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

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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In Love Wins, bestselling author, international teacher, and speaker Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis, Drops Like Stars) addresses one of the most controversial issues of faith—hell and the afterlife—arguing, would a loving God send people to eternal torment forever?

Rob Bell is an electrifying, unconventional pastor whom Time magazine calls “a singular rock star in the church world,” with millions viewing his NOOMA videos.

With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial with a hopeful message—eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateMar 15, 2011
ISBN9780062049636
Author

Rob Bell

Rob Bell is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and spiritual teacher. His books include Love Wins, How to Be Here, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, Velvet Elvis, The Zimzum of Love, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and Drops Like Stars. He hosts the weekly podcast The Robcast, which was named by iTunes as one of the best of 2015. He was profiled in The New Yorker and in TIME Magazine as one of 2011’s hundred most influential people. He and his wife, Kristen, have three children and live in Los Angeles.

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Reviews for Love Wins

Rating: 3.498546446511628 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    a good book that helps you see things differently; try not to take some of it too seriously to the point of it being contradicting to the Bible; read with an open mind "?"
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really great book. A little repetitive at times, but I'm pretty sure that's the whole point. Not too casual, not too God-ish, just right. Love wins. Plain and simple.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Brian McLaren says of this book, “In Love Wins, Rob Bell tackles the old heaven-and-hell question and offers a courageous alternative answer. Thousands of readers will find freedom and hope and a new way of understanding the biblical story - from beginning to end." McLaren's assessment is right on track. For those who struggle with the theology that God loved the world so much he sent his son, but that same God of love is willing to condemn people to eternal torment, Bell offers some alternative ways to encounter the message of God in Jesus. Bell suggests that the message Jesus brought has been co-opted by other stories - messages that Jesus isn't interested in because they weren't his story. If you are interested in reclaiming the story - God loves us and wants a relationship with us - God is reaching out to us and seeking to embrace us - if you want to reclaim the message of Jesus, Bell's book points you in that direction. It is well written with an easy to read style that asks the reader to reflect on scripture and on the message that we hear from Jesus.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    There are a lot of universalist ideas in this book. I don't know how much of it I am willing to agree with but I do appreciate the way that he opened my mind to start thinking about what the church has taught and what the Bible actually says. I need to remember to base my faith on the Bible and not what others might say. This book reminded me of that.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pastor Rob Bell, founder of the Mars Hill Bible Church, has a message. It's not the fire and brimstone message of many religious leaders, or the judgmental message of many "Christians," but rather the simple message that we've got to trust in God enough to know that in the end, love will always win. It's true that Bell asks a lot of questions, and doesn't have answers to many of them. He quotes a lot of contradictory scripture, and admits that not even he can always determine what the intended message is. It's this humility which makes Bell easy to listen to. We're on the journey together.Warning: there are a LOT of run-on sentences in this book. As an audiobook, it didn't matter much because Bell's delivery made the run-on sentences make sense. However, I have a feeling that if I'd read a paper copy of this book, I would have had a tough time making it through. Also, there are times when he speaks much faster than necessary. Sometimes he's bringing about a sense of urgency, which is fine, but there are also some times when he's difficult to understand because he's speaking so fast.In all, I'm glad I listened to this book. The passion in Pastor Bell's voice and his little asides to the audience made it seem more like a lecture than a book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good read. Lots of good questions and lots of good references. Two best lines from the book. 1. "Sometimes what we are witnessing is simply a massive exercise in missing the point."2. "Grace and generosity aren't fair; that's their very essence."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Once again Rob Bell delivers an imaginative and refreshingly honest take on some of the big questions that people have about some of the ways in which followers of Jesus tell the story of their faith.This is a book that is not afraid of questions, and which presents a range of answers from different orthodox Christian viewpoints. These viewpoints are presented accessibly and with vigour, and usually with a generous balance.Bell's knowledge and presentation of Biblical themes is generally compelling and helpful, however in some areas I felt that Bell was inconsistent in his approach to scripture, especially the Old Testament. At times he is keen to emphasis the literary and historical context of verses, and at others seems to skate over it. For instance he cites examples of OT verses which refer to God restoring Israel (a category) and seems to apply them to all individuals within that category.I was glad to read this book, as it gave me some imaginative ways to engage with the concept of hell, and reinforced for me the reality of the Kingdom that is breaking through, a Kingdom that I love and want to see more and more of. It also challenged me to consider God more carefully that I may represent God more truly and love God more deeply.