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Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” – Review Chapter 2

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Rob’s Heaven
Chapter 2
“Here Is The New There”

Chapter 2 is the longest chapter in Love Wins and it starts out with Rob questioning popular visuals of heaven and hell. The ones that depict heaven as separate from this life – later and someplace else – with hell ominously situated between the two, also someplace else. Hence the title of the chapter: “Here Is The New There.”

Although references to hell are included, the focus in this chapter is heaven.

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Rob disagrees with the “we’re here” and “heaven is there” perspective and brings up several points to make his complaint:

  • He implies that common teachings about heaven’s other-wordly bliss, hell’s torment and the ease with which one can miss heaven and be swallowed up by torment, forever, comes perilously close to traumatizing children causing them to stumble. Something Jesus gravely warned us not to do, p. 22. This, however, is not the point of the chapter.
  • He mockingly mentions the popular but questionable images associated with heaven (that no one really believes anyway): white robes, St. Peter at the gate, everyone having so much fun they forget about family and friends grinding it out forever in the other place, pp. 24-25, along with images of floating on clouds, perfect hair and singing in perfect pitch, p. 57.
  • A lot of what Rob says hinges on his interpretation of the interaction between Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler (RYR), Matt. 19 & Luke 18 (pp. 26-31). I’ll say more just now.
  • Rob speaks of “eternal life” – or heaven as we think of it – as two consecutive ages (aions) or periods of time. The temporary one we live in now leads to the eternal one that follows. Most refer to the second one as the millennial kingdom. Rob suggests the two are inseparably connected so heaven is both now and later and it only follows that what we do in this age is important for preparing for and determining what we will do in the next, pp. 30-31
  • Rob does say the second age will include all nations (p. 34), will exist on planet earth (pp. 34-35) and he points out that these ideas are well established in the Old Testament (pp. 32-33).
  • Judgment and Justice will prevail in the age to come (pp. 36-39) but will be balanced by grace and mercy (p. 39), implying that grace and mercy are equally active in the next life as they are now. There will be an increase of justice not the reduction of grace and mercy.
  • Later in the chapter he expands the definition of aion (age) to mean “an intensity of experience that transcends time,” p. 57. Rob’s words: “To say it again, eternal life is less about a kind of time that starts when we die, and more about a quality and vitality of life lived now in connection with God, p. 59.
  • He also makes no direct reference to the eternal state, which most expect will follow the millennial age, the second aion, but he doesn’t deny it either. His mention of the gates of the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:25) in chapter 4 – Does God Get What God Wants? – implies it.

His purpose in this chapter is to change our perspective on “heaven” and to suggest a better way to interact with it now, in this life. And the evidence that one is ready now for heaven in the next life is character, which is demonstrated not through religious ritual but through personal morals and social justice.

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Rob is promoting the life we live outside of religious ritual but he is not suggesting it is contrary to it. A life that is mostly ceremonial offers little for the rest of the world to connect with. A well established life outside of, but in agreement with faith, is relatable and can have an evangelistic effect, the thing we are working for.

His primary arguments are based on one meaning of the Greek word “Aion,” age or period of time. He takes an accurate but very narrow approach to this particular word. [Read more…] about Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” – Review Chapter 2

Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” – Review Chapter 1

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Rob’s Premise And Quandary
Chapter 1
“What About The Flat Tire?”

In his latest book, Love Wins, Rob Bell again shows that he neither slavishly follows the curriculum nor fears testing convention. The book represents his biggest push against the envelope so far and in it he challenges some of our most sacrosanct beliefs about heaven and hell.

One question that permeates the discourse is: what does it really mean to say “God is Love” and how can we balance His love with the idea of eternal, everlasting, never ending wrath? Rob says, “What is God like?” is the recurring question throughout the book. (p. 182)

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He gives us a broad sweeping statement of his focus on the cover:

A book about heaven, hell and the fate of every person who ever lived.

And in the book he asks many searching questions implying ideas that fly in the face of common understandings. But, he codifies none of them.

The book focuses mostly on when a person arrives at heaven or hell and how permanent the placement is once there. It’s mostly philosophical but Rob does include many Scriptures (134 to be exact).

What makes his approach unusual is even though he clearly challenges our accepted beliefs he makes no statement of faith nor does he provide a systematized list of doctrines: do’s and don’t’s, spiritual how-to’s or salvation formulas .

In that regard he definitely changes the rules. [Read more…] about Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” – Review Chapter 1

What Rob Bell Believes

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What In The World
Does Rob Bell Believe?

It may sound strange but that is what people are asking.

Rob, of course, is well known through his books, DVD’s and tours, at least by name, but just when you think you’re getting to know him he adds a new twist.

His latest book, “Love Wins” is a good example. It has everyone worriedly pondering or loudly condemning and the negative responses aren’t very original:

Blasphemer, false prophet, liar, wolf in sheep’s clothing and it doesn’t stop there. Added to that are many cleverly worded headlines:

  • Rob Bell No Hell
  • Osama now in heaven: “Love Wins”
  • Love Wins, Logic Loses
  • Hell, Bell and Evangelism
  • Bell’s god

. . . And more.

