Te Shack provide us with some insight into these ",p:148,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"questions? Early on in the book when Mack is talking with ",p:148,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Missy about Jesus’ death, she asks about the notion of God in ",p:148,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Multnomah Princess legend:",p:148,x:120,y:763,w:228,h:23},
{t:"“Is the Great Spirit another name for God—you know, ",p:148,x:150,y:798,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Jesus’ papa?”",p:148,x:150,y:826,w:89,h:23},
{t:"Mack smiled in the dark. Obviously, Nan ’s nightly ",p:148,x:150,y:853,w:394,h:23},
{t:"prayers were having an efect. “I would suppose so. It’s ",p:148,x:150,y:881,w:394,h:23},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:149,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"143",p:149,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"a good name for God because he is a Spirit and he is ",p:149,x:150,y:131,w:394,h:23},
{t:"Great.” (31)",p:149,x:150,y:158,w:84,h:23},
{t:"Does Mack ’s answer support inclusivism? After all, it implies ",p:149,x:120,y:193,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that Native Americans who had never heard the gospel still had ",p:149,x:120,y:221,w:454,h:23},
{t:"some knowledge of God. While this is true, the text says noth-",p:149,x:120,y:248,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ing about whether that was a saving knowledge. In that regard, ",p:149,x:120,y:276,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack ’s claim that the “Great Spirit” is the Christian God is no ",p:149,x:120,y:303,w:454,h:23},
{t:"diferent from Paul’s argument that the Unknown God at Mars ",p:149,x:120,y:331,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Hill is the Christian God (Acts 17:23).",p:149,x:120,y:358,w:274,h:23},
{t:"A similar ambiguity accompanies Jesus’ earlier exchange ",p:149,x:150,y:386,w:424,h:23},
{t:"with Mack. Consider again his words: ",p:149,x:120,y:413,w:292,h:23},
{t:"“Tose who love me ",p:149,x:415,y:413,w:158,h:23},
{t:"come from every system that exists. Tey were Buddhists or ",p:149,x:120,y:441,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mormons, Baptists or Muslims” (182). Tis could mean that ",p:149,x:120,y:468,w:454,h:23},
{t:"there are Buddhists, Mormons, and Muslims (even Baptists!) ",p:149,x:120,y:496,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who will be saved by Christ, perhaps all of these (excepting ",p:149,x:120,y:523,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Baptists) without a prior knowledge of Christ. But note ",p:149,x:120,y:551,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the ambiguity. Jesus does not say that they were saved as ",p:149,x:120,y:578,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Buddhists, Mormons, and Muslims, but rather that they were ",p:149,x:120,y:606,w:454,h:23},
{t:"once Buddhists, Mormons, and Muslims. In other words, this ",p:149,x:120,y:633,w:454,h:23},
{t:"may express nothing more than God’s intent to make disciples ",p:149,x:120,y:661,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of all nations (Matthew 28:19), a confession that is fully com-",p:149,x:120,y:688,w:450,h:23},
{t:"patible with exclusivism. It would seem that the book is not as ",p:149,x:120,y:716,w:454,h:23},
{t:"concerned with delimiting the precise extent of the potential ",p:149,x:120,y:743,w:454,h:23},
{t:"application of Christ’s atonement as afrming that the atone-",p:149,x:120,y:771,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ment is the single means to reconciliation with God, an act ",p:149,x:120,y:798,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rooted in God’s love for all his children (163).",p:149,x:120,y:826,w:333,h:23},
{t:"In closing, let’s return to the evocative statement that even ",p:149,x:150,y:853,w:424,h:23},
{t:"some Baptists will be saved by Christ. While one might take this ",p:149,x:120,y:881,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:150,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"144",p:150,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"to be a cheeky devaluation of the organized church, it strikes me ",p:150,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"rather as a very sober warning that we ought never think we have ",p:150,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“arrived” simply because we identify ourselves as Christians. Paul ",p:150,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"commanded us to test ourselves to see whether we truly are in ",p:150,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). It is surely a good practice, for ",p:150,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"according to the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew ",p:150,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"25:31–46) ",p:150,x:120,y:296,w:79,h:23},
{t:"there ",p:150,x:207,y:296,w:40,h:23},
{t:"may ",p:150,x:256,y:296,w:34,h:23},
{t:"be ",p:150,x:299,y:296,w:21,h:23},
{t:"many Baptists ",p:150,x:328,y:296,w:112,h:23},
{t:"(and ",p:150,x:449,y:296,w:36,h:23},
{t:"Lutherans, ",p:150,x:494,y:296,w:79,h:23},
{t:"Catholics, and Pentecostals) who will boldly approach the throne ",p:150,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as proud sheep, only to fnd themselves consigned to “the eternal ",p:150,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fre prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).",p:150,x:120,y:378,w:419,h:23},
{t:"DIGGING DEEPER",p:150,x:262,y:488,w:164,h:29},
{t:"(1) ",p:150,x:120,y:552,w:22,h:20},
{t:"A key theme in The Shack is that God is especially fond of ",p:150,x:150,y:552,w:379,h:21},
{t:"everybody, and thus that Christ died for all people (1 John 2:2). ",p:150,x:150,y:578,w:416,h:21},
{t:"How can this be reconciled with texts that suggest Christ died ",p:150,x:150,y:604,w:409,h:20},