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite all the controversy surrounding this work, Bell's book is really just a compassionate and sensitive treatment of a topic that so often is at the core of what people want to know about the Christian faith. Generations who have felt that the notion of 'Hell' is really just a scare tactic Christians use to manage children or manipulate the guilty will have their prejudice concerning Christianity thoroughly challenged.Bell ponders along through the book, and plays with some ideas that have floated around the Christian faith from time to time even of they've been more to the fringe. In particular, he raises the question of whether a person separated from God in Hell can ever be freed from that state. At the critical point in his book, however, Bell does not demand these ideas as conclusions, but rather invites future discussion about them. To end that chapter, Bell lays out a solid and compassionate evangelical position that the people we imagine being in hell are those who have chosen, in effect, to be there through some rejection of God's love. Bell is a good writer, and his treatment of the Biblical text is excellent. His discussion around the Rich Man & Lazarus, for example, is insightful and illustrates well the kind of rejection of love that characterizes the hell bound. To see all this done with such sensitivity, with such an interest in what the Bible is actually saying, and with the goal of engagement and conversation with the curious is truly exciting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an appealing book to read. I am an Episcopalian, not an evangelical. So, I am quite accustomed to a variety of viewpoints on how Christianity is lived out. Rob Bell stresses that the heaven and the kingdom of God are part of the same idea and that means we need to live our life right now in response to God's love. The Christian faith has been hi-jacked by people who want to line up people into two camps, those bound for heaven, and those bound for hell. Bell rejects that binding.The style is more stacatto than what I am normally accustomed, sometimes almost a series of bullet points. I am more accustomed to hearing this style spoen in a sermon rather than written in a book. But this style does focus the reader to Bell's points, particularly on paying attention to what is found in scripture, and the need for an abiding love for ourselves and for humanity when dealing with the concepts of heaven and hell.The one area that Bell doesn't deal with is that how do we cope with a loved ones destiny just after he or she has died. Most people I know struggle with that for certain people, and may even feel bereft. This is not an everyday pastoral concern, but one which does come up.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Someone once said that there will either be a lot more people in heaven than you expect or a lot fewer. This book is about why there may be a lot more people there than many Christians expect. Bell rejects the "turn or burn" attitude that many take and focuses on God's love and desire that all might be saved. This book seems to be one that people either love or hate, judging from the reviews on Amazon. For that reason I gave it 2.5 stars because there is a lot to love about Bell's concern for God's love but also much to hate in his unwillingness to proclaim Jesus as both savior and judge. In Bell's perfect world there would be no one left to judge because all would finally (at some point after death even?) accept God's love and live under his lordship. However, that is not the picture given in Scripture and Jesus will return and judge both the living and the dead.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A thorough discussion of exactly what the subtitle proclaims: heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived. But it's so much more than that as well. It's a book that re-casts the vision of what it means to live as a Christian by re-examining the historic roots of the Christian faith and takes its lessons from the Church Fathers understanding of what it means to be a Christian in light of our unavoidable mortality. The only down-side: I would have preferred more notes in the back like Rob did for his previous books. I want to read up on the extended context of those quotes and ideas, and now it's going to take a bit longer for me to track them down.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The subtitle of this book is telling - Rob Bell shares his interpretation of what the Bible tells us about heaven, hell, and eternal life. Bell's interpretation aligns in many ways with my own, but he also shared insights that expanded and clarified my views. Bell narrates the audio book, and he is a compelling speaker, but the content is weighty enough that I know I missed a lot in a single listening. I'll likely revisit this one in paper.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The author reads (and in some places ad libs) and makes this a very interesting book. Very well written and conversationally argued.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Actually, it was just okay for me. A super quick read, as it is really a small book with amazingly trim margins and lots of one word "sentences". I bet it's only 70 real pages, and am glad I checked it out from the library rather than pay the full price of a hardcover book for something that really reads like a long pamphlet.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Bell's defense of his eschatological position, a variant on universalism.It must first be said that it is good to have a conversation about eschatology; Bell is right to say that eschatology will shape one's present expectations as well as one's views about the future. He is also right to point out that there are many popular but un-Biblical views and attitudes about what will happen to people in the end.The case he makes seems so persuasive, but there are "skeletons in the closet" left unaddressed. Those "skeletons in the closet" really undo his thesis. For the most part, Bell does present a more Biblical view of the future expectation of the believer, speaking strongly about the restoration and reconciliation of the creation back to God in the resurrection. But he does not treat hell like he treats heaven. He takes the most extreme "orthodox" portrayal of hell and uses it as his foil with no attempt to sort through the various nuances in positions about it. Hell gets mostly spoken of in terms of present injustice and terrible conditions-- something not seen in Scripture for certain. It's almost insulting to see him attempt to claim some high ground by showing how all the evil in the world can well be called "hell." Sure, it's "hell-ish," but it it's not hell. Hell was always considered in starker, more dark terms than present suffering.Put simply: if one were to treat heaven like Bell treats hell, one would become a postmillennial social gospel advocate. Bell would not agree with that; his inconsistency is evident. The main thesis-- love will win, in some way, all (or most of) those who rejected God in life will see their error in the hereafter and cry out for reconciliation with God, and God will welcome all-- sounds great in a postmodern, post-Enlightenment Western context. But Bell never deals with some of the images used to describe hell, and does not deal with matters of justice, the wrath of God, or the vengeance of God, prominent themes in both testaments. But the biggest challenge is that he provides not one Biblical passage that speaks of a place where this will happen; he only provides Scriptures speaking of God reconciling and restoring all things to Himself.And the one who will go to great lengths to define "eternal" and "torment" does not spend one second doubting his definition of "all things" and how that would look. Bell, I imagine, assumes that to reconcile and restore "all things" means exactly that, and such provides