Shacks and Millstones

For some,

Eugene Peterson's glowing (admittedly overzealous) endorsement

and

Mark Driscoll's (overzealous) condemnation

is surely a sign of its "antichrist" spirit..

And I haven't even read the book yet, but I already agree with Len that I find a certain other book "more compelling."

All the predictable debate about "The Shack"..

a 48 -hour encounter in the woods with a sassy black woman who embodies God the creator. Jesus is portrayed as a big-nosed carpenter in a plaid shirt; the Holy Spirit is an Asian sylph called Sarayu.

So why are critics calling it heresy?link

..and perhaps some of the most helpful issues revolve around art (can art be heretical?)

and doctrine:

And what is with the doctrinal fence? Is it electric, or a dog fence, or a prison fence? I tend to think of doctrine more like that proverbial millstone around the neck. link

and

Doctrine at best is a sacrament - an artifact that serves as a medium to communicate God’s grace through faith. Because it is an artifact, it is permanently negotiable. Once we refuse to negotiate doctrine according to the recognition that we negotiate meaning in Scripture, we become idolaters in the most heinous sense that resulted in the very crucifixion of Christ. link