{t:"only for the church (John 10:11; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25)?",p:150,x:150,y:630,w:401,h:20},
{t:"(2) ",p:150,x:120,y:673,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Sophia challenges Mack’s belief that God chooses some people ",p:150,x:150,y:673,w:413,h:20},
{t:"for hell (162). But if God knows the future and thus creates ",p:150,x:150,y:699,w:391,h:20},
{t:"some people knowing that they will choose hell, has he not ",p:150,x:150,y:726,w:386,h:20},
{t:"indirectly chosen their destiny? ",p:150,x:150,y:752,w:206,h:20},
{t:"(3) ",p:150,x:120,y:795,w:22,h:20},
{t:"What do you think of the notion that God’s wrath was upon ",p:150,x:150,y:795,w:384,h:20},
{t:"Christ? Do you prefer The Shack’s depiction of the Father as ",p:150,x:150,y:821,w:392,h:21},
{t:"suffering with Christ? ",p:150,x:150,y:847,w:146,h:21},
{t:"FINDING HOPE IN GOD ’S PAIN",p:151,x:381,y:81,w:188,h:19},
{t:"145",p:151,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"(4) ",p:151,x:120,y:131,w:22,h:20},
{t:"Do you believe that people c",p:151,x:150,y:131,w:181,h:20},
{t:"an be saved by Christ without ever ",p:151,x:562,y:131,w:229,h:20},
{t:"having heard the gospel? What biblical basis would there be for ",p:151,x:150,y:157,w:420,h:20},
{t:"that view? Does it have particular dangers?",p:151,x:150,y:183,w:284,h:20},
{t:"147",p:152,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"CHAPTER 7",p:152,x:283,y:307,w:123,h:36},
{t:"When All Will ",p:152,x:153,y:425,w:395,h:52},
{t:"Be Made New",p:152,x:174,y:472,w:340,h:52},
{t:"In 1990 NASA turned the cameras of the space probe Voyager ",p:152,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:68},
{t:"1 back around to photograph the planet that it had left thir-",p:152,x:145,y:664,w:424,h:23},
{t:"teen years earlier. From this distance, far out on the edge of the ",p:152,x:120,y:691,w:454,h:23},
{t:"solar system, the earth appeared to be a faint, blue dot, barely ",p:152,x:120,y:719,w:454,h:23},
{t:"visible in a sea of stars and inky blackness. And yet those humble ",p:152,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"images that the Voyager craft sent back to earth were of great ",p:152,x:120,y:774,w:454,h:23},
{t:"existential import, for no human being had ever seen the earth ",p:152,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"set against this truly cosmic backdrop. It may have been just a ",p:152,x:120,y:829,w:454,h:23},
{t:"dot but it was our dot. As Carl Sagan observed, “Look again ",p:152,x:120,y:856,w:454,h:23},
{t:"at that dot. Tat’s here. Tat’s home. Tat’s us. On it everyone ",p:152,x:120,y:884,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:153,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"148",p:153,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every ",p:153,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"human being who ever was, lived out their lives.”1 ",p:153,x:120,y:158,w:356,h:23},
{t:"Billions of lives have come and gone on this humble orb, ",p:153,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"“every ‘superstar,’ every ‘supreme leader,’ every saint and sinner ",p:153,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in the history of our species lived there—on a mote of dust ",p:153,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"suspended in a sunbeam.”2 Within this vast universe it is a barely ",p:153,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"noticeable mote of dust, and yet for us it is of inestimable sig-",p:153,x:120,y:296,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nifcance, home of great cities, magnifcent civilizations, mass ",p:153,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"extinctions, terrible wars, snow-capped peaks, deep forests, ice ",p:153,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ages . . . and one beautiful child taken all too soon. As we long ",p:153,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"for the redemption of the many lives that populate this globe, is ",p:153,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"there room to hope as well for this pale blue dot? ",p:153,x:120,y:433,w:349,h:23},
{t:"On the Very Idea of Saving Creation",p:153,x:139,y:484,w:410,h:30},
{t:"Sadly, the question has rarely been considered by many Christians ",p:153,x:120,y:533,w:454,h:23},
{t:"who have learned a rather skewed vision of the afterlife according ",p:153,x:120,y:560,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to which, as Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman sang, we’re ",p:153,x:120,y:588,w:454,h:23},
{t:"only visiting this planet. According to this pessimistic vision, ",p:153,x:120,y:615,w:454,h:23},
{t:"creation is doomed only to destruction. In the meantime, we are ",p:153,x:120,y:643,w:454,h:23},
{t:"stuck here waiting for the completion of a cosmic rescue opera-",p:153,x:120,y:670,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion. According to this popular notion, Jesus went to his Father’s ",p:153,x:120,y:698,w:454,h:23},
{t:"home to prepare a place for us in the great heavenly mansion ",p:153,x:120,y:725,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(John 14:2–3), though in our individualism, the promise has ",p:153,x:120,y:753,w:454,h:23},
{t:"morphed into a vast subdivision of mansions, one for each saint! ",p:153,x:120,y:780,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And so when the time is right Jesus will come back for the church ",p:153,x:120,y:808,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1.  Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space (New ",p:153,x:120,y:861,w:434,h:19},
{t:"York: Random House, 1994), 6.",p:153,x:120,y:881,w:186,h:19},
{t:"2.  Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 6.",p:153,x:120,y:901,w:187,h:19},
{t:"WHEN ALL WILL BE MADE NEW",p:154,x:375,y:81,w:194,h:19},
