Papa/Elousia Character Analysis in The Shack

Papa is one facet of the three-part God depicted in the novel (the others being Jesus and Sarayu). Papa also calls herself “Elousia,” which Jesus explains means “the Creator God. She fills the role of “the father” in the trinity, but challenges many of the conventions of that role. Initially, Papa appears as a middle-aged black woman, quick to make jokes and jabs—much to the surprise of Mack, who has always pictured God as an aloof, Gandalf-esque old white man. Papa says she has assumed the familiar name used by Mack’s wife Nan to help Mack identify her with God, but has taken on an unexpected appearance to help Mack get around some of his assumptions about religion. Further challenging Mack’s assumptions, Papa does not use shame, guilt, or violent punishment. Instead, she encourages Mack and all human beings to recognize her love and to trust that, though she can create positive outcomes from tragedies, she does not cause tragedies to happen. Papa has scars on her wrists from Jesus’s crucifixion, which she explains are due to the fact that all three personas of God are always together and always with humans.

Papa/Elousia Quotes in The Shack

The The Shack quotes below are all either spoken by Papa/Elousia or refer to Papa/Elousia. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“When we’re around family she seems to come out of her shell some, but then she disappears again. I just don’t know what to do. I’ve been praying and praying that Papa would help us find a way to reach her but”—she paused again—“it feels like he isn’t listening.”

Related Characters: Nan Phillips (speaker), Kate, Mackenzie Allen Phillips, Papa/Elousia

Page Number and Citation: 23

Explanation and Analysis:

While Mack waits at home, kept inside by the snowstorm, Nan waits with their children at her sister’s house. Kate, their daughter, has been distant ever since the death of her sister, Missy, and nothing seems to be able to lift her sadness. Like Mack, Kate has been increasingly withdrawn in the wake of Missy’s death, refusing to talk about her feelings or reveal the guilt that drives her depression. Both Kate and Mack illustrate that grief can be intense and all-encompassing, especially if it is built on underlying emotions that remain buried. In order to start the process of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consec

“Sweetheart, Jesus didn’t think his Daddy was mean. He thought his Daddy was full of love and loved him very much. His Daddy didn’t make him die. Jesus chose to die because he and his Daddy love you and me and everyone in the world. He saved us from our sickness, like the princess.”

Related Characters: Mackenzie Allen Phillips (speaker), Papa/Elousia, Jesus, Missy

Related Symbols: Waterfalls

Page Number and Citation: 33

Explanation and Analysis:

While the family is camping, Missy is enchanted by the story of the Multnomah princess, who jumped off of a waterfall in order to save her tribe. When she asks Mack about parallels between that story and the story of Jesus, his answer reveals much about his own beliefs about the nature of God. While Mack does not think Jesus’ father was “mean,” as Missy says, he does believe that God uses sacrifice and suffering to bring good to the world. He believes that God operates from a position of love for all humans, but he also believes God required Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetu

“Oh”—now Jesus was serious—“don’t go because you feel obligated. That won’t get you any points around here. Go because it’s what you want to do.”

Related Characters: Jesus (speaker), Mackenzie Allen Phillips, Papa/Elousia

Page Number and Citation: 91

Explanation and Analysis:

When Mack first arrives at the shack and meets the three personas of God—Papa, Sarayu, and Jesus—he is overwhelmed and unsure how to act around them. He feels that he should be deferent and accommodating in the presence of God, because he sees himself as a follower of God. In telling Mack that he should behave as he pleases and not feel obligated to follow Papa inside, Jesus hints at the true nature of the relationship between God and people, something that he will explore in more depth later. In order for faith to be meaningful, it must be given Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta.

“If you couldn’t take care of Missy, how can I trust you to take care of me?” There, he’d said it—the question that had tormented him every day of The Great Sadness. Mack felt his face flush angry red as he stared at what he now considered to be some odd characterization of God, and he realized his hands were knotted into fists.