the basis for this expected future reconciliation of the condemned. But what if reconciliation and restoration involves access and opportunity and was never intended to be an absolute statement of the salvation of all? Now there's no ground for what he has said; the entire concept goes up in smoke. Such is not much of a Biblical foundation for such a critical dogma!Bell spends a lot of time talking about views of God and the "type of God" people believe in. It's a necessary challenge and issue with which to deal, but the standard in the book is never directed back to understanding the revelation; it's based far too much on feelings and "logical" connections, and thus is entirely one-sided. Bell has boxed himself in too tightly in his theology; in it, there's no room for the condemnation without hope of Satan and the angels as Jesus declares in Matthew 25; what can be said of God commanding genocide/ethnic cleansing in 1 Samuel 15? What of the vengeance of God in Romans 12? The wrath of God displayed in Judgment in Romans 2? As difficult as it might be for the Christian to understand such things, or even perhaps despite the revulsion we might feel at such things, we are not given the right to make up our own God and be pleasing to the One True God; we have to make sense of everything God has revealed about Himself and His expectations for mankind and what lies ahead. However one may agree or disagree with Bell, the fact remains that he has not sufficiently wrestled with this in this book.This theology seems to be a postmodern reaction to excesses of the past while remaining consistent with the ethos of the present. No one can accuse Bell of being "countercultural" with his theology in this book; one may not appreciate questioning of motives, but the person who believes that his culture does not impact his belief system is a deceived fool. For that matter, it's not good to be countercultural for the sake of being countercultural. I say this because the theology behind "Love Wins" is exactly what you would expect of someone who has all the trappings of modern convenience and enjoys "first world problems" and is completely removed from the oppressions of injustice that terrorized the world for generations and still terrorizes far too many in the world. In "Love Wins," there can be no real vengeance, no real righting of wrongs; both oppressor and oppressed die and ultimately all come to reconciliation with God. The worldly minded can take this message and use it to justify continued immorality; there will be plenty of opportunities in the hereafter to get back into God's good graces. Yes, I know that Bell would oppose this; he would want people to see that such is a counterfeit life and does not partake of the true life in Jesus Christ. But we are fallen creatures in a fallen world, and plenty of people take bad theology and use it to justify immorality.Rob Bell declares at one point that a loving God could not say "too late" to anyone. But that's not what the message of the parable of the virgins says (Matthew 25:1-13); that theology cannot lie behind Jesus' declaration to those who professed belief in Him in Matthew 7:21-23. And that's the real danger with this theology: if Bell's wrong, and deceived a lot of people in the process, the damage is severe. There are always dangers in having bad theology; Bell points many of them out, but is not immune to them himself.This is a necessary conversation, and Bell has certainly found a way to galvanize the discussion. Nevertheless, no one should walk away feeling as if all questions have been answered and Bell's argumentation is sufficient. It's not. And the questions that it leaves, the issues left unaddressed, the theological realities of the Bible shoved out of sight cannot be so easily shrugged off.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I do not agree with all of Rob Bell’s theology but he articulates his beliefs well and roots his ideas in his interpretation of the scripture. I wished that he had included footnotes to back up some of his claims and this may be the biggest problem with Love Wins. Without documentation it is difficult to figure out where Bell is drawing some of his biblical conclusions from. Love Wins is a good beginning and got me to think about traditional theological concepts in a new light. Whether you agree with Bell’ theology or not, Love Wins should be read simply for its willingness to challenge thousands of years of biblical interpretation.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Continuing my uncharacteristic journey into Christian theology, I read this book. This is a hugely controversial book for American Evangelicals, although having read it, I think that most of the controversy was generated by people who had not actually read this very short book. Basically, the author looks at what Jesus has to say about hell and takes the merciful interpretation. It's a you may be surprised at the people you see in heaven emphasis rather than the more usual idea that heaven's inhabitants will consist only of the very few people whose theology exactly agrees with one's own. Bell also separates what's actually in the Bible on the topic from the cultural constructs that form a huge part of the traditional fundamentalist view of heaven and hell. It's very thought provoking, but not really that shocking, unless you're really, really committed to wanting everyone you ever disliked punished for eternity. The sans-serif typeface drove me nuts, but that's nit-picking.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Written in Bell's typical fashion, this book was a rumination of a Christian's belief of Heaven and Hell and where we're all heading. Bell asserts Grace over Works. It was an easy book to read, but he could have made his point quicker. I was a little put off by the never-ending series of questions in the first chapter. Overall it earned a three-star rating because of the style and conclusion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'll have to read more Rob Bell. I find him clear and spot on.After reading the reviews, I'm struck by an Evangelical tendency of the critics to lean on Tradition rather than Scripture. Bell doesn't make this mistake.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Bell is a pastor known for the controversy his books raise in Christian circles and this one is no exception. Supposedly dealing with universalism and salvation, ultimately Bell asks many questions (which are important for Christians to ask anyway) but gives no substantial answers. However, it is good to promote serious thinking about soteriology and responses to it.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Bell and is heresy are as far from Christianity as the LDS.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such a joyous look at Christianity. It takes fear mongering completely out of the picture and encourages you to be motivated by love, not fear.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    There are obviously two versions of Rob Bell's Love Wins book that are available. The one in which he is a universalist and the one in which he isn't.