{t:"149",p:154,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"so that we will be “caught up together . . . in the clouds to meet ",p:154,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” ",p:154,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(1 Tessalonians 4:17). At that point the curtain is raised for ",p:154,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the fnal fate of the world. As the redeemed saints watch from a ",p:154,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"safe distance, a grand symphony of destruction will then unfold: ",p:154,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“Te heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be ",p:154,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"destroyed by fre, and the earth and everything done in it will be ",p:154,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"laid bare” (2 Peter 3:10). Yah! Take that earth!! And with that, ",p:154,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this pale bluish smudge will be wiped of the horizon forever.",p:154,x:120,y:351,w:430,h:23},
{t:"Based on these assumptions, many Christians have been ",p:154,x:150,y:378,w:424,h:23},
{t:"distinctly sour on creation, appropriating John ’s warning with ",p:154,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"aplomb: “Do not love the world or anything in the world” ",p:154,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(1 John 2:15). On this view, human beings are the eternal apple ",p:154,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of God’s eye. As for creation, it’s nothing more than the dispos-",p:154,x:120,y:488,w:450,h:23},
{t:"able apple box. With this negative view of creation, it is surely ",p:154,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"surprising to hear Jesus share with Mack his deep care for the ",p:154,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"world. Te exchange is prompted when Mack expresses admira-",p:154,x:120,y:571,w:450,h:23},
{t:"tion for the beauty that lies all around him. In response Jesus ",p:154,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wistfully observes: “Can you imagine this scene if the earth was ",p:154,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not at war, striving so hard just to survive?” (144).",p:154,x:120,y:653,w:353,h:23},
{t:"Could it be that there is in these words a hint that we can ",p:154,x:150,y:681,w:424,h:23},
{t:"hope for something more for creation? Might love for this world ",p:154,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(and indeed all creation) be not a mistaken apportioning of af-",p:154,x:120,y:736,w:450,h:23},
{t:"fection, but rather a refection of God’s love for his handiwork? ",p:154,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As they continue their conversation, Jesus explains to Mack that ",p:154,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his care indeed encompasses the entire cosmos. For too long, he ",p:154,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"explains, earth has been left to wander alone like a parentless ",p:154,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:155,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"150",p:155,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"child while human beings, who were chosen as its stewards, have ",p:155,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"instead set about plundering it. ",p:155,x:120,y:158,w:225,h:23},
{t:"Tese words are certainly a surprise for Mack who had ",p:155,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"long assumed the common view of creation as being like a ",p:155,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"condemned building awaiting the demolition crew. As yet this ",p:155,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is a lot to digest in one sitting. As such, Mack tentatively seeks ",p:155,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"further clarifcation by asking whether Jesus is an ecologist. In ",p:155,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"response, Jesus provides an afectionate description of creation: ",p:155,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“Tis blue-green ball in black space, flled with beauty even now, ",p:155,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"battered and abused and lovely” (144).",p:155,x:120,y:378,w:272,h:23},
{t:"Jesus’ love for creation is clear. Tough battered and abused, ",p:155,x:150,y:406,w:424,h:23},
{t:"it is still his creation, the one that he formed together with his own ",p:155,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"hands (John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16). And to ",p:155,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"think that the whole time Jesus was speaking with Mack, he was ",p:155,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"also upholding all 100 billion galaxies in existence (Colossians ",p:155,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"1:17; Hebrews 1:3)! Is it any wonder that Jesus senses a certain ",p:155,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ownership over creation? Indeed, he is downright possessive! As ",p:155,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Abraham Kuyper once said, “Tere is not one square inch of ",p:155,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the entire creation about which Jesus Christ does not cry out, ",p:155,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"‘Tis is mine! Tis belongs to me!’ ”3 If this is his creation that he ",p:155,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"brought into being and that he sustains, then why wouldn ’t he ",p:155,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"want to save it all, our pale blue dot included (144)? Could it be ",p:155,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that “for God so loved the world” encompasses not simply the ",p:155,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"inhabitants of the world, but indeed the very world itself? ",p:155,x:120,y:763,w:410,h:23},
