Rob Bell's newest book, Love Wins, is probably the most controversial book published within the Christian community in many many years. I've not read it yet, but I plan to. Here's the big thing that's getting all the publicity - it's not the book, it's the Christian community's opinions of it. There are quite a few words I could have used in lieu of "opinions" but then I'd be joining in the fracas and I'm not going there. I tend to believe one should read the book before judging it.
Today, one of my favorite bloggers posted this:
- Eugene Peterson was recently interviewed about endorsing the new Rob Bell book that many in the church world are upset about. But I like what he had to say here:
I've always loved Eugene Peterson's heart. The above quote is just one reason why.Rob Bell and anyone else who is baptized is my brother or my sister. We have different ways of looking at things, but we are all a part of the kingdom of God. And I don’t think that brothers and sisters in the kingdom of God should fight. I think that’s bad family manners.
I don’t agree with everything Rob Bell says. But I think they’re worth saying. I think he puts a voice into the whole evangelical world which, if people will listen to it, will put you on your guard against judging people too quickly, making rapid dogmatic judgments on people. I don’t like it when people use hell and the wrath of God as weaponry against one another.
I knew that people would jump on me for writing the endorsement. I wrote the endorsement because I would like people to listen to him. He may not be right. But he’s doing something worth doing. There’s so much polarization in the evangelical church that it’s a true scandal. We’ve got to learn how to talk to each other and listen to each other in a civil way.
