Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I wanted to read and decide for myself, especially since there are so many mixed voices and opinions.
Essentially, Bell is relating the good news, and he is doing it in a way to show prospective and new believers that there is more to God then fire and brimstone (sinners in the hand of an angry God) and he is asking mature/long-time believers to really analyze the beliefs that have matured in them.
His focus is on God's love, which is available for all. But Bell puts us at the gate of choice. You only have so long to make the choice. Every opportunity is limited and once the opportunity is gone, you can't get it back. God's love is for you, and always has been.
I see where some of Bell's questions have made Christian readers uncomfortable. I do not believe it is his intent to assert a Universalist message in this book. Readers who have read that haven't really read what he is saying, or followed up with his further reading suggestions.
Read and decide for yourself.
Essentially, Bell is relating the good news, and he is doing it in a way to show prospective and new believers that there is more to God then fire and brimstone (sinners in the hand of an angry God) and he is asking mature/long-time believers to really analyze the beliefs that have matured in them.
His focus is on God's love, which is available for all. But Bell puts us at the gate of choice. You only have so long to make the choice. Every opportunity is limited and once the opportunity is gone, you can't get it back. God's love is for you, and always has been.
I see where some of Bell's questions have made Christian readers uncomfortable. I do not believe it is his intent to assert a Universalist message in this book. Readers who have read that haven't really read what he is saying, or followed up with his further reading suggestions.
Read and decide for yourself.
Soulful wisdom worth spending the time to journey through. Wrestling continues.
I gave this a 1 star rating back when it came out due to being in a very different place in my life and with my beliefs. I saw the writing and references as lazy and stretching for things which weren't there.
I fully disagree with myself from back then.
Bell asks important questions and isn't afraid to stray from more modern-day Evangelical beliefs. The thing that seems to be misunderstood is that some of his suggestions (Hell may not be real, or if it is, it's likely temporary - as an example) are not new ideas. These weren't just thoughts given by fringe theologians, but some theological giants supported these ideas.
I'm thankful for Bell and this book.
I fully disagree with myself from back then.
Bell asks important questions and isn't afraid to stray from more modern-day Evangelical beliefs. The thing that seems to be misunderstood is that some of his suggestions (Hell may not be real, or if it is, it's likely temporary - as an example) are not new ideas. These weren't just thoughts given by fringe theologians, but some theological giants supported these ideas.
I'm thankful for Bell and this book.
For anyone who has struggled with doctrine of organized religion, particularly of Christian denominations, I highly recommend this book. Rob Bell gives an open and honest account of the problems that have arisen in Christianity these last few decades and offers hope for those who believe there is more out there but questioning what to do about it. He also infuses his book with eye-opening historical accounts of what was going on at the time certain parts of the Bible were written, and let me tell you -- A lot of what is currently being preached has no actual basis in the teachings of Christ.
I read Rob Bell's new book, mostly because someone in our church book group expressed an interest after seeing him on the news just before its publication. Not unlike many other progressives, I read Bell and I think, "Is there actually anything new here?" There isn't. He's not saying anything I wasn't taught in seminary or haven't thought of myself or read in a book with a more scholarly emphasis. In fact, for a lot of his readers, because of the style of the book, it's going to seem like he came to some astounding conclusions about God that are, in the mainline, nothing new. This irritates people. We've been talking this way for a long time. The thesis of the book is that because God is love, really what God wants is for everyone to be in a loving relationship with God, and we need to get over our tendencies to claim that whoever doesn't believe what we believe right down to the letter is surely going to Gehenna/Sheol/h-e-double-toothpicks for the burning and the wailing and the gnashing of teeth.
I already believed that. But I acknowledge that for an evangelical audience what Bell is saying is shocking, and he has a better chance of breaking through to them than the average UCC pastor would ever have, so God bless him for trying.
He makes some effort to include non-Christians (other sheep in the sheepfold, John 10) in this outpouring of heavenly love, and there's a passing reference to God's immanence in creation, reflecting the relatively new interest among evangelicals in care for the Earth. But there's no mention of anyone's sexual orientation, and given the condemnation of LGBTQ people by most evangelicals, for me that's a missing piece as compared to my own understanding of God's abundant and inclusive love.
Now, stylistically, the book includes a LOT of scripture. I'm reminded of the time my middle child visited a big, conservative church while he was at boarding school. He described the sermon thusly, "The guy just kept quoting scripture after scripture, all these little things from all over the Bible." As a writer and a preacher I have a different style. I hone in on one passage, or two, and sometimes on only a sliver of one, trying to plumb its meaning. I don't prepare thematic works of this nature, nor have I been exposed to them much, so I can't say whether this is a good, as in well-wrought, example. I actually like his tendency to use spacing as punctuation and emphasis. I do it myself at times.
I'm looking forward to the book group discussion and will update this review after we meet!
I already believed that. But I acknowledge that for an evangelical audience what Bell is saying is shocking, and he has a better chance of breaking through to them than the average UCC pastor would ever have, so God bless him for trying.
He makes some effort to include non-Christians (other sheep in the sheepfold, John 10) in this outpouring of heavenly love, and there's a passing reference to God's immanence in creation, reflecting the relatively new interest among evangelicals in care for the Earth. But there's no mention of anyone's sexual orientation, and given the condemnation of LGBTQ people by most evangelicals, for me that's a missing piece as compared to my own understanding of God's abundant and inclusive love.