{t:"3.  Cited in Richard J. Mouw, Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an ",p:155,x:120,y:881,w:436,h:19},
{t:"Uncivil World (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 147.",p:155,x:120,y:901,w:382,h:19},
{t:"WHEN ALL WILL BE MADE NEW",p:156,x:375,y:81,w:194,h:19},
{t:"151",p:156,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Redeeming the Shack ",p:156,x:224,y:130,w:247,h:30},
{t:"Te shack is an old building in the Oregon wilderness that serves ",p:156,x:120,y:178,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as a backdrop for Missy’s death and Mack ’s encounter with God. ",p:156,x:120,y:206,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But it is also a symbol for those places of private pain in which we ",p:156,x:120,y:233,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bury our deepest sorrows. Tis private, therapeutic conception ",p:156,x:120,y:261,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the shack also applies to Sarayu ’s work in the garden which, ",p:156,x:120,y:288,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as she explains, represents the chaos and beauty of Mack ’s soul ",p:156,x:120,y:316,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(138). Presumably then, when Missy is buried in the garden it ",p:156,x:120,y:343,w:454,h:23},
{t:"represents the inner healing that is brought to Mack and his ",p:156,x:120,y:371,w:454,h:23},
{t:"anticipation of a reunion with his beloved daughter. From this ",p:156,x:120,y:398,w:454,h:23},
{t:"perspective, the entire weekend represents a profound inner ",p:156,x:120,y:426,w:454,h:23},
{t:"journal of spiritual healing and growth, not unlike Teresa of ",p:156,x:120,y:453,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Avila ’s Te Interior Castle.",p:156,x:120,y:481,w:177,h:23},
{t:"However, Te Shack is not simply about one individual’s ",p:156,x:150,y:508,w:424,h:23},
{t:"introspective journey. Even as the shack and the surrounding ",p:156,x:120,y:536,w:454,h:23},
{t:"environs represent Mack ’s inner life, they also provide a very ",p:156,x:120,y:563,w:454,h:23},
{t:"public glimpse of the healing that God is bringing to all creation. ",p:156,x:120,y:591,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Let’s return to that moment when Mack, having found the shack ",p:156,x:120,y:618,w:454,h:23},
{t:"empty, is journeying back up the trail to the truck. Suddenly ",p:156,x:120,y:646,w:454,h:23},
{t:"he is enveloped by a strange warm breeze. As he turns around ",p:156,x:120,y:673,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in surprise, the wintery forest begins to transform miraculously ",p:156,x:120,y:701,w:454,h:23},
{t:"before his eyes as the onset of spring begins to unfold in a matter ",p:156,x:120,y:728,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of seconds. Te snow quickly melts, revealing lush green growth ",p:156,x:120,y:756,w:454,h:23},
{t:"while the large fakes of snow that were tumbling down to earth ",p:156,x:120,y:783,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are now replaced by twirling fower blossoms. Within minutes ",p:156,x:120,y:811,w:454,h:23},
{t:"winter’s lock upon the land has been broken and spring has ",p:156,x:120,y:838,w:454,h:23},
{t:"returned. (A reader of C.S. Lewis must surely fnd here some ",p:156,x:120,y:866,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:157,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"152",p:157,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"resonance with the liberation of Narnia from the wintry grip of ",p:157,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the White Witch!)",p:157,x:120,y:158,w:130,h:23},
{t:"But the biggest surprise is yet to come as Mack turns back ",p:157,x:150,y:186,w:424,h:23},
{t:"around to behold the shack of horrors, for it appears to have ",p:157,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"been ",p:157,x:120,y:241,w:38,h:23},
{t:"“replaced by a sturdy and beautifully constructed log ",p:157,x:162,y:241,w:411,h:23},
{t:"cabin” that “was built out of hand-peeled full-length logs, ev-",p:157,x:120,y:268,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ery one scribed for a perfect ft” (81). Instead of that decaying, ",p:157,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"ramshackle hovel, Mack now sees a completely new cabin that ",p:157,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"would complement any trendy ski resort. But things are not ",p:157,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"quite what they seem. After Mack has spent some time in this ",p:157,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"beautiful new cabin, he walks into the front room and begins ",p:157,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to wonder: “Could this even be the same place? He shuddered ",p:157,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"at the whisper of lurking dark thoughts and again locked them ",p:157,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"out” (89). And yet, as Mack surveys the room, his nagging ",p:157,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"suspicion is confrmed: it is the same shack: “Glancing around ",p:157,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the corner into the living room, his eyes searched out the spot ",p:157,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"near the freplace, but there was no stain marring the wood ",p:157,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"surface” (89). In other words, though the building looks difer-",p:157,x:120,y:598,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ent, the interior space still includes the spot near the freplace ",p:157,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"where Missy’s bloody dress had been found. Despite the radi-",p:157,x:120,y:653,w:450,h:23},