    The furorer started with Justin Taylor's post about Bell's promotional video. Piper responded with a tweet: "Farewell Rob Bell". What he meant by that is anybody's guess -- farewell from Christianity, from evangelicalism, from new calvinism, from Zondervan (the book was Bell's first from Harper Collins)? I don't know about love winning but the publicity certainly meant that the publishers won!

    Why the fear? What is wrong with posing questions? I don't agree with all Bell's answers, but the questions he raises are important and need to be addressed.

    How biblical is the so-called 'traditional' view of hell? Many evangelicals have taken different views on this topic - does that stop them being evangelicals or even Christian? Why the concern over boundaries - who is and who isn't an evangelical? Since when has a correct view of hell been an indicator of whether one is 'in' or 'out'? Since when has a literal reading of the Bible been an indicator of whether one is an evangelical or not?

    There are many types of universalism - some may have some biblical warrant others clearly do not. Likewise, there are many views of hell - some may have biblical warrant others don't.

    Here's my rough draft of a range of views:

    1. Hell as a place of eternal torment/ punishment (either mental or physical or both)

    2. Hell as a place of separation from God

    3. Annihilation

    3.1 Conditional immortality
    3.1.1 Those in Christ are resurrected the rest are annihilated
    3.1.2 All are resurrected – then face judgment those not in Christ are then annihilated
    3.2 All are created immortal after the resurrection the unbelievers are punished and then annihilated.

    4. Purgatorial view

    4.1 Hell as a place of discipline
    4.2 Hell as the opportunity for post-mortem decision

    5. Inclusivism – some may be saved - even if they have not heard of Jesus - based on the revelation they have received

    6. Universalism

    6.1 Christian universalism: all will be saved through what Christ has done
    6.2 Pluralistic universalism: all will be saved – no matter what


    Bell seems to hold to a version of 6.1; for example:

    What Jesus does is declare that he,
    and he alone
    is saving everybody (p. 155)

    but and it’s a big but with a form of 4.2. But it seems that human free will trumps all that God has done:

    God gives us what we want, and if that's hell, we can have it.
    We have that kind of freedom, that kind of choice. We are that free. (p. 72)


    and

    And that's what we find in Jesus's teaching about hell - a volatile mixture of images, pictures, and metaphors that describe the very real experiences and consequences of rejecting out God-given goodness and humanity. Something we are free to do, anytime, anywhere, with anyone. (p. 73)


    Bell is then no universalist - we have the freedom to reject what God has done.
    On the other hand he seems to be arguing as follows:


    1. God is sovereign and in control of all things
    2. God wants all to be saved
    3. Therefore, all will be saved.


    If 1 and 2 are true then 3 must follow. However, Bell seems to want to add

    4. Unless we want to reject the offer of salvation


    Bell is obviously questioning evangelical shibboleths- he is an iconoclast, and doesn't mind whose toes he steps on - more power to him!

