Rob Bell (1) (1970–)

Interesting perspective. Lacks a strong end.

This book captivated me at first. It had a good premise and I got into it knowing that the author and I would not meet eye to eye in many theological aspects... and that’s fine.

His central points about God being WITH, FOR, and AHEAD of us are on point, provided a new perspective on many things for me and were a blast to read and meditate upon.

His discourse on being OPEN is interesting, smart, and something one could get behind.

But the final pages show more are just not driving it home for me. It is one thing to see God in everything and another thing entirely to say that everything is holy without considering that God did make distinctions between the holy and the profane. The prophet Ezekiel said that one of the problems Israel’s priesthood exhibited was that they made no difference between the two (Ez. 22:26).

I appreciate the book for what it is, a seemingly honest exposition of the author’s view on God. At some points it does present a God I can find in being revealed in the Bible, and don’t get me wrong... when he gets it right he gets it right good. At some points it simply feels like new age feel-good pantheistic cotton candy being crammed down my throat... somewhat interesting and fun (Bell’s skills as a communicator can’t be denied) but still as close to Jesus’ gospel as those energy crystals being sold in Sedona, AZ or those “balance keeping” wristbands we were sold at the mall. show less

I suppose I should start by saying that this isn't even a book I purchased for myself, as religious non-fiction doesn't tend to be my genre of choice. I picked this up for my husband a few months ago, and after he finished it, twice over, he asked me to read it so that we could discuss it. I wasn't really sure what to expect from a book named "Sex God," but I figured it couldn't be bad - the author is Rob Bell, pastor at Mars Hill, which is the church I attend (irregularly). I enjoy his show more sermons, and hoped his writing style would be similar.

To start off, the title is a bit misleading; attention grabbing, but just slightly misleading. The focus of the book, as the full title suggests, is the connections between sexuality and spirituality. The definition of "sexuality" isn't the conventional one, though; Bell's definition of sexuality is a bit broader, more like the connection with others that we are all in search of. Not what I was expecting, but it was interesting. Rather than sexuality, I would say this book is more about personal relationships, marriage and love, and how they relate to and are paralleled in our relationship with God. The book also manages to be religious, without being terribly preachy; most points and messages are delivered via anecdotes and short stories, including pop culture references.

While the book wasn't what I was expecting, it was a good read. I found it insightful, and thought provoking. My only real beef with the book is that it doesn't seem to focus on any one topic, which is likely due to the anecdotal, slightly meandering style of writing. You'll start at one point, and sort of wander around a bit, and eventually come full circle; while there are some thought provoking points made, I just wish that he could have gone into more depth. My other minor quibble is how he does his footnotes. All of his footnotes are at the back of the book; you'll read a passage, see the number for the footnote, flip to the back of the book, and find out exactly which passage of the Bible he's referencing. That's it. Not even the text of the passage, just the book, chapter and verse number. If I had to flip all the way to the back of the book, I want it to be for more than just 2 words. Shorter footnotes, like references to Bible verses, could have easily been placed at the bottom of the page, or even in-line with the text. All in all, though, I would definitely consider this to be a worthwhile read. show less

I didn't read this when it first came out in part because I picked it up, looked at the price tag, the large print and short sentences and felt like I would be wasting my money on it.

Had I read the print edition, I think I still would have had several objections to Bell's writing style. But I listened to the audiobook version of Love Wins. I think the problem with Bell's writing style is that he writes like he speaks. What is engaging in one medium is tedious in another. The brief sentences show more and rhetorical questions did not appeal to me in the print format, but are highly effective in the audio version.

But what of the content? What Bell articulates here is the Christian Inclusivist position. Bell did not deny the existence of hell or say that no one would go there (though he did question 'eternal torment'). What he does say is that God is always at work to bring restoration and new life, even when things look hopeless.

Obviously based on the fallout and books written in response, Bell did very little to convince a certain crowd of the merits of his position. It is too bad, I think what Bell articulates here is a compelling and exciting look at Grace. John Piper's imfamous tweet seems to me to be unfortunate, but I think Bell is partly to blame for being so antagonistic to Piper's classical evangelical view of eternity. Had he said it with a little more grace to traditional hell-mongers, there may have been more receptivity.

But probably not, because that in your face style is what gives Rob Bell his appeal and charm.

It also should be noted that Bell is not as sloppy and naive in his exegesis of the Bible as the blogosphere seems to imply. Even if you don't buy his interpretation of every passage, he presents a compelling and nuanced look at several passages.

I am not sure that I would agree with Bell on every point, but I am glad he articulated a view of eternity which is humble enough to admit, there is so much we don't know about God's ways and is hopeful for more of God's love and mercy! show less

That Rob Bell speaks so often in theaters rather than in churches may say as much about the controversial nature of his views on Christianity as it does about his popularity. Many churches would hesitate to invite him in. And they might not be large enough to hold the crowds.

Bell views things just a little differently than most Christians, whether of the mainline variety, evangelicals or fundamentalists. That makes him difficult to pin down.

Reading his 2017 book “What Is the Bible?” show more makes him no easier to pin down, but it may cause one to realize that pinning him, or anyone else (including God), down may be the wrong objective. One of the last statements he makes in the book is this: “Do your best to read it (the Bible) without any ideas about God entering the picture.” Read it with an open and clear mind. Pay attention to every detail. Discover the real story behind the story and why it is important. Embrace the truth wherever it is found. Bell doesn’t say so, but perhaps we should read people in the same way.

Bell sees the Bible as a library of literature in many forms, written over a period of many centuries, that somebody thought important enough to preserve and combine. Before we can know its importance to us today, the object of most Bible study, we should know why it was so important to those who wrote it down in the first place, he argues.

He views the Bible as a record of the development of a new way of perceiving God. At one time the favor of gods was won through animal sacrifice, even child sacrifice. That’s why Abraham seems so calm when he is about to sacrifice Isaac. Gradually these attitudes change through the Old Testament. Then in the New Testament comes the sacrifice of Jesus. The cross may make little sense to people of today, but it did to the people of that time. Thus Bell suggests trying to get into the minds of those who wrote it all down and were the first to read it.

This is exciting stuff, probably not a phrase often used for a book about the Bible. show less