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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
OH, bloody hellz. So, I'm fascinated by the topic of Hell. And since this book seemed to take the more liberal scholar tack of at least questioning it, AND since Mr Bell is incredibly popular, I thought I'd give it a go.
Mistake.
His writing style. It almost killed me. It's sparse. It's...pretentious, frankly. It's written like it should be delivered as a sermon. A fairly vapid one. If he condensed his paragraphs, this already small book would probably be half its original size. Every few pages, I would have to take a break and read something else that didn't suck.
As for the information. Well, it gets two stars merely for theological information and interpretation.
But if you want
to actually get, y'know
solid information and scholarly discussion--
Well, you're barking up the wrong tree.
Mistake.
His writing style. It almost killed me. It's sparse. It's...pretentious, frankly. It's written like it should be delivered as a sermon. A fairly vapid one. If he condensed his paragraphs, this already small book would probably be half its original size. Every few pages, I would have to take a break and read something else that didn't suck.
As for the information. Well, it gets two stars merely for theological information and interpretation.
But if you want
to actually get, y'know
solid information and scholarly discussion--
Well, you're barking up the wrong tree.
A refreshing look at some core doctrines in the Christian faith. Rob Bell shatters many misconceptions that so many hold to be the gospel truth and presents a new vision of a loving, gracious God that’s concerned about his entire creation.
Vastly over-hyped, methinks. Provocative at times, but somewhat flawed in analysis. As usual, Bell poses some fair questions...
Okay so I guess this isn't the kind of book I'm expected to read. But hell who cares about expected.
I'm not the biggest fan of christianity in the world. I grew up congregational and was told at 14 that children were too stupid to have opinions about god. I was evangelical for a couple years (yeah whole way talking in tongues and all, anyone want to talk about group theory). Eventually, for complicated reasons I decided I didn't believe in god.
For years I've been part of a religion forum, it use to be on myspace but over the years various contingents of the group have migrated to various other places. I decided to read this book when one of those people told me Rob Bell was a heretic. And they're right he is. I mean he actually talks about context in the bible. And I don't mean the old testament, kill all the guys that just got circumcised context but did you know there was context to what jesus said? yeah no joke.
She told me that what he said wasn't true biblically, as someone who's read the bible, I'd say it is, he definitely admits to things christians don't usually admit like context. She said he cherry picks, and really that's just the pot calling the kettle black, if you don't cherry pick the bible makes no sense, but with that I think he is more broad and encompassing than a lot of people and even directly addresses stories that don't on surface agree with him and explains his reading of them.
And lets go pragmatism for a second. what's the outcome of all this? He says that christianity is about love and mercy not eternal damnation. and I'm sorry but anyone that thinks love is heretical, I'm not sure I want anything to do with their religion.
A really good point he makes: You can convert anytime you are alive, but the second you die you are condemned to hell forever. this tells us god is a merciful god till we die, then when we die no more second chances, this feels like 2 gods.
the main problem religionwise, most of what he says sounds like nonreligious reincarnation in buddhism, the hungry ghost metaphor. basically he almost makes god redundant. I'm cool with this cause living for the afterlife is unhealthy, but I get why it scares christians, if god isn't out to get them they get all uncomfortable in believing in him, which is of course a problem that bell seems to want to fix.
I'm not the biggest fan of christianity in the world. I grew up congregational and was told at 14 that children were too stupid to have opinions about god. I was evangelical for a couple years (yeah whole way talking in tongues and all, anyone want to talk about group theory). Eventually, for complicated reasons I decided I didn't believe in god.
For years I've been part of a religion forum, it use to be on myspace but over the years various contingents of the group have migrated to various other places. I decided to read this book when one of those people told me Rob Bell was a heretic. And they're right he is. I mean he actually talks about context in the bible. And I don't mean the old testament, kill all the guys that just got circumcised context but did you know there was context to what jesus said? yeah no joke.
She told me that what he said wasn't true biblically, as someone who's read the bible, I'd say it is, he definitely admits to things christians don't usually admit like context. She said he cherry picks, and really that's just the pot calling the kettle black, if you don't cherry pick the bible makes no sense, but with that I think he is more broad and encompassing than a lot of people and even directly addresses stories that don't on surface agree with him and explains his reading of them.