Don’t react too quickly though. These tags are used so frequently against even marginally different opinions they’ve lost their significance. You get the impression that because those words are in the Bible they must be employed loudly and often or we aren’t doing the most important part of our job.

Rob says…

For some, the highest form of allegiance to their God is to attack, defame and slander others who don’t articulate matters of faith as they do, p. 183.

But, in Rob’s case it is important to understand why these titles are being invoked. He is rethinking and rewording untouchable theological issues – heaven and hell – so he is at the top of the bad guy list. Actually he’s been the most recent and radical bad guy for a long time but, never mind the straw or the camel’s back, his last book is the bail that breaks every bone in the camel’s body.

Of course, even if Rob were all these bad things it is really quite silly to broadcast it. I never heard of Rob until a high profile preacher attacked him publicly and then I was intrigued. How could I not read his books? His DVD’s became the new forbidden fruit.

Well, once you read his books you realize that Rob is just a guy and none of the negatives apply. You might not agree with him and he is way out there on some issues but that doesn’t mean he is:

  • Lost
  • Liberal
  • A liar
  • Blaspheming
  • A heretic
  • Or an infidel

. . . Like so many people are suggesting. [Read more…] about What Rob Bell Believes

Young Children And TV Don’t Mix – John Rosemond

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Chapter Review – Television, Computers and Video Games

John definitely saves the best for last in The New Six Point Plan For Raising Happy, Healthy Children.

This final chapter is mostly about TV and John forthrightly says what most people already know but are afraid to admit.

…Watching television inhibits the development of initiative, curiosity, resourcefulness, creativity, motivation, imagination, reasoning and problem-solving abilities, communication skills, social skills, fine and gross motor skills, and eye-hand coordination.

And after saying this he implies other detriments could be named also.

Not a nice picture. No pun intended.

Even though John’s advice does not run parallel with the opinions of his peers he doesn’t shy away from saying what parents need to hear. No hinting or beating around the bush. He knows and readily admits that his advice runs counter to modern ideas about raising kids but while everyone stammers he speaks out.

In spite of his academic achievements, however, what he advises, he learned and proved in the laboratory of family life as a child, a parent and a counselor.

So his advice is qualified by many levels of experience and academic studies.

In this last chapter John focuses on the problems TV causes, particularly in the life of developing preschoolers, and he draws from his own experience to make his point.

His son, Eric, was failing the third grade and as it turned out television was a major contributor to the problem.

Eric was struggling to complete in-class assignments and John and his wife, Willie, were exhausted with pushing and prodding him to finish the tasks at home. The stalemate was broken when Eric’s teacher informed them – only halfway through the year – that Eric would not be promoted to fourth grade.

Up to that point, John had faithfully applied the popular principles of psychology for raising children. Following that meeting, however, things changed.

John’s wife, Willie, had a heart-to-heart with John about changing their parenting ways. They both agreed that they hadn’t turned out badly so maybe their parents weren’t that wrong after all. Together, they devised a new approach which John describes as:

A benevolent dictatorship, the antithesis of the parenting that was popular at the time. We began telling Eric and Amy what we wanted them to do instead of asking, pleading, bargaining, bribing, reasoning, and explaining – i.e., wishing. We embraced a zero-tolerance policy concerning disobedience. If one of them disobeyed, we punished instead of talked.

And probably the most dramatic change they made was the suspension of TV viewing. They didn’t just stop watching TV, they gave theirs away.

The end result was nothing short of remarkable. In John’s words: [Read more…] about Young Children And TV Don’t Mix – John Rosemond

“Toys And Play” by John Rosemond

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Chapter Review
“Toys And Play”

Parents have been duped into thinking that giving their children “things,” otherwise known as toys, along with little or no responsibility is the right parenting approach to take.

But in The New Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children John Rosemond challenges this thinking in the chapter on “Toys and Play” and what he says may surprise you.

John tells the story of a couple who, after secretly watching their child play with a large marking pen, morphing it into a rocket ship, an alien and a ray gun in just a matter of minutes, decided to buy him a replica of a space shuttle for Christmas.

In their minds that was the perfect toy.

Toys Should Stimulate

However, three weeks after getting this marvelous toy he was bored.

It had every bell and whistle. All the design features were visible but it was an untouchable. The joy of playing with it was diminished by the fear of breaking it. This toy like many others is more ornamental than practical. No functionality.

Its limited functionality meant it could command only a very short interest span.

The only way an exact replica of a space shuttle can be anything other than an exact replica of a space shuttle is to break it. That could be said about an exact replica of anything.

And most kids are afraid to break these toys, not because they love them so much but because the parents do. They cost a bundle so any breakage draws immediate disapproval. Like exhibits in a museum, they’re nice to look at but impossible to embrace.

For these reasons John suggests that childhood, as it was intended to be, has come perilously close to an end. [Read more…] about “Toys And Play” by John Rosemond