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Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
We have to test everything. I thank God for anybody anywhere who is pointing people to the mysteries of God. But those people would all tell you to think long and hard about what they are saying and doing and creating. Test it. Probe it. Do that to this book. Don't swallow it uncritically. Think about it. Wrestle with it. Just because I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn't mean I've got it nailed. I'm contributing to the discussion. God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
483 people are currently reading
7672 people want to read
About the author
Rob Bell
75 books1,646 followersRob Bell is a bestselling author, international teacher, and highly sought after public speaker. His books include The New York Times bestsellers What Is the Bible?, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, Love Wins, as well as The Zimzum of Love, Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and Drops Like Stars.
At age 28, Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, and under his leadership it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America. In 2011, he was profiled in Time Magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. Rob was featured on Oprah's 2014 Life You Want Tour and will be speaking at venues around the world in 2015 on the Everything is Spiritual Tour. He and his wife Kristen have three children and live in Los Angeles.
At age 28, Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, and under his leadership it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America. In 2011, he was profiled in Time Magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. Rob was featured on Oprah's 2014 Life You Want Tour and will be speaking at venues around the world in 2015 on the Everything is Spiritual Tour. He and his wife Kristen have three children and live in Los Angeles.
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February 9, 2008
1) I really like Bell's enthusiasm and passion for helping people break out of a religious system that many times can be boring and basically anything but alive. Sometimes I think that I myself am far too intertwined with this system which, although good in many ways, is still man-made.
2) Bell's call to "test it. Probe it." is good advice. I have the awful tendency to read books, accepting most everything that I read as long as I trust the author or person who recommended the book to me.
3) I think that the way we respond to testing and probing is what can separate believers from non-believers, but unfortunately it doesn't. As you'll see below, there are some very big disagreements I have with Bell, but some of the things I've seen written and done in protest of his teachings is unbelievable. Protesting outside Bell's fellowship telling people they're going to hades isn't much of a disagreement, it borders on hatred.
4) All that being said, I have some very significant problems with some of Bell's theology. The first is his use of the trampoline analogy. Now obviously no analogy can be perfect, but the statement that all tenets of faith outside of Jesus are springs, and therefore we must be willing to allow them to flex, is very unBiblical. Now I agree with him regarding the man who said that if you don't believe in a 24-hour day creation, you don't believe in the cross. If by springs he means that we need to be open to various interpretation, I am all for that. It is when he wants my foundation to flex that I have a problem. Speaking of the virgin birth he says, "What if that spring was seriously questioned? Could a person still keep jumping?" My personal answer is that if I found that the virgin birth was untrue, the gospel writers knowingly putting a myth into their writings and thus compromising the inspiration of the Word, yes I would have some serious questions. But my personal answer doesn't carry as much weight as Paul's in regard to the resurrection saying, "...if [the Son] is not risen...then your faith is also vain." (I Cor 15:14). That doesn't sounds like a spring to me. I believe there are certain things which are bricks, or if I may add to Bell's analogy, maybe the stands on which the trampoline is raised. You take that away and you'll find that jumping on the trampoline is no different than jumping on the regular ground.
5) There was something that bothered me all through the first half of the book which I couldn't put my finger on until he basically wrote it out. Although I admire Bell's passion, I'm wary of his focus. Although he's not fully a "saved by works" preacher, he gets far too close in my mind by not emphasizing the power of the cross. Like I said, I couldn't put my finger on it until he got to his theory about Peter walking on water. That just blew my mind. Bell states, "Who does Peter lose faith in? Not Jesus; Jesus is doing fine. Peter loses faith in himself." The idea that the Son willingly gave up His life so that people like me could realize how great I already am and all of the things I am capable of borders on blasphemy. In response to that I want to ask Bell what happened when Peter got back into the boat. Did he apologize for not meeting his potential? Did he promise that next time he would be more confident in himself? Of course not. He worships the Son. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I think those two words were missing in too much of Bell's ideology.
6) Bell far too often portrays the Word as full of metaphors. Yes, we desperately need to find the relevance for today, to apply it to our lives. I agree that this might be why so much of our "system" seems dead. However, what gives me hope in the life to come is not a personal, very subjective "...experience of [the Son] that transcends place and time" as Bell says, but rather the fact that the Son died and rose again on my behalf. I think the writers themselves make it clear that their purpose wasn't to provide metaphors, but to give us the story of our existence. Luke says, " Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Lk 1:3-4).
To conclude my thoughts, I think that Bell is very well-intentioned and should serve as a wake-up call for many people, including myself, to see how much of what I consider to be my faith is in actuality just my system or culture. While I think that I should stand against what I believe to be foundational errors in Bell's theology, I think that the best reaction I or any person can have to objections is to expend my energy not on combative arguments but on being just as passionate for what I hold to be true. I hold that in Him, and not of myself or anything that I can do, grace is given as a gift through the sacrifice of the Son for our justification - but more importantly for His glory.
2) Bell's call to "test it. Probe it." is good advice. I have the awful tendency to read books, accepting most everything that I read as long as I trust the author or person who recommended the book to me.
3) I think that the way we respond to testing and probing is what can separate believers from non-believers, but unfortunately it doesn't. As you'll see below, there are some very big disagreements I have with Bell, but some of the things I've seen written and done in protest of his teachings is unbelievable. Protesting outside Bell's fellowship telling people they're going to hades isn't much of a disagreement, it borders on hatred.
4) All that being said, I have some very significant problems with some of Bell's theology. The first is his use of the trampoline analogy. Now obviously no analogy can be perfect, but the statement that all tenets of faith outside of Jesus are springs, and therefore we must be willing to allow them to flex, is very unBiblical. Now I agree with him regarding the man who said that if you don't believe in a 24-hour day creation, you don't believe in the cross. If by springs he means that we need to be open to various interpretation, I am all for that. It is when he wants my foundation to flex that I have a problem. Speaking of the virgin birth he says, "What if that spring was seriously questioned? Could a person still keep jumping?" My personal answer is that if I found that the virgin birth was untrue, the gospel writers knowingly putting a myth into their writings and thus compromising the inspiration of the Word, yes I would have some serious questions. But my personal answer doesn't carry as much weight as Paul's in regard to the resurrection saying, "...if [the Son] is not risen...then your faith is also vain." (I Cor 15:14). That doesn't sounds like a spring to me. I believe there are certain things which are bricks, or if I may add to Bell's analogy, maybe the stands on which the trampoline is raised. You take that away and you'll find that jumping on the trampoline is no different than jumping on the regular ground.
5) There was something that bothered me all through the first half of the book which I couldn't put my finger on until he basically wrote it out. Although I admire Bell's passion, I'm wary of his focus. Although he's not fully a "saved by works" preacher, he gets far too close in my mind by not emphasizing the power of the cross. Like I said, I couldn't put my finger on it until he got to his theory about Peter walking on water. That just blew my mind. Bell states, "Who does Peter lose faith in? Not Jesus; Jesus is doing fine. Peter loses faith in himself." The idea that the Son willingly gave up His life so that people like me could realize how great I already am and all of the things I am capable of borders on blasphemy. In response to that I want to ask Bell what happened when Peter got back into the boat. Did he apologize for not meeting his potential? Did he promise that next time he would be more confident in himself? Of course not. He worships the Son. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I think those two words were missing in too much of Bell's ideology.
6) Bell far too often portrays the Word as full of metaphors. Yes, we desperately need to find the relevance for today, to apply it to our lives. I agree that this might be why so much of our "system" seems dead. However, what gives me hope in the life to come is not a personal, very subjective "...experience of [the Son] that transcends place and time" as Bell says, but rather the fact that the Son died and rose again on my behalf. I think the writers themselves make it clear that their purpose wasn't to provide metaphors, but to give us the story of our existence. Luke says, " Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Lk 1:3-4).
