Just read the novel "The Shack" and wondered if there is anything that conflicts with Catholic teaching

Yes! The author is not Catholic. His point of view is from the Evangelical/Protestant understanding of his faith. The book is fiction. It does not teach Catholic doctrine or dogma. His view of the Blessed Trinity is not Eucharistic. His view of God the Father as a woman and the Holy Spirit as a fairy are definitely way off base.

Enjoy the book as FICTION - but don't confuse the story with the Catholic Church's teachings.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest!

Dear Frankie,

Evangelical Christians certainly believe in the Holy Trinity. Quite a few take this teaching very seriously and will use the Scriptures to illustrate it. But others, Catholic included, take the misguided approach of trying to make the Holy Trinity more attractive, human, and approachable to believers and non-believers alike. There is great danger of irreverence here, of cutting God down to size. Why don't they write about the lives of the saints instead and leave God in his mystery? The danger today is not that God is mysterious. It is that he is trivial, nice, cute, puppy like, every bodies buddy. There are plenty of topics for good fiction writers. The human scene should be interesting enough. Let's get some educated taste here!

Dr. Geraghty

COPYRIGHT 2009

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