{UAH} Why God is a curvy, black woman in ‘The Shack’ and some Christian critics say it’s ‘heresy’

Why God is a curvy, black woman in 'The Shack' and some Christian critics say it's 'heresy'

Washington Post | 12/22/2016 | Katie Mettler

•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

Lord (Posted by) Level 4

12/22/2016 4:05 AM EST in General

Click For Photo: https://images.washingtonpost.com/?url=http://img.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2016/12/TS-D17-01896_R-2.jpg&w=1484&op=resize&opt=1&filter=antialias

So I just saw that "The Shack" is becoming a movie. The only good thing to say is FINALLY @octaviaspencer gets to play God as she should be.

— Kate Blanchard (@blanchard_kate) December 21, 2016

In the coming film adaptation of "The Shack," a fictional book by William P. Young about a father's path to renewed faith and healing after his young daughter's murder, the character of God — as depicted in the novel — is portrayed as a curvy, maternal black woman.

And just as the book earned widespread notoriety and scathing critiques nearly a decade ago, the film is garnering its own praise and condemnation.

Issue - Young - Characterization - Holy - Trinity

At issue is Young's characterization of the Holy Trinity, seen through the eyes of the story's main character, who on the four-year anniversary of his daughter's brutal killing is mysteriously invited by someone named "Papa" — his wife's affectionate name for God — to the abandoned shack in the Oregon woods where the girl died.

He goes, reluctant and angry, unsure if he'll be met by his daughter's murderer.

Middle - Eastern - Jewish - Carpenter - Jesus

Instead, he finds this: a Middle Eastern, Jewish carpenter named Jesus; the Holy Spirit embodied in a wispy Asian woman who loves to garden and God (played by "The Help" star Octavia Spencer) as the very opposite of the Gandolf-like grandpa figure modern society is used to seeing.

This depiction — God as a woman despite its gender-less designation in the Bible — has some critics incensed.

Young - Caricature - God - Set - Cushy

"Young's pretentious caricature of God as a heavy set, cushy, nonjudgmental, African American woman called 'Papa' (who resembles the New Agey Oprah Winfrey far more than the one true God revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ — Hebrews 1:1-3), and his depiction of the Holy Spirit as a frail Asian woman with the Hindu name, Sarayu, lends itself to a dangerous and false image of God and idolatry," Joe Schimmel, a California pastor and host of the documentary "Hollywood's War on God," told Christian News Network this week.

In the same CNS article, James B. DeYoung, a professor of...

--

Gwokto La'Kitgum

Find Me on LinkedIn

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall building." Jim Hightower

"If I'm right, and I'm pretty sure I am," writes Dr. Epstein, Trump is capable of only a minimal level of analytical or critical thinking." (Photo: DonkeyHotey/flickr/cc)

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com