    The focus of the criticism has been on Bell's view of hell. This misses some of the excellent points he makes, particularly in chapter 2. This is a brilliant chapter: for example this extract:

    Honest business
    redemptive art
    honorable law
    sustainable living,
    medicine,
    education,making a home,
    tending a garden --
    they're all sacred tasks to be done in partnership with God now, because they will all go on in the age to come.
    (p. 47)


    Ultimately, Bell's message is that free will is sovereign: we get what we want.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I feel weird writing a book review for Love Wins when so many great leaders and famous pastors have done the same thing.Some hate it, some love it, some tolerate it… certainly this book will not be labeled so quickly.If you have not read it, but are reading the reviews to decide if you should, I fear that the only way to know if you’ll find it useful is… if you read it. The only reason I would steer you as a reader from a book would be that I thought it contained dangerous or heretical teaching; and I don’t. Nothing in this book will alter your salvation or change your faith or standing with God. In the end, Rob’s book is about love and I believe so is God.I have read this book from cover to cover, and I read each word carefully and took it in, I didn’t skim it and jump to conclusions, I acted as though the author was there in the room with me and we were having a conversation. I read the book slowly over time and allowed the words to sit with me and last, I talked with others about what I read to have a sounding board.I doubt those who have given this book such a low review have done the same.Deservedly, they probably know scripture better than I do, or at least the “ammunition verses” to use in situations like this – but as a pastor myself – and having been in conversations and ministry like Rob has, I know that a conversation like this – is important.When I read some of these reviews I find myself saying, “Rob never said that.” Many have jumped to their own conclusions and because words carry such weight and can be loaded with bias and history, we sling them like rocks or stamp them like labels without so much as a care.And even though I do not think I have ever typed a negative word about Rob in the past, there were two aspects of the book I disagreed with (notice I did not say Rob was “wrong”).The first is, Rob suggested that perhaps after death, people will get a second chance to go to Heaven. Yes, they will go to Hell, yes they will have chosen it, but perhaps God will bring them before judgment once more (Matt 20:1-16). Some have called this “univeralism” however; Rob does not believe that God will “pull” all into Heaven as universalists do.Rob squarely indicated that he believes there are those that will choose hell forever. Do I think there are second chances after death? No, I don’t… but the bigger question should be… does God? I can’t dictate in my personal theology what God should or should not do in judgment. He is the judge and I am not.Maybe Rob is a “post-modern Universalist” and perhaps it is time for words to carry new meanings.What does the bible say? “One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11). The scriptures say “every” person will bend the knee in worship and that “every” mouth will make a confession of faith. What does that mean? It certainly does not sound like “Hell wins” does it? Because right now, most Christians believe Hell wins. We believe two-thirds of the earth will go to a place of torment, fire and punishment. We believe that a loving forgiving God will send millions and millions of people to eternal torment simply because they never said the sinner’s prayer (a prayer not found in the bible). But if “wide is the path that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13) how can we in the next breath say, “I know the end of the story (meaning the bible) and Jesus wins.”He does?Jesus wins if the majority of the world goes to Hell?How is that winning?I guess it’s a back handed win by having the “last word” with a giant “I told you so” as you slam dunk the naysayers and doubters of the world into the universe’s largest barbeque pit.Second Rob indicated that Jesus is the “mechanism” that each of us goes to heaven; however it is uncertain how that mechanism works. As Christians we have claimed that “confession” is the “key” that unlocks the “Jesus code” and allows sinners to enter paradise, but do we always believe that?If a two month old baby dies, we say that the little one is now “resting in the arms of Jesus.” Why? Did the baby make a confession of faith? No, but we sometimes bend the rules don’t we? So the question then becomes… does God? Does God bend the rules for the lost tribe in the deep dark Amazon forest who have never heard the name of Jesus? Will Jews who faithfully read the torah and pray to YHWH go to Heaven? Will nominal Jehovah’s Witnesses go to heaven? A staunch Christian would love to say “no” but in the end… aren’t they God’s rules?Personally I believe a knowledge of Jesus and a willingness to follow him are required for salvation – so here is another area my beliefs don’t align with Rob’s … but… as far as we know there is no “video evidence” of Heaven, Hell or eternity. It is not up to us to steak a flag in the sand and demand that eternity has to be exactly the way we dictate. If Ghandi is standing next to me in Heaven, I am not going to storm into God’s office and demand that he be deported.Rob believes that in the end Love Wins and that yes… God wins.But is that heretical?Is it so bad to believe that God’s grace and love and forgiveness will extend to my enemy? Is it so wrong to believe that Heaven will be filled with people from every race, language and nation (Rev 5:9)?Rob’s intent was so that this book would start a discussion, not an argument. Rob wanted people to talk with openness about God’s love and to perhaps find new ways to talk to those that have so many questions about a loving God who allows “good people” to burn forever. Certainly Heaven and Hell are not as “simple” as we make them out to be, and most definitely we can not just “dismiss” these questions with a three word tweet.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The controversy over this book is very revealing. In a way, it's a perfect example of the case that Bell puts forth. I agree with Bell when he states that the desire for all people to be reconciled to God is unquestionably a very Christian desire. The anger and devisiveness with which this idea has been met speaks volumes about both the state of the church, and Christianity in general, today.Our focus, as Christians, should be on Christ's love, the gift of his grace and to be in relationship with him today. It shouldn't be on who "gets in" and who doesn't. If that's our focus, then we're missing the point and we're missing out on a whole lot. Ultimately, it doesn't even matter what you believe about heaven and hell, because love wins.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed "Love Wins". I've never been a Rob Bell fan, having started (but never finished) "Velvet Elvis" and "Sex God", but this book is worth picking up and wrestling with. For that reason — the value of wrestling with its topics — it will stand as one of the more important books of the decade.After having just read C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce" for the second time, I began Rob Bell's "Love Wins". The similarities are apparent. It's quite clear that Lewis' perspective on the subject of Hell has influenced Rob. However, I don't think that Bell's views of the Afterlife are identical to those of Lewis, but he's certainly not less orthodox in this area than Lewis.One thing that struck me a little less than half-way through: "Love Wins" quotes from Scripture A LOT — much more than the average Christian book. Significantly, Bell doesn't spend a lot of time trying to take verses that seem on the surface to contradict his points and show how they really don't contradict his points. Instead, he spends most of his time quoting Scripture in showing how frequently and in how strong language the Bible at least seems to indicate that eventually "all shall be well". This is significant because it's apparent that his purpose with this book is to get us to dialog about Heaven and Hell — about the tension between how we often view world history, in light of Christian belief, as a tragedy, though the Bible in many places rises to such poignant superlatives of grandeur that seem to tell a different story. The Bible does say powerful things like:"As in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15)"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him — those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord." (Psalm 22)"Love is patient... it always protects... always hopes... Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13)"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him." (Ephesians 1)"At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2)"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1)"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man." (Hebrews 2)"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." (Luke 2)"For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets." (Acts 3)"He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces." (Isaiah 25)"I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit should fail before men, and the souls which I have made." (Isaiah 57:16)"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever." (Psalm 103)"For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away — all the souls I have made.""His mercy endureth forever." (Psalm 136)Those verses sound pretty all-encompassing. And the list just goes on and on, in both Old Testament and New. The point: we need to talk about this. If we assume that what we have been told is true is indeed true, then we merely perpetuate the very root problem that got us to the point where we needed a Reformation in the first place. We really must confront the issues and admit ambiguity where there is ambiguity. Assumptions limit growth. The pursuit of truth requires a willingness to accept that which we do not already accept. Humblemindedness — a humility of intellect and will — this is the very foundation of learning.My own views don't completely coincide with either Rob Bell's or C.S. Lewis'. But that doesn't mean I can't learn from them, or even learn in spite of them. I value how these two have added to our attempts at grasping after God.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    After finishing this book, I have to say that I am not quite sure what Rob Bell was really going on about.

