Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality

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Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 5,641 ratings · 477 reviews

Introduction: This is Really about ThatChapter One: God Wears LipstickChapter Two: Sexy on the InsideChapter Three: Angels and AnimalsChapter Four: Leather, Whips, and FruitChapter Five: She Ran into the Girls' BathroomChapter Six: Worth Dying ForChapter Seven: Under the ChuppahChapter Eight: Johnny and JuneChapter Nine: Whoopee ForeverEpilogue: More Balloons, PleaseEndnot...more

Hardcover, 201 pages

Published February 20th 2007 by Zondervan Publishing Company (first published January 1st 2007)

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Oct 21, 2007 Andrea Zukewycz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished this book and it was amazing! The way Rob Bell put things into perspective was awesome! As I was reading, I was like "wow, I never thought of it like that". He has a ton of wisdom and insight and it's awesome reading what he shares with us. I just wanted to share one part of it that I extra highlighted :) This is mainly for the ladies, but good for the men too.

"You don't need a man by your side to validate you as a woman. You already are loved and valued. You're good enough exac...more I just finished this book and it was amazing! The way Rob Bell put things into perspective was awesome! As I was reading, I was like "wow, I never thought of it like that". He has a ton of wisdom and insight and it's awesome reading what he shares with us. I just wanted to share one part of it that I extra highlighted :) This is mainly for the ladies, but good for the men too.

"You don't need a man by your side to validate you as a woman. You already are loved and valued. You're good enough exactly as you are. Do you believe this? Because it's true. You have limitless worth and value. If you embrace this truth, it will affect every area of life, expecially your relationship with men. You are worthy dying for. Your worth does not come from your body, your mind, your work, what you produce, what you put out, how much money you make. your worth does not come from whether or not you have a man. Your worth does not come from whether or not men notice you. You have inestimable worth that comes from your creator. You will continue to be tempted in a thousand different ways not to believe this. The temptation will be to go searching for your worth and validity from places other than your creator. Especially from men. But you don't have to give yourself away to earn a man's love. You're better than that. You're already loved. When you give too much of yourself away too quickly, when you show too much skin, you're not being true to yourself. When you dress to show us everything, then in some sense we have all shared in it, or at least been exposed to it. There is a mystery to you, infinite depth and endless complexity. As the woman says in Song of Songs, "My own vineyard is mine to give". In the ancient Near East, a vineyard was a euphemism for sexuality. She is saying that she doesn't give herself to just anyone. She is fully in control of herself, and she is not cheap and she is not easy. Your strength is a beautiful thing. And when you live in it, when you carry yourself with the honor and dignity that are yours, it forces the men around you to relate to you on more than just a flesh level. You are worth dying for.
If you're dating someone, what kind of man is he? Does he demonstrate that he's the kind of man who would die for you? What is his posture toward the world? Does he serve, or is he waiting to be served? Does he believe that he's owed something, that he's been shortchanged, that he's gotten the short end of the stick, that life owes him something? Or is he out to see what he can give? Does he see himself as being here to make the world a better place? These are the big questions that you need to ask yourself. Take him to a family reunion. Do some sort of service project with him. See how he interacts with people he doesn't like. Does he have liquid agape running through his veins?................when a woman is loved well, she opens up like a flower.....What does he expect of you? Does he expect you to sleep with him when he hasn't committed to you forever? Does he want all of you without his having to give all of him? Can you tell him anything? Is he safe? Can he be trusted? Can you open up to him, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, knowing that he will protect, not exploit, that vulnerability? Are you opening up like a flower??"
(less)

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Sep 09, 2008 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ???People wanting to explore their sexuality???

Recommended to Brittany by: Saw it on a friend's book list

Before I get into the substance of the book, I would like to make a few notes about the composition.

One point I would like to make is that I now know why writers should not use one sentence paragraphs. They should not use one sentence paragraphs because it does not help with the flow of ideas or the point the author is trying to make (with my first paragraph of this review being an exception).

