Take a photo of a barcode or cover
128 reviews for:
Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up
Francis Chan, Preston Sprinkle
3.66 AVERAGE
128 reviews for:
Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up
Francis Chan, Preston Sprinkle
3.66 AVERAGE
I'm reading this book in 2024, many years after it was written. The book seems almost like a diss track to Rob Bell, who took a Universalist approach to hell. Although it references Bell several times, it does a fine job of analyzing what the Bible and theologians say about hell. Francis Chan presents these analyses in a digestible manner, without the arrogance of claiming to have all the answers. He openly admits his uncertainties.
The chapter that fascinated me the most was about racism. Given that it is 2024, the world differs from the world when Chan wrote the book and, based on this chapter, I believe many people (read: "christians") need to brush up on what the Bible says about racism.
The chapter that fascinated me the most was about racism. Given that it is 2024, the world differs from the world when Chan wrote the book and, based on this chapter, I believe many people (read: "christians") need to brush up on what the Bible says about racism.
Very humbling book. I love that Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle keep it honest. This book raises and answers some very important questions that are central to the Christian faith.
Five stars for the sheer necessity and urgency of the topic, but the unresolved, un-addressed questions lent some disjointedness to the book, so four stars overall. I loved Chan's Crazy Love (a book that was both encouraging and convicting), and I expected more of the same with Erasing Hell, but my jury's still out on how I felt about this particular book.
Chan did his homework, to be sure. Scriptural truth abounds, and lots of tough love is dealt out. I guess my lack-of-a-star in this review stems from my own unanswered questions about the matter: about how hell, not heaven, is the default setting for humankind -- that really, just by being born, we're already damned. I understand that, in His divine authority, God knows what He's doing, but I walked away from this book a little more muddled about hell than I had been before picking it up.
That being said, it's a great book to shake believers from their complacency (or even denial) about the state of the afterlife. I'd recommend it for that reason alone because, as Chan says, we can't afford to be wrong about hell.
Chan did his homework, to be sure. Scriptural truth abounds, and lots of tough love is dealt out. I guess my lack-of-a-star in this review stems from my own unanswered questions about the matter: about how hell, not heaven, is the default setting for humankind -- that really, just by being born, we're already damned. I understand that, in His divine authority, God knows what He's doing, but I walked away from this book a little more muddled about hell than I had been before picking it up.
That being said, it's a great book to shake believers from their complacency (or even denial) about the state of the afterlife. I'd recommend it for that reason alone because, as Chan says, we can't afford to be wrong about hell.
The last half of the book is what salvaged the experience for me. It was outlined very well with Biblical evidence on what Hell is and what it says about who goes. However, I think this work is more for those who are brand new to the faith or who don’t consider themselves believers, as it’s very baseline understanding.
Having read Love Wins, I wanted to read something on the other side of the discussion.
I found this to be a less than satisfying rebuttal because the tone was so different from Bell's book. Bell asks questions (often leading) and made me want to study more. Chan seemed to be presenting a more authoritative stance, but felt dismissive and once-sided.
I feel as though a 100 page book can't as comprehensively answer an age-old theological question as this one purports to.
I found this to be a less than satisfying rebuttal because the tone was so different from Bell's book. Bell asks questions (often leading) and made me want to study more. Chan seemed to be presenting a more authoritative stance, but felt dismissive and once-sided.
I feel as though a 100 page book can't as comprehensively answer an age-old theological question as this one purports to.
I've always been a fan of Francis Chan since I heard him speak at Worship Central conference in London an 2009.
I ordered this book to compare it to the Universalist proposal by Rob Bell in Love Wins, which I also really like. While Chan rebuts many of the arguments in of Bell, I think it's beautiful to hold these two books and positions in tension.
Chan keeps central the idea of God as sovereign and high above us, so high that we don't have the right to judge what He has declared to be just. He also examines mainstream America's attitudes toward hell and judgment--declaring not that we should judge others, and not that escaping hell should be the main way to evangelize, but that the reality of hell should inspire us to love harder, go farther, and reach as many people as possible--because that is God's heart--to reach everyone.
