Book Review: Love Wins by Rob Bell

My first exposure to Bell was through his 'NOOMA' series and might i just say that I thoroughly enjoy listening and reading what he has to say. The book takes a fresh look at the traditional understanding of heaven and hell while being thoroughly faithful to the scriptures in the process. Someone once described God as being, "Greater than anything we could ever imagine." With that being said, Bell paints a picture of a God who is just that... A God who is not eager to banish unbelievers to hell the moment they die. Instead, he describes God as one who has done everything and CONTINUES to do everything to draw people unto himself, both living and deceased. We serve a God who will not be satisfied until every living creature, past and present, exclaims the worship and praise of our Lord. Bell describes God as similar to the father in the parable of the Lost Son. A God who is eager to welcome his children into his fold. Love wins isn't so much of a book as it is a beautiful mural of the heart of God.

rob bell's new book

Rob Bell is releasing a new book at the end of March entitled, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. While I have not read the book (obviously), the promotional video suggests that he examines Christianity's traditional understanding of the doctrine of hell.  The opening lines of the video question whether we can know if Ghandi is in heaven or hell.  Bell states that many people believe in a Christian faith where Jesus is the one who saves us from God's wrath... Jesus rescues us from God?  Bell asks, "How could this God ever be considered good?  How could this God ever be trusted?" He goes on to say, "What we believe about heaven and hell ultimately reveals what we believe about the nature of God."  Bell even seems to be questioning the idea that there is anyone in hell at all.

To be quite honest, I have struggled with the traditional understanding of hell ever since I was a teenager.  I remember asking a minister, "what about a small community that lives on a remote island and has never heard the gospel before... what happens to them when they die?"  To my question, the minister promptly responded by quoting Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  And while I don't remember if I spoke up at that moment, I wondered how God could be so unfair and unjust to those whom I felt never had a fair shot.

This past weekend, several people began blogging, tweeting, and writing articles about how Bell has finally, once and for all, broken from orthodox Christianity.  He has been called a heretic and a universalist.  And if there is one thing that I have noticed in the last several years of my life (echoing the thoughts of Jason Boyett), there are few people meaner than Christians who think you are wrong when it comes to your theology and your beliefs.  Some of the most hurtful things ever done to my family have come from the hands and mouths of believers who disagreed with an interpretation of scripture or a political stance.  Why is conversation with those who believe different from us not an option?  Is it any wonder that so many people stereotype Christians as close-minded people who have a lot to say but don't want to hear from you if you disagree with them?  Perhaps it is motivated by a strong conviction to defend what one believes as ‘truth’ in the face of what one believes to be ‘misguiding’ or ‘false.’ 

Either way, what fascinates me is not so much the content of Bell’s new book, though I am very eager to read it, but more so the hateful and condemning dialogue that has so quickly arisen from the hands, mouths, and hearts of believers.