The other point or suggestion I would like to make is that the reader should make sure to read the auth...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Apple rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: every Christian leaning human being

Shelves: spiritual

This is possibly the most refreshingly accurate piece of work on sexuality by a Christian author I have ever encountered. But then again, Rob Bell is an exceptional observer of humanity and its spiritual side. If you have not read his first book, Velvet Elvis, I really suggest you visit that text before you jump into this; especially if you come from a background where everything biblical is hyper-literal (if you are recovering from that sort of situation, I completely empathize with you) or if...more This is possibly the most refreshingly accurate piece of work on sexuality by a Christian author I have ever encountered. But then again, Rob Bell is an exceptional observer of humanity and its spiritual side. If you have not read his first book, Velvet Elvis, I really suggest you visit that text before you jump into this; especially if you come from a background where everything biblical is hyper-literal (if you are recovering from that sort of situation, I completely empathize with you) or if you are rediscovering your own concept of Christianity. This book won't be as effective if you do not.

Sex really isn't a topic Christians like to discuss (see the Angels and Animals chapter), but Rob Bell is correct in his point he makes through the entire book that our sexuality is connected to everything and it needs to be dissected and examined. Being one with another human being is a direct representation of the oneness we strive for in God. The imagery of the chuppah and other fine points of traditional Jewish wedding ceremonies in relation to God is something that is explained throughout the Bible constantly, yet most readers and believers miss out on this point. Bell revisits and explains this relationship well; just as a couple enters an agreement into oneness, so has God with us. Every word, every story contained in this book builds upon this concept like a wonderfully layered cake.

I firmly believe every one, especially couples or anyone entwined in any sort of relationship, should read the Worth Dying For Chapter. Everyone needs to understand agape, which as Bell explains, is Greek for a giving type of love; the heart of every healthy relationship, including one with the divine.

More importantly, the last chapter is a confession that rings true for everyone; "Things don't always turn out well." They don't. No lies, no trickery here. Just hope in a divine being that can heal anything and everything with the agape kind of love.

And who cannot love a man who not only devotes a chapter to one of the most inspiring marriages of our time, but does take the time to make the obligatory Month Python and Star Wars reference? You will miss some of these gems if you do not read the notes and discussion at the end. If you have read through this book and did not complete the survey on page 199, you are truly missing something.

Can't wait for the next Bell piece.(less)

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Sep 28, 2009 Tim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Revised Review: 3/5

I think I have probably shifted my stance slightly with this book. As you might notice I took it down a notch to 3 stars instead of 4. And I also removed it from my 'recommended' shelf.

I would say it is because on further reflection, it is much more of a dangerous book than I would have originally thought. It is a little reductionist towards a Hebrew-centric view on marriage, and while the old testament was written by the Israelites, marriage was instituted for mankind and no...more

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Nov 19, 2008 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anybody

Shelves: faith, restoryinglife

This book is simple and easy to read, but enthralling. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that, having read a borrowed copy, I'm going to buy it for myself (a much smarter approach than my usual, "buy it and sell it on Amazon if I don't want to keep it").

Moreover, contrary to the title, it's not just a book about sex and God, rather, it's a beautiful way to invite somebody who isn't all that familiar with the things of God to begin exploring how faith and life can connect, as it challenges many assum...more

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Feb 09, 2008 Mark rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Someone interested in reading a book with a pink cover

Recommended to Mark by: friend at work

A friend at work gave this to me to read. It is by an evangelical preacher and explores the connections between being human and sexuality. I suppose it is good in light of how our society exploits and degrades human sexuality and he does a good job in pointing out that we need more in a relationship than the physical. But I felt like he often jumped from one thought or story to another without much continuity or without reaching conclusions and I was often left thinking yea... and what's your po...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Lee Harmon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Relax, folks, this is not a call to worship Yahweh like some kind of fertility idol. It’s just another of Bell’s weird book titles.

