DennyWeinman.com

This is going to be my quick review of Love Wins by Rob Bell because I’ve got about half an hour to write it, and I don’t really want to take more than that because otherwise I might as well write a book.

First off, I know a few people will read this and be like who the heck is Rob Bell and why did you read a book by him, and why when you posted you were reading it, did people make some brash statements. Well Rob Bell is called many things but Christian usually isn’t one of them, but that is coming out of the mouths of strict evangelicals in the modern church movement. Rob Bell is considered a spear head for the post modern movement, which I’m not even sure I’d classify him as that but, that is a story for another day. Read more about Rob Bell here.

Love Wins is Bell’s take on Heaven, Hell and who gets in.

Let me preface this by saying, the only other book I read by Rob Bell was Velvet Elvis and I thought it was extremely well done and thought provoking. I don’t use that lightly, and I also don’t adhere to a specific author or pastor for the basis of my theology so cool your jets before you label me a post modern follower. I think Rob Bell is just as messed up as Mark Driscoll and as I am, mainly because we’re all human.

“The point, then, isn’t to narrow it to one particular metaphor, image, explination, or mechanism. To elevate one over the others, to inisist that there’s a “correct” or “right” one, is to miss the brilliant, creative work these first Christians were doing when they used these images and metaphors. They were reading their world, looking for ways to communicate this epic event in ways their listeners could grasp.

The point then, as it is now, is Jesus. The divine flesh and blood. He’s where the life is.”

I think this is a powerful statement from the book that basically sums up how I feel about Rob Bells statement on heaven, hell and who gets in. Stories and expressions are all metaphors that are beautifully woven to connect with people at a certain time. Concepts that were used in biblical times to explain hell, a word that wasn’t thrown around lightly were to express a physical place to the Hebrews at that time.

This book is a cultural expression, one that expresses open dialogue is necessary for our faith.

To often we sit around and wait for our theology to be handed to us in a book from a pastor, and he says “don’t question these articles of faith”. That’s fine but most of those articles of faith are non essentials.

Without getting to deep into this book. I do think that some of the language is fairly vague, and that some scary circles could be drawn if you’re not grounded, not being discipled or are just taking Rob Bell’s word as authority.

Rob takes on some very interesting dialogue that 99.9% of the church will not take up, so I think it’s worth the read if only to make a decision for yourself that the man who wrote this is a heretic or not.

For me, it just asked some questions that I too have asked, and dove in and searched scripture for and found there are no black and white answers, kind of like the bible doesn’t directly say DON’T EVER GET A PIERCING, or DON’T GAMBLE!

The biggest discussion through the book is, if God is God, and God gets what God wants, and God wants all people to be reconciled to himself, then who are we to put a box around the principles of salvation (minus that Jesus is the only way, a statement in the book and made by God himself).

Yes Bell states Jesus is the only way to heaven, but that there are many routes to get there. I don’t think there is any truer statement. I didn’t come to Jesus the same way anyone else did, and those that are inside another faith but find Jesus, their path is even more unique.

The bigger question is, is Bell stating in the book that eventually everyone will go to heaven (which he has an interesting dialogue about heaven not being some place removed, again another discussion, go read the book)? He definitely moved in that direction, that in Revelation, New Jerusalem’s doors are described as being open. -Random aside, another piece of scripture that he did not discuss that may or may not be relevant is after the millennial reign, satan is allowed to roam for a time, and then is cast into the pit. Why in the world would satan be allowed to roam again unless there was more time for decisions to be made.- As he moved through the book he talks about how because of perfect love, and God’s desire for us to make our own choice we can obviously choose time and time and time again to be separated from God, and people become so cold and blind that it is a forever decision. The forever decision to be separated from God is hell, because God cannot be a part of sin and reconciliation takes both parties.

Heaven is the reconciliation of everything to God, and while there is a temporary holding space that is not a part of this world, Heaven in part is described as eventually being a reconciled earth, in its full intended glory as designed by God. Our job isn’t to be separated but intentionally working to help engage and work out our faith, working toward sanctification (yes scripture talks about working out our own salvation, not in that it takes works to get there, but that what we do that is like Christ is all that is left, the selfish ambition and drive will be burned away) as much as possible until the time that God decides to fully reconcile the earth to himself.

So aside from some flowery language that could be misleading this is a discussion that should be had, as well as every thing else in scripture. We’ve been taught that open dialogue is bad, but really that is a left over from the medieval catholic church on the protestant faith. Read scripture, discuss it for yourself, work out your salvation.

ok that wasn’t quick. I could go on.

another great thought out discussion goes on over here.