The Shack By William Paul Young
(March 26, 2010)
A. Discussion Questions By Erin Collazo Miller
1. Were you drawn in by the plot of The Shack?
2. Why do you think Mack's encounter with God took place at the shack? If God were to invite you somewhere, where would it be? (In other words, where is the center of your doubt and pain)?
3. Do you think suffering makes people closer to God or causes them to distance themselves from Him? What has been the pattern in your life?
4. Were you satisfied with God's answers to Mack about suffering? Do you struggle with believing God is good in light of all the tragedy in the world?
5. How is Young's description of God different from your concept of God? What parts of his description did you like and what parts didn't you like?
6. Did The Shack change any of your opinions about God or Christianity?
7. What were some of the things The Shack teaches about God, faith and life that you disagreed with?
8. Would you recommend The Shack to a friend?
9. Rate The Shack on a scale of 1 to 5.
B. Discussion Questions By Jeff Miller
The Shack: The Good, the Bad, and the Controversial
1. Who is the author and why did he write this book?
2. What did you like about the book?
3. What is the literary merit of the book?
4. Why are we talking about a fiction book?
5. Are people changing their view of God because of this book? If so, how is the author responding to this?
6. How do you respond to the thousands who claim the book has brought them tremendous comfort?
7. Would you recommend the book to someone?