I’m a Bell fan, but I confess this wasn’t one of my favorites. If we’re gonna talk about this stuff, well, there are lots of interesting passages in the Bible about sex, sexuality, and the sexes. But Bell ignores all the interesting discussion, and zeroes in on two basic themes:

1. Sex is a reality of life. We’re not animals and we’re not angels. (I’d argue that we’re...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, religion

This book widened, in a very positive way, my understanding about love, marriage, sex, and connection with the human race as a whole, and our connection with God.

I love Rob Bell's writing style because he is able to distill complicated issues into accessible bits, and is able to tell these bits in such a way that they stick with you and make you think about them for days to come. He never comes across as preachy or "judge-y", which I think for a Christian book on the topic of love and sex, show...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Tad Hopp rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another winner from Rob Bell, who I have been a fan of for years. I've recently become a fan of body theology which is theology that teaches that our bodies are a special and important part of our spirituality. I think this book would be great to use in a dissertation or thesis on this topic. I am glad that Bell does not say that sex is bad or only for marriage or that we should be ashamed of ourselves for having lustful thoughts. That would be a negative way to to look at sexuality. Instead, he...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have never read any Rob Bell before this book, and I was initially put off by the sentence fragments and one-word paragraphs for "emphasis."

You know.

Like
this.

That said, he has a lot of wisdom to impart. He picks up where a lot of Christians drop the ball -- sex. I loved that the last story he shared was a disaster. That he was open and transparent and said "hey, there is no one Christian ideal for marriage or love" and "hey, Christians fuck it up too. A lot."

He posits that sex is ultimately a...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Jansen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion

A quickly moving book with an easy to read writing style. Might be of use to some couples, but I didn't find it terribly revealing. Just more of a nice way to get someone to read about marriage that would otherwise not read about it.
1. we are made in gods image. we are humans. when we start to view people as things we fail to see the humanity in them and we even start to loose the humanity in us.
2. we need to be comfortable with who we are in order to have healthy connected relationships with ot...more A quickly moving book with an easy to read writing style. Might be of use to some couples, but I didn't find it terribly revealing. Just more of a nice way to get someone to read about marriage that would otherwise not read about it.
1. we are made in gods image. we are humans. when we start to view people as things we fail to see the humanity in them and we even start to loose the humanity in us.
2. we need to be comfortable with who we are in order to have healthy connected relationships with others and maybe even with God.
3. God made us human. not angels that do not have sex. Nor animals that have sex only because their hormones demand it. we are humans and therefore have the unique difference of being able to exert a healthy balance over our passions without needing to totally avoid the issue.
4. lust always wants more and it promises what it cant give. instead of giving in to the depths of unfulfilling lust turn your passion over to something else. focus your energies on something that is positive and that brings true fulfillment.
5. love is risky. it I only when we open ourselves up that we expose ourselves to the risk of truly being hurt. God too has opened himself up an is standing there asking if we will respond to his offer of love.
6. love is lying down your life. it makes someone worth loving not because of who they are but because it first chooses to love them. and thus they are worth loving.
7 sex is sacred. marriage is sacred. both are to be done alone in private without bringing in the world to watch. don't air your dirty laundry. in the bible it was sex that made someone married. the rest was just paperwork.
8. Ezer. helper. protector. one flesh means that they are one entity composed of many parts , just as God is one. Being naked and being totally naked are different.
9. gods communication of heaven starts with marriage. on earth authors in the Bible are clear that you don't need to get married, you will be just fine without sex, there is something better coming that will lay even the differences between virgins and non virgins to waist.
Epilogue - Life is messy. Mistakes happen. But God has an unlimited number of forgiveness to help us start over and continue striving for what we previously were unable to attain. God perfect will.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 MAP rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, religious-religion

I'm not a big huge fan of Rob Bell, mainly because I never feel like he actually says much of anything. But this book looked like it would be about something that a lot of Christian books aren't: human sexuality. Oh don't get me wrong, there's tons of Christian books on sex: married sex, unmarried sex, gay sex, straight sex, what sex is, what sex isn't, bla bla bla. But there's very little about the fact that human beings, no matter which of those above categories they fall into, are [in general...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Woowott rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'm done. I'm so done. I went into reading 'Love Wins' excited, hoping for some cool ideas. I thought it was limp. Shallow. So what do I do? I decide to look into what he has to say about sex.

