Apparently, Christian bookstores want you to buy The Shack, but they don't want you to "buy" The Shack, if you know what I mean. You know, like, please only "buy" it in the give-me-some-money sense.
The book comes with a disclaimer, in the stores, you're supposed to get at check-out: "Read this book with extra discernment."
I think that's cool. Hard to be against extra discernment. Especially when the "author may have espoused thoughts, ideas, or concepts that could be considered inconsistent with historical evangelical theology."
"May", "thoughts", "could be considered"...by somebody...somewhere. "Historical evangelical theology"...dating back, literally, tens of years.
I'm thinking of some other disclaimers -- ones they don't use: "We now know author wrote this book while treating his wife like dirt." Or, "Author once entertained thought inconsistent with public ministry and theology of Billy Graham." (Billy Graham would say they could put that on Billy Graham's books.)
How about, "Author acts all 'Ooh, I'm a big man,' but his kids don't know him."
Maybe they shouldn't do that.
Someone smart should write more about this whole Tradition thing for evangelicals, and how they're so often simultaneously anti-Catholic and...Catholic. I'd write about it. But someone smart should, first. Then I'll just link to it, and include a picture of snuggling milk goats or something. Everybody has a role in blogdom.
Anyway, I kinda like this system: Some books get "extra discernment", and some books? Relax. Take a deep breath and inhale. You're reading Tim LaHaye. The Left Behind series.
They don't have a disclaimer on that one. Swallow it whole, please. It has no thoughts, ideas, or concepts that could even be considered, by anyone, anywhere, inconsistent with Historical Evangelical Theology.
Left Behind: Solid. The Shack: Maybe too dangerous.
Wonder which one questions the institutional church?
----------
P.S. -- Well, dang, these guys are tough. They've got Dave Ramsey's The Money Answer Book at the top of their "fiction" section.
