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

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

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 9,927 ratings · 1,324 reviews

Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God's love and God's judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this "good news"?

Troubling questions—so troubling that many have lost their faith because of them. Others onl...more

Hardcover, 198 pages

Published March 15th 2011 by HarperOne (first published January 1st 2011)

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Apr 11, 2012 Mike rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, theology

Can a book be valuable, even though most people reading it don’t agree with its philosophy or conclusions?

Can a book be valuable, even if the writer is flawed in his editing process, his debating skills and his rhetorical approach?

Most people have predictable reaction to books they don't agree with. First, they don’t recommend that others read the book. Second, they find as many people as possible who also don’t agree with the book and mutually trash it. Third, they refuse to see any value in th...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Bill Huizer rated it 2 of 5 stars

I felt excited to read a book that is causing so much controversy in the Evangelical Christian world. It's nice to feel "current."

After watching Bell's trailer for the book and watching the Nooma video style of the presentation, I was looking forward to seeing how he would flesh out his ideas about heaven and hell in the book. It was disappointing to find out that the first chapter of the book was nearly word-for-word the trailer that I had watched on the internet. The entire book is written li...more

35 likes · like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Books Ring Mah Bell rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion-or-not, local-flava

I had to pick up this book and read it for a few reasons: Controversy and debate.
Rob Bell has his Mars Hill Church in my town. I know people that attend his church and love it there. I have heard so very much about this book, and thought the controversy was localized, but then I saw Mr. Bell’s idea of No Hell on the cover of Time magazine.

When I picked the book up and brought it to the register, the cashier glared at it, then at me. (GLARED, I tell you!) She then launched into a lecture of sort...more I had to pick up this book and read it for a few reasons: Controversy and debate.
Rob Bell has his Mars Hill Church in my town. I know people that attend his church and love it there. I have heard so very much about this book, and thought the controversy was localized, but then I saw Mr. Bell’s idea of No Hell on the cover of Time magazine.

When I picked the book up and brought it to the register, the cashier glared at it, then at me. (GLARED, I tell you!) She then launched into a lecture of sorts about "false prophets" and leading people to question things. (oooh boy!) I didn't have the heart to tell her most days I’m an atheist. I should have. Just for fun.

Certainly, I am in no position to get in a theological debate. I have not studied the bible intensely, but I do love the debate, and love to see the ways people interpret what they have read. That is what Bell does in this book. He lists all sorts of places in the bible where love wins, where God is love.
I love Mr. Bell's take on love winning. From early on, I was often told I would be going to hell unless I was "saved". That really bothered me, not from fear, but from a “what kind of God would do that?” standpoint. What about those unaware, never exposed to of Christianity? (As Rob says, "what if the missionary got a flat tire?") It was then that I washed my hands of religion. What kind of God would send people to an eternity of torment for just not being exposed to “the word”? Or being introduced to it and having questions? I mean, HE gave us the brain to think and question... then He's going to punish us for that?

Makes no sense.

I love the message.
God is loving.
Love.
What Rob Bell states is what I want to believe, on the days I believe in anything.

The book is written like a speech, and while I believe it would have been great as a sermon, the format falls flat as a book.

My curiosity has been satisfied, and I was not outraged. I can, however, see where the book would upset those that believe being saved is the only way.

I give him credit for doing what most religions dare not allow: question.
(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Rhonda rated it 1 of 5 stars

I rarely give books one star.....

Rob Bell tries to give us a new (but old) perspective on heaven, hell and God's love. To be honest, I have never really been a Bell fan. His style of seeking truth, while earnest, seems awfully fallible. When the Bible and your own experience have almost equal weight, TRUTH can be very ambiguous.

Things I agree with:
* God is love and his love is huge for everyone.
* Jesus came to give us right relationship with God.
* Having a right relationship with God means bri...more

16 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Jared Totten rated it 1 of 5 stars

Forgive me. I couldn't resist writing this in my best Bell-style prose.

In this whole whirlwind that Rob Bell has stirred up, there is one group that has been conspicuously absent from the wide net of universalism that he and others have cast out.

One group that has been neglected.

Ignored.

And they cry out for their just defense.

I speak of course about Satan and the demons.