{t:"cally diferent appearance, this homey log cabin is indeed the ",p:157,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"same shack! ",p:157,x:120,y:708,w:88,h:23},
{t:"Te same theme of transformation applies to the landscape ",p:157,x:150,y:736,w:424,h:23},
{t:"around the shack. Mack looks out on the surrounding scene ",p:157,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"where three-and-a-half years before, police dogs and FBI agents ",p:157,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"had scoured the area searching desperately for some sign of his ",p:157,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"daughter. While the scene is visibly diferent, it still is the same ",p:157,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"wilderness: “In the waning moments of twilight, Mack could ",p:157,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"WHEN ALL WILL BE MADE NEW",p:158,x:375,y:81,w:194,h:19},
{t:"153",p:158,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"make out the rocky shore of the lake, not overgrown as he re-",p:158,x:120,y:131,w:450,h:23},
{t:"membered, but beautifully kept and picture perfect” (109). It is ",p:158,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the same lake, but the rocky shore is no longer forbidding and ",p:158,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"chaotic; rather, order has been brought to this world. Although ",p:158,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the surrounding forest, lake, and mountains have changed sig-",p:158,x:120,y:241,w:450,h:23},
{t:"nifcantly, this is the same bucolic forest setting. ",p:158,x:120,y:268,w:341,h:23},
{t:"Not only is everything diferent here, but it is also more ",p:158,x:150,y:296,w:424,h:23},
{t:"real: the scones are more delicious, the stars are brighter, the ",p:158,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lake is more serene, the mountains are more majestic. When ",p:158,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack enters the wild beauty of Sarayu ’s garden he is enveloped ",p:158,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by smells “so strong he could almost taste them” (130). Not only ",p:158,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is everything more real, but it is all the way it should be. Tere is ",p:158,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"true peace within creation. Indeed, creation in this form provides ",p:158,x:120,y:461,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a marked contrast to the world to which Mack returns when he ",p:158,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"awakens from his weekend. He even refects that after his return, ",p:158,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“It was more likely he was back in the un-real world” (237). ",p:158,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Here we see the promise that God will not only save creation but ",p:158,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in doing so he will make it into something much greater, that ",p:158,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"which he had always purposed for it.",p:158,x:120,y:626,w:259,h:23},
{t:"Te incredible lesson then ",p:158,x:150,y:653,w:207,h:23},
{t:"is ",p:158,x:363,y:653,w:15,h:23},
{t:"that God ",p:158,x:385,y:653,w:75,h:23},
{t:"is ",p:158,x:466,y:653,w:15,h:23},
{t:"not simply ",p:158,x:488,y:653,w:86,h:23},
{t:"working to save Mack, Missy, and even the Little Ladykiller. ",p:158,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Along the way he also intends to save that humble ramshackle ",p:158,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"cabin, the Willamette Valley, Wallowa Lake, the town of Joseph, ",p:158,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Multnomah Falls, and the rest of creation distorted by the fall. ",p:158,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Te extraordinary scope of the claim should stagger us even as ",p:158,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it draws us to praise: that every action, every event, is stitched ",p:158,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"seamlessly together to bring God’s purposes to bear within his ",p:158,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"creation. ",p:158,x:120,y:873,w:65,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:159,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"154",p:159,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"Rediscovering the World’s Hope",p:159,x:164,y:130,w:361,h:30},
{t:"Tis vision may be appealing, but is there reason to think that ",p:159,x:120,y:178,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God really does intend to heal all of creation? In fact a closer ",p:159,x:120,y:206,w:454,h:23},
{t:"analysis of Scripture will confrm Te Shack’s hopeful vision ",p:159,x:120,y:233,w:454,h:23},
{t:"while exposing the familiar picture of an ethereal life in heaven ",p:159,x:120,y:261,w:454,h:23},
{t:"as a gross truncation of the gospel.",p:159,x:120,y:288,w:242,h:23},
{t:"Te problems begin with the fact that Christian funerals ",p:159,x:150,y:316,w:424,h:23},
{t:"rarely if ever refer to the hope of the resurrection, opting instead ",p:159,x:120,y:343,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to speak almost exclusively about the soul being with Jesus. But ",p:159,x:120,y:371,w:454,h:23},
{t:"where did this idea come from? Te consistent hope of Scripture ",p:159,x:120,y:398,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is that our mortal bodies will be resurrected as spiritual bodies ",p:159,x:120,y:426,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(1 Corinthians 15:42–44; see also Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2). ",p:159,x:120,y:453,w:454,h:23},
{t:"What is more, since Jesus’ resurrection body is the frst fruits ",p:159,x:120,y:481,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20), we can learn about ",p:159,x:120,y:508,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our future body by looking to his. At some points Jesus’ resur-",p:159,x:120,y:536,w:450,h:23},
