The Shack & It's New Age Leaven

Described as a Christian novel, The Shack, written by William Paul Young, sat on the New York Times bestseller list for over 172 consecutive weeks (including 52 weeks at #1), and over 10 million copies of the book are in print.1 Many Christians have purchased multiple copies and given them to friends and family.

The Shack reads as a true story, but is obviously allegorical fiction. The book conveys postmodern spiritual ideas and teachings that challenge biblical Christianity—all in the name of “God” and “Jesus” and the “Holy Spirit.” Author William P. Young’s alternative presentation of traditional Christianity has both inspired and outraged his many readers. All the while his book continues to fly off the shelves of local and online bookstores.

Much like New Age author James Redfield’s book The Celestine Prophecy, The Shack is a fictional vehicle for upending certain religious concepts and presenting contrary spiritual scenarios. Allegorical novels can be a clever way to present truth. They can also be used to present things that seem to be true but really are not. Some books like The Shack do both.