Oh for. GAH. I need to STOP doing this to myself, but I have one more aggravating book waiting for me at the library.

I wish for five seconds he would stop pretending to be all hip and trendy. He's like a freakin' conservative in sheep's clothing. 'OHHH, I'm gonna be all DARING and say the word SEX in the ti...more

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Aug 26, 2011 David Campton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: popular-theology

I like Rob Bell's Nooma material and was impressed when I visited his Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, but there was a big part of me that wanted to hate this book from before I opened the first page. Why? Because so much time and effort has gone into the graphic design of the book that I feared it may be all style and no substance. And to a certain extent that is true. It is less substantial than it might be. For a starter, if it had been printed as a normal book, it would have been half the l...more

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May 11, 2011 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before that book, the one about love winning, Rob Bell was already famous. He was famous because he'd written a book about the Christian faith called Velvet Elvis. Who'd ever heard of a book about Christianity having a title like Velvet Elvis? Extraordinary. His second book was called Sex God.

In both Velvet Elvis and Sex God, Rob Bell established a method of writing that revolves around a 'chatty' writing style, story-telling, the sound-bite, beautiful design, and of making statements and askin...more Before that book, the one about love winning, Rob Bell was already famous. He was famous because he'd written a book about the Christian faith called Velvet Elvis. Who'd ever heard of a book about Christianity having a title like Velvet Elvis? Extraordinary. His second book was called Sex God.

In both Velvet Elvis and Sex God, Rob Bell established a method of writing that revolves around a 'chatty' writing style, story-telling, the sound-bite, beautiful design, and of making statements and asking questions that are intended to spark thought and discussion more than present a dogmatic fixed position. It was a style that presented truths but trusted that the reader would be smart enough / thoughtful enough / be prompted by God Himself enough to be able to consider concepts (perhaps outside the strictness of 20th century evangelicalism) without risking their soul to eternal peril. It was, in short, a style designed to speak to a postmodern (substitute "21st century" if you like) audience.

We now know that this style can land a man in the depths of the ugliest controversy. A controversy so ugly that it has led some to attempt to push God off His seat, assume the role of judge of mankind, and assign Rob Bell to hellfire.

This all kicks off, in large part, because Rob has a tendency to be controversial. His style invites controversy. Take the title of our book, for example, Sex God. How a title like this avoided the kind of heat that Love Wins attracted, I'll never know. Or what about a chapter titled God Wears Lipstick? This controversial edge has a tendency in two directions (formatted here a la Bell):

To be compelling

or

To be sensationalist

It's a fine line that Rob Bell walks. I love him for being prepared to take the risk, but it is a risky business indeed. In all fairness to him, I believe his intentions are good with regard to controversy. He wants to get people thinking for themselves. He wants them to see things differently at least for a moment. He wants to communicate that there might be more to things than what we often automatically accept. That's the ideal, but have we seen that what happens in reality is that, when confronted with controversy, people often tend to retreat more deeply into their citadels? By now, after everything, will Bell wield the tool of controversy more carefully?

I feel certain that underneath all this, there is a mild mannered man with a profound level of insight. And to get back to the matter at hand, reviewing Sex God, here is a book that will certainly challenge your thinking. It isn't really the controversial book that the title and its chapter titles suggest. Instead, it is simply a book that explores ideas about what sex really is, and about how what it really is plays a part in who God is and what His plan is for humankind.