{t:"rection body appears to be diferent: for instance, he was not ",p:159,x:120,y:563,w:454,h:23},
{t:"immediately recognized by a number of those he encountered ",p:159,x:120,y:591,w:454,h:23},
{t:"(Luke 24:31). However, two things are clear. First, it is the very ",p:159,x:120,y:618,w:454,h:23},
{t:"same body that was crucifed on Friday which was resurrected ",p:159,x:120,y:646,w:454,h:23},
{t:"on Sunday. (Otherwise the tomb would not have been found ",p:159,x:120,y:673,w:454,h:23},
{t:"empty!) Tis identity was confrmed when Jesus invited Tomas ",p:159,x:120,y:701,w:454,h:23},
{t:"to examine the scars in Christ’s hands and side (John 20:27)! ",p:159,x:120,y:728,w:454,h:23},
{t:"And so, if Jesus receives the same body (albeit glorifed) then so ",p:159,x:120,y:756,w:454,h:23},
{t:"shall we. Second, his body was physical for he could be touched ",p:159,x:120,y:783,w:454,h:23},
{t:"by people and even eat fsh in their presence (Luke 24:39). In the ",p:159,x:120,y:811,w:454,h:23},
{t:"same way, our glorifed bodies also will be physical.",p:159,x:120,y:838,w:360,h:23},
{t:"Tis raises an important question: where do very physical ",p:159,x:150,y:866,w:424,h:23},
{t:"people go to spend eternity? Certainly not in an ethereal heaven ",p:159,x:120,y:893,w:454,h:23},
{t:"WHEN ALL WILL BE MADE NEW",p:160,x:375,y:81,w:194,h:19},
{t:"155",p:160,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"where they would fall through the clouds! And with this we turn ",p:160,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"back to Scripture to discover that the fullest picture of the future ",p:160,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comes in the promise of a new heaven and new earth: “Behold, I ",p:160,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will create new heavens and a new earth. Te former things will ",p:160,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17; ",p:160,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"see also Isaiah 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, and Revelation 21:1–3). ",p:160,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"But is this heaven and earth completely new or, as Te Shack ",p:160,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"suggests, is it like our bodies the old world renewed? Although ",p:160,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"some have pointed to images of fre to conclude that this world’s ",p:160,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"future is complete destruction (2 Peter 3:10–13), I would argue ",p:160,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that the fre of this passage represents not destruction but rather ",p:160,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"purifcation (as it does in Isaiah 48:10).",p:160,x:120,y:433,w:277,h:23},
{t:"In support of the understanding of creation as renewed, con-",p:160,x:150,y:461,w:420,h:23},
{t:"sider Paul’s profound observation: “Te creation waits in eager ",p:160,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation ",p:160,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the ",p:160,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself ",p:160,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the ",p:160,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:19–21). ",p:160,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis passage teaches that creation fell along with the human fall; ",p:160,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"it was tragically dragged down by the very individuals commis-",p:160,x:120,y:681,w:450,h:23},
{t:"sioned to tend it. Yet there is hope, for God promises to liberate ",p:160,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this creation in the same way that he is liberating his children. ",p:160,x:120,y:736,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tus, he will lead us all back into the fullness of life within him. ",p:160,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"As Papa says, “Well Mack, our fnal destiny is not the picture of ",p:160,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Heaven that you have stuck in your head—you know, the image ",p:160,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of pearly gates and streets of gold. Instead it’s a new cleansing of ",p:160,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"this universe, so it will indeed look a lot like here” (177).",p:160,x:120,y:873,w:400,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:161,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"156",p:161,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"While Te Shack",p:161,x:150,y:131,w:117,h:23},
{t:"’s view of a renewed creation is quite admi-",p:161,x:265,y:131,w:304,h:23},
{t:"rable, it is a bit disappointing at one point since the harmony of ",p:161,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"creation is interrupted by the consumption of meat. Mack ’s frst ",p:161,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"meal at the shack includes an unidentifed roast bird (105), while ",p:161,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"his two breakfasts both include bacon (118, 219). Moreover he ",p:161,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"is encouraged to go fshing (88, 89); indeed, when Jesus and ",p:161,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Mack are walking across the lake, Jesus excitedly chases a fsh ",p:161,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that he had been attempting to catch for weeks (175–176). Te ",p:161,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"problem with these incidents is that God’s desire to redeem cre-",p:161,x:120,y:351,w:450,h:23},
