I haven’t been real sure what to write here despite having finished reading “Love Wins…” by Rob Bell almost 2 weeks ago. I truly feel a bit inadequate to respond, write a review, etc… about the book here. I admit that fully, and not as a cop out to taking a position on it. I think the book leaves far more questions than answers (which I know is a style Rob uses and likes), which isn’t always bad in itself, but seemed kind of empty to me after reading the book. I am also way behind many other reviewers, and not sure I could put some amazing twist on it that others haven’t already written.
If nothing else, reading the book has deepened my desire to actually understand why I believe the way I do and quit being lazy about learning why I do - or figuring out what it is I should be understanding better from scripture. I’m sorry that I don’t have a better response or review to the book. I’m a little embarrassed about it… So, to make up for it a little, I’ve done some research and put a bunch of links to reviews on here from people who have done a better job of reviewing the book than I can. (Most of theses link you could also find on other blogs/sites too - it’s not like I found them all myself). This list includes both, favorable and unfavorable, reviews for the book… Here we go:
- BLOG UPDATE: Scot McKnight has started to post his thoughts and I’ll included them here. (At the time of this original blog entry, I was awaiting Scot’s post(s), as I really enjoy his thoughts on things).
- “Rob Bell’s Love Wins: A Response” by Justin Taylor and Kevin DeYoung - This is probably the longest and most in depth review, a very full and thorough critique.
- “Love, Holiness, and Eternity: Some Reflections on Rob Bell, Part 1” by Ed Stetzer - Ed (President of LifeWay Research) gives an overall balanced review of things he agreed with, and disagreed with in the book.
- “Eugene Peterson: Would Jesus Condemn Rob Bell?” by Timothy Dalrymple - Timothy interviews Eugene Peterson and gets his insight on why he endorsed the book.
- “REView - Rob Bell’s Manifesto on Love “Amends the Gospel” by Mile High Rev - Bill Oudemolen (Sr. Pastor at Foothills Bible Church, Littleton, CO) takes a look at 10 points Bell proposes that are just not true.
- “Questioning the Evangelical Equation – Reviewing Love Wins Ch. 1” by Prairie Wanderer - Joel Newton (Youth and Family Director at 1st Presbyterian Church, Champaign, IL) is doing a chapter by chapter review starting with this one on Chapter 1.
- “To Hell with Hell?” by Mark Driscoll - Mark Driscoll (Pastor at Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA - the other Mars Hill) writes on the doctrine of Hell, with a ton of verses describing Hell and what happens when people chose not to accept Christ.
- “We Have Seen All This Before: Rob Bell and the (Re)Emergence of Liberal Theology” by Albert Mohler - Dr. Mohler (President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) writes a thorough and critical review.
- “Rob Bell and Love Wins” by Tom Davis - Tom (President of Children’s HopeChest) takes a 6 point review of Rob’s book
- “Tension and Rob Bell” by kmattshoes - Kevin takes a look at “tension and fear” in terms of the Christian life and sharing the Gospel Message.
- “The McLaren Moment: What John Piper meant by “Farewell Rob Bell.” by Michael Krahn - Title says it all.
- “The Orthodooxy of Rob Bell” by Richard Mouw - Dr. Mouw (President of Fuller Seminary) takes a different angle on the book and for the most part, endorses it.
- “What Does Rob Bell Really Say? (A Review of the Actual Book Itself)” by Julie Clawson - Julie wrote this review on Sojourner’s, she has a very favorable view of the book.
- “Rob Bell and C.S. Lewis” by Jeff Cook - This article was taken for Scot McKnight’s blog as a guest post. Jeff compares and contrasts Rob’s writing of “Love Wins” with C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce”.
- “Controversial book on salvation has Catholics and evangelicals asking for clarity” by Benjamin Mann - Benjamin interviews both John Michael Talbot and Dr. Douglas Groothuis on their thoughts about the book.
- “My Review of Love Wins” by Donald Miller (“Blue Like Jazz”, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”) - Let’s just say he takes a more satirical approach to the whole controversy. :)
There is no shortage of reviews on this (positive, negative, confused, angry, etc…), but these are the ones I have paid attention to the most Personally… I’d love to believe no one, or eventually no one, will escape God’s love (I realize to some, even saying this is heresy - but keep going). Not in a cheap way either, where nothing matters and everything’s just all good - but in a way where Christ’s love, grace, mercy, and justice pierces every heart and people truly see just how much God loves them. However, there are plenty of verses that Rob never addresses that paint the picture of not everyone being with God in the end, that there will be some that want nothing to do with Him, some who actually oppose Him and any of His followers - always. So, I just can’t go there with Rob on this one (if he is truly proposing everyone gets there - he never truly says that I guess), because the overall message of scripture, overall held views by those who have come before us in the faith, etc… point in a very different direction. (Sorry, not much of a review I guess). ————————————-
Now… to the “Koz Soap-Box”, where I feel I can have a little more to say. :) … I am a bit grieved by the attitudes, responses and true dismissal of Rob himself, still a child of God and whom God loves, by people who profess Christ. Reading comments like - “If you believe in what he’s selling, you can go to Hell with Rob” or “I hope he burns forever and ever”… Really? That’s the heart of God, that’s what we see Jesus exhibit? That’s how you want to stand on truth? Is this how God tells us to treat our brother… right, he’s “not” your brother. Ok, fine, so how does God say to treat your enemy then? or your neighbor? or someone you’ve removed from the church, in order to restore them? Anyway, if holding to the position that not all will go to heaven, we have to at least recognize that the Scripture speaks over and over of God’s desire for all to know/see and accept His love and gift of salvation. Jesus said He came so that all may be saved and have life to the fullest… Where is His excitement over pronouncing and sending people to Hell? Let’s hold to what is right, what is truth, what is scripturally sound… but let’s be real, real careful in flippantly pronouncing people to Hell. That whole thing is truly and ultimately up to God in the end… not us. This Hell/Salvation issue is an important issue and cornerstone of our faith, but so is the way we respond and love others… brother/sister or not. And I’m not proposing that speaking unpopular truths is unloving or any of that “emergent/postmodern box” you might want to put me in. I’m advocating for how we share the truth. We too often come off looking like hateful people (which is quite the opposite of what we are called to be) in our Evangelical mainstream response to things. Let’s be passionate about truth, but let’s not forget who is truth - that’s God, and who God’s passionate about - that’s people. When we are more excited to see someone go to Hell or for bad things to happen to them, than to see God’s love reach their heart - it saddens me greatly. Stand on the truth, you bet, but part of that truth is love. Truth in love… And with some of these angry, prideful, yet almost gleeful responses in pronouncing Rob and others to Hell… is our message lost? If “they” will know us by our love for one another… do they know us? Is the “truth” missing key elements? Do we sound like a clanging gong? None of us should ever be excited or gleeful over pronouncing Hell on someone - remember, the Bible says we all deserve it… ALL. Please don’t forget where you’ve come from. We believe and hold onto it being a gift… for everyone. I believe in a Hell, in the separation from God for those that reject Him, that Jesus is it, He is the way, the truth and the life…
Absolutely, God is Just…
He is also Love.
a Tension for us? …often.
For God?
…nope.
