Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived 
Rob Bell/11

This attempt by Bell is a great reason why everyone aspiring to publish a book should have multiple people help with editing! Bell's excursion into heterodoxy wouldn't have been so alarming had he admitted it was just that, instead of claiming orthodoxy. Attempting to put the doctrine of 'hell' out for discussion, I see few people who are discussing the subject not much more than 9 months after the book was released. All it did was generate a bit of short-term controversy and make Bell a bunch of $$$. IMO this book was embarrassing, and should only be read by those people (like myself) who cannot resist slowing down at the scene of an accident to see what kind of damage has happened. I hope Bell rebounds from this kind of notoriety, because his spoken words are actually very good and worthy of serious consideration.

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality 
Don Miller/03

I used to really enjoy reading Don Miller's blog, but that was before I read Blue Like Jazz, now I can't take him seriously. I thought this book was like eating marshmallows, or Rice Crispies, or anything else that had no substance. I kept wondering why this book is one of the most popular Christian titles in recent years? Why did I pay $$ for it? Who do I contact for a refund?
To say that this is a popular book would be an understatement :s
I finished this book back in August and I am still sitting, trying to figure out if was all a clever marketing ploy designed to make some cash for him. Besides a few impressive philosophical one liners, I was shocked at the immaturity of someone considered a leader in the Emergent movement. Miller is smart, of that I've not much doubt, therefore, it seemed like he was cleverly (not in a good way) writing with a clear demographic in mind. Lets just say I thought Love Wins had some solid theology compared to this one :s

Commentary on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics 
Thomas Aquinas

Maybe a classic, but too repetitious for my liking. There are aspects of Aristotle I enjoy, and there are aspects of Aquinas I enjoy, but this is not one of them. I was forced to read this as part of a university course called Thomas Aquinas and the Thomastic Tradition. I struggled chapter after chapter to stay awake long enough to actually complete my readings. I am thankful we were not tested formally on this work, as instead, we had to write a major paper on any aspect of Aquinas' theology.

There are two things that are presently really cool to do: blogging, and bashing Rob Bell, and since I already blog.......
Love Wins has generated more anticipation and premature controversy that any Christian book I can think of. After reading it, I expect the controversy to increase; even Mars Hill Church released a statement defending themselves after just two short days! Not that I blame them.
After reading the book I am quite convinced that Rob Bell is not a Universalist, although his orthodoxy is far too generous for me. When we present a Gospel as socially appealing as Bell does, it's hard to see the desire for personal transformation. Why bother, when there will be eternity to decide? But is this being fair to Rob Bell? Is it? Truly? Is it really? Being? Fair? Is this what he's really saying? Am I asking too many questions? Too? Many? Questions? Do all these questions make what I'm trying to say more dramatic and thought-provoking? Annoying? Maybe?
Saying that, he does a great job (actually WAY TOO GOOD) of communicating just how much God loves us. It's shocking that even a topic such as this has boundaries. I remember going to a Bible College that became rightly labeled as teaching "hyper-grace". I found it almost unbelievable that someone could over-emphasize grace, which is ridiculously unfathomable, but sure enough, it happened. In my opinion, Bell does the same thing with God's love for us. Why bother taking it to such an extreme level, when it's over and above what we could imagine anyways? There is no need to transgress the boundaries of God's love. I don't even know if I'm communicating this point accurately?! I doubt it.
Rob Bell is great at asking questions, while refraining from answering them, which is a shame, since those questions aim at shaking the foundations of traditional Christianity.
In saying that, I had multiple (maybe even eternal) issues with the book. Here are a couple of them:
- He seems to present exceptions (ie: heavenly 'presence' experiences which result in salvation, missionaries who reach an unreached tribe to find out they had been worshiping an unknown Jesus all along) as the norm, while ignoring, or demeaning the norm and what it has meant for millions of people who have actually obtained assurance of eternal life in this way.
- He draws lots of attention to stereotypes (ie: the devil being a red guy with a pitchfork) and makes quips about them, seemingly in an attempt to discredit or humiliate traditional Christianity.
- He poses dozens (maybe hundreds) of important questions he doesn't have the intention or capability of answering.
- He presents the case that there will be multiple eternal opportunities for us to become 'saved' after our death.
- He says Jesus is the only way to God. "What he (Jesus) does not say is how, or when, or in what manner the mechanism functions that gets people to God through him" (pg154).
- He does indeed seem to teach a trajectory hermeneutic, as Mark Driscoll has stated. Which is not a huge negative, depending on your preference.

I'll end my little post with a quote from Ben Witherington's blog from yesterday:
"Whatever else one can say about generous orthodoxy, it should not include suggesting that polar opposite views about God are equally orthodox,  nor that contradictory views on key Scriptures  are equally plausible or possible.    Rob once defined orthodoxy as like a trampoline, with some flexibility.     Flexibility yes,  on some things, but still definable and recognizable boundaries, especially when it comes to the issue of soteriology.  Even a trampoline has boundaries and if you fall outside them you get hurt, and so do others who try and follow such an example."


To read a thorough (to say the least!) review of Love Wins by Kevin DeYoung, click -->HERE<--