To conclude my thoughts, I think that Bell is very well-intentioned and should serve as a wake-up call for many people, including myself, to see how much of what I consider to be my faith is in actuality just my system or culture. While I think that I should stand against what I believe to be foundational errors in Bell's theology, I think that the best reaction I or any person can have to objections is to expend my energy not on combative arguments but on being just as passionate for what I hold to be true. I hold that in Him, and not of myself or anything that I can do, grace is given as a gift through the sacrifice of the Son for our justification - but more importantly for His glory.
September 28, 2007
Recently, I've been doing a lot of writing concerning my own beliefs and faith practices. It tends to come up occasionally amongst my group of friends, as I'm one of only a few (if any?) practicing Christians, and I tend to think a lot about faith issues generally because my church tends to be very thought-provoking and inspiring.
About a month ago, I emailed one of my writings to my pastor, almost half-expecting him to call me a nutter and suggest I not return. Instead, he said "Read this book, I think you'll love it!"
He was right!
Sometimes, especially living in the conservative midwest, I become convinced that my views on the state of modern Christianity and on faith and belief in general are "out there," "wacky," or downright sacreligious. It's very nice to be reassured that, all of a sudden, I appear to be part of a "movement." There really are people out there reading their Bibles and NOT falling into the psycho-fundie trap! There really are people out there who think that Jesus' message and mission are a damn sight more important than traditions that end up driving more people away from God than drawing them in. There really are other folks who realize that the bottom line isn't how many rules you follow correctly, but (oh what was it that crazy kook called Christ said??) "Love the Lord your God" and "Love your neighbor as yourself."
At the core of Rob Bell's teachings is the historically-focused practice of humble questioning. He points out that in the Judaic tradition of Jesus, learning was more than just rote memorization - you were *supposed* to answer a question with a question. Furthermore, the faith tradition of Jesus was always intended to grow and change with the times... and it always has! It's an easy trap to fall into, to accept the revolutionary teachings of a wise predecessor, and forget that they *weren't tradition* when they were first suggested.
This book had me almost constantly smiling, and not just because Bell was simply eloquently stating my own thoughts. His writing style is casual, conversational and accessible. His history was in-depth enough to engender trust, yet interesting enough to make me want to actually read up on ancient Judaic practices myself! It would be a great book for anyone who is new to Christianity, and CERTAINLY for anyone who finds themself put off by the current public face of the faith.
Just be forewarned - his end-notes will have you running to the library to increase your personal Mt. To-Be-Read!
About a month ago, I emailed one of my writings to my pastor, almost half-expecting him to call me a nutter and suggest I not return. Instead, he said "Read this book, I think you'll love it!"
He was right!
Sometimes, especially living in the conservative midwest, I become convinced that my views on the state of modern Christianity and on faith and belief in general are "out there," "wacky," or downright sacreligious. It's very nice to be reassured that, all of a sudden, I appear to be part of a "movement." There really are people out there reading their Bibles and NOT falling into the psycho-fundie trap! There really are people out there who think that Jesus' message and mission are a damn sight more important than traditions that end up driving more people away from God than drawing them in. There really are other folks who realize that the bottom line isn't how many rules you follow correctly, but (oh what was it that crazy kook called Christ said??) "Love the Lord your God" and "Love your neighbor as yourself."
At the core of Rob Bell's teachings is the historically-focused practice of humble questioning. He points out that in the Judaic tradition of Jesus, learning was more than just rote memorization - you were *supposed* to answer a question with a question. Furthermore, the faith tradition of Jesus was always intended to grow and change with the times... and it always has! It's an easy trap to fall into, to accept the revolutionary teachings of a wise predecessor, and forget that they *weren't tradition* when they were first suggested.
This book had me almost constantly smiling, and not just because Bell was simply eloquently stating my own thoughts. His writing style is casual, conversational and accessible. His history was in-depth enough to engender trust, yet interesting enough to make me want to actually read up on ancient Judaic practices myself! It would be a great book for anyone who is new to Christianity, and CERTAINLY for anyone who finds themself put off by the current public face of the faith.
Just be forewarned - his end-notes will have you running to the library to increase your personal Mt. To-Be-Read!
August 27, 2007
I think this book has tremendously helpful applications. There are so many challenges that are expressed through the genuine reflection of the current state of Christianity. The challenge to think deeply and to ask questions about what Christianity is and what it means. These are helpful bits of advice. There are great nuggets of wisdom that challenge people to read the Bible with the understanding that the events themselves really did happen. They are real stories about real people in real places. Moreover, the challenge to live authentically is prevalent within the writing of Rob Bell. One can truly appreciate his candid way of expressing his ideas and concerns.
The danger lies from the consistent use of argumentation that Christianity must let go of Doctrine and the need to fight for Orthodox doctrine and instead the fight should be to love Jesus and to love others as Jesus loved others. This on the surface sounds great. But if we are to implement the very things that Rob Bell writes about, such as asking questions, then we find ourselves in a place where we are forming ideas about God, these are often called doctrines. For example Bell says that we ought not fight for correct doctrine but instead we ought to live like Jesus lived, authentically and passionately obeying God's will in serving and loving others. Here are the questions: who was Jesus? what was Jesus like? who did Jesus think he was? who did his disciples think he is? was he morally correct? why should one follow this guy Jesus? By answering these questions we begin to formulate a belief and an understanding about who Jesus is. This is called Christology. The need to define who Jesus was in the New Testament is a doctrine with significant importance because it alone can differentiate correct and incorrect ideas of Jesus of the New Testament. Mormons believe in the Jesus of the New Testament and so do the Evangelicals. Who is right? Can both be right? No, because that is a logical fallacy. Then which is right? Only a set of beliefs about Jesus, a doctrine of Jesus, can sufficiently answer that question. Doctrine is important, but it is not the end, it is the means; the means to the end of thinking and worshiping God correctly and avoiding intellectual idolatry.
The danger lies from the consistent use of argumentation that Christianity must let go of Doctrine and the need to fight for Orthodox doctrine and instead the fight should be to love Jesus and to love others as Jesus loved others. This on the surface sounds great. But if we are to implement the very things that Rob Bell writes about, such as asking questions, then we find ourselves in a place where we are forming ideas about God, these are often called doctrines. For example Bell says that we ought not fight for correct doctrine but instead we ought to live like Jesus lived, authentically and passionately obeying God's will in serving and loving others. Here are the questions: who was Jesus? what was Jesus like? who did Jesus think he was? who did his disciples think he is? was he morally correct? why should one follow this guy Jesus? By answering these questions we begin to formulate a belief and an understanding about who Jesus is. This is called Christology. The need to define who Jesus was in the New Testament is a doctrine with significant importance because it alone can differentiate correct and incorrect ideas of Jesus of the New Testament. Mormons believe in the Jesus of the New Testament and so do the Evangelicals. Who is right? Can both be right? No, because that is a logical fallacy. Then which is right? Only a set of beliefs about Jesus, a doctrine of Jesus, can sufficiently answer that question. Doctrine is important, but it is not the end, it is the means; the means to the end of thinking and worshiping God correctly and avoiding intellectual idolatry.
April 4, 2008
Keeping in mind that this is the first "Christian" book I've ever finished and that I loath going into "Christian" stores and purchasing things produced by "Christian" companies my review of this book will consist only of a single idea portrayed in the piece that is worth all four of the stars I gave it.
I can't find the exact quote but here's the idea (and it's geared toward proclaimed "Christians");
If you woke up tomorrow and there were irrefutable evidence that Mary, Mother of Jesus, was NOT a virgin would it discredit all that Jesus Christ taught and did?
This idea BLEW my mind. The idea that all of the Christian faith is built up like a wall, some of us are in and some of us are out and some us us think "evangelism" simply means pulling people to our side of the wall and "saving" them. Furthermore the idea that if a brick were to be removed from the wall (i.e. Mary NOT being a virgin as we understand it) would cause the whole thing to shake and eventually crumble.
This idea is so powerful to me that it redeems any shortcomings this book may or may not posses.
If you think yourself a Christian than I challange you to consider the idea of "repainting" the faith with Rob Bell.