Which brings us back to talking about Bell's overall output to date. What we have is an author who, though he wraps his work in controversy, is really just a guy who wants us (whoever we might be) to think about God, our relationship with God, and what that means.

Sex God is excellent. (less)

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Mar 20, 2011 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Save an extended discussion on the meaning of sexual in the second chapter, Bell pulls a fast one with this book. In a book entitled Sex God, with the reader anticipating a multiplicity of chapters on sex, Bell instead spends most of his time discussing what it means to be a good human being. And I am glad for that.

Bell is right. A proper view of sex is rooted in a proper view of what it means to be human. And so we learn about the importance of treating each other as human beings, that we shoul...more

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Sep 21, 2009 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have heard a lot about Rob Bell and seen several of his NOOMA videos. If you have heard him speak, or seen one of his videos, this book seems to follow that type of story telling approach. Connecting things that we all do everyday or hear about or think about to God and how He engages us to have a relationship with Him.
I found in this book that Rob does do a great job of reminding all of us of the value God has in each of us and that He continues to remind us of His desires for us through man...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Josh Shepherd rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book WORKS! After reading it, my spiritual stature grew at least 4 inches and possibly more. All I know is that my wife is VERY satisfied by my transformation in EVERY aspect of our relationship. (This is not a direct quote, but I scored off the charts on emotional intelligence exams in school so I'm comfortable with my interpretation of the look she gave me over dinner as I was explaining how this book would COMPLETELY revitalize our love-life. Guys, body language is everything, which is t...more This book WORKS! After reading it, my spiritual stature grew at least 4 inches and possibly more. All I know is that my wife is VERY satisfied by my transformation in EVERY aspect of our relationship. (This is not a direct quote, but I scored off the charts on emotional intelligence exams in school so I'm comfortable with my interpretation of the look she gave me over dinner as I was explaining how this book would COMPLETELY revitalize our love-life. Guys, body language is everything, which is the topic of the book I am writing as a supplement to SexGod called Brothers, Body Language is Everything: A Sexual-Spiritual Supplement, which you can read more about at http://thisisaboutTHAT.blogspot.com) John Piper has reviewed an early manuscript and states that while he does not in any way approve of anything I have written, he also does not deem it worthy of tweeting my excommunication. In other words, FIVE STARS from Piper, which is somewhat disappointing due to the publicity only a Piper condemnation can bring. As a result, I am revising my initial thesis with the spot-on replication of some orthodox views of an early and somewhat obscure church father sure to be deemed heretical in the new light of the 21st century. Basically the little-known sex primer for 4th century Christian newlyweds that was hailed as the "Christian Kama Sutra" until a 12th century Papal bull ensured the destruction of all copies. All but one, that is. But it was also destroyed when they ran out of sanitary napkins on the Mayflower and had to make use of all "reading materials what doth not deale wyth those essentials of faithe." So as with subsequent events in the history of American Christianity, sex was sacrificed for the sake of cleanliness among the elect. But Rob Bell and I are bringing sexy back to spirituality, each in our own way. My part has been to prayerfully receive through inspiration what has been lost to history. Heretical, you say? Well, I completely disagree. But could you say it a little louder and perhaps to the New York Times? I have a family to feed and controversy bakes a lot of bread.(less)

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Dec 18, 2011 Theresa Leone Davidson rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to know who Rob Bell is but I don't, and I came to the book without preconceived notions. Insomuch as it relates to two of my favorite topics, God and sex, I enjoyed reading the book, although I must say there was nothing new nor particularly enlightening. He writes that God wants us to explore our sexuality but only with the person to whom we are married; I agree, IF you're married. I am much more God-centered now than I was all through my 20s and early 30s, before...more

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May 27, 2012 Lisa Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked how Bell stresses the importance of having a soulful awareness. He states "How can a person mingle with another soul when they are out of touch with their own?" Which is a rhetorical question we should all ask ourselves daily. Even with the short list of soul questions he asks the reader at the end of the book, I think these questions can bring forth fruitful spiritual dialogue between a person and their partner.