After all, if God is a God of love, and if he loves all of his creation, and if he wants to see it all brought into shalom, and...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Bradly J added it

Zero stars. I found this book to be very distasteful. Let me qualify this. I have no argument with the idea of a loving God, that idea is entirely biblical. However, after carefully pointing out that he has referenced every verse with the words hell, hades, and sheol, I found most of Matthew 25 to be conspicuosly absent (no mention of "everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels). Also missing is any mention of the lake of fire. Hell is treated as little more than a mental state...more Zero stars. I found this book to be very distasteful. Let me qualify this. I have no argument with the idea of a loving God, that idea is entirely biblical. However, after carefully pointing out that he has referenced every verse with the words hell, hades, and sheol, I found most of Matthew 25 to be conspicuosly absent (no mention of "everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels). Also missing is any mention of the lake of fire. Hell is treated as little more than a mental state which people create for themselves. The holiness of God is mentioned once in the book, and seemed to me to have been seriously downplayed and, as a result, sin doesn't seem all that sinful here.

There are places in the book where Bell's verbage in comments relating to Christians and historic biblical doctrine seemed unnecessarily sarcastic and mocking.

The overall tone of the book seems to give the ultimate importance and supremacy of relevance to one's own experiences, rather than to objective truth, which is thoroughly postmodern.

In general, Bell uses a lot of generalisations and glosses over certains details that are crucial to the subjects of sin and salvation, heaven and hell. He is careful, however, to warn against the evil of being in any way critical of theological perspectives one does not share.

My question is this: if hell is little more than a psychological construct and if God really doesn't mind so much if someone sins a few times over a span of a few years, then what reason could there be for Jesus' death and resurrection, or even for His incarnation?

(10-21-2011)
One further thought which I forgot to include before. I have noticed a tendency in the writings of Bell (and other emergent writers), especially in this book, to place a great deal of focus on questions. While I have no major objection to questions (they do have a purpose), there is also such a thing as an answer. This book seems, like so many others, to just leave the reader hanging, with no clear answers. More than a decade of work in Christian retail has shown me that people are looking for answers. If clear answers cannot be found in the writings of well-known leaders, where will they turn? I believe this is an important part of the responsibility of pastors and teachers to be faithful to the Word of God. Without it, we are headed for trouble.(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Allie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Christian friends and anybody interested in Christianity

Recommended to Allie by: Barnes & Noble

Shelves: religion-and-spirituality, favorites

FREAKIN' BEST EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN MATERIAL I HAVE EVER READ.

So I'd recently started John Shelby Spong's Eternal Life: A New Vision (will write about that one when I finish it!), but then...

B&N had this on display.

I sat in the store and read it all the way through.

OMG.

1) This is VERY BOLD for a megachurch pastor. Rob Bell is an open-minded contemporary voice, which mainstream Christianity in this countray has needed for a long time. MAJOR KUDOS.

2) He is eloquent and writes in an easy-to-rea...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2011 Sarah Rosenberger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion

Right now, it's hard to avoid the controversy that is surrounding this book. After being rejected by the Christian publishing powerhouse Zondervan for not conforming to its values, Love Wins was ultimately published by a secular company. Before the book was even released, conservative Christians were calling the author a heretic, a universalist, and a false prophet peddling a book that would lure people away from Christ and toward an eternity in hell. That's a pretty impressive feat for a 200 pa...more Right now, it's hard to avoid the controversy that is surrounding this book. After being rejected by the Christian publishing powerhouse Zondervan for not conforming to its values, Love Wins was ultimately published by a secular company. Before the book was even released, conservative Christians were calling the author a heretic, a universalist, and a false prophet peddling a book that would lure people away from Christ and toward an eternity in hell. That's a pretty impressive feat for a 200 page book that raises more questions than it answers.

Many of his critics will grudgingly admit that Bell paints a great picture of Christianity; over and over, he shows it as a religion centered around loving one another as Jesus loved. To Bell, Christianity is more accurately reflected in the life of a person working in a refugee camp in a war zone than it is in the life of someone passing out tracts that promise eternal damnation unless one prays a certain prayer to Jesus.