If you aren't a Christian than maybe you can take solace in reading this piece and realizing that not all Christians fit the socially conservative, politically motivated, and biblically selective mold that the last 1500 years of bad church decisions has put us in.
I can't find the exact quote but here's the idea (and it's geared toward proclaimed "Christians");
If you woke up tomorrow and there were irrefutable evidence that Mary, Mother of Jesus, was NOT a virgin would it discredit all that Jesus Christ taught and did?
This idea BLEW my mind. The idea that all of the Christian faith is built up like a wall, some of us are in and some of us are out and some us us think "evangelism" simply means pulling people to our side of the wall and "saving" them. Furthermore the idea that if a brick were to be removed from the wall (i.e. Mary NOT being a virgin as we understand it) would cause the whole thing to shake and eventually crumble.
This idea is so powerful to me that it redeems any shortcomings this book may or may not posses.
If you think yourself a Christian than I challange you to consider the idea of "repainting" the faith with Rob Bell.
If you aren't a Christian than maybe you can take solace in reading this piece and realizing that not all Christians fit the socially conservative, politically motivated, and biblically selective mold that the last 1500 years of bad church decisions has put us in.
July 23, 2007
Trendy to be trendy. I felt like Rob Bell was trying to be different, when there was no other reason than to fool people to think he is trendy. Maybe it was his way of hiding is wishy washy Christianity. Allowing people to question the virgin birth and divinity of Christ is a grievous error. I am sad that so many people have been deceived by some "trendy", but not truthful writing. Beyond the theological errors, I felt like I was just trying to finish the book the whole time.
June 6, 2019
On the shelf next to Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality and Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God.
Makes you think about religion in a whole new way, challenging.
Makes you think about religion in a whole new way, challenging.
June 28, 2022
I somehow never managed to read the book that made Rob Bell famous: "Velvet Elvis." A couple friends told me that "Velvet Elvis" was worth the read. While there are some redeemable aspects of Velvet Elvis, I don't recommend the book.
What I most appreciate about Bell is his poetic spirit of imagination. I totally understand Bell's appeal and why he has connected so well with post-modern generations. I appreciate his sense of the mystery of God and his longing to see a transformed community with an impactful mission. Bell doesn't want us tied to institutions just because that's the way things have always been. He wants us to test and not just accept tradition that has been given to us.
In my mind, those strengths are out-weighed by the following weaknesses:
1) Bell seems to have a significant ego. He likens himself to Martin Luther in his call to re-shape Christianity. His story of the growth of the church he led is pretty icky. Bell cites no one and very rarely references other authors to give them credit for how his thinking has been formed. He leaves you the impression he's come up with it all on his own. For instance, when he talks about the biblical background of certain texts (probably where he is best, actually), he gives you the sense his discoveries are his alone.
2) Bell's understanding of scripture is deficient. Scripture is not authoritative for Bell, it is inspirational. The analogy he likes to use is a trampoline: it launches you, you aren't supposed to be tethered to it.
3) Bell doesn't seem particularly interested in actually plumbing the depths of some of the mysteries he brings up. Certainly God is beyond our understanding. But that doesn't mean that we aren't supposed to dive as deep we can in seeking out understanding. Bell appears to reject other theologians and thinkers who have sought to navigate those depths.
4) Bell seems unaware of how profoundly shaped he has been by the culture he is in. Or, if he is aware of it, he seems entirely unconcerned about such influences.
I pray that God raises up a new generation of mystics grounded in the authority of his Word. Mystics can bring alive the mystery of our Triune God and the faith he invites us into. Rob Bell has cut himself off from the source and cannot be considered part of this camp.
For more reviews see thebeehive.live.
What I most appreciate about Bell is his poetic spirit of imagination. I totally understand Bell's appeal and why he has connected so well with post-modern generations. I appreciate his sense of the mystery of God and his longing to see a transformed community with an impactful mission. Bell doesn't want us tied to institutions just because that's the way things have always been. He wants us to test and not just accept tradition that has been given to us.
In my mind, those strengths are out-weighed by the following weaknesses:
1) Bell seems to have a significant ego. He likens himself to Martin Luther in his call to re-shape Christianity. His story of the growth of the church he led is pretty icky. Bell cites no one and very rarely references other authors to give them credit for how his thinking has been formed. He leaves you the impression he's come up with it all on his own. For instance, when he talks about the biblical background of certain texts (probably where he is best, actually), he gives you the sense his discoveries are his alone.
2) Bell's understanding of scripture is deficient. Scripture is not authoritative for Bell, it is inspirational. The analogy he likes to use is a trampoline: it launches you, you aren't supposed to be tethered to it.
3) Bell doesn't seem particularly interested in actually plumbing the depths of some of the mysteries he brings up. Certainly God is beyond our understanding. But that doesn't mean that we aren't supposed to dive as deep we can in seeking out understanding. Bell appears to reject other theologians and thinkers who have sought to navigate those depths.
4) Bell seems unaware of how profoundly shaped he has been by the culture he is in. Or, if he is aware of it, he seems entirely unconcerned about such influences.
I pray that God raises up a new generation of mystics grounded in the authority of his Word. Mystics can bring alive the mystery of our Triune God and the faith he invites us into. Rob Bell has cut himself off from the source and cannot be considered part of this camp.
For more reviews see thebeehive.live.
December 4, 2013
After reading Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis and a few ranting and raving reviews, I’m not going to comment on the fine points of Bell’s theology. Some are fine, and some are brittle. But, I would like to comment on the spiritual trampoline metaphor from my own experience.
I had a friend who owned a trampoline. We neighbor kids spent many hours at his house. It was amazing to watch him do flips. He could go forward and backward as high or as low as he wanted. He tried to teach me. I could only manage to do a low, forward roll (is that a somersault?). I’m 6’2,” and I’m just not that flexible. So, I knew when to sit on the edge and watch him flip. I knew when to jump with him, the two of us feeding off a unified rhythm. It was great fun.
Until, one of our friends fell off and broke her leg. She healed, but the trampoline wasn’t as thrilling anymore. It was still fun, but not as fun. I didn’t turn into a complete coward and never jump again. But, I was certainly more careful when I did.
I also learned trampolines aren’t for everyone. I have three boys. My oldest—who is naturally cautious—and my youngest—who jumps with or without a trampoline—would probably be just fine. But, if my middle son—who has balance issues even when walking—got on one, we might as well file an insurance claim in advance!
So, I think this metaphor is a good one for this book. I’m thankful to Rob Bell for the opportunity to jump with him on his spiritual trampoline awhile. He certainly knows how to flip forward and backward better than I ever could. So, I’ll remember those moments of unified rhythm, but I also know I’m not as flexible as he is. And spiritual trampolines aren’t for everyone. For those cautious and more experienced jumpers? Maybe. For those who struggle with simply walking? No. My recommendation is just choose carefully when inviting someone to this spiritual trampoline.
I had a friend who owned a trampoline. We neighbor kids spent many hours at his house. It was amazing to watch him do flips. He could go forward and backward as high or as low as he wanted. He tried to teach me. I could only manage to do a low, forward roll (is that a somersault?). I’m 6’2,” and I’m just not that flexible. So, I knew when to sit on the edge and watch him flip. I knew when to jump with him, the two of us feeding off a unified rhythm. It was great fun.
Until, one of our friends fell off and broke her leg. She healed, but the trampoline wasn’t as thrilling anymore. It was still fun, but not as fun. I didn’t turn into a complete coward and never jump again. But, I was certainly more careful when I did.
I also learned trampolines aren’t for everyone. I have three boys. My oldest—who is naturally cautious—and my youngest—who jumps with or without a trampoline—would probably be just fine. But, if my middle son—who has balance issues even when walking—got on one, we might as well file an insurance claim in advance!
