As a fictional novel I found The Shack to be an emotional rollercoaster. Young deals with some of the most emotionally gripping issues of our culture, the senseless evil of child kidnapping and murder. The strength of the plot provides this book a reason for continued reading alone.
As religious literature, Young broaches post-modernity in a public forum. His theological dialogues are aimed at challenging the rigidness of modernity and the pride of humanity in thinking it has arrived at all the correct answers. I can see where The Shack would prove challenging for the many pewsitters who don't take time to (re)evaluate their religious beliefs. For the theologically adept, Young provides little that is new. His purpose is to shake up the stodgy, not write a systematic theology.
The amazing elements are the numerous intertextual allusions to biblical teaching. Since the time of Luther there have been officially recognized differences of opinion on what biblical passages imply for our understanding of God. Young frequently makes references to biblical passages without citing them chapter and verse. This style of writing requires the reader to catch those audience conventions to fully recognize what is taking place. The biblically illiterate reader will be lost during those times and may accuse the author of "making things up."
The Shack brings the Bible to a readership where there is increasing biblical illiteracy. Perhaps the plot will cause some readers to increase their own understanding of the intertextual corpus and find a deeper understanding to the dialogue with Elousia, Jesse, and Sarayu.