This book explores the concepts of heaven, hell, and who really ends up being "saved". As Bell points out, he's not the first one to discuss these issues, and Love Wins is probably best appreciated as a starting point that introduces issues that can be further researched. Bell has claimed that this book is couched in orthodoxy, and it's true that there are scores of bible verses included along with quotes from religious thinkers like Aquinas and Luther, but it can't be denied that this book ultimately seems to claim that everyone who wants to spend eternity with God can and will, even if they don't find the right path until after death. It also seems to say that hell is more often a self-created prison here on earth than it is a literal lake of fire. Finally, heaven is viewed as not simply a distant reward for the faithful, but as something that can and should be worked towards attaining every day, in this world, not only the world to come.

I wish there had been citations instead of a "Further Reading" list, and sometimes Bell's writing style can get a little obnoxious, but despite that, I found this book moving and convincing; probably because it fleshed out (through bible verses, examples, metaphors and probing questions) what I already leaned towards believing. Personally, I think all biblical interpretations are subject to human error, but as Bell points out, "some stories are better than others." Love it or hate it, agree with it or consider it heresy, but it's hard to deny that the story Bell tells in Love Wins, of a good God who ultimately saves all of creation and creates a heaven on earth, is a really good story.(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Kate Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion, non-fiction

Rob's not a universalist.
But God is.

37 likes · like · see review

Apr 11, 2011 Matt Anderson rated it 3 of 5 stars

One of the main reasons I wanted to read this book is because I’ve enjoyed Rob Bell’s teachings in the past. I’ve seen many of his Nooma videos and listened to countless podcasts of his sermons. I heard that Bell may be proposing some controversial views on Hell within this book, so I decided that I wanted to read it for myself rather than accept other people’s opinions about his writing. I was surprised by the fact that within the first page and a half Bell wrote that he feels the belief that a...more One of the main reasons I wanted to read this book is because I’ve enjoyed Rob Bell’s teachings in the past. I’ve seen many of his Nooma videos and listened to countless podcasts of his sermons. I heard that Bell may be proposing some controversial views on Hell within this book, so I decided that I wanted to read it for myself rather than accept other people’s opinions about his writing. I was surprised by the fact that within the first page and a half Bell wrote that he feels the belief that a “select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell,” is, “misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’s message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear” (Preface, viii).

After reading this, I was expecting to find line after line of ideas that I disagreed with in the following pages, but ended up being on board with a lot of what Bell had to say. One place that I felt a lot of disagreement rising up within me deal dealt with views on how people come to be saved. Bell seemed to be arguing that people could come to be saved, even if they ascribed to other faiths, by following the essence of who Jesus is.

I felt that the greatest strength of this book was that it asked thought-provoking questions that others are seemingly afraid to ask. Even though I didn't necessarily agree with all of the conclusions that Bell came to, I did like the fact that the questions were being presented. Sometimes I felt like there were too many questions being presented consecutively without Bell attempting to answer anything, however I believe it is good to make people think about why they believe what they believe. Even though I didn’t agree with many of Bell’s conclusions, I don’t think any of us should believe everything that we’ve been told about God and the Bible without investigating it for ourselves.

In the end, I didn’t finish this reading with the new understanding that Rob Bell is not a Christian after all.(less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Eric Schmidt rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the future of Christianity in the United States. Take it or leave it.

I'm being perfectly serious. The heresies here are enough to give Billy Graham an ulcer, and that's a good thing. Bell argues, correctly, that taking the Bible seriously means departing from the peculiar manic bugaboos conjured up by many American evangelical circles. Just pointing that out would itself make a compelling book, but Bell presents a vision of the afterlife so personal and mystical it might as well be call...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Robin Tell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Didn't expect to read this at all, let alone to be interested. It's a light read, it shows signs of having been edited in a hurry (errors crop up more and more toward the end, culminating in the words "loves wins" in the very last line, at least in the edition I was reading), and the whole thing reads like the transcript of a motivational speech delivered onstage before an audience of Christian college students, a style that gets a bit precious from time to time. But none of that is central.

The...more Didn't expect to read this at all, let alone to be interested. It's a light read, it shows signs of having been edited in a hurry (errors crop up more and more toward the end, culminating in the words "loves wins" in the very last line, at least in the edition I was reading), and the whole thing reads like the transcript of a motivational speech delivered onstage before an audience of Christian college students, a style that gets a bit precious from time to time. But none of that is central.

