Reviews

Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell

kaylarage's review against another edition

2.0

The only thing I could think when reading this book was "Eh." Nothing grabbed me. I've heard it all before. There were way too many questions and absolutely no answers. And now I ask, "Why do so many Christians adore Rob Bell?

brittishliterature's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.75

I had high expectations going into this one after reading and loving What Is the Bible? and while the book's first half seemed to run on a bit, the last half redeemed it for me.

I haven't known what to do with the idea of heaven and hell as my faith has grown, so I've mostly just set it aside. I mean maybe we just die and that's it, ya know? But I think after reading this book, I can see it in a new light and, in turn, see God in a new light - as a God who is loving and restoring all things.

And maybe it has just as much to do with the here and now as it does the there and then. I don't think I'll ever truly know what comes after this life - can any of us? - but I do think that the way I used to think about heaven and hell doesn't line up with what is found in the Bible and Jesus' teachings. 

I'll be pondering these things for a good while! Might even need to reread this one with a physical copy to annotate and sit with it some more.

readingwhilepotting's review against another edition

hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

stepanana's review against another edition

5.0

After all the controversy, I decided that I really needed to read this one. I think all of the reviews against Rob Bell and this book were pre-mature and many were out of fear.

Rob Bell presented a thought out argument to traditional Christian thought and theology. He does not dismiss hell, but rather challenges the reader to rethink how one thinks of heaven and hell. I think we often mold God into what we want to believe and what is comfortable, and this book offers an alternative.

God just might be bigger than our theology. and thank God for that.

dasrach's review against another edition

Slipshod scholarship, failure to cite sources

meghanwilcox's review

fast-paced

5.0

danielleroegner's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

Great book, although sometimes I tire of Rob’s writing style and wish he’d wax on less. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book and especially hitting home in realizing that God’s love is boundless, not earned more for good actions or lessened for bad actions, but constant all the time and available always. Trusting in God means believing in the truth of his love and goodness. 

rubythedreamer's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

Bell's interpretation of Hell and God's love and character has been helpful on my deconstruction journey. I particularly liked the last two chapters and found them easy to make sense of. Although I enjoyed overall and will definitely take things from this book, at times I got a bit lost in the points that Bell was trying to make during specific chapters. A helpful and radical viewpoint presented that challenges the traditional evangelical way of thinking I've been looking for.

elotpowell's review against another edition

4.0

A controversial book in its time, I found myself never feeling particularly challenged by Bell. His arguments tend to be well crafted and argued, and the book is certainly a must read for those looking to shift their view of God into a loving one. His chapters "Hell" and "There Are Rocks Everywhere" were standout for me.

veronicascottnova's review against another edition

4.0

When you see literally every verse about "hell" up against one another for the first time, you can never look at the evangelical conception of hell the same way again.