So, I think this metaphor is a good one for this book. I’m thankful to Rob Bell for the opportunity to jump with him on his spiritual trampoline awhile. He certainly knows how to flip forward and backward better than I ever could. So, I’ll remember those moments of unified rhythm, but I also know I’m not as flexible as he is. And spiritual trampolines aren’t for everyone. For those cautious and more experienced jumpers? Maybe. For those who struggle with simply walking? No. My recommendation is just choose carefully when inviting someone to this spiritual trampoline.
January 27, 2008
I am watching the Nooma video series that Rob Bell does so I decided to read this book to understand his theology. I was concerned. For one, I found often that his analogies or explanations were so vague that I often wondered "and what does that mean!"
Unfortunately as I read Velvet Elvis, I actually found myself getting bored with Christianity...taking out the element of faith in God feels like taking out the adventure. Bell's theology diminishes the sovereignty of God, the historical reality of the Bible, and gives a skewed description of human nature [particularly in the passage about Peter walking on water... that it was losing faith in himself that made him sink...why then did Peter worship God when Jesus rescued him and took him back to the boat? It was Jesus's enabling that Peter was able to walk at all!] Rob Bell dilutes the offensiveness of the Gospel in order to make it seem more applicable and palatable to post-moderns. Faith is never easy but it cannot be written off.
On the other hand, I agree with Bell full-heartedly that God meets us and loves us as individuals. And it is important that we recognize the lenses we bring- our cultures, our generation, our own personal stories- as we enter into relationship with God, as we read Scripture, pray, attend church, or whatever.
I also appreciated the way Bell speaks about the mission of the church, bringing Heaven to earth. I do think that God invites us to participate in the renewal of the earth and I do really hope that we are living in a generation that will move beyond our church walls.
Bell's running statement: "God has spoken, and the rest is commentary" highlights his theme of questioning everything. This is why the book has so much appeal. And this is why you should read it for yourself.
Unfortunately as I read Velvet Elvis, I actually found myself getting bored with Christianity...taking out the element of faith in God feels like taking out the adventure. Bell's theology diminishes the sovereignty of God, the historical reality of the Bible, and gives a skewed description of human nature [particularly in the passage about Peter walking on water... that it was losing faith in himself that made him sink...why then did Peter worship God when Jesus rescued him and took him back to the boat? It was Jesus's enabling that Peter was able to walk at all!] Rob Bell dilutes the offensiveness of the Gospel in order to make it seem more applicable and palatable to post-moderns. Faith is never easy but it cannot be written off.
On the other hand, I agree with Bell full-heartedly that God meets us and loves us as individuals. And it is important that we recognize the lenses we bring- our cultures, our generation, our own personal stories- as we enter into relationship with God, as we read Scripture, pray, attend church, or whatever.
I also appreciated the way Bell speaks about the mission of the church, bringing Heaven to earth. I do think that God invites us to participate in the renewal of the earth and I do really hope that we are living in a generation that will move beyond our church walls.
Bell's running statement: "God has spoken, and the rest is commentary" highlights his theme of questioning everything. This is why the book has so much appeal. And this is why you should read it for yourself.
stopped-reading
August 22, 2011I took issue with enough in this book that I stopped reading it in the middle of chapter 3.
January 31, 2012
Rob Bell has fashioned a "kool-aid" that would make Jim Jones blush in "Velvet Elvis". While the ideas of Bell sounds wonderful, are they Biblically based? The answer? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! The strict guidelines of God's word is not the easiest thing to hear, much less abide by. If we are CHRISTIAN leaders we can not afford to teach anything less than the WHOLE truth. Why is it, that the mind set of the church today is, "change the truth to fit the sinners lifestyle?" If a man go's to a pastor and says, "I can't picture God letting me go to Hell," the Rob Bell answer would be to not hurt his feelings at all cost, even if means compromising BASIC christian beliefs. He has taken well known Bible passages and twisted them to such an unrecognizable product, that the combined imagination of M.C. Escher and Pablo Picasso couldn't have dreamed up such a distorted creation. I realize this will offend all of his followers but consider this. If God is so BIG and POWERFUL, why does he need one of His creations making excuses for Him. He doesnt. He gave His holy word to Paul, Luke, David..ect to pen down for the benefit of humanity as a guideline to compare to how we conduct ourselves. If you're looking for a great christian book full of intrigue, mystery, romance and pages and pages of names that you could never in your wildest dreams, be able to pronounce, then get the Bible. Its a book that will never let you down and will bring you up close and personal to the God of the universe that LOVES you with an everlasting LOVE. Do'nt trust false prophets. GOD IS GOD WITH YOU, BUT HE IS STILL GOD WITHOUT YOU. HE DOES'NT NEED OUR HELP GETTING HIS POINT ACROSS. I'm 21 and I do'nt know much, but I do know that God didnt create Hell for us, but we will go there if we lead people astray. TRUST IN GOD, NOT THE WORDS OF MEN. ok im done ranting ;)
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March 22, 2008
This book was everything I feared it would be. I trust "emerging" Christianity about as much as previous iterations (boomers, mega churches, the religious right, etc)...which is to say, not much.
Bell sounds just like every other emerging guy out there...interpreting the bible for himself based on personal experience, passion, and liberal use of unsubstantiated metaphor, rather than solid education, classical study, and reverence for the seriousness of the topic. I think on many issues, he has good points, but none of them are new or original and are based more on emotion or ego than on scripture.
I'm not some old, uncool, bible thumper who is mad that 'emerging' thought is taking over...I'm a younger 'hip' Christian who is tired of all the 'new thinking' being just another 'movement' that will be discredited as soon as the next generation 'emerges'.
Blah.
Bell sounds just like every other emerging guy out there...interpreting the bible for himself based on personal experience, passion, and liberal use of unsubstantiated metaphor, rather than solid education, classical study, and reverence for the seriousness of the topic. I think on many issues, he has good points, but none of them are new or original and are based more on emotion or ego than on scripture.
I'm not some old, uncool, bible thumper who is mad that 'emerging' thought is taking over...I'm a younger 'hip' Christian who is tired of all the 'new thinking' being just another 'movement' that will be discredited as soon as the next generation 'emerges'.
Blah.
February 27, 2011
This was my first theology book by a "modern" author. I suppose I shouldn't say modern, as that word is now associated with the thinking patterns from 1800-2000ish. But some people are getting tired of "post-modern," and even "emerging" has its connotations.
This was my first theology book not written by a super-conservative Christian who wants you to wear a tie to church.
My first reading (3 years ago) really stretched my thinking about all the issues addressed. Since that time (in which Claiborne and McLaren have become household names), my thinking has stretched a bit. And I can't remember the last time I wore a tie to church.
This time through I found nothing very new anymore. It seems as if the concepts in this book have either become the new standard from which everyone else springs off and just assumes to be true, or else it was written when these things were already assumed to be true and was simply a basic primer for those (like me) who were unfamiliar with these concepts and perhaps hostile to anything which may have been seen as "liberal."
I was especially touched this time through by Bell's reminder that all truth is God's truth, and so we should claim and embrace truth wherever we find it. If something appears to be true but doesn't necessarily fit our belief system, then we need to change our belief system. Our "belief system" should be flexible enough to allow that.
I was also encouraged by the author's recommendation to dig into my soul and deal with all the junk I find there. He states that very few people actually live from their heart, but those who do are the ones who make a difference. I'm not sure how to begin that process, but I know it needs to happen.
Other than the content, the book itself is beautiful in its design. More books need to be intentional about being a piece of art instead of just paper in binding.
This was my first theology book not written by a super-conservative Christian who wants you to wear a tie to church.
My first reading (3 years ago) really stretched my thinking about all the issues addressed. Since that time (in which Claiborne and McLaren have become household names), my thinking has stretched a bit. And I can't remember the last time I wore a tie to church.
This time through I found nothing very new anymore. It seems as if the concepts in this book have either become the new standard from which everyone else springs off and just assumes to be true, or else it was written when these things were already assumed to be true and was simply a basic primer for those (like me) who were unfamiliar with these concepts and perhaps hostile to anything which may have been seen as "liberal."