Related Characters: Mackenzie Allen Phillips (speaker), Papa/Elousia, Missy

Page Number and Citation: 94

Explanation and Analysis:

In the kitchen, Papa has just told Mack that he should trust her and feel protected by her love—but he can’t help but ask the painful question that has been on his mind since Missy’s death, when his faith in God was deeply shaken. In this passage, he reveals that Missy’s death has shaped his perception of the nature of God: now, he believes that God is responsible for the safety of every human, and tragedies like Missy’s death are the result of God’s negligence or malice. Papa’s appearance as a warm, kind black woman clashes not just with Mack’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a des

“For me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me ‘Papa’ is simply to mix metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning.”

Related Characters: Papa/Elousia (speaker), Mackenzie Allen Phillips

Page Number and Citation: 95

Explanation and Analysis:

Mack is surprised when he meets Papa, a warm, kind black woman, because he had always pictured God as cold and vaguely “Gandalf-like”—that is, a mysterious, old white man. As Papa explains here, the contrast between Mack’s mental image of God and how she has chosen to appear to him is a deliberate effort to shake his preconceived notions and prepare him for the deeper discrepancies that lie beneath the surface. Soon, Mack will realize that God operates in a completely different way from how he had imagined, which is reflected by the fact that God appears so differently from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque

So this was God in relationship? It was beautiful and so appealing. He knew that it didn’t matter whose fault it was—the mess from some bowl that had been broken, that a planned dish would not be shared. Obviously, what was truly important here was the love they had for one another and the fullness it brought them. He shook his head. How different this was from the way he sometimes treated the ones he loved!

Related Characters: Willie (speaker), Mackenzie Allen Phillips, Sarayu, Jesus, Papa/Elousia

Page Number and Citation: 107

Explanation and Analysis:

As Papa prepares dinner, Jesus drops a bowl of sauce, making a mess in the kitchen. But rather than creating tensions—as it did when Mack tried to prepare a meal at the campsite with his children, and lost his temper at them—the incident brings Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu to laughter. Mack watches transfixed as preparations for the meal continue. As Papa explains, the Trinity exists as three separate people in part so that they can embody and demonstrate a perfect relationship. In a perfect relationship, love is at the center, while power, anger, and judgement have no place. By observing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam volupt

“There is a lot to be mad about in the mess my kids have made and in the mess they're in. I don't like a lot of the choices they make, but that anger—especially for me—is an expression of love all the same. I love

the ones I am angry with just as much as those I'm not.”

“But—” Mack paused. “What about your wrath?”

Related Characters: Mackenzie Allen Phillips (speaker), Papa/Elousia (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 121

Explanation and Analysis:

As Papa prepares breakfast, Mack asks questions that reveal the disconnect between how he perceives God and how Papa actually behaves. Mack has come to believe that God frequently (and harshly) punishes people who stray from his path, because Mack can find no other way to rationalize the unjust death of his daughter, Missy. He believes that God is “wrathful,” using his power and knowledge to mete out suffering in accordance to some personal system of justice. Papa, on the other hand, explains that love is at the center of her relationship to all people on Earth, regardless of what Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possi

“What you’re seeing here is relationship without any overlay of power. We don’t need power over the other because we are always looking out for the best. Hierarchy would make no sense among us.”

Related Characters: Sarayu (speaker), Jesus, Papa/Elousia, Mackenzie Allen Phillips

Page Number and Citation: 124

Explanation and Analysis:

At breakfast, Mack asks Papa, Sarayu, and Jesus which one of them is in charge. They are thrown by his question, teasing him a little because to them the concept seems utterly absurd. Sarayu, the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, gently explains that in a perfect relationship, mutual love and not fear or power hold people together. Because the relationship among the Trinity is meant to be an example of perfect love, they do not allow the tainting influence of a hierarchy to creep in. Sarayu explains that therefore, power dynamics—which usually lead to one person being abused, or, on Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi.

“Mack, just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I needed it to accomplish my purposes.”