I also enjoyed Bell's way of sharing the history & consciousness behind...more

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Jul 17, 2009 Mac rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-thought-and-commentary

How can you not love Rob Bell? The man has been given an incredible gift of insight and communication. He explains things so profoundly, yet, so simply. It's a solid combination.

Turns out this book is more about God and His love than sex, but it will get you thinking. A lot. A lot about what you really want, what you expect from a relationship, what you're willing to give, and what is the point of it to begin with?

I'd say for anyone who isn;y a believer in Christ, and thinks Christians are prude...more

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Jul 30, 2011 James (JD) Dittes added it

I have to say that I appreciated the pacing of this book (which I listened to on my iPod). Bell begins in Genesis, builds through Song of Solomon and closes by connecting many of Christ's images to those of the Jewish wedding.

This book is NOT for fundamentalists, and Bell gives fair warning early in the book. For those with an intellectual or spiritual bent, however, you will find it enlightening and thought-provoking.

Listening to the book had its advantages. Bell is a speaker, and he can't hel...more

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Jun 09, 2012 René rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm not sure what I think of this book. It felt disjointed and I was left trying to piece together Bell's points. I got his overall point about the connection between God, sex, relationships, and humanity, but I felt like it was a lot of unnecessary work to get to that.

I'm also not a big fan of the writing style or whatever it's called that Bell's books have in general. The structure, like the flow of the book, was disjointed. I often felt like I was reading a list of bullet points instead of a...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Kelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rob Bell's communication style is--if nothing else--consistent.

He wants

to get

people to stop

and feel

every, little, detail

of what is being said.

And this is how he does that. For some, I know that this can almost feel manipulative and forced. If you are paying attention at all you know what he is trying to do to you. For me, I can both enjoy this and find it a bit annoying. I know many Christians are terribly offended and outraged by Rob Bell but I think that if they just stop screaming "heretic"...more

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Jun 02, 2008 Jonathan Spangler rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Matthew Hart

Shelves: young-adult-ministry, discipleship

Rob Bell does a pretty good job with this book. The title is somewhat not fitting in that he doesn't explore the "endless" connections. Just a few in my opinion. Chapters 1,3, and 7 were the most insightful for me. This book was an easy read that helps the eyes not get tired by spacin out lines and thoughts. I would recommend this book!

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Jun 01, 2011 Tori rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've seen a couple of Rob Bell's Nooma videos in church, and I've been following the press he's received lately thanks to his "controversial" notions of heaven and hell. I agree with much of what he preaches, but sometimes I think there's a little too much music video production quality and not enough substance in his message. This book is a bit music video, too: lots of white space in the design, stylish type face, staccato writing style.

Of course I couldn't resist this book, just because of th...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Troy Tenney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion-spirituality

The title, 'Sex God' seems to be a marketing ploy to try to get some shock value. Rob Bell is the founding pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church, and I absolutely loved this book. It talks about intimacy - and not just in the sexual sense - and how it relates to spirituality. He has a way of telling stories to brilliantly illustrate his point, and to also shed some new light on biblical verses. As a Latter-Day Saint, the last chapter is the only one that I didn't completely agree with. Basically at t...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Nyeisha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, all-time-faves

Wow...Bell hit another out of the Park for me. The book really deepened my already held beliefs on the importance of a deep and lasting relationship. A lot of this really hit home at the end of book. When Bell discusses what it really means to be "naked" with someone. There is something so inspiring and enduring in the way that he describes this bond that we seek to have for the opposite (or same) sex. We all seek to be loved unconditionally. We all want to have an Agape love. (Or at least thats...more

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Sep 26, 2012 David Meldrum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: discipleship

Rob Bell. In the bizarre sub-culture of Christian media and church, there are few more polarising names. He's even been on the cover of Time magazine (US edition). To say you find his work valuable is equally likely to earn you opprobrium as it is welcome. It just depends on who you talk to. If this is new to you, just try googling his name.