I was especially touched this time through by Bell's reminder that all truth is God's truth, and so we should claim and embrace truth wherever we find it. If something appears to be true but doesn't necessarily fit our belief system, then we need to change our belief system. Our "belief system" should be flexible enough to allow that.
I was also encouraged by the author's recommendation to dig into my soul and deal with all the junk I find there. He states that very few people actually live from their heart, but those who do are the ones who make a difference. I'm not sure how to begin that process, but I know it needs to happen.
Other than the content, the book itself is beautiful in its design. More books need to be intentional about being a piece of art instead of just paper in binding.
December 10, 2008
I read it/studied it 5 times (underlined, highlighted, scribbled 6 pages of interesting quotes) trying to understand what my friends find so intriguing about this disillusioned "post-Christian" and what he is trying to propagate. I finally came to the conclusion that he spends the pages playing devil's advocate, both discrediting and disproving the foundations of Christendom, (i.e. Virgin birth, resurrection of Christ, authority of Scripture, etc.) Fine by me...believe what you want...but after successfully disproving it, he says that he still believes it. What the freak? Either believe it or don't. That would be like Al Gore going around striving to DISPROVE Global Warming and then wrapping up the lecture by saying "However, I believe that it is happening".
One of the many memorable quotes of the book is when he is quoting "one of the great 'theologians' of our time", Sean Penn, when he said "The mystery is the truth". WTF?
I would best sum up Bell's literary (piece of)work with the quote "Choke me in the shallow water before I get too deep". Or how about my own quote "What have you been smoking?" or "Get a real job!" (I better stop there)
One of the many memorable quotes of the book is when he is quoting "one of the great 'theologians' of our time", Sean Penn, when he said "The mystery is the truth". WTF?
I would best sum up Bell's literary (piece of)work with the quote "Choke me in the shallow water before I get too deep". Or how about my own quote "What have you been smoking?" or "Get a real job!" (I better stop there)
May 29, 2009
I was saddened by this book.
The Christian faith does not need to be repainted, it just needs to be lived.
The Christian faith does not need to be repainted, it just needs to be lived.
August 21, 2023
I just have to be more discerning at used book sales.
November 20, 2021
Sometimes when I read reviews to a book that I just read, I wonder if we read the same book. This doesn't happen often, but every once in awhile a book will have a number of reviews that just don't really line up all that well with the content of the book I just read. Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith is one of those books. Where many seemed to find only a book of heresy and bad theology, I found a book that was pushing people to believe and live like Jesus and pointing out some ways that the church doesn't do a very good job in that category.
Bell's book is like an intro to Christianity in some ways, but for those who are familiar with certain ways the church operates. As the subtitle says this is more of a repainting than a starting from scratch kind of book. If I were to give what I would consider Bell's three main focuses it would be: allowing for mystery; understanding that Jesus is returning, we're not going somewhere else; and for Christians to actually display the love of Christ in this world. To me these aren't difficult emphasis to swallow. I may not always agree with Bell in all places on all points, but I think at bare minimum they stand. I want to look at them all a bit closer though.
A big focus for Bell is the idea of allowing for mystery in the faith. This is probably best represented by his trampoline analogy that he gives at the beginning of the book. Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the trampoline analogy, I thought it wasn't fleshed out enough and due to that it didn't really work as well as it could have. Bell focuses a bit too much on the springs of the trampoline without also focusing on the frame that allows the trampoline to function properly. I agree with the point he is trying to make and don't think that he believes that all aspects of the Christian faith are springs, but he leaves himself open for people believing that and interpretations run wild.
So while the trampoline analogy doesn't work the best, his focus on allowing for mystery and questions is something that I heartily agree with. I think the church spends so much time trying to get every inch of doctrine right that they miss much more than they're gaining in the process. When I was having an interview in the process to become a pastor in a certain denomination, over half of my interview was focused on my interpretation of the end times. I'm one who doesn't really think we can know fully or are entirely meant to know fully, but there was an insistence upon this particular view (which while I had been attending churches of this denomination for years this was not a common topic of preaching). At the end of this interview the attitude was pretty much that they believed I was called by God, but not with them. When we put a system into place that allows for these kind of things, then we've gone off the wrong end. I'm not against doctrine, but we have to make sure we're clear about what is solid and what is more open to interpretation, or as Bell would put it are the springs.
Another focus for Bell is the rejection of the idea that the Christian faith is primarily about going to heaven. This has also been something that has bothered me since I was a fairly young Christian. The Bible talks about Jesus returning and God and Jesus renewing heaven and earth. Some heavenly spiritual existence that we're whisked away to is not the end goal of the story. It is a recreated heaven and earth where God is in our midst. Bell argues that this should have an impact on how we view the world around us. This physical world is God's creation and God called it good and even very good, so we shouldn't be so quick to jettison it due to our faulty understanding of going to heaven.
The last focus of Bell that I'll mention was that we are called to love those around us as Jesus loved. I feel that for Bell this is connected to the idea that Christianity is not just a about getting a ticket to heaven. If Christianity is more than that, what does it look like? Bell looks to Jesus' own words and says that it is about loving God and loving our neighbors. We are called to the difficult work of loving and living with other people. To some this may seem like works righteousness, but sometimes I wonder if the claim of works righteousness isn't just to excuse our lack of acting like Jesus. I feel like Bell doesn't really pull any punches here. He demonstrates the joy that can happen when we act in love as the church, the hard situations of life that can make loving others hard, and the times that the church just fails completely at doing this.
These three themes were ones I found all over the book. I wouldn't say that I agreed with every aspect of what Rob Bell said, but that's true of everyone I read. There was also a good amount that I did agree with, or that challenged me in a good but difficult kind of way. I think what intrigues me so much about Rob Bell is that he presents a faith of nuance and tension. A faith that embraces truth, but understands human limitations. A faith that relishes the beauty and the joy of life and creation, but also laments the hard parts of life. A faith that is alive and a little messy, rather than a faith that has been sterilized and pristine. This is what makes a book like this so enjoyable to me, even if I may disagree with Rob Bell on some points.
Bell's book is like an intro to Christianity in some ways, but for those who are familiar with certain ways the church operates. As the subtitle says this is more of a repainting than a starting from scratch kind of book. If I were to give what I would consider Bell's three main focuses it would be: allowing for mystery; understanding that Jesus is returning, we're not going somewhere else; and for Christians to actually display the love of Christ in this world. To me these aren't difficult emphasis to swallow. I may not always agree with Bell in all places on all points, but I think at bare minimum they stand. I want to look at them all a bit closer though.
A big focus for Bell is the idea of allowing for mystery in the faith. This is probably best represented by his trampoline analogy that he gives at the beginning of the book. Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the trampoline analogy, I thought it wasn't fleshed out enough and due to that it didn't really work as well as it could have. Bell focuses a bit too much on the springs of the trampoline without also focusing on the frame that allows the trampoline to function properly. I agree with the point he is trying to make and don't think that he believes that all aspects of the Christian faith are springs, but he leaves himself open for people believing that and interpretations run wild.
So while the trampoline analogy doesn't work the best, his focus on allowing for mystery and questions is something that I heartily agree with. I think the church spends so much time trying to get every inch of doctrine right that they miss much more than they're gaining in the process. When I was having an interview in the process to become a pastor in a certain denomination, over half of my interview was focused on my interpretation of the end times. I'm one who doesn't really think we can know fully or are entirely meant to know fully, but there was an insistence upon this particular view (which while I had been attending churches of this denomination for years this was not a common topic of preaching). At the end of this interview the attitude was pretty much that they believed I was called by God, but not with them. When we put a system into place that allows for these kind of things, then we've gone off the wrong end. I'm not against doctrine, but we have to make sure we're clear about what is solid and what is more open to interpretation, or as Bell would put it are the springs.
