The Shack Revisited by William Paul Young
Week 4: Chapter 3 — Papa: The Father Who Is Not What You Expected
Read Chapter 3 of The Shack Revisited. Primary Bible passages: Luke 15:11-32; John 14:9.
Previewing Week 4 of The Shack Revisited
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 14-week guide when you’re ready.
One of the most startling moments in The Shack is Mack's encounter with 'Papa' — God the Father appearing as a large, joyful African American woman named Elousia. Kruger unpacks why this portrayal is not irreverent but profoundly theological. Come ready to examine your own image of the Father.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Many readers were initially shocked or offended by The Shack's portrayal of God the Father as a woman named Elousia. What was your initial reaction to that portrayal — either when reading The Shack or hearing about it? What does your reaction reveal about your assumptions?
2.Kruger argues that Papa's form is chosen specifically for Mack — because Mack's father was abusive, a conventionally male authority figure would have been a barrier, not a door, to truth. What does this say about how God accommodates himself to our particular histories and wounds?
3.Kruger introduces the name "Elousia" (from the Greek for essence or being) as a clue to what The Shack is really doing theologically. How does naming God "Essence" rather than a human name begin to push us beyond our habitual pictures of who God is?