He also discusses our "embarrassment" of hell, and alternatives to the attitude of "apology" for hell.
I think both books have a lot to offer in terms of rethinking American Christian Culture and our attitudes toward hell and judgment. I recommend reading them together, and spending much time in prayer and group talks over the topics within.
I ordered this book to compare it to the Universalist proposal by Rob Bell in Love Wins, which I also really like. While Chan rebuts many of the arguments in of Bell, I think it's beautiful to hold these two books and positions in tension.
Chan keeps central the idea of God as sovereign and high above us, so high that we don't have the right to judge what He has declared to be just. He also examines mainstream America's attitudes toward hell and judgment--declaring not that we should judge others, and not that escaping hell should be the main way to evangelize, but that the reality of hell should inspire us to love harder, go farther, and reach as many people as possible--because that is God's heart--to reach everyone.
He also discusses our "embarrassment" of hell, and alternatives to the attitude of "apology" for hell.
I think both books have a lot to offer in terms of rethinking American Christian Culture and our attitudes toward hell and judgment. I recommend reading them together, and spending much time in prayer and group talks over the topics within.
A difficult and sobering topic, handled delicately, compassionately, and truthfully. Also, a descent critique of Rob Bell's "Love Wins".
I cannot figure Francis Chan out. Some of the things he says, people he associates with, conclusions he draws. He is a riddle wrapped in an enigma in ways, but he is perfectly clear. What annoys me is that he consistently repels any label I try to attach to Him....and boy do I need to label. Is he reformed? Is he charismatic? Is he emergent? What I have come to love and trust is that Francis is honest. And He loves Jesus and reveres the Scriptures. This is why I love hearing Him speak and why I love reading what He writes. I don’t always come to the same conclusions he does, but I always learn and am challenged when God uses Him to deliver a message.
So when David C Cook Publishing decided to bless the world with three free Francis Chan books over Easter weekend, I was super-pumped. Chan's style of writing is so engaging and simple that it allows his books to be enjoyed and consumed quickly. Enjoyed, however, is a relative term, especially in light of the content of the book.
Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity and the Things We've Made Up is Chan's latest adult book and it has a very adult topic. Coauthored with Preston Sprinkle, who did most of the research, Erasing Hell is a very straightforward and simple exposition of the Biblical topic of hell. For those familiar with Chan, straightforward is assumed and he does not fail to deliver in this book. On the surface, Erasing Hell is a response to Love Wins by Rob Bell. Chan interacts with Bell's work, but only superficially. Beyond the timing of the release and the cover art, what Erasing Hell really is is an Evangelical apology of the orthodox doctrine of hell in light of recent(Bell) and not-so-recent(Origen) attacks. Erasing Hell is an examination written on a popular level. If you are looking for an in-depth theological treatise, I would look elsewhere. If you are looking for good interactions with common objections to the orthodox doctrine of hell applied explicitly to the heart and life of the reader, Erasing Hell is exactly what you want.
Chan begins with a look at Universalism of all sorts. He then looks at Second Temple Judaism's understanding of hell, arguing that if Christ had differed greatly from the prevailing thought of His day on an issue of such import, He would have been explicit in His correction, as He was in so many other areas. This line of reasoning, to me, is sound and applicable to other doctrines as well.
Chan's greatest interaction with Bell's text is with the concept of Gehenna=Garbage Dump that Bell so readily uses. Chan makes some striking claims that highlight to me, once again, how dishonest(intentionally or unintentionally) so many are when dealing with the culture at the time of Christ. As I read and research things, I am consistently shocked by how fast and loose many are with facts from the pulpit(or the pulpit of some written media). It is almost as if truth takes a back seat to whatever makes a good sermon illustration or blog post or chapter title. The Gehenna=Garbage Dump factoid may actually fall into this category, as would apparently Bell's entire thesis. As a disclaimer, I have only interacted with Bell's work through secondary sources, so my understanding of his work is most often viewed through a critical lens.