{t:"ation appears to include animals. Note frst that God’s original ",p:161,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"intention was that human beings and all other animals would ",p:161,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"be vegetarian (Genesis 1:29–30); the eating of animals is thus ",p:161,x:120,y:433,w:454,h:23},
{t:"a concession to our fallen world (Genesis 9:3). When God re-",p:161,x:120,y:461,w:450,h:23},
{t:"deems the world, predation will cease and be replaced by peace ",p:161,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"among animals and persons alike (Isaiah 11:6–9, 65:25). It is ",p:161,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"unfortunate that Te Shack didn ’t explore this theme in its vision ",p:161,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of a renewed and restored creation.",p:161,x:120,y:571,w:247,h:23},
{t:"Tat relatively minor quibble aside, Te Shack draws us ",p:161,x:150,y:598,w:424,h:23},
{t:"beyond our own sufering and sin to contemplate the place of ",p:161,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"our salvation within a universe that God desires to save as well. ",p:161,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"God promises not only to answer the groans and wipe the tears ",p:161,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of his beloved human beings, but of his beloved pale blue dot as ",p:161,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"well (Colossians 1:19–20). ",p:161,x:120,y:736,w:192,h:23},
{t:"WHEN ALL WILL BE MADE NEW",p:162,x:375,y:81,w:194,h:19},
{t:"157",p:162,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"DIGGING DEEPER",p:162,x:262,y:129,w:164,h:29},
{t:"(1) ",p:162,x:120,y:192,w:22,h:20},
{t:"What do you think of the idea that Christians will not live in ",p:162,x:150,y:192,w:394,h:20},
{t:"heaven when they did, but rather will inhabit a new heaven and ",p:162,x:150,y:218,w:419,h:20},
{t:"a new earth?",p:162,x:150,y:245,w:83,h:20},
{t:"(2) ",p:162,x:120,y:288,w:22,h:20},
{t:"If we understand the renewal of creation as a form of salvation ",p:162,x:150,y:288,w:415,h:20},
{t:"(Romans 8:19–21), then how can we work to save the world?",p:162,x:150,y:314,w:395,h:20},
{t:"(3) ",p:162,x:120,y:357,w:22,h:20},
{t:"What do you think is the place of animals in the new creation? ",p:162,x:150,y:357,w:410,h:20},
{t:"Do you think it is possible to meet a beloved pet again?",p:162,x:150,y:383,w:361,h:20},
{t:"159",p:163,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"AFTERWORD",p:163,x:277,y:307,w:135,h:36},
{t:"Thy Kingdom ",p:163,x:170,y:425,w:363,h:52},
{t:"Come",p:163,x:276,y:472,w:137,h:52},
{t:"Can you get theology out of a novel? Contrary to the skepti-",p:163,x:120,y:626,w:450,h:68},
{t:"cal sentiments of the critic we met in the Introduction, ",p:163,x:165,y:664,w:408,h:23},
{t:"it seems that you can. Indeed, our conversations over seven ",p:163,x:120,y:691,w:454,h:23},
{t:"chapters have demonstrated that Te Shack is brimming with ",p:163,x:120,y:719,w:454,h:23},
{t:"fascinating theological questions and concepts. Tere is nothing ",p:163,x:120,y:746,w:454,h:23},
{t:"so profound as the concept of God, and few things as shocking as ",p:163,x:120,y:774,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the notion that the creator of all things would stoop to our level ",p:163,x:120,y:801,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and reveal himself to us in a most personal and intimate way. ",p:163,x:120,y:829,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Tis concept of divine accommodation is beautifully captured ",p:163,x:120,y:856,w:454,h:23},
{t:"in Te Shack as Papa comes down to Mack ’s level to meet him in ",p:163,x:120,y:884,w:454,h:23},
{t:"Finding God in The Shack",p:164,x:120,y:81,w:224,h:19},
{t:"160",p:164,x:120,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"his deepest pain with the healing embrace of a mother. And this ",p:164,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"matronly embrace is an invitation to experience the equally in-",p:164,x:120,y:158,w:450,h:23},
{t:"credible reality of God as a loving community of three persons, a ",p:164,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"truth that too often has been relegated to the periphery of church ",p:164,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"life. Of course the novel’s depiction of God is not perfect—for ",p:164,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"instance, it appears to underemphasize biblical conceptions of ",p:164,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sovereignty and wrath—but then I would challenge the critic to ",p:164,x:120,y:296,w:454,h:23},
{t:"light a candle in the darkness by ofering his or her own narrative ",p:164,x:120,y:323,w:454,h:23},
{t:"depiction of the triune reality. As you ’ll see, it isn ’t easy! Perhaps ",p:164,x:120,y:351,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the most we can hope for is to attain glimpses of the beauty, ",p:164,x:120,y:378,w:454,h:23},
{t:"harmony, and unconditional love at the heart of God. Te Shack ",p:164,x:120,y:406,w:454,h:23},
{t:"provides some fascinating glimpses indeed. ",p:164,x:120,y:433,w:306,h:23},
{t:"As profound as the questions raised by the concept of God ",p:164,x:150,y:461,w:424,h:23},
{t:"are, they become even more bewildering when they meet the ",p:164,x:120,y:488,w:454,h:23},
{t:"incredible sufering that so often grips this world. How do we ",p:164,x:120,y:516,w:454,h:23},
{t:"bring together the loving God revealed in Te Shack with the ",p:164,x:120,y:543,w:454,h:23},
{t:"murder of an innocent young child? As we saw, it is at this point ",p:164,x:120,y:571,w:454,h:23},
{t:"that various theoretical attempts to reconcile God to evil, so ",p:164,x:120,y:598,w:454,h:23},
{t:"appealing in the abstract, become shocking when applied to the ",p:164,x:120,y:626,w:454,h:23},
{t:"sufering of specifc lives. Te unresolved tension at the heart ",p:164,x:120,y:653,w:454,h:23},