The thing about this book is that I could wish with all my heart that this were the mainstream of Christianity talking, not a maverick speaking from its fringe. Here is a Christianity that gives a damn about the world we actually live in, about the people in it and what happens to them here and now. Bell asserts--and for all the complaints pouring in from mainstream Christians, he makes a good case--that Jesus was never really interested in an everlasting afterlife that begins upon dying. That for Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of God's loving rule opening up here on earth, and hell is the human misery, here and now, that naturally follows from refusing to embrace and emulate that love.

Bell plunges head-on into the most damning logical vulnerabilities of his own religion as it usually manifests. The idea of eternal torment visited by a supposedly loving God upon his own creatures whose nature he designed himself, chiefly. The idea that popular people have better odds of salvation because their friends' prayers help them, or that we have such a finite--and variable--lifespan in which to determine our fate for that incomprehensible forever. He asks, and this I had never thought of: if God wants everybody to be saved (he provides some quotes wherein the Bible says God does indeed want that) and God is all-powerful, then how can he fail to get what he wants? He says, too, that he believes many Christians, including leaders of the faith, don't so much love God as fear him and hope to placate him. That this reality, impossible to admit openly, gnaws at their hearts. And that rang, for me, with the clarity of something I had always murkily suspected without ever quite putting my finger on it. But of course they do. Of course they do. The mainstream conception of God is an unspeakable bastard and I can think of little more terrifying than the notion of that maniacal bully being real.

There are some parts that aren't so strong, but generally I think his case is too solid to be ignored. Here, for once, is a Christianity I can live with. It's startling to see how many Christians are too attached to their schadenfreude to even consider that he has a point here.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Len Hjalmarson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Of course it’s entirely possible that any view of eternal destiny related to judgement or salvation could be forged from an opinion based on personal feeling. It’s equally possible that upholding any popular doctrine could be based on personal feeling – a desire to not shake the boat, or an unwillingness to examine Scripture as a whole – texts within the context – particular doctrines in light of what God has revealed about himself.

When Scot McKnight opens his review of Love Wins, he opens with...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Brandt Johnson rated it 1 of 5 stars

I do not think I will even finish this book. I understand where Bell seems to be coming from, but it just does not make sense. Yes, there are a lot of people on this earth "going through hell" but that does not mean that there is not a place designated for those who do not choose God. His take on the rich man and Lazarus is interesting. He says that the "great chasm fixed" is the attitude in the heart of the rich man. He will never change the way he thinks of himself as higher than Lazarus. That...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Controversial book? Nah… New stuff? Some. Old Stuff? LOTS!!!

As Bell starts the book and explains Heaven (nothing new if you read N.T. Wright's Surprised by Hope) and Hell (nothing new again if you have heard Rob Bell's sermons before.) However, what is new, is Bell talking about Hell as a place for correction, not for damnation, but instead for a chance for redemption. Believing that in the end God's love wins because God's love is stronger than any other thing in the universe, Bell believes tha...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Jay Miklovic rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: super-lame

This book was not altogether horrible, and there were a few paragraphs here and there that were commendable. I certainly agree with Rob's optimistic assessment of 'the end times' and find that to be a refreshing departure from the depressing and unbiblical eschatology so popular in American Fundamentalism.

As far as style... The style of the book was at least unique, which is rare in a work like this.

But.
I found the style to be.
Annoying mostly.
Entirely.
Not only because of choppiness.
but.
because...more

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Apr 02, 2011 John Martindale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, christian, audiobook

