The Shack Revisited.

"For those familiar with the various theological positions on divine election, Kruger's view will seem to have much in common with Karl Barth's view of Universal Election in Christ, and Barth's Church Dogmatics."

"This book gives a great perspective on our relationship with God and each other. God is less interested in doctrine and theology than relationships and ultimately, our personal relationship with him."

"Is God the Father a dark and moody God who hides behind the back of Jesus, the One who loves us? Baxter Kruger sweeps all this nonsense away. He [Kruger] quickly and clearly shows that God is love and that all that God has ever done is out of love. Kruger then shows why Jesus died on the Cross, with a much more satisfying - and more biblical - explanation of what Jesus achieved at Calvary."

It won’t take you much time browsing the web to find someone somewhere whose written something about The Shack. Some writers love it, probably just as many loath it. Some think it opens a door or Christian spirituality, some think it’s about as close to heretical as you can get. And of course some think it goes beyond even that. Whatever your view, millions do claim to have found their spiritual hunger satisfied by William P. Young's number 1 New York Times bestseller.

If you haven’t read it yet, The Shack is the story of a man lifted from the depths of despair through his life-altering encounter with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Author Wm Paul Young presents the three figures of the Trinity in new and fascinating characterisations. Not to everyone’s taste, God as Father is presented as an African American woman addressed as Papa. God as Spirit appears as the ethereal Sarayu, and as Christ the Son in the person of a middle-eastern man. It was this blend of theology and fiction that captivated millions and set the world of Christian and non-Christian literature buzzing with talk and debate.

Now, an early fan of The Shack, and a close friend to its author, C. Baxter Kruger's ‘The Shack Revisited’ takes Wm Paul’s original as a framework for understanding the theology of the Trinity the core message of The Shack, that God is entirely love. Young himself wrote the forward to Kruger’s book, and involved himself in the discussions leading to the book’s publication. Kruger is known for his strongly Trinitarian beliefs and his explanations for the tri-une nature of God. Another pillar of Kruger’s beliefs is the doctrine of God’s universal acceptance. In terms of The Shack, Kruger and Paul explain this in the parallel of central character, Mack, and his question: “Why do you love us humans… I guess what I want to ask is why do you love me when I have nothing to offer.” and the reply Young has Jesus make: “If you think about it, that should be very freeing.”

Kruger is the founder and director of Perichoresis.org and author of books including ‘The Great Dance: The Christian Vision Revisited’, and ‘Across All Worlds: Jesus Inside Our Darkness’, ‘God Is For Us’ and ‘Jesus and the Undoing of Adam’. Kruger has been touring with Young talking on the books and their complementary view of God. Kruger points out the difference between the theological doctrine of God we have constructed in our heads, and our experience of Him and his love in our hearts. With an exploration of what we’ve been taught about concepts of atonement and justification and our need for love and restoration, this book promises to be challenging, thought provoking and – maybe, reassuring or even disturbing. Either way, it contains arguments and thoughts that every searcher after truth perhaps ought to consider. – Les Ellison

Paul Young's 2008 novel 'The Shack' was a publishing phenomenon all over the world. Now respected theologian C. Baxter Kruger enlarges and articulates more fully the vision that Paul Young created in 'The Shack'. An exploration of the Trinity, the nature of God and our relationship to him, this book picks up where THE SHACK left off, and answers many readers' questions.

"If you want to understand better the perspectives and theology that frame 'The Shack', this book is for you." - Paul Young, author of 'The Shack'.