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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Well...where do I start with this book? First, it was a very easy book to read; I finished in just a few hours. I like the author's writing style - it is simple and straightforward.
This book is about a very controversial subject. It asks if heaven and hell exist and who ends up there. I appreciate the author's points because they made me really think about the scripture that he cites and the words he discusses. If you have the time, read other reader's comments on this Website and on Amazon. Several pastors (very politely) refuted some of Bell's points and I enjoyed reading their commentary as much as I enjoyed reading the book.
Toward the end of the book, I think Bell left more questions unanwered than the ones that he did answer. I would like to ask him the following questions that he left unaddressed:
If heaven is here on earth, where do people who die go in the meantime?
Is there any punishment for people who do not create God's kingdom here on earth, and, if so, what is it?
Why should we read scripture or follow Jesus today if heaven will come to all of us? (The book seems to lead us to believe that it will just make our lives easier later.)
I liked this book because it raises questions, makes me think, and helps me to solidify my own thoughts and feelings about the subject, whether I agree with Bell or not. And thank you to all the more-informed readers who took the time to debate the book...
This book is about a very controversial subject. It asks if heaven and hell exist and who ends up there. I appreciate the author's points because they made me really think about the scripture that he cites and the words he discusses. If you have the time, read other reader's comments on this Website and on Amazon. Several pastors (very politely) refuted some of Bell's points and I enjoyed reading their commentary as much as I enjoyed reading the book.
Toward the end of the book, I think Bell left more questions unanwered than the ones that he did answer. I would like to ask him the following questions that he left unaddressed:
If heaven is here on earth, where do people who die go in the meantime?
Is there any punishment for people who do not create God's kingdom here on earth, and, if so, what is it?
Why should we read scripture or follow Jesus today if heaven will come to all of us? (The book seems to lead us to believe that it will just make our lives easier later.)
I liked this book because it raises questions, makes me think, and helps me to solidify my own thoughts and feelings about the subject, whether I agree with Bell or not. And thank you to all the more-informed readers who took the time to debate the book...
Ok, so now that I have finally read the book, I think I can actually weigh in on the controversy over it. First off, I have always had a bit of a problem with the concept of hell. The whole idea of it just bothers me and makes me cringe. A truly all-loving and all-good God would never allow his beloved children to suffer eternal torment in Hell. That just doesn't make sense to me at all and never has. In this book, Bell deftly handles that topic and several others and does so in a way that both clarifies and crystallizes his views on the matter. I've been a fan of Bell's Nooma videos but this marks the first time that I have managed to read any of his books. I gotta say, I really appreciated his writing style. It's very down to earth and easy to read and I appreciated that. All in all, I liked what he had to say about Christianity's view on Heaven and Hell. It gave me a base on which to go on and now I feel much more knowledgable about the topic. I look forward to reading more books by Bell in the future. Some have denounced him as a heretic but I simply don't see that based on what he writes here.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I’ve read this book twice now, once when I was first starting to question certain beliefs I had been raised in - then again years later when I’ve come to be in a better place. It really holds up a second time in my opinion.
Rob Bell does an excellent job going over really difficult topics and questions that many of us have really struggled with in today’s world of American Christian Evangelicalism without the tone of the book becoming too academic or boring. It’s a very accessible book and a great launchpad for asking questions. Some times I wished he went into a little more detail on some subjects, but overall it’s a wonderful book and I firmly recommend anyone who has ever had any kind of church hurt read it.
Rob Bell does an excellent job going over really difficult topics and questions that many of us have really struggled with in today’s world of American Christian Evangelicalism without the tone of the book becoming too academic or boring. It’s a very accessible book and a great launchpad for asking questions. Some times I wished he went into a little more detail on some subjects, but overall it’s a wonderful book and I firmly recommend anyone who has ever had any kind of church hurt read it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Bell deserves the acclaim from this book, in my opinion. Clear writing on a very hard to write about topic--the existential questions Christians face and how we answer them.
Content was very interesting and I appreciated his perspective, but the writing is a struggle and even though it’s less than 200 pages, it had a lot of redundancies.