I loved it. Bell had some of the same questions and scriptural observations as I have had, it truly delighted me how he started his book with questions. As the book went on there was plenty he shared a bit new to me and I think I may disagree with some of his conclusions. Yet though different then the evangelical-political-correct understanding, I do feel his take is just as based and rooted in scripture as the more common 'orthodox' view. Just as I think Open Theism should be on the theological...more I loved it. Bell had some of the same questions and scriptural observations as I have had, it truly delighted me how he started his book with questions. As the book went on there was plenty he shared a bit new to me and I think I may disagree with some of his conclusions. Yet though different then the evangelical-political-correct understanding, I do feel his take is just as based and rooted in scripture as the more common 'orthodox' view. Just as I think Open Theism should be on the theological table for debate and discussion rather then rejected as heresy, so I think Bell's observations should be taken seriously with a open mind. Rob Bell is not making up something new, his thoughts are just as based in the bible as John Pipers, therefore, Its disappointing to me that Rob Bell bringing up what is overlooked in the bible is branded a heretic and slandered by Christian leaders. Could it be the church is acting towards Bell, as the catholic church reacted when Luther posted that piece of paper on that door? Lets have a discussion! Lets not try to tear others down!
The scriptures Bell brings shows one thing for sure; the common box the church has made can't fit all the bible teaches on heaven, hell and how we get there, whether or not Bell's answers are right or wrong (I hope they are, they're much more beautiful and seem much more in line with what we believe of God's character) its a good thing he shows we need to rethink all of this. Bell, will surely be labeled a universalist because he (Lord forbids!!!!) brought up the many passages throughout the bible (gasp!!) saying in essence God will redeem and save all. Rob does not say it, he lets the bible say it, but evidently there are scripture "Good Christians" can't bring up or take at face value, because we are told what we can and can't believe based on other pet passages and interpretation. I liked that Bell brought up these scriptures, it makes me not so certain about the ones that seem to contradict, it seems to point to how maybe there is more going on here. If Rob Bell has blurred the lines, its because they never were so sharp and obvious in the first place.
What Rob Bell says about heaven is beautiful and I am fully convinced is true, its in line with N.T Wright and Randy Alcorn. Good stuff. (less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Kath rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am glad that Rob Bell had the courage to ask these kinds of questions in the face of many religious people who seem afraid to consider new interpretations and ideas. His motive is undoubtedly pastoral, rather than kicking up a storm for the sake of it. I especially enjoyed his re working of the Prodigal Son.
Personally, I do not like Bell's writing style, finding it patronising and simplistic but it is somewhat of his trademark.
Worth a read, if only as a springboard to further study or discu...more

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Jan 11, 2013 J. Wootton rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick read (two hours or so), provocative, less controversial than its reputation, and likely deserves a bit of your attention. Bell identifies and addresses a number of problems with the perhaps-too-simplistic, often-misleading way that Evangelical Christianity is typically expressed; he does it respectfully and clearly, if not quite as thoroughly as I would have liked.

Update: in this article, Kevin DeYoung makes a decent argument for why the qualifiers in Bell's book - which are the...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Frankie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-reads

Full disclosure is that it rapidly became clear I wasn't going to agree with what Bell was saying. However, the prose style of asking incessant, clearly leading questions, under the guise of facilitating a progressive, enlightened discussion was super grating and ultimately, I couldn't keep going. It's his choice if he wants to be a universalist, but at least be up front about it. It's also not super progressive to group entire swaths of the Christian population under certain non-essential turns...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Stein rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biblical-theology, religion-philosophy, self-help

==Love wins by grace==
Primarily--to the open-minded followers of Jesus--this book serves to be thought provoking. Although Bell is not a true Universalist he does allude to a more open and comprehensive point of interpreting Scripture than that of most evangelicals and fundamentalists. His stance has caused quite a ruckus and he has been accused of saying things he does not actually say. Actually, Bell presents many more questions on subjects such as heaven, hell, sin, free will and choices, di...more ==Love wins by grace==
Primarily--to the open-minded followers of Jesus--this book serves to be thought provoking. Although Bell is not a true Universalist he does allude to a more open and comprehensive point of interpreting Scripture than that of most evangelicals and fundamentalists. His stance has caused quite a ruckus and he has been accused of saying things he does not actually say. Actually, Bell presents many more questions on subjects such as heaven, hell, sin, free will and choices, divine will and judgment, than he provides answers.

Committed Universalists may find him teasingly funny (nailing Jello to the wall), recklessly brave (for a pastor) and irreverently vague (theologically). The non-churched may actually listen to Bell and take a new look at Christianity as he tries to penetrate the staunch walls of Castle Orthodoxy. In mid-June, 2011, just in case anyone was in doubt, the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution aimed directly at Bell's doctrinal meanderings as they called hell an "eternal, conscious punishment" for those who do not accept Jesus, furthermore confirming "the reality of hell, and the salvation of sinners by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, to the glory of God alone." Within a few months of Since Love Wins was published nearly a dozen books already appeared by authors who felt compelled to respond to Bell's little book. It has served as a major instigator of open thought and discussion, which is good. Even those who want to muzzle Bell may have good points to put forward.