    There were a lot of talk about what heaven might be and what hell might be. There were a few stories from the Bible, but in the end, I didn’t close the book feeling as though I gained any new insights.

    To take one aspect of God and elaborate on just that one aspect is a little dangerous. God is love, but why is it so difficult to believe that He is also wrath? In a way, I felt that this book pushes God into a box and wraps Him in the pretty paper the author wants him to be.

    There are some interesting points in the book, but in the end there wasn’t much that I could take away. Also, I was a bit put off by the writing style. It kept jarring me out of the narrative and I had to put it down many times before finally pushing through to the end.

    If you want questions with hardly any answers, then Love Wins is the book for you.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I have heard a lot about this book, the bad things and the good things, nevertheless, after reading it, I realized that there were more talking about the book than content in the book itself. As a book it is badly written and plotted. This book could receive half of the pages that it actually has. I really don't see what the writer was thinking about when he wrote it in this format. This is not a theological book, it is more like some sort of writer private aphorisms. Hermeneutically poor and the writer misuses Greek and Hebrew language. There is no exegesis at all, it looks like a peace of work practiced by any first year Bible school student. I think that the writer had a goal, punch the Christian doctrine of heaven and hell, but he drops it as a blind man.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    A twisting of actual scripture to support his own wants out of God. Rob Bell might want God to be different than He is but that will not change Him.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked the book overall. I think I'm mostly in agreement with Rob Bell and N.T. Wright on this. Firstly, love does win! Secondly while I'm not a universalist (i.e. everyone goes to Heaven regardless), I do believe that everyone who wants to be there will be there. Thirdly, we need to rethink what Heaven/Hell really are. Since, most of the popular thoughts about Heaven/Hell are influenced by Dante's Divine Comedy more than the Bible. My only regret about the book is that I which he would have dealt with larger passages and in more detail. I also would have liked Bell to discuss how his views stand with other scholars, etc. All of that is secondary to the purpose of the book however. Overall, a thought-provoking read.

