Theology for the Long Haul


Thursday, March 31, 2011

Rob Bell's Emotional "Push-back"

In the link below Bell talks to the Washington Post about being misunderstood. While my heart goes out to him in his pain and frustration, two points come to mind:

1. The way his book was advertised was asking for controversy. I think Bell didn't think so many people would disagree with him. We can all be guilty of assuming that most Christians think just like us.

2. He seems to caricature his opponents (even in the video) as those who do not love, and who have no fruit... this too is slander. Not all but many who have reviewed his book have done so professionally and out of genuine concern.

Anyone who has served in pastoral ministry knows how it feels to be the object of criticism (I've been there). My prayer is that Rob comes to see the error of his assertions (posing leading questions while making the other side seem unbelievable is the same thing as making an assertion) and is consequently recieved and encouraged by Christians who are now showing him tough love.

These are just some brief thoughts from watching the video. Watch it and leave some of your own.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/divine-impulses-rob-bell-on-being-called-a-heretic/2011/03/29/AFJIL4uB_video.html

For reviews of Love Wins see "Love Wins Reviewed" below.

3 comments:

  1. I appreciate his comment about his wife seeing this coming. How many husbands can relate to that one?

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  2. I want to say that he makes a good point in the video about knowing the Lord and being in communion with Him NOW.
    He is also obviously very sincere. That being said, you can be utterly sincere and misguided at the same time.

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  3. It was great meeting you guys at Bill and Laney's house, I have been checking in on the blog and just noticed this one. Glad you posted it. I am against Bell's ideology and yet feel somewhat hypocritical to condemn without reading it first. As he admits, the book is so widely "misunderstood." If so many people misunderstand it, that implies to me that he did a poor job writing the book and I would probably just "misunderstand" him too. And I'm pretty sure there are more worthwhile reads out there.

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