And lets go pragmatism for a second. what's the outcome of all this? He says that christianity is about love and mercy not eternal damnation. and I'm sorry but anyone that thinks love is heretical, I'm not sure I want anything to do with their religion.
A really good point he makes: You can convert anytime you are alive, but the second you die you are condemned to hell forever. this tells us god is a merciful god till we die, then when we die no more second chances, this feels like 2 gods.
the main problem religionwise, most of what he says sounds like nonreligious reincarnation in buddhism, the hungry ghost metaphor. basically he almost makes god redundant. I'm cool with this cause living for the afterlife is unhealthy, but I get why it scares christians, if god isn't out to get them they get all uncomfortable in believing in him, which is of course a problem that bell seems to want to fix.
"millions have been taught that if they don't believe, if they don't accept in the right way that is, the way the person telling them the gospel does, and they were hit by a car and died later that same day, God would have no choice but to punish them forever in hell. God would, in essence become a fundamentally different being to them in that moment of daeth, a different being to them forever. A loving heavenly father who will go to extraordinary lengths to have a relationship with them would, in the blink of an eye, become a cruel, mean, vicious tormentor who woudl ensure that they had no escape from an endless future agony."
"of all the billions of people who have ever lived, will only a select number 'make it to a better place' and every single other person suffer in torment and punishment forever? Is this acceptable to God? Has God created millions of people over tens of thousands of years who are going to spend eternity in anguish"?
And herein summarizes my problems with Christianity as so many people today believe in it. Thank you Rob Bell for being brave enough to write a book that helps reveal some of the inconsistencies with this religion.
"of all the billions of people who have ever lived, will only a select number 'make it to a better place' and every single other person suffer in torment and punishment forever? Is this acceptable to God? Has God created millions of people over tens of thousands of years who are going to spend eternity in anguish"?
And herein summarizes my problems with Christianity as so many people today believe in it. Thank you Rob Bell for being brave enough to write a book that helps reveal some of the inconsistencies with this religion.
I’m not sure what Rob Bell was trying to say and I don’t think Rob Bell fully knew either. This book contains a valid critique of the American church in the framework of confusing theology.
Much of what Rob Bell said was very good and I deeply agree with it. The parts that I don’t agree with were confusing and hard to fully see what he was trying to say. Most of this book felt like Rob Bell was moving in circles around an idea without actually saying what he was thinking.
But at the end of the day, I don’t know what eternity will look like and neither does Rob Bell. Guess we’ll have to wait and find out.
Much of what Rob Bell said was very good and I deeply agree with it. The parts that I don’t agree with were confusing and hard to fully see what he was trying to say. Most of this book felt like Rob Bell was moving in circles around an idea without actually saying what he was thinking.
But at the end of the day, I don’t know what eternity will look like and neither does Rob Bell. Guess we’ll have to wait and find out.
Challenging and thought-provoking, worth the read despite the controversy.
After finishing this book, I have to say that I am not quite sure what Rob Bell was really going on about.
There were a lot of talk about what heaven might be and what hell might be. There were a few stories from the Bible, but in the end, I didn’t close the book feeling as though I gained any new insights.
To take one aspect of God and elaborate on just that one aspect is a little dangerous. God is love, but why is it so difficult to believe that He is also wrath? In a way, I felt that this book pushes God into a box and wraps Him in the pretty paper the author wants him to be.
There are some interesting points in the book, but in the end there wasn’t much that I could take away. Also, I was a bit put off by the writing style. It kept jarring me out of the narrative and I had to put it down many times before finally pushing through to the end.
If you want questions with hardly any answers, then Love Wins is the book for you.
There were a lot of talk about what heaven might be and what hell might be. There were a few stories from the Bible, but in the end, I didn’t close the book feeling as though I gained any new insights.
To take one aspect of God and elaborate on just that one aspect is a little dangerous. God is love, but why is it so difficult to believe that He is also wrath? In a way, I felt that this book pushes God into a box and wraps Him in the pretty paper the author wants him to be.
There are some interesting points in the book, but in the end there wasn’t much that I could take away. Also, I was a bit put off by the writing style. It kept jarring me out of the narrative and I had to put it down many times before finally pushing through to the end.
If you want questions with hardly any answers, then Love Wins is the book for you.