    1 person found this helpful

Book preview

Love Wins - Rob Bell

Preface

Millions of Us

To begin with,

a bit about this book.

First, I believe that Jesus’s story is first and foremost about the love of God for every single one of us. It is a stunning, beautiful, expansive love, and it is for everybody, everywhere.

That’s the story.

For God so loved the world . . .

That’s why Jesus came.

That’s his message.

That’s where the life is found.

There are a growing number of us who have become acutely aware that Jesus’s story has been hijacked by a number of other stories, stories Jesus isn’t interested in telling, because they have nothing to do with what he came to do. The plot has been lost, and it’s time to reclaim it.

I’ve written this book for all those, everywhere, who have heard some version of the Jesus story that caused their pulse rate to rise, their stomach to churn, and their heart to utter those resolute words, I would never be a part of that.

You are not alone.

There are millions of us.

This love compels us to question some of the dominant stories that are being told as the Jesus story. A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better. It’s been clearly communicated to many that this belief is a central truth of the Christian faith and to reject it is, in essence, to reject Jesus. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’s message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear.

And so this book.

Second, I’ve written this book because the kind of faith Jesus invites us into doesn’t skirt the big questions about topics like God and Jesus and salvation and judgment and heaven and hell, but takes us deep into the heart of them.

Many have these questions.

Christians,

people who aren’t Christians,

people who were Christians,

but can’t do it anymore because of questions about these very topics,

people who think Christians are delusional and profoundly misguided,

pastors, leaders, preachers—

these questions are everywhere.

Some communities don’t permit open, honest inquiry about the things that matter most. Lots of people have voiced a concern, expressed a doubt, or raised a question, only to be told by their family, church, friends, or tribe: We don’t discuss those things here.

I believe the discussion itself is divine. Abraham does his best to bargain with God, most of the book of Job consists of arguments by Job and his friends about the deepest questions of human suffering, God is practically on trial in the poems of Lamentations, and Jesus responds to almost every question he’s asked with . . . a question.

What do you think? How do you read it?

he asks, again and again and again.

The ancient sages said the words of the sacred text were black letters on a white page—there’s all that white space, waiting to be filled with our responses and discussions and debates and opinions and longings and desires and wisdom and insights. We read the words, and then enter into the discussion that has been going on for thousands of years across cultures and continents.

My hope is that this frees you. There is no question that Jesus cannot handle, no discussion too volatile, no issue too dangerous. At the same time, some issues aren’t as big as people have made them. Much blood has been spilled in church splits, heresy trials, and raging debates over issues that are, in the end, not that essential. Sometimes what we are witnessing is simply a massive exercise in missing the point. Jesus frees us to call things what they are.

And then, last of all, please understand that nothing in this book hasn’t been taught, suggested, or celebrated by many before me. I haven’t come up with a radical new teaching that’s any kind of departure from what’s been said an untold number of times. That’s the beauty of the historic, orthodox Christian faith. It’s a deep, wide, diverse stream that’s been flowing for thousands of years, carrying a staggering variety of voices, perspectives, and experiences.

If this book, then, does nothing more than introduce you to the ancient, ongoing discussion surrounding the resurrected Jesus in all its vibrant, diverse, messy, multivoiced complexity—well, I’d be thrilled.

Chapter 1

What About the Flat Tire?

Several years ago we had an art show at our church. I had been giving a series of teachings on peacemaking, and we invited artists to display their paintings, poems, and sculptures that reflected their understanding of what it means to be a peacemaker. One woman included in her work a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, which a number of people found quite compelling.

But not everyone.

Someone attached a piece of paper to it.

On the piece of paper was written: Reality check: He’s in hell.

Really?

Gandhi’s in hell?

He is?

We have confirmation of this?

Somebody knows this?

Without a doubt?

And that somebody decided to take on the responsibility of letting the rest of us know?

Of all the billions of people who have ever lived, will only a select number make it to a better place and every single other person suffer in torment and punishment forever? Is this acceptable to God? Has God created millions of people over tens of thousands of years who are going to spend eternity in anguish? Can God do this, or even allow this, and still claim to be a loving God?

Does God punish people for thousands of years with infinite, eternal torment for things they did in their few finite years of life?

