A review by gbdill
Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell

5.0

In Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell provides some extraordinary insight into God's word and the Christian life. Of particular interest to me was Bell’s insight into certain terms found in Scripture. For example "yoke" was a word used to describe a rabbi's interpretation of how to live the Torah. Every rabbi had his own yoke, or understanding/interpretation of the Torah. It was a tradition that Jews would follow after a certain rabbi's yoke because they believed his interpretation was the closest to what God originally intended. This explains why Jesus once said His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30). Furthermore, Bell gives us insight into the formation of what would eventually become the canon of Scripture as we know it. Even before councils were convened, the early church had begun gathering books (even by oral tradition) they felt were inspired of God. In fact, Peter affirms Paul's writings as having the same inspiration as the rest of Scripture (2 Peter 3:16), implying there were others being written that did not fit into this criteria of inspiration. As in his book, “Love Wins”, Bell assures us that it is okay to read Scripture and not understand it, even questioning it, and possibly having doubt just as the early church did. They, like us, are all a part of the story in God’s grand plan to redeem and reconcile the world to himself. Bell also makes the claim that all truth belongs to God. And, it’s not just found in Christianity. You may find some truth in other things, including other faiths. But what we ought to do is claim it for God, because it belongs to Him. I also liked the chapter about the environment. Bell makes the biblical case that all things will someday be renewed and reconciled. And, he is right. We shouldn’t be working against it, but with it, just as Adam did in the original garden.

I have read two Rob Bell books and haven’t read a bad one yet. Bell challenges me and makes me think. On several occasions I had to open up my Bible as a result of reading through this book. And, if a book causes you to think and meditate on Scripture, then I believe it has served its purpose well. I highly recommend Velvet Elvis to anyone who wants to be challenged in their faith.