In what I appreciate as a fair and balanced critique of Bell's book, Peter W. Marty, author and senior pastor of a Lutheran church, states: "The glue holding Bell's project together is the firm conviction that Jesus is bigger than any one religion. He is the cosmic Christ who will not be co-opted or owned by any one culture. He is supracultural.... Bell thinks that when John announced that `God so loved the world...' he actually meant the world. Had John been interested in shrinking the gospel or lessening the scope of the cross, he might have proposed that `God so loved only Christians.' But John did not." [Christian Century, May 17, 2011, page 25]

I, like Marty, agree that the concept of the Cosmic Christ is one that deserves consideration: That the Cosmic Christ manifests wherever, whenever and with whomever Christ-like beliefs, faith and actions prevail. They can and do occur in all cultures by followers of any one, or no, religion, regardless of whether the subjects are consciously aware of, and accepting of, the New Testament's Jesus. God--through the agency of the Son, the Holy Spirit, or personal Christ (let us not get bogged down by worldly terminology as to what we call It)--guides and blesses everyone. I have personally witnessed how, for example, Buddhist mantras and Baha'i prayers have benefited and cured Christians in need of comfort and healing. What further proof could be needed of the fact that the spiritual influence of the Supreme Wisdom/God/Cosmic Christ is universally operational? By God's love, grace and impartial justice we are guided to righteousness. It does not make sense that an all-wise Creator would limit His grace to conform to fallible human standards and timelines based on fear. The Kingdom of God is present and available to all who accept the divine invitation "follow me." I surmise that is inherently the underlying message Bell's book is trying to convey.(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Rev. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought it was fine - I am excited that someone in the Evangelical sphere was finally made an argument for a more inclusive and Christian vision of a universe without a God who isn't the kind of abusive tyrant that would make a hell and send people to it.

But Bell also says nothing that is really new or interesting in here. It will be radically new - and has caused him a lot of grief among his peers, led to 3,000 hell-needing members to leave his church, and eventually led to him having to leav...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Paul Hinman rated it 4 of 5 stars

audiobook version - might have liked reading it in my own voice slightly more.

I can see why this book got a lot of Christians up in arms. But I don't know that it is really deserves all the controversy. Rob Bell's primary point is much less on promoting some universalist message, and more that Hell is a choice - and an active one at that. A God of love doesn't "want" to send people to hell. The gospel isn't about revealing a secret code of how to get on God's good side. Jesus has already done th...more audiobook version - might have liked reading it in my own voice slightly more.

I can see why this book got a lot of Christians up in arms. But I don't know that it is really deserves all the controversy. Rob Bell's primary point is much less on promoting some universalist message, and more that Hell is a choice - and an active one at that. A God of love doesn't "want" to send people to hell. The gospel isn't about revealing a secret code of how to get on God's good side. Jesus has already done the work of redeeming this world to Himself. The new creation is already here and working within and around us. It isn't God that's the problem - it's us, and our continued efforts to distance ourselves from Him.
While he doesn't explicitly reference CS Lewis, you can see tones of Narnia's Shadowlands - heaven and hell aren't other places, and the earth isn't simply a sorting grounds. Heaven and hell are all around us - we simply can't see what is truly around us. NT Wright alludes to this as well. Earth isn't simply a weighstaion on the way to heaven or hell. Heaven IS the dwelling place of God, and someday, showhow Earth will more fully be that dwelling place.
I think it's an interesting idea for sure. But I think Bell's critique of certain Christians/denominations view of who is "in" and who is "out" would apply to this work as well - how do you know? I agree wholeheartedly that if we are saved by grace, and not by works, its not about what we do in this life that would "save us from hell." The good news of the Gospel is not how we make ourselves right with God, but that despite our continued rejection of Him, he has chosen to redeem us anyway. But on what basis could we believe that our rejection of God and his love and grace could be rectified and accepted after our death? I think there is something special and unique about this life, otherwise what is the point? These are big questions, and I don't feel comfortable with any definitive answer. That's part of the beauty and wonder of God - the continued mystery and need for faith.(less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Mareika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jesus

Rob Bell's treatise on our destiny after death is valuable for the thought-provoking questions it raises, as his unambiguous writing style helps push the conversation about hell to where it needs to be.