This doesn’t just raise disturbing questions about God; it raises questions about the beliefs themselves.

Why them?

Why you?

Why me?

Why not him or her or them?

If there are only a select few who go to heaven, which is more terrifying to fathom: the billions who burn forever or the few who escape this fate? How does a person end up being one of the few?

Chance?

Luck?

Random selection?

Being born in the right place, family, or country?

Having a youth pastor who relates better to the kids?

God choosing you instead of others?

What kind of faith is that?

Or, more important:

What kind of God is that?

And whenever people claim that one group is in, saved, accepted by God, forgiven, enlightened, redeemed—and everybody else isn’t—why is it that those who make this claim are almost always part of the group that’s in?

Have you ever heard people make claims about a select few being the chosen and then claim that they’re not part of that group?

Several years ago I heard a woman tell about the funeral of her daughter’s friend, a high-school student who was killed in a car accident. Her daughter was asked by a Christian if the young man who had died was a Christian. She said that he told people he was an atheist. This person then said to her, So there’s no hope then.

No hope?

Is that the Christian message?

No hope?

Is that what Jesus offers the world?

Is this the sacred calling of Christians—to announce that there’s no hope?

The death of this high-school student raises questions about what’s called the age of accountability. Some Christians believe that up to a certain age children aren’t held accountable for what they believe or who they believe in, so if they die during those years, they go to be with God. But then when they reach a certain age, they become accountable for their beliefs, and if they die, they go to be with God only if they have said or done or believed the right things. Among those who believe this, this age of accountability is generally considered to be sometime around age twelve.

This belief raises a number of issues, one of them being the risk each new life faces. If every new baby being born could grow up to not believe the right things and go to hell forever, then prematurely terminating a child’s life anytime from conception to twelve years of age would actually be the loving thing to do, guaranteeing that the child ends up in heaven, and not hell, forever. Why run the risk?

And that risk raises another question about this high-school student’s death. What happens when a fifteen-year-old atheist dies? Was there a three-year window when he could have made a decision to change his eternal destiny? Did he miss his chance? What if he had lived to sixteen, and it was in that sixteenth year that he came to believe what he was supposed to believe? Was God limited to that three-year window, and if the message didn’t get to the young man in that time, well, that’s just unfortunate?

And what exactly would have had to happen in that three-year window to change his future?

Would he have had to perform a specific rite or ritual?

Or take a class?

Or be baptized?

Or join a church?

Or have something happen somewhere in his heart?

Some believe he would have had to say a specific prayer. Christians don’t agree on exactly what this prayer is, but for many the essential idea is that the only way to get into heaven is to pray at some point in your life, asking God to forgive you and telling God that you accept Jesus, you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for your sins, and you want to go to heaven when you die. Some call this accepting Christ, others call it the sinner’s prayer, and still others call it getting saved, being born again, or being converted.

That, of course, raises more questions. What about people who have said some form of the prayer at some point in their life, but it means nothing to them today? What about those who said it in a highly emotionally charged environment like a youth camp or church service because it was the thing to do, but were unaware of the significance of what they were doing? What about people who have never said the prayer and don’t claim to be Christians, but live a more Christlike life than some Christians?

This raises even more disconcerting questions about what the message even is. Some Christians believe and often repeat that all that matters is whether or not a person is going to heaven. Is that the message? Is that what life is about? Going somewhere else? If that’s the gospel, the good news—if what Jesus does is get people somewhere else—then the central message of the Christian faith has very little to do with this life other than getting you what you need for the next one. Which of course raises the question: Is that the best God can do?

Which leads to a far more disturbing question. So is it true that the kind of person you are doesn’t ultimately matter, as long as you’ve said or prayed or believed the right things? If you truly believed that, and you were surrounded by Christians who believed that, then you wouldn’t have much motivation to do anything about the present suffering of the world, because you would believe you were going to leave someday and go somewhere else to be with Jesus. If this understanding of the good news of Jesus prevailed among Christians, the belief that Jesus’s message is about how to get somewhere else, you could possibly end up with a world in which millions of people were starving, thirsty, and poor; the earth was being exploited and polluted; disease and despair were everywhere; and Christians weren’t known for doing much about it. If it got bad enough, you might even have people rejecting Jesus because of how his followers lived.

That would be tragic.

One way to respond to these questions is with the clear, helpful answer: all that matters is how you respond to Jesus. And that answer totally resonates with me; it is about how you respond to Jesus. But it raises another important question: Which Jesus?

Renee Altson begins her book Stumbling Toward Faith with these words:

I grew up in an abusive household. Much of my abuse was spiritual—and when I say spiritual, I don’t mean new age, esoteric, random mumblings from half-Wiccan, hippie

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