Latest & Breaking News on Fox News
· collected 2026-08-06 · by Cortney O'Brien
William P. Young, author of the novel "The Shack", expects criticism from Christians with the release of his sequel, but remains open to feedback. The book's unorthodox portrayal of the Holy Trinity sparked controversy among some Christians when it was first published in 2017. Young's new novel, "Return to the Shack: A Journey into Redemption", is set for release in October and will also feature a more humanized storyline for the child murderer, J, who is now a death row inmate. According to Young, he has befriended prisoners while visiting the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee, which influenced his decision to portray them with sympathy.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Some Christians dismissed author William P. Young’s novel "The Shack" as heresy for its portrayal of the Holy Trinity, and he said he expects more pushback on his sequel.
asserted
he → dismiss → sequel
"The Shack," which was also adapted into a major motion picture in 2017, tells the heartbreaking story of a father, Mack, whose daughter is kidnapped and killed while on a camping trip.
asserted
daughter → adapt → trip
In the midst of his grief, Mack discovers a letter in his mailbox from God, who implores him to visit a shack.
asserted
who → discover → shack
Once there, he meets a diverse Holy Trinity.
asserted
he → meet → Trinity
Papa is a middle-aged Black woman, Jesus is a Middle Eastern carpenter, and the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman named Sarayu.
asserted
Spirit → name → ?
Some Christians balked at the unorthodox portrayals, saying Young sorely misrepresented the nature of God.
asserted
Young → balk → God
America magazine's David E. Nantais wrote at the time that the book had become "both a fascination and an object of contempt to millions of Christians" because it literally portrayed the Trinity as three persons.
asserted
it → write → persons
Young's sequel, "Return to the Shack: A Journey into Redemption," is out on bookshelves in October.
asserted
sequel → return → October
And he expects Christians to again make some noise because of the subject matter.
asserted
Christians → expect → matter
"You know, I don't brace for any of it," Young told Fox News Digital.
asserted
Young → know → Digital
"Yes, it'll probably happen.
asserted
it → happen → ?
But yes, if you're going to have something out in public purview, you'll always find people who don't like it.
asserted
who → go → it
I think — and I did get considerable but not overwhelming pushback from my own people — because of my history as a missionary kid, a preacher's kid."
asserted
I → think → kid
An additional aspect of his new novel that may raise eyebrows is how the child murderer, simply named J, is portrayed.
uncertain
murderer → raise → eyebrows
J is now a death row inmate, and Young gives him a more humanized storyline in the sequel, including references to his childhood and abusive father.
asserted
Young → give → childhood
Young said he decided to go that route because of what he experienced through his own broken relationship with his dad.
asserted
he → say → dad
In candid interviews since "The Shack" was released, Young has described his father as angry, distant, and strict.
asserted
Young → release → father
His novel helped him repair their relationship and show mercy toward his father.
asserted
him → help → father
"He was allowed only to be a failed father," Young told Fox News Digital.
asserted
Young → allow → Digital
"And so I finally released him from my expectations and allowed him to become something greater than a failure to my expectations and greater than being my dad.
asserted
him → release → expectations
And that was to finally become a human being.
asserted
that → become → ?
And when that happened, suddenly his story mattered."
asserted
story → happen → ?
Young shared that some of the prisoners in the sequel are modeled after death row inmates he befriended at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee, so he felt compelled to view them through a sympathetic lens, too.
asserted
he → share → lens
"That's just one of the layers that's going on," Young said.
asserted
Young → go → layers
"But I think that death row inmates would be one of the most related to as animals, put into category.
asserted
inmates → think → category
Like the guys say, 'We're only known for the worst day of our lives.'
asserted
We → say → lives
"
"We're talking about human beings who've come from very diverse backgrounds and situations and trauma being a very centerpiece, abuse being a centerpiece," he added.
asserted
he → talk → backgrounds
Young says, however, that people should not use that as an excuse for the choices they make.
asserted
they → say → choices
He surmised that some of the Christians who took issue with his first book have "a fear-based religion.
asserted
who → surmise → religion
"And there is no fear in love, that's a Scripture out of the New Testament," he said.
asserted
he → be → Testament
Any fear indicates that your theology, your religion is seriously flawed.
asserted
theology → indicate → ?
And because people are afraid, they're going to react out of their fear."
asserted
they → go → fear
Young sympathized with some of the reaction, however.
asserted
Young → sympathize → reaction
Over the years, he's admitted to marital infidelity and how that impacted his own walk with God.
asserted
that → admit → God
"If it hadn't been for that kind of monumental failure — when you get caught you have to either run or face it.
asserted
you → catch → it
I think it's by the grace of God that I faced it," Young told Oregon Live in 2015.
asserted
Young → think → 2015
"And I get that, because I've been there and done that," he told Fox Digital.
asserted
he → get → Digital
"You know, I went through enough crap and did enough harm and had to deal with the consequences of that in my own life, that I know who I am now.
asserted
I → know → life
"My identity is outside of that," Young continued.
asserted
Young → continue → that
"And so, you know, sometimes I think if people are bothered by something, it means something is in them that needs to be addressed and it becomes an invitation.
asserted
it → know → them
…and 8 more, not listed.
