This book hit me with a great syrupy dose of pop Christianity that stirred up a few good meditations and dialogues with the Lord, however I would in no way consider it a theological work, nor would I encourage any Christ-professing believer to build their foundations upon it.
As a 22 year old raised in the church, I have heard echoes from many peers that acclaim Rob Bell because he...
more This book hit me with a great syrupy dose of pop Christianity that stirred up a few good meditations and dialogues with the Lord, however I would in no way consider it a theological work, nor would I encourage any Christ-professing believer to build their foundations upon it.
As a 22 year old raised in the church, I have heard echoes from many peers that acclaim Rob Bell because he encourages us to question concepts, rather than merely accept them. I could not agree more, unless he is talking about the Word of God, as he appears to be throughout this book.
Encouraging believers to confidently continue on in their faith leaving behind "mere" holes-in-the-wall (to use his analogy of removing one brick) leaves me baffled and concerned about what the fruit of this emerging church will be in the coming tribulations. We are called to fearfully and respectfully wrestle through holy concepts such as the virgin birth, the eternally real place called hell, and the supreme and unchanging authority of scripture. We must be honest in our expressions of doubt and confusion when it comes to the great mysteries of God, however to resolve that Christianity can survive without them leaves us with a pick and choose, vending machine spirituality where true faith has not been built in the place of prayer and study of the scriptures. As exemplified in the prophets and disciples, this is the biblical way and it is meant to lead us to a place of awe and wonder at the miraculous nature of our Living God.
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