Now, stylistically, the book includes a LOT of scripture. I'm reminded of the time my middle child visited a big, conservative church while he was at boarding school. He described the sermon thusly, "The guy just kept quoting scripture after scripture, all these little things from all over the Bible." As a writer and a preacher I have a different style. I hone in on one passage, or two, and sometimes on only a sliver of one, trying to plumb its meaning. I don't prepare thematic works of this nature, nor have I been exposed to them much, so I can't say whether this is a good, as in well-wrought, example. I actually like his tendency to use spacing as punctuation and emphasis. I do it myself at times.
I'm looking forward to the book group discussion and will update this review after we meet!
Wonderfully thought-provoking book about the nature of heaven and hell. Contrary to the criticism Bell received in conservative evangelical corners, Bell doesn't deny the existence of hell or propose universalism; rather, he rethinks the *nature* of hell -- what it really is, what it really means. He proposes a soteriological position he terms "exclusivism this side of inclusivism", a position I had already come to intuitively, though without the creative terminology. He also emphasizes how profoundly free we are as human beings, another position that is very important to my own personal theology.
In Love Wins, Bell calls us to a kind of Christianity that is much more invested in this life than the next by asserting that the Christian walk is one that actually extends heaven or hell to Earth by the way we choose to show up in our lives. His approach resonates with me A LOT; he merely found words to express many things that I already believed. 4.5 stars, with half a star knocked off for stylistic reasons. I appreciated what he was trying to do with his sort of choppy/hipster writing style, but over the course of an entire book it kinda got on my nerves a time or two. 5 stars on content, though. A must-read for believers and non-believers alike, especially if the idea of hell is what prevents you from seriously considering Christianity. There's more than one way to be a Christian.
In Love Wins, Bell calls us to a kind of Christianity that is much more invested in this life than the next by asserting that the Christian walk is one that actually extends heaven or hell to Earth by the way we choose to show up in our lives. His approach resonates with me A LOT; he merely found words to express many things that I already believed. 4.5 stars, with half a star knocked off for stylistic reasons. I appreciated what he was trying to do with his sort of choppy/hipster writing style, but over the course of an entire book it kinda got on my nerves a time or two. 5 stars on content, though. A must-read for believers and non-believers alike, especially if the idea of hell is what prevents you from seriously considering Christianity. There's more than one way to be a Christian.
Well, I made it through most of chapter 2, and considering how many times Bell used the return key, that’s impressive. Is this theology? Giant print, partial sentences, paragraphs of lists of words? No citations at all? This should be brimming with footnotes! If you didn’t invent this line of thought, man, show us who did! Are they reliable and orthodox? Heresy has been around since 34AD, so it being said before doesn’t mean much.
I will acknowledge here that I am definitely not the audience for this book. I’m a well-read Catholic, and we’ve got two thousand years of great thinkers, a heavily cited Catechism, and Apostolic Tradition to help us answer the big questions. Maybe Bell should check out the Catechism - a lot of the topics he acts like he’s never heard discussed are covered robustly. And in sentences.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm
I will acknowledge here that I am definitely not the audience for this book. I’m a well-read Catholic, and we’ve got two thousand years of great thinkers, a heavily cited Catechism, and Apostolic Tradition to help us answer the big questions. Maybe Bell should check out the Catechism - a lot of the topics he acts like he’s never heard discussed are covered robustly. And in sentences.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm
I am reading and reviewing this book in 2024, many years after it was written. The controversy around Rob Bell's positions on hell has diminished over time. While I don't agree with all of his views, parts of this book still resonate, especially his thoughts on how people perceive Jesus. Bell discusses how individuals compare themselves, their works, and others to the image of Jesus they hold in their minds. He addresses the in-group and out-group dynamics within the Christian community, which is particularly relevant given our current political climate.
Though I believe Francis Chan's book, written in response to Bell's, provides a better account of what hell may be like, Bell's book has its own merits and valuable insights.
Though I believe Francis Chan's book, written in response to Bell's, provides a better account of what hell may be like, Bell's book has its own merits and valuable insights.
This was the last book I read from the library until after April, and I picked a good book to go out on (in fact, I upgraded it to five stars, because the worst I can say about it is that it had an embarrassing error in it.)
Although there may not be a lot that's totally new here as Rob examines the theology of inclusion, his delivery is straightforward, Biblically sound, moving, and convincing. If you ever need reminding of God's goodness without having it overshadowed by people obsessed with sin and punishment, this book is for you. It should be required reading for everyone who is convinced there's only one "right" way to do Christianity.
Although there may not be a lot that's totally new here as Rob examines the theology of inclusion, his delivery is straightforward, Biblically sound, moving, and convincing. If you ever need reminding of God's goodness without having it overshadowed by people obsessed with sin and punishment, this book is for you. It should be required reading for everyone who is convinced there's only one "right" way to do Christianity.
Fellow travelers recommended Rob Bell to me when I was reading The Gospel Of Inclusion. I picked this book at random.
Maybe Bell has better books, but didn’t do anything for me. Pearson seems more scholarly and rigorous. Bell (while he does reference a number of Bible verses) seems more touchy feely. I can see how he would appeal to Unitarian Universalists and others who don’t ground their theology on the literal word of the Bible, but it seems “lite” to me.
Maybe Bell has better books, but didn’t do anything for me. Pearson seems more scholarly and rigorous. Bell (while he does reference a number of Bible verses) seems more touchy feely. I can see how he would appeal to Unitarian Universalists and others who don’t ground their theology on the literal word of the Bible, but it seems “lite” to me.