Another focus for Bell is the rejection of the idea that the Christian faith is primarily about going to heaven. This has also been something that has bothered me since I was a fairly young Christian. The Bible talks about Jesus returning and God and Jesus renewing heaven and earth. Some heavenly spiritual existence that we're whisked away to is not the end goal of the story. It is a recreated heaven and earth where God is in our midst. Bell argues that this should have an impact on how we view the world around us. This physical world is God's creation and God called it good and even very good, so we shouldn't be so quick to jettison it due to our faulty understanding of going to heaven.
The last focus of Bell that I'll mention was that we are called to love those around us as Jesus loved. I feel that for Bell this is connected to the idea that Christianity is not just a about getting a ticket to heaven. If Christianity is more than that, what does it look like? Bell looks to Jesus' own words and says that it is about loving God and loving our neighbors. We are called to the difficult work of loving and living with other people. To some this may seem like works righteousness, but sometimes I wonder if the claim of works righteousness isn't just to excuse our lack of acting like Jesus. I feel like Bell doesn't really pull any punches here. He demonstrates the joy that can happen when we act in love as the church, the hard situations of life that can make loving others hard, and the times that the church just fails completely at doing this.
These three themes were ones I found all over the book. I wouldn't say that I agreed with every aspect of what Rob Bell said, but that's true of everyone I read. There was also a good amount that I did agree with, or that challenged me in a good but difficult kind of way. I think what intrigues me so much about Rob Bell is that he presents a faith of nuance and tension. A faith that embraces truth, but understands human limitations. A faith that relishes the beauty and the joy of life and creation, but also laments the hard parts of life. A faith that is alive and a little messy, rather than a faith that has been sterilized and pristine. This is what makes a book like this so enjoyable to me, even if I may disagree with Rob Bell on some points.
May 17, 2013
I liked this book more than I expected. If I had read it years ago before knowing the direction Rob Bell has taken since he wrote this, I might have liked it a lot more. But because I have read some of his recent books, I couldn't help but 'fill in' some of his characteristic silences, pauses and rhetorical questions with the answers he has more recently provided.
Overall: Rob Bell asks helpful, uncomfortable questions of the church establishment. It's his answers that aren't that helpful. He emphasises those aspects of Christianity which have currency in our culture at present -- love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace etc. But he's very light on those elements of the gospel which are counter cultural -- e.g. Jesus death and resurrection to remove our sins and reunite us to God, a gospel that is distinctive, confronting and offensive to the world. It is easy to misunderstand Rob Bell, to fill the gaps with your own assumptions. Christian readers may assume the gospel message, and thus be quite encouraged. Non-Christian readers might assume a postmodern relativity and pluralism, and also be encouraged in their existing beliefs. Rob Bell builds great bridges to non-Christians, but does he ask people to walk over them, or does he stay on the other side and chat?
I will say there was quite a lot of encouraging stuff in this book, mixed in with stuff I can't agree with. Chapter 1 was about the need to update Christian doctrine to make it relevant to contemporary society, so he lost me there. I think he overstates (significantly) the unknowableness of God and the open ended nature of the Bible. I quite appreciated the emphasis on the Jewish context of the New Testament in Chapters 2, 3 & 5. Chapter 4 was a great chapter on being real, letting Jesus heal your soul, seeking restoration (shalom) not just forgiveness -- I was encouraged by this chapter. I appreciated some of the content on our new identity and hope in Chapters 6 & 7, but that may have been because I was bringing a lot of underlying gospel assumptions to those chapters which were not explicitly present. I noticed the seeds of his rejection of Hell (fully developed in Love Wins) in a few places.
Whenever I read these books (emerging church books, for want of a better label), I have the same frustration. What version of Christianity are they reacting against? It's just not a version I'm familiar with. Maybe it's because I'm Australian, so I haven't really encountered the worst examples of U.S. evangelicalism. But my response is always the same: addressing these (very significant) issues doesn't require an updated gospel, doesn't require the relegation of the Bible to a place of lesser authority. Careful reading of the Bible ("good exegesis") provides all the correction needed. We need to call people back to wholeheartedly living for Jesus, based on the historic, orthodox Christian understanding of the Bible, not invite them to move on to a 'new way of being Christian'.
Overall: Rob Bell asks helpful, uncomfortable questions of the church establishment. It's his answers that aren't that helpful. He emphasises those aspects of Christianity which have currency in our culture at present -- love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace etc. But he's very light on those elements of the gospel which are counter cultural -- e.g. Jesus death and resurrection to remove our sins and reunite us to God, a gospel that is distinctive, confronting and offensive to the world. It is easy to misunderstand Rob Bell, to fill the gaps with your own assumptions. Christian readers may assume the gospel message, and thus be quite encouraged. Non-Christian readers might assume a postmodern relativity and pluralism, and also be encouraged in their existing beliefs. Rob Bell builds great bridges to non-Christians, but does he ask people to walk over them, or does he stay on the other side and chat?
I will say there was quite a lot of encouraging stuff in this book, mixed in with stuff I can't agree with. Chapter 1 was about the need to update Christian doctrine to make it relevant to contemporary society, so he lost me there. I think he overstates (significantly) the unknowableness of God and the open ended nature of the Bible. I quite appreciated the emphasis on the Jewish context of the New Testament in Chapters 2, 3 & 5. Chapter 4 was a great chapter on being real, letting Jesus heal your soul, seeking restoration (shalom) not just forgiveness -- I was encouraged by this chapter. I appreciated some of the content on our new identity and hope in Chapters 6 & 7, but that may have been because I was bringing a lot of underlying gospel assumptions to those chapters which were not explicitly present. I noticed the seeds of his rejection of Hell (fully developed in Love Wins) in a few places.
Whenever I read these books (emerging church books, for want of a better label), I have the same frustration. What version of Christianity are they reacting against? It's just not a version I'm familiar with. Maybe it's because I'm Australian, so I haven't really encountered the worst examples of U.S. evangelicalism. But my response is always the same: addressing these (very significant) issues doesn't require an updated gospel, doesn't require the relegation of the Bible to a place of lesser authority. Careful reading of the Bible ("good exegesis") provides all the correction needed. We need to call people back to wholeheartedly living for Jesus, based on the historic, orthodox Christian understanding of the Bible, not invite them to move on to a 'new way of being Christian'.
July 27, 2019
This was my first time reading anything by Rob Bell- a pastor whose videos I watched a lot in youth group before the evangelical community blacklisted him for his opinions on universalism. I’m really happy to have read this book and I wish that people would be more open minded about learning from those that they disagree with.
Rob writes beautifully throughout the book, reminding me of the basics of Christianity that make me love following Jesus- God’s love, transforming your community, Jesus’ radical teachings, and so on. It’s super approachable and easy to understand, that even someone with no church context could pick this up and start to have an idea of what it means to follow Christ, and what God’s character means for our lives
Rob writes beautifully throughout the book, reminding me of the basics of Christianity that make me love following Jesus- God’s love, transforming your community, Jesus’ radical teachings, and so on. It’s super approachable and easy to understand, that even someone with no church context could pick this up and start to have an idea of what it means to follow Christ, and what God’s character means for our lives
February 24, 2008
Pretty much the same line of thought as "Mere Christianity" addressing some crucial issues of our faith, but it fixed a fatal flaw of C.S. Lewis' work: It was written in a contemporary format that invites younger, less academic, but sold-out-for-Jesus readers to carry on with verver to the end in a way that Rob Bell has perfected over time with his Nooma clips. The book is written in the exact way that he speaks, making it a true trade mark accomplishment and a different style all together. A must read for EVERY ONE!!!
February 1, 2019
Questionable theology abounds in a most cringe-worthy of reads. And I really wanted to like this. But no, Rob Bell, just no!
April 4, 2021
The first time I read this book was nearly 15 years ago, when I was a freshman in college with a relatively naive/uncritical understanding of Christianity. I decided to reread it because I was curious what I would think after so many of my personal theological understandings have changed. (Was it time to take it off my bookshelf?)