{t:"of the book is visible in the dissatisfaction of some readers who ",p:164,x:120,y:681,w:454,h:23},
{t:"have complained (to me) that Missy is not miraculously brought ",p:164,x:120,y:708,w:454,h:23},
{t:"back to life. Why is it that Missy, like Job ’s children, must re-",p:164,x:120,y:736,w:450,h:23},
{t:"main dead? Why is it that Mack is denied a real embrace, forced ",p:164,x:120,y:763,w:454,h:23},
{t:"instead to glimpse his beloved daughter through a veil? Here we ",p:164,x:120,y:791,w:454,h:23},
{t:"are challenged to move beyond the limits of theodicy to embrace ",p:164,x:120,y:818,w:454,h:23},
{t:"the discipline of patient and prayerful hope. Perhaps the fnal ",p:164,x:120,y:846,w:454,h:23},
{t:"lesson of Te Shack is that we should remain discontent with this ",p:164,x:120,y:873,w:454,h:23},
{t:"THY KINGDOM COME",p:165,x:439,y:81,w:130,h:19},
{t:"161",p:165,x:547,y:941,w:22,h:16},
{t:"world, not because we are destined to leave it, but because we ",p:165,x:120,y:131,w:454,h:23},
{t:"long to experience God’s fnal healing touch when his kingdom ",p:165,x:120,y:158,w:454,h:23},
{t:"comes in power. Even in the midst of unresolved pain we are ",p:165,x:120,y:186,w:454,h:23},
{t:"challenged to embrace the hope that Jesus shares with Mack: ",p:165,x:120,y:213,w:454,h:23},
{t:"“For now most of what exists in the universe will only be seen ",p:165,x:120,y:241,w:454,h:23},
{t:"and enjoyed by me, like special canvasses in the back of an artist’s ",p:165,x:120,y:268,w:454,h:23},
{t:"studio, but one day . . .” (144).",p:165,x:120,y:296,w:219,h:23},
{t:"Randal Rauser",p:166,x:781,y:793,w:534,h:88},
{t:"the",p:166,x:931,y:182,w:254,h:155},
{t:"Shack",p:166,x:780,y:262,w:534,h:196},
{t:"FINDING GOD IN",p:166,x:834,y:91,w:439,h:109},
{t:"Before you have read a dozen pages",p:166,x:928,y:902,w:249,h:23},
{t:"you will know why we need to keep company with theologians.",p:166,x:838,y:926,w:429,h:23},
{t:"—EUGENE PETERSON ",p:166,x:973,y:963,w:159,h:24},
{t:"FINDING",p:166,x:676,y:221,w:0,h:42},
{t:" GOD ",p:166,x:676,y:337,w:0,h:43},
{t:"IN",p:166,x:676,y:418,w:0,h:42},
{t:"R",p:166,x:679,y:761,w:0,h:29},
{t:"a",p:166,x:679,y:779,w:0,h:29},
{t:"u",p:166,x:679,y:793,w:0,h:29},
{t:"ser",p:166,x:679,y:811,w:0,h:29},
{t:"WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE to lose your youngest child to a serial killer? And ",p:166,x:46,y:54,w:565,h:18},
{t:"then to have God invite you out for a conversation at the very shack where ",p:166,x:46,y:77,w:553,h:18},
{t:"the terrible deed took place? And then imagine that the door to that shack of ",p:166,x:46,y:100,w:564,h:18},
{t:"horrors opened . . . and before you knew it you had been swept up in the ",p:166,x:46,y:124,w:540,h:18},
{t:"motherly embrace of a large African-American woman? This most unlikely of ",p:166,x:46,y:147,w:566,h:18},
{t:"stories, as told in William Young’s The Shack, has become a runaway ",p:166,x:46,y:170,w:516,h:18},
{t:"bestseller, and it is easy to see why. But even as lives have been ",p:166,x:46,y:194,w:482,h:18},
{t:"transformed through this book, other readers have sternly denounced it as a ",p:166,x:46,y:217,w:565,h:18},
{t:"hodgepodge of serious theological error, even heresy. With one pastor ",p:166,x:46,y:240,w:522,h:18},
{t:"urging his congregation to read it and another forbidding his congregation to, ",p:166,x:46,y:264,w:568,h:18},
{t:"many Christians have simply been left confused. ",p:166,x:46,y:287,w:362,h:18},
{t:"Aware both of the excitement and uncertainty generated by The Shack, ",p:166,x:46,y:327,w:524,h:18},
{t:"theologian Randal Rauser takes the reader on a fascinating journey through ",p:166,x:46,y:350,w:564,h:18},
{t:"the pages of the story. In successive chapters he explores many of the book’ s ",p:166,x:46,y:374,w:570,h:18},
{t:"complex and controversial issues, from why God the Father is revealed as an ",p:166,x:46,y:397,w:574,h:18},
{t:"African-American woman, to questions of the Trinity, to the ever-vexing ",p:166,x:46,y:420,w:521,h:18},
{t:"problem of evil. Through these chapters Rauser offers an honest and ",p:166,x:46,y:444,w:508,h:18},
{t:"illuminating discussion that opens up a new depth to the conversation while ",p:166,x:46,y:467,w:559,h:18},
{t:"providing the reader with new opportunities for Finding God in The Shack.",p:166,x:46,y:490,w:537,h:18},
{t:"If you have ever had a conversation on The Shack, whether with an enthusiast or a critic, ",p:166,x:64,y:533,w:518,h:20},
{t:"you will want to invite this skilled and accessible theologian into the conversation. Before ",p:166,x:64,y:556,w:523,h:19},
{t:"you have read a dozen pages you will know why we need to keep company with theologians. ",p:166,x:64,y:580,w:533,h:19},
{t:"They help us keep our conversations on God intelligent, informed, and irenic.",p:166,x:64,y:603,w:444,h:19},
{t:"—EUGENE H. PETERSON",p:166,x:64,y:643,w:145,h:20},
{t:"Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.",p:166,x:64,y:666,w:421,h:19},
{t:"RANDAL RAUSER is associate professor of historical theology at ",p:166,x:46,y:718,w:388,h:14},
{t:"Taylor Seminary , Edmonton, ",p:166,x:424,y:718,w:167,h:14},
{t:"Canada and was granted Taylor’s first annual teaching award for “Outstanding Service to Students” ",p:166,x:46,y:741,w:582,h:14},
{t:"in 2005. He authored Faith Lacking Understanding and the forthcoming Theology in Search of ",p:166,x:46,y:764,w:544,h:14},
{t:"Understanding. He is married to Rae Kyung and they have a 6-year-old daughter",p:166,x:46,y:788,w:474,h:14},
{t:", Jamie.",p:166,x:508,y:788,w:46,h:14},
{t:"Theology / Doctrine",p:166,x:513,y:850,w:86,h:11},
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{t:"",p:166,x:529,y:956,w:51,h:13},
{t:"ISBN 978-1-60657-032-6",p:166,x:463,y:878,w:119,h:12},
{t:"www.authenticbooks.com/paternoster",p:166,x:50,y:966,w:166,h:11},
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{t:"FindingGodInTheShack_press.pdf   1/15/09   10:01:53 PM",p:166,x:64,y:-61,w:324,h:10},
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