I know it's been a while since I chimed in about Rob Bell's most recent book, "Love Wins." Well I've read it, and it's already been passed around to people who were also curious and wanted to see for themselves what it was all about.
I've also had plenty of time to talk to friends, family and mentors about it, and it's comforting to know that after reading the book, we're coming to a lot of the same conclusions.
I went into reading the book with a high degree of optimism, because I remember just how much controversy surrounded "Velvet Elvis" when it came out, and how disappointed I was with the fundamentalists' grasp of what Mr. Bell was actually saying with that book. It seemed to me that so much of what he said was taken out of context that I gained a level of respect for his musings.
Final Conclusion: I both recommend "Love Wins" and warn against it. I recommend the first 2 chapters, and I caution the reader to be careful with everything following. Here's why...
The first two chapters are like an inoculation for the Church to remember that we believe in a more Biblical understanding of the kingdom and the people of God as both present and future. We're not supposed to simply occupy our time with churchy things until we get to really let loose after death. We're supposed to be, as a church, a bastion of God's love here on the earth, reaching out to people, because that's what God cares about above everything else: reaching hurting people. The first two chapters inspire a refreshing amount of hope, regardless of the background of the reader.
Beyond those two wonderful chapters, proceed with caution. First of all, because the method of Mr Bell's writing is very ambiguous and asks a great many more questions than he dares to answer or even attempt to lead the reader to answers. Socrates was a master at this ... he asked questions that led his students to answers. Mr Bell's questions seem to only lead to an agnostic void ...
Yes, ask questions; Yes feverishly pursue answers as well.
My second and most important caution has been echoed by every single Bible scholar and pastor whose opinion I've solicited: Rob Bell's logic, reasoning and exegetical conclusions take ENORMOUS leaps from question "A" to his own conclusion "B" that simply can't be made without a great deal more support. This is manageable for someone who is mature, but for someone who is perhaps more impressionable, it's just downright dangerous.