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Bell generally espouses a theology and a worldview that still hold true for me today; chiefly the idea that “For Jesus, the question wasn’t, how do I get into heaven? But how do I bring heaven here?” It is a theological perspective that has direct implications for how a person lives their life (in pursuit of justice for all people) and it profoundly impacted me when I first read it. What I did not recognize as a 19 year old was that Bell was basically presenting the ideas of theologians such as Marcus Borg and members of the Jesus Seminar. While I would be more likely turn to their books today, I think Velvet Elvis introduced me to important theological perspectives at a time in my life when I would not have likely encountered the likes of Borg.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Bell generally espouses a theology and a worldview that still hold true for me today; chiefly the idea that “For Jesus, the question wasn’t, how do I get into heaven? But how do I bring heaven here?” It is a theological perspective that has direct implications for how a person lives their life (in pursuit of justice for all people) and it profoundly impacted me when I first read it. What I did not recognize as a 19 year old was that Bell was basically presenting the ideas of theologians such as Marcus Borg and members of the Jesus Seminar. While I would be more likely turn to their books today, I think Velvet Elvis introduced me to important theological perspectives at a time in my life when I would not have likely encountered the likes of Borg.
September 4, 2024
Back when he was a young warthog, my boss worked at a Christian bookstore. This bookstore offered a sweet, sweet employee discount…that he often used to buy copies of this book because he kept giving them to everyone he knew. He told me that a lot of people have said this book changed their lives.
Needless to say, I was skeptical. (I read “Twilight” in the 6th grade and “The Fault in Our Stars” in the 11th grade based on similar glowing reviews from practically everyone I knew and - while I can appreciate them for what they are now - neither are life changing or the best book of all time.)
I don’t know if he ever told me to read this. He probably did. I do know that he didn’t give me a copy because that Christian bookstore is long gone and he’s had at least four other jobs since then. But my mom had it, so it’s fine. And obviously I did read it, so I don’t suppose that it really matters if anyone told me to or not.
Okay. I’m rambling. Why am I rambling?
Probably to try to put off answering the question “did this book change your life?”
Why?
Because I don’t have an answer. I don’t know if it did.
I do know that it gave me a lot to think about. That I found several parts and arguments and explanations convicting or compelling. That the “Tassels” chapter had me weeping into my lap and then my journal as I tried desperately to process what I had read. That I finished it and immediately thought, “I want to read that again. I feel like I missed something. I want to internalize all of it.”
But did it change my life? I suppose time will tell.
I don’t think I have the qualifications to actually judge Bell’s theology, but my inexpert opinion is that it resonates with me in a way that few other things have. He is an excellent writer and communicator, which I’m sure helps. He’s willing to be vulnerable and open about his own experiences, which definitely helps.
But I think what I appreciate most about his books, and what compels me the most, is the context he gives back to scripture. Jesus calling the disciples he called is much more powerful when you’re familiar with rabbinic education during that time, for example. That kind of context is missing from modern day Christianity, I think. (We may or may not be too focused on doctrine and institutions and all sorts of other stuff that’s human-made and probably less important in the grand scheme of things. But I digress.)
Anyway. I see why my boss was giving this book away like hotcakes (although…never seen anyone give a hotcake away. And what even is a hotcake? A pancake? Somebody let me know.) Through it, I can see why so many people followed Jesus 2,000 years ago. I can see why people still do. I can also see that so many of the good parts, those initial reasons, have been lost or distorted.
Jury may still be deliberating the whole life changing thing, but they have decided that this is certainly worth a read. Bell’s writing style is easy to understand and you’ll probably learn something, or at least see something in a different way. Hell, you may even end up THINKING about something. How fun is that?!
Needless to say, I was skeptical. (I read “Twilight” in the 6th grade and “The Fault in Our Stars” in the 11th grade based on similar glowing reviews from practically everyone I knew and - while I can appreciate them for what they are now - neither are life changing or the best book of all time.)
I don’t know if he ever told me to read this. He probably did. I do know that he didn’t give me a copy because that Christian bookstore is long gone and he’s had at least four other jobs since then. But my mom had it, so it’s fine. And obviously I did read it, so I don’t suppose that it really matters if anyone told me to or not.
Okay. I’m rambling. Why am I rambling?
Probably to try to put off answering the question “did this book change your life?”
Why?
Because I don’t have an answer. I don’t know if it did.
I do know that it gave me a lot to think about. That I found several parts and arguments and explanations convicting or compelling. That the “Tassels” chapter had me weeping into my lap and then my journal as I tried desperately to process what I had read. That I finished it and immediately thought, “I want to read that again. I feel like I missed something. I want to internalize all of it.”
But did it change my life? I suppose time will tell.
I don’t think I have the qualifications to actually judge Bell’s theology, but my inexpert opinion is that it resonates with me in a way that few other things have. He is an excellent writer and communicator, which I’m sure helps. He’s willing to be vulnerable and open about his own experiences, which definitely helps.
But I think what I appreciate most about his books, and what compels me the most, is the context he gives back to scripture. Jesus calling the disciples he called is much more powerful when you’re familiar with rabbinic education during that time, for example. That kind of context is missing from modern day Christianity, I think. (We may or may not be too focused on doctrine and institutions and all sorts of other stuff that’s human-made and probably less important in the grand scheme of things. But I digress.)
Anyway. I see why my boss was giving this book away like hotcakes (although…never seen anyone give a hotcake away. And what even is a hotcake? A pancake? Somebody let me know.) Through it, I can see why so many people followed Jesus 2,000 years ago. I can see why people still do. I can also see that so many of the good parts, those initial reasons, have been lost or distorted.
Jury may still be deliberating the whole life changing thing, but they have decided that this is certainly worth a read. Bell’s writing style is easy to understand and you’ll probably learn something, or at least see something in a different way. Hell, you may even end up THINKING about something. How fun is that?!
September 22, 2009
First, let me say, before I'm castigated, that I love Rob Bell's heart, admire him, and am an avid listener of his podcast. He is a super gifted speaker and I've used content from his sermons on many occasions.
As for this book, I'm not a fan. I think I understand the heart behind the book and why he wrote it, but I think that the potential harm in it outweighs the potential benefit in light of today's audience. Let me explain.
In this work, Rob is encouraging the church to be less rigid in it's understanding of it's faith; to have a less stringent theological construct, and a more fluid understanding of who God is. This is a vast oversimplification, but if you're familiar with Rob Bell, you get the point.
I think there are definitely people (I know them and am often one of them) who can greatly benefit from this message. But I think we're in the vast minority. Let me explain what I mean with an analogy. There are some people in America who need to hear the message that they need to be less stringent with their diet; they need to be more fluid with their health and not be so uptight all the time. Some people need that message; I am not one of them. And neither are most of the millions of people in America. For most of us, we need a message about moderation and discipline when it comes to our health. Why? Because more than 50% of us are overweight, and the majority of healthcare costs in America today are related to weight. SO, a book talking about the need to relax health standards would help some, while causing many more to be even less disciplined than they were before (if possible).
In the same way, while some people need Rob's message of fluidity, that's the minority. Today's church is primarily one of relativism, universalism, fluid moral standards, and places a low value (if any) on pursuing a life of holiness. So the message of this book, while beneficial for some, is perhaps inadvertently giving the majority of the church permission to be even more fluid with an already very flimsy faith.
Based on several illustrations used in the book as well as the epilogue, it seems like Bell is reacting against the excesses he experienced growing up. But so is the rest of the church. We're on the same page. Which probably means that most of the people reading Rob Bell already feel the same way. My generation needs to do a book swap with my parent's generation; we'll give you Velvet Elvis and Blue Like Jazz, you give us The Cost of Discipleship and The Pursuit of Holiness, and we'll all be much closer to a holistic understand of the whole gospel.
As for this book, I'm not a fan. I think I understand the heart behind the book and why he wrote it, but I think that the potential harm in it outweighs the potential benefit in light of today's audience. Let me explain.
In this work, Rob is encouraging the church to be less rigid in it's understanding of it's faith; to have a less stringent theological construct, and a more fluid understanding of who God is. This is a vast oversimplification, but if you're familiar with Rob Bell, you get the point.