'Sex God' was written before his fame was at the stratospheric, inflammatory levels it reached in 2011-2. It's his second book, but the one it's taken longes...more Rob Bell. In the bizarre sub-culture of Christian media and church, there are few more polarising names. He's even been on the cover of Time magazine (US edition). To say you find his work valuable is equally likely to earn you opprobrium as it is welcome. It just depends on who you talk to. If this is new to you, just try googling his name.

'Sex God' was written before his fame was at the stratospheric, inflammatory levels it reached in 2011-2. It's his second book, but the one it's taken longest for me to get round to read. Like all his books, it's short - clocking in around 200 pages. It's not a difficult read - though his idiosyncratic style of short sentences, sometimes only 3 word paragraphs, can grate even if you're a Bell-believer.

This book explores the links between sexuality and spirituality; that might sound controversial enough, but he actually doesn't touch on the two areas of this that are most bound to inflame Christian debate - same-sex relationships and gender roles. No, this is more about sex itself; or rather, to paraphrase Bell's argument, how God's gift of sex to humanity is really a pointer both to the work of Jesus and our eternal destiny. It's heady, but quick-reading, stuff; and looking at it from this summary you might be led to think this isn't really for single people.

You'd be wrong, because Bell's approach is both appealing and inclusive - he wants to remove this discussion from the narrow confines of what we do with our bodies and who we do it with, to a far wider, more generous place. Those things matter - but they are signs, symbols, pointers to Something and Someone Else.

There are moments when you're tempted to say "Really, Rob?". But then you reflect on it a little more widely and deeply, and you think he may have a point. The last two chapters are brilliant; they are where this book really sings. They are where he moves gracefully to matters of eternity, and what Jesus is really on about when he says we won't have marriage in the new creation. It's stirring, thrilling stuff - and like much of Bell's work, it's actually more orthodox than we might expect. As always, in reading this it's wise to remember those who are his primary audience - those alienated by religion and those vaguely spiritual seekers who may see organised church as something to be suspicious of. Read it through that lens, with that language and hear what he does or doesn't say with those ears, and you find a deeper, more mainstream tradition remixed and repackaged with flair and the best kind of artistry.

He's well known for his desire to return to the Jewish roots of New Testament literature - and often that's what divides readers. For me, that's largely good stuff, but it's never bad to remember that at all times his opinion, interpretation is just one. You don't have to buy it all to like some of it. Where there is much fruit to be harvested, in addition especially to the last 2 chapters, is in the footnotes. When they're not giving you a Bible reference, they're either witty asides, pointers and quotes to books that will quickly find their way on to your 'too read' list or little nuggets that are too good to miss. It's not often you can say that a book's footnotes - especially in such a short book - are essential and enjoyable reading. But that's Rob Bell. With his audience he doesn't need or want to 'show the working'. He just wants to give us a consistent, thoughtful but enjoyable take on a crucial subject - but to do so in a way that's going to leave us singing, not weeping.

Whatever you think of him, that's no bad thing.(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Angélique rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 Stars. This book is good but problematic. While Bell fills his chapters with deep truths about the connection between our relationship with God and our relationship with other people, his process of getting to these truths is often questionable. He makes far too many assumptions and interpretations based on the ideas he wishes to convey rather than on the actual facts of the original material (often narratives). He also uses a roundabout manner of developing his main points which creates a...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

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

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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“What we do comes out of who we believe we are.” — 213 people liked it

“Agape doesn't love somebody because they're worthy.

Agape makes them worthy by the strength and power of its love.

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Agape loves in such a way that it makes them beautiful.” — 98 people liked it

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