The firestorm has passed. Rob Bell’s controversial video put out just before the release of Love Wins accomplished its intended result: free publicity—gads of free publicity. The talking heads have put in their two cents, ranging from Eugene Peterson’s1 “endorsement” (controversial in its own right) to John Piper’s2 infamous tweet, “Farewell Rob Bell.” So, here am I, Johnny-come-lately, with a few thoughts of my own, especially for those who, like me, do not spend all of their time reading blogs.
First, let me say this—I have read the book. At first blush, you might think that this is prerequisite to blogging about a book. Interestingly, though, the most controversial reactions to Bell’s book came from folks who had not even read it. In part, it was this reality that motivated me, along with the pastors I join for a very informal “book club”, to actually read the book.
Second, for most believers, I do not believe the book is worth reading. I say this not because of Bell’s theology, but because of the lack thereof. Even a reviewer who tends to be sympathetic with people who push the theological envelope wrote, “Rob Bell’s book left too many questions unanswered about too many topics to carry the discussion forward”.3 Bell is intentionally vague and fuzzy in his assertions, which was his way of saying that evangelical Christians should be less dogmatic. But his gross lack of theological precision, intentional or not, is too inconclusive to add anything to this debate.
Third, in spite of my disagreement with Bell’s fuzzy statements about heaven and hell, I do find myself sympathetic with his argument that evangelical Christians are often too dogmatic. Case in point: I attended a conference not too long ago where a Calvinist preacher clearly questioned the “save-ability” of Arminian Christians. This sort of rhetoric does not belong in the church of Jesus Christ. So, to some extent, I agree with Bell’s assertion that we need to back off of the inflammatory, pejorative language when referring to fellow believers with differing convictions on secondary issues. As well, we need to give less weight to the dogma of our theological traditions and more weight to Scripture.
However, in spite of the fact that I get what Bell was trying to do in this book, I cannot endorse his faux-universalist publicity stunt, nor his willingness to make it seem as though God’s Word has nothing clear to say about hell. Such theological vacillation can only result in misleading his readers. One clear example of such misleading was revealed in an MSNBC interview he took part in. The interviewer repeatedly stated his interpretation that Love Wins asserts a universalist position (that all people are eventually saved). This in spite of the fact that Bell repeatedly denied that he is a universalist. But to no avail. Bell’s vague and fuzzy language was so effective that he had sold this journalist on his faux-universalism, in spite of Bell’s insistence otherwise.
This reveals a negative result of wielding a double-edged sword—it often cuts both ways. Bell wants to entice an inclusivistic culture to embrace Christianity by acting as if we can fudge on the biblical reality of hell and the importance of faith in Christ before death. But he also wants to retain, or at least put forward, fidelity to God’s Word. The truth is, as the MSNBC reporter so curtly communicated, you cannot have it both ways. Either you embrace Christ’s message, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV84), in stark opposition to our culture’s inclusivism, or you set aside God’s Word as archaic and embrace universalism.
Does it matter what we believe about Jesus? I will leave you to draw your own conclusion as I end my blog with a few words from the authority on this subject, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16–18, NIV84
Pastor Dan
1 Regent College Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology
2 Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church
3 Scot McKnight in Relevant Magazine