The Shack: book, movie, and theological controversy
- Is it okay to read or watch The Shack?
- Is the author of The Shack a believer? Was it published by a Christian publisher?
A long discussion of The Shack prompted by its film release. One host, who listened to it on audiobook while new in the faith, says it made him think and drove him back to his Bible without replacing his theology. The hosts debate the central concern: whether the book creates an inaccurate image of God (including its personification of God the Father as an African American woman), whether it implies universalism or a lack of divine justice, and whether Christian fiction like Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti carries the same risk. The consensus line is that neither The Shack nor the hosts' own show should be anyone's source of doctrine: 'run it through scripture first.' Includes a Ghostbusters 'Gozer the Gozerian' aside and the observation that no movie — Noah included — is biblically accurate.
More on Discernment
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'When God is silent': what counts as hearing from the Lord?
- What does it mean to 'hear from the Lord,' and how often should we expect it?
Mike brings a question from his Bible study, whose paragraph heading was 'when God is silent': the author wrote that he experienced God's silence for a couple of weeks and freaked out, and Ben expected a relatable years-long drought story — 'Oh, two weeks.
From No. 603 · Found Out
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Mike frames the question: are more people hearing from God?
- Does it seem like more and more people are hearing from God — and is that real or a lie and a huge distraction?
Ben asks Mike for a two-sentence framing; Mike says listening to the book of Job while mowing made him furious when Bildad 'received a word from the Lord,' turning a bad human argument into an unarguable divine claim.
From No. 597 · Maybe A Word From God
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Does God speak more now? Indwelling Spirit versus prophets
- Does God talk to people as much now as he did in the Old Testament or New Testament?
A host asks whether God talks to people as much now as in the Old and New Testaments. Ben's key distinction: the indwelling Holy Spirit means more people can have the experience…
From No. 597 · Maybe A Word From God
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How to tell your voice from God's: the Bible test and leniency
- How can you tell the difference between you speaking and God speaking?
Ella distills the question: how do you tell the difference between you speaking and God speaking? Her first answer: we have a Bible — what God is telling you is probably already in it ('Ben's gonna have a proud papa moment').
From No. 597 · Maybe A Word From God