Bell's most compelling argument involves him drawing all of the passages from the Bible that reference hell and looking at them more closely in their Hebrew context. From a very young age most christian folks are told that if they don't believe the right thing (the right thing being Jesus' divini...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you do not celebrate a faith, Love Wins may offer you an understanding that may be surprisingly aligned with your own vision of a better world.

If you celebrate a non-Christian faith, Love Wins may broaden your perspective on Christianity and show a Christian faith that is accepting of people of all faiths and identities.

If you celebrate a Christian faith, Love Wins may enrich your faith, increase your hope for heaven on earth, dispel notions of a wrathful God, re-invigorate your ability to li...more

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Jan 26, 2013 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rob Bell is a non-denominational Protestant pastor who is famous on the lecture circuit. His little book comprises transcriptions of some of his lectures on the Christian afterlife. According to Bell, Heaven and Hell are not necessarily exclusive to the next world, but are also states of this temporal world created, respectively, by those who work to bring about God’s loving will in this life and those turn from God’s love to pursue selfish or sadistic ends. Bell argues that, in the original lan...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Tim rated it 1 of 5 stars

I am certainly willing to allow others to disagree with me. I don't even think that I'm always right. But as a Christian who bases my beliefs on the Truth of God's Word, I do not appreciate those who twist what the Scriptures clearly say. If Rob Bell chose simply to take issue with the truth of the Scripture, I would say that he is entitled to his opinion but treading dangerous ground as a Christian - not to mention leading many people astray from the Truth. Because, however, he claims that his...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Rob Springer rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who thinks "God is Love" and "Hell is eternal torment" are compatible notions.

This ranks as one of the most personally influential books I have ever read. Love Wins explores the consequences of believing in an omnipotent God who IS love.

Bell, contrary to the distortions of his book, does not say there is no Hell. On the contrary, we don’t need to wait until we die to see it. Look around at the lives of those who hate and what they can do to hurt themselves and others. Our history and our present are brimming with examples of hells we have created. And as Bell points out,...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Morgan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Allie is going to be pissed that I gave this two stars ha. I guess I'm giving this two stars because it is the sort of thing that was enjoyable to read and had a lot of potential, but was really poorly executed from an argument standpoint. Bell needs to walk a better line between pastoral speaking and persuasive writing. You can be accessible and still hold serious academic sway (ie pete rollins). This was not written for adults. The format itself was ridiculous and unfortunately reeked of a tre...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Bryon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book won't get the same thorough treatment most of the book reviews I write get. With Rob Bell, it's pointless. He's a polarizing figure and most people make up their minds about Rob Bell the man before they even read him. Most people make up their minds about Rob Bell's conclusions from the conclusions of bloggers, tweeters, and YouTube theologians.

Rob Bell's writing style is not readable to me. I bought Love Wins the week it was released and tried to read it, but couldn't. It opens with r...more

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About Rob Bell

Rob Bell is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of the bestselling Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and Drops Like Stars. A graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, Bell speaks to large crowds around the world and has appeared in a pioneering series of short...more

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Books by Rob Bell

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith

Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile

What We Talk about When We Talk about God

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“Love demands freedom. It always has, and it always will. We are free to resist, reject, and rebel against God's ways for us. We can have all the hell we want.” — 20 people liked it

“As we experience this love, there is a temptation at times to become hostile to our earlier understandings, feeling embarrassed that we were so "simple" or "naive," or "brainwashed" or whatever terms arise when we haven't come to terms with our own story. These past understandings aren't to be denied or dismissed; they're to be embraced. Those experiences belong. Love demands that they belong. That's where we were at that point in our life and God met us there. Those moments were necessary for us to arrive here, at this place at this time, as we are. Love frees us to embrace all of our history, the history in which all things are being made new.” — 17 people liked it

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

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