Before I read this, I never considered that heaven and hell could just be - for lack of a better phrase - here and now. They've always been places that we go after we die, and after we're judged for the ways that we lived our lives. There's some comfort in that. Well, honestly, probably more than some. I have functioned for years out of this place that believed that the worst of humanity might get to be pieces of shit here on earth, but their souls will spend eternity paying for that, rotting or burning away somewhere. I don't know that I ever really considered where I'd end up - I've at least jokingly placed myself in both - but I clung to the belief that things would equal out someday, that they will be better somewhere.
And now I'm thinking that, while it's not inherently untrue, that might not actually be the whole story.
The more of Rob Bell's works I read, and the longer I spend working in a church and having conversations with pastors and laity alike, the more I think that A LOT of Christians have gotten pretty much everything wrong. And the more I realize that I missed - or was never taught - so much. About Grace. About who God and Jesus actually are. I think I subscribed to popular belief, too.
I appreciate Bell's work for a number of reasons.
1. The writing is accessible for all. This information is not gatekept behind large words or academic prose or even grammatical conventions. I think pretty much anyone could read and understand the things he writes, at least from a comprehension standpoint.
2. He was not afraid to tackle the heavy topics. Even when it meant losing congregants or being "unpopular."
3. He backs up what he says.
4. He makes you think. Like REALLY think. I always find myself pausing to talk/think through some new perspective or bomb he dropped.
"Love Wins" is no exception.
If you have questions about "heaven, hell, the fate of every person who ever lived," grace, or even just God/Jesus, this is a great place to start. If you're wrestling with other parts of faith, I'm sure he's got a book for that, and I'd encourage you to start there.
And now I'm thinking that, while it's not inherently untrue, that might not actually be the whole story.
The more of Rob Bell's works I read, and the longer I spend working in a church and having conversations with pastors and laity alike, the more I think that A LOT of Christians have gotten pretty much everything wrong. And the more I realize that I missed - or was never taught - so much. About Grace. About who God and Jesus actually are. I think I subscribed to popular belief, too.
I appreciate Bell's work for a number of reasons.
1. The writing is accessible for all. This information is not gatekept behind large words or academic prose or even grammatical conventions. I think pretty much anyone could read and understand the things he writes, at least from a comprehension standpoint.
2. He was not afraid to tackle the heavy topics. Even when it meant losing congregants or being "unpopular."
3. He backs up what he says.
4. He makes you think. Like REALLY think. I always find myself pausing to talk/think through some new perspective or bomb he dropped.
"Love Wins" is no exception.
If you have questions about "heaven, hell, the fate of every person who ever lived," grace, or even just God/Jesus, this is a great place to start. If you're wrestling with other parts of faith, I'm sure he's got a book for that, and I'd encourage you to start there.
After being told my whole life that Rob Bell was a heretic and anything he said/ wrote was deception from the devil, I decided to give his writing a shot myself. And I was pleasantly surprised. I think the strength of this book is the valuable questions. I was discouraged from asking questions like these growing up, so it's reassuring and refreshing to hear them voiced so plainly. I can't say I agree with every idea brought up in Love Wins, but I think it's worth the read just to wrestle with the questions in it.
Answered some difficult questions, and left me questioning more. A well written book that carries important messages but isn't too overwhelming. I will definitely need to reread it to remind myself of everything, but overall I really liked it.
Hahaha, even an alter call at the end.
Mediocre. And badly edited.
Mediocre. And badly edited.
My bullet-pointed review:
-This should be required reading for every Christian (and non-Christians alike!)
-I didn't think anything could top Velvet Elvis - this did.
-Never have I read something that so closely aligned with my personal theology.
-Would have rated it higher, but I think the whole book could have been chapter 7 alone.
-This should be required reading for every Christian (and non-Christians alike!)
-I didn't think anything could top Velvet Elvis - this did.
-Never have I read something that so closely aligned with my personal theology.
-Would have rated it higher, but I think the whole book could have been chapter 7 alone.