Chan's honesty will be shocking at times and can be discomforting for those who feel it is wrong to even question traditional teaching/interpretation. His uncertainty on certain issues(the duration of Hell, Paul's intent in Romans 9:22-23) could be seen as fence sitting, but Chan does that nowhere else on much more hotbed issues. I truly believe we are seeing a man who's thinking is in line with the key tenet(in my opinion) of the Reformation:Semper Reformanda, “always reforming”.
Chan, in all of his works, urges the reader to flee the deep desire to “reinterpret Jesus in light of our own culture, political bent, or favorite theological belief”. To not “believe something just because you want to,” or “ embrace an idea just because you've always believed it.” But rather to “(b)elieve what is biblical. Test all your assumptions against the precious words God gave us in the Bible.” Knowing this about the heart of Chan, even the areas where you end up disagreeing, you still are respectful of the position he takes. Erasing Hell may not be everything it could have been, but I believe it is everything it was supposed to be and is more than worth the 2 or 3 hours you will invest.
So when David C Cook Publishing decided to bless the world with three free Francis Chan books over Easter weekend, I was super-pumped. Chan's style of writing is so engaging and simple that it allows his books to be enjoyed and consumed quickly. Enjoyed, however, is a relative term, especially in light of the content of the book.
Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity and the Things We've Made Up is Chan's latest adult book and it has a very adult topic. Coauthored with Preston Sprinkle, who did most of the research, Erasing Hell is a very straightforward and simple exposition of the Biblical topic of hell. For those familiar with Chan, straightforward is assumed and he does not fail to deliver in this book. On the surface, Erasing Hell is a response to Love Wins by Rob Bell. Chan interacts with Bell's work, but only superficially. Beyond the timing of the release and the cover art, what Erasing Hell really is is an Evangelical apology of the orthodox doctrine of hell in light of recent(Bell) and not-so-recent(Origen) attacks. Erasing Hell is an examination written on a popular level. If you are looking for an in-depth theological treatise, I would look elsewhere. If you are looking for good interactions with common objections to the orthodox doctrine of hell applied explicitly to the heart and life of the reader, Erasing Hell is exactly what you want.
Chan begins with a look at Universalism of all sorts. He then looks at Second Temple Judaism's understanding of hell, arguing that if Christ had differed greatly from the prevailing thought of His day on an issue of such import, He would have been explicit in His correction, as He was in so many other areas. This line of reasoning, to me, is sound and applicable to other doctrines as well.
Chan's greatest interaction with Bell's text is with the concept of Gehenna=Garbage Dump that Bell so readily uses. Chan makes some striking claims that highlight to me, once again, how dishonest(intentionally or unintentionally) so many are when dealing with the culture at the time of Christ. As I read and research things, I am consistently shocked by how fast and loose many are with facts from the pulpit(or the pulpit of some written media). It is almost as if truth takes a back seat to whatever makes a good sermon illustration or blog post or chapter title. The Gehenna=Garbage Dump factoid may actually fall into this category, as would apparently Bell's entire thesis. As a disclaimer, I have only interacted with Bell's work through secondary sources, so my understanding of his work is most often viewed through a critical lens.
Chan's honesty will be shocking at times and can be discomforting for those who feel it is wrong to even question traditional teaching/interpretation. His uncertainty on certain issues(the duration of Hell, Paul's intent in Romans 9:22-23) could be seen as fence sitting, but Chan does that nowhere else on much more hotbed issues. I truly believe we are seeing a man who's thinking is in line with the key tenet(in my opinion) of the Reformation:Semper Reformanda, “always reforming”.
Chan, in all of his works, urges the reader to flee the deep desire to “reinterpret Jesus in light of our own culture, political bent, or favorite theological belief”. To not “believe something just because you want to,” or “ embrace an idea just because you've always believed it.” But rather to “(b)elieve what is biblical. Test all your assumptions against the precious words God gave us in the Bible.” Knowing this about the heart of Chan, even the areas where you end up disagreeing, you still are respectful of the position he takes. Erasing Hell may not be everything it could have been, but I believe it is everything it was supposed to be and is more than worth the 2 or 3 hours you will invest.