Related Characters: Papa/Elousia (speaker), Mackenzie Allen Phillips

Related Symbols: Waterfalls

Page Number and Citation: 187

Explanation and Analysis:

Chatting on the porch with Papa, Mack realizes he has lingering doubts about the true nature of God. Thinking about how God allowed him to see Missy from behind a waterfall, Mack is reminded of the story of the Multnomah princess—which makes him wonder whether God allowed or willed Missy to die in order for Mack to come to the cabin and learn. He still can’t shake his long-held suspicion that God demands suffering and sacrifice in order to bring good to the world. Just as the stories of Jesus and the Multnomah princess are about people making sacrifices in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo

“Forgiveness is first for you, the forgiver,” answered Papa, “to release you from something that will eat you alive, that will destroy your joy and your ability to love fully and openly. Do you think this man cares about the pain and torment you have gone through?”

Related Characters: Papa/Elousia (speaker), Missy, Mackenzie Allen Phillips

Page Number and Citation: 227

Explanation and Analysis:

On his final day at the cabin, Papa, assuming the form of an old man, takes Mack through the woods to the spot where Missy’s killer hid her body. Before they can enter the cave, Papa says that there is one more thing Mack must do—forgive Missy’s killer. As Papa explains, forgiveness is absolutely essential to relationships: not because Mack will be able to (or have desire to) form a relationship with Missy’s killer once he forgives him, but because holding onto his pain, judgement, and desire for revenge is hindering Mack’s ability to heal and form relationships with others. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui

Papa/Elousia Character Timeline in The Shack

The timeline below shows where the character Papa/Elousia appears in The Shack. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...at the shack next weekend if Mack wants to meet up. It is signed simply “Papa.” Wondering if the letter is a prank, Mack feels angry and unsettled. (full context)

...home. Nan is worried about getting through to Kate. She says she’s been praying to Papa—her favorite nickname for God—for ideas about how to get through to her, but it feels... (full context)

...the story is true, and if the Great Spirit is another name for God, Jesus’s Papa. Mack is pleased by the question and says that he thinks so. Missy asks why... (full context)

Before he can knock, the door is swept open by a large African American woman who sweeps Mack into a hug. She tells him excitedly that she’s delighted to see... (full context)

...finds himself confused but also enchanted by the three strangers. The first introduces herself as Elousia, but she also says it might make sense to call her “Papa,” like Nan does.... (full context)

Elousia turns to go inside, telling Mack he can follow or do whatever else he likes.... (full context)

...stain by the fireplace is gone, and everything is decorated with children’s artwork. Mack finds Papa in the kitchen dancing to funk music. Mack expresses surprise that she isn’t listening to... (full context)

Mack says he’s having a hard time wrapping his head around calling the woman Papa, and she suggests it’s because he’s never really had a papa of his own—but she... (full context)

Mack returns to his first point, saying it’s hard to call her Papa because she appears as a woman. But, she says that it’s important for her to... (full context)

Papa says she knew Mack would come to the shack, and Mack asks if that means... (full context)

As she speaks, Mack sees that Papa has scars on her wrists, outlining pierce wounds. She says that what Jesus chose to... (full context)

Papa opens the window and begins feeding a bluejay. She uses the bird as analogy, saying... (full context)

Papa says that becoming Jesus was a way to embrace the limitations of being human, even... (full context)

...why there are three people in the cabin who seem to comprise a single God. Papa says that the three are necessary so that “love and relationship” can exist within God.... (full context)

...loud crashing sound. Jesus has dropped a large bowl of sauce and it has splattered Papa’s feet and the hem of her skirt. But instead of fighting, Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu... (full context)

Papa says she would like to have a time of devotion after the meal. The suggestion... (full context)

...have much in common. Jesus says that he offers a good way to relate to Papa and Sarayu, since he reflects them but is also human. He explains that Sarayu is... (full context)

Mack is drawn to the kitchen by the smell of breakfast and the sound of Papa singing to Bruce Cockburn. She tells Mack she is especially fond of Bruce, but she... (full context)

Jesus and Sarayu join them for breakfast, and Jesus, Sarayu, and Papa, enter into an intense conversation about reconciling an estranged family while Mack listens with awe.... (full context)