I think there are definitely people (I know them and am often one of them) who can greatly benefit from this message. But I think we're in the vast minority. Let me explain what I mean with an analogy. There are some people in America who need to hear the message that they need to be less stringent with their diet; they need to be more fluid with their health and not be so uptight all the time. Some people need that message; I am not one of them. And neither are most of the millions of people in America. For most of us, we need a message about moderation and discipline when it comes to our health. Why? Because more than 50% of us are overweight, and the majority of healthcare costs in America today are related to weight. SO, a book talking about the need to relax health standards would help some, while causing many more to be even less disciplined than they were before (if possible).
In the same way, while some people need Rob's message of fluidity, that's the minority. Today's church is primarily one of relativism, universalism, fluid moral standards, and places a low value (if any) on pursuing a life of holiness. So the message of this book, while beneficial for some, is perhaps inadvertently giving the majority of the church permission to be even more fluid with an already very flimsy faith.
Based on several illustrations used in the book as well as the epilogue, it seems like Bell is reacting against the excesses he experienced growing up. But so is the rest of the church. We're on the same page. Which probably means that most of the people reading Rob Bell already feel the same way. My generation needs to do a book swap with my parent's generation; we'll give you Velvet Elvis and Blue Like Jazz, you give us The Cost of Discipleship and The Pursuit of Holiness, and we'll all be much closer to a holistic understand of the whole gospel.
October 31, 2007
Did I enjoy this book? Yes and no. Do I think this book makes a valuable contribution to Christian literature? Yes and no.
Firstly, there is nothing exorbitantly wrong in this book. I think there are ideas in it which are over emphasized and exalted maybe a little too much.
I like Rob Bell's vision of reaching out to people where they are and giving them the opportunity to experience a relationship with Christ ad then gradually come into a full knowledge of Christianity. It makes sense. That's how it goes. First milk, then solid food.
I like that he talks about the need of understanding the setting, the cultural values of the time, and so on to be able to understand the Bible better.
I like that he encourages people to think critically and discern what they take in. He even exhorts the reader to do this with his book!
I don't like that his idea of a fluid faith (the whole spring analogy) that is growing and adapting seems pretty flimsy. It's hard to get an idea of just how far he might "Repaint" the Christian faith.
I don't like that his writing seems to speak of an idea that the Bible is almost unreadable without the full context of history and a full knowledge of the bible. Yea, the Bible is a difficult book, and there is a lot of nuances, treasures in scripture to be gleaned, and even things to stumble over. But, the bible is also pretty straight forward in a lot of areas. On this note I do like that he does talk about studying the Bible in community. That's a good idea no matter the other things.
Lastly, I'm not sure I understand Rob Bell's eschatology (the stuff that happens at the end of the world). He talks a lot about either bringing heaven here now or bringing hell here now. It seems a bit... odd. It just doesn't sit right.
Rob Bell has enormous influence and this book enjoys enormous popularity. Unfortunately, I think the truths that are in this book to claim are surrounded by a lot of mis-truth or at the very least unclear truth.
Feel free to pass this one up.
Firstly, there is nothing exorbitantly wrong in this book. I think there are ideas in it which are over emphasized and exalted maybe a little too much.
I like Rob Bell's vision of reaching out to people where they are and giving them the opportunity to experience a relationship with Christ ad then gradually come into a full knowledge of Christianity. It makes sense. That's how it goes. First milk, then solid food.
I like that he talks about the need of understanding the setting, the cultural values of the time, and so on to be able to understand the Bible better.
I like that he encourages people to think critically and discern what they take in. He even exhorts the reader to do this with his book!
I don't like that his idea of a fluid faith (the whole spring analogy) that is growing and adapting seems pretty flimsy. It's hard to get an idea of just how far he might "Repaint" the Christian faith.
I don't like that his writing seems to speak of an idea that the Bible is almost unreadable without the full context of history and a full knowledge of the bible. Yea, the Bible is a difficult book, and there is a lot of nuances, treasures in scripture to be gleaned, and even things to stumble over. But, the bible is also pretty straight forward in a lot of areas. On this note I do like that he does talk about studying the Bible in community. That's a good idea no matter the other things.
Lastly, I'm not sure I understand Rob Bell's eschatology (the stuff that happens at the end of the world). He talks a lot about either bringing heaven here now or bringing hell here now. It seems a bit... odd. It just doesn't sit right.
Rob Bell has enormous influence and this book enjoys enormous popularity. Unfortunately, I think the truths that are in this book to claim are surrounded by a lot of mis-truth or at the very least unclear truth.
Feel free to pass this one up.
November 30, 2019
Bell says: "Jesus was not making claims about one religion being better than all other religions" (pg. 21)
Response: Jesus said that the Pharisees (a religous sect) "make their converts twice as much a child of Hell as [they] are." (Matthew 23:15)
Response: Jesus said that the Pharisees (a religous sect) "make their converts twice as much a child of Hell as [they] are." (Matthew 23:15)
Bell says: "What are some of Jesus' final words? 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Jesus. On the Cross. Questioning God." (pg. 31)
Response: Jesus is not questioning God; he is quoting the first line of Psalm 22, which is a prophecy about Himself ("They pierced my hands and feet … they cast lots for my clothing")
Bell says: "Jesus expects his followers to be engaged in the endless process of deciding what it meant to actually live the Scriptures" (pg. 50)
Response: Jesus told the Apostles: "Go and make disciples ... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
Bell says: "It is our turn to redefine and reshape and dream [Christianity] all up again" (pg. 50)
Response 1: Jesus told the Apostles: "Go and make disciples ... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
Response 2: "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a divine curse!" (Galatians 1:8-10)
November 11, 2008
I have been rather reluctant to start this book, but last night I could barely put it down. The book really does attempt to "repaint the Christian faith" by asking questions and exploring different interpretations of scripture in such a way that would probably offend many traditional churchgoers today. In my own search to find some reality in the church and my own relationship with God, this book comes at a perfect time, reassuring me that it's ok to ask questions, it's ok to doubt. This would really be a good read for someone who is on the fence about Christianity, someone who is tired of the Church as it exists today with it's outdated legalities, or someone who just wants to gain a refreshing perspective on their faith...more to come!
Ok, have finished the book and I'm a huge fan of the fresh ideas presented by Rob Bell. He is a pastor, so he's not anti-church, but rather updated church. He sheds light on the cliches used by Christians everyday that never appear in scripture, but most importantly, he gives the history of the life of Jesus and why the things he said and did were so radical in his time. So worth the read!!!
Ok, have finished the book and I'm a huge fan of the fresh ideas presented by Rob Bell. He is a pastor, so he's not anti-church, but rather updated church. He sheds light on the cliches used by Christians everyday that never appear in scripture, but most importantly, he gives the history of the life of Jesus and why the things he said and did were so radical in his time. So worth the read!!!
October 23, 2007
This book was very challenging, and enlightening.
Rob Bell details many aspects about Jewish life, such as their beliefs and practices and how they relate to Jesus' interaction with the Jews, about which I was previously unaware.
This book helped me better understand Jesus' teaching and what his words and actions truly meant to those who were present for his teaching 2000 years ago.
it's a great book, and it reads very quickly.
You, whoever you are, should check it out.
Rob Bell details many aspects about Jewish life, such as their beliefs and practices and how they relate to Jesus' interaction with the Jews, about which I was previously unaware.
This book helped me better understand Jesus' teaching and what his words and actions truly meant to those who were present for his teaching 2000 years ago.
it's a great book, and it reads very quickly.
You, whoever you are, should check it out.
March 27, 2018
One of my favorite books :)
July 8, 2025
I read this book today — July of 2025. 20 years ago this month Bell published this book — July of 2005. It’s a very good book. Especially the first half. I would love to sit down with him and pick his brain about this book (and many of his others) as it celebrated 20 years on the shelf. I love Rob’s artistry. I love his enigma. I love his brain. He has inspired a generation of writers and communicators and I count myself among them.
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