...that given all the pain and destruction in the world, including the death of Missy. Papa says there are many reasons to allow pain and suffering, and those ends make everything... (full context)

Just then, Papa approaches and compliments their work. Sarayu says that the garden itself is actually Mack’s soul,... (full context)

...with them the capacity for him to give more love. He likens it to how Papa is “especially fond” of each of her children. The woman smiles, saying Mack is wise... (full context)

When the olive-skinned woman says that Mack loves his children the way the Father loves his, Mack bristles, saying that if Missy is one of God’s children, God doesn’t... (full context)

...judged his children worthy of love, even at cost to himself, and now he knows Papa’s heart. (full context)

Relieved, Mack sits back in the chair. But Mack says he still doesn’t understand how Papa could love Missy and let her murder happen. The olive-skinned woman says that the world... (full context)

...skipping stones. Jesus explains that the woman in the cave was Sophia, a personification of Papa’s wisdom. She is not a separate persona of God but a part of Sarayu’s mystery.... (full context)

...terrified in the truck. Jesus stops him and says Missy was never alone—he, Sarayu, and Papa were with her the whole time. Jesus says he and Missy talked during that time,... (full context)

...his life’s journey and help him to be less alone. Jesus says he, Sarayu, and Papa have been trying to show Mack the truth about Missy for a long time, but... (full context)

...with a final word to Mack, telling him that letting Mack see Missy earlier was Papa’s idea. Mack goes into the shack to try to find her. (full context)

Mack joins Papa on the porch and begins to enjoy some fresh-baked scones she’s made. Papa says they... (full context)

...had been judging God but has the capacity to stop. Still, he doesn’t understand why Papa chose to help him. He feels guilty that he has had such difficulty accepting Papa.... (full context)

...to Nan about coming to the shack because he didn’t want to hurt her, but Papa says that is just a justification. Papa says he was really just scared of having... (full context)

Papa explains that the evil in the world is not caused by her to gain people’s... (full context)

Realizing she’s referring to Jesus, Mack asks what Jesus accomplished by dying. Papa says that Jesus’s death and resurrection allowed Papa to become fully reconciled with the world.... (full context)

Mack says that Papa has helped him realize he’s afraid of emotions, something that concerns him. He says he... (full context)

Mack joins Sarayu, Jesus, and Papa at the table, where they openly talk and laugh with each other. He finds their... (full context)

...are simply other forms of rules, which remove freedom and create guilt and shame instead. Papa has no expectations for Mack, but simply knows him. (full context)

...before dawn by a kindly looking man with a silver ponytail. He realizes it is Papa, who says that he thinks this morning Mack will need more of a father figure.... (full context)

...picked the day before. Jesus says he will give Mack a gift when he returns. Papa makes Mack some breakfast, and he eats before following Papa outside. They grab a shovel... (full context)

Papa and Mack begin to walk down the trailhead. Then, Papa starts leading them on an... (full context)

Papa and Mack arrive at a rocky shale clearing. Papa says that, before he shows Mack... (full context)

Mack goes to walk back to the cabin, but Papa says they still have more to do. He says they are going to bring Missy... (full context)

Papa and Mack follow the trail to a pile of rocks blocking off a cave. Together,... (full context)

Jesus meets Papa and Mack when they arrive back at the cabin. He takes Mack into his work... (full context)

Inside the cabin, Papa leads them to the living room, where there is a glass of wine and a... (full context)

...just as Mack described. Eventually, they make it to the cave, and Mack realizes that Papa carefully placed the last rock there because he knew Mack would need to find it... (full context)

...a quiet revolution rooted in daily kindness that will connect everyone with Sarayu, Jesus, and Papa. (full context)

Papa/Elousia Character Analysis

Papa/Elousia Quotes in The Shack

Chapter 1 Quotes

Chapter 2 Quotes

Chapter 6 Quotes

Chapter 7 Quotes

Chapter 8 Quotes

Chapter 13 Quotes

Chapter 16 Quotes

Papa/Elousia Character Timeline in The Shack