Blog on Rob Bell's book "Love Wins"

Rob Bell's new book "Love Wins" is a worthwhile read. True, it raises more questions than it answers but that only serves to make the book more of an invitation to enquiry rather than a definitive narrative on theology. Some of the criticisms are that Bell employs "bad theology" and is guilty of "proof-texting" or of using "straw man" arguments. Yes, he probably is guilty on all those counts, but I do not think we should read this book as a theological treatise. It merely provides another opportunity to think again about the many "tensions" which Christianity holds within its doctrines and beliefs. Bell himself says that none of his ideas are new. Indeed, I have thought about most of his questions myself at one time or another. What he does do well is lists them forensically so that the difficult questions sit up and demand to be given attention. "Love Wins" is really just another way of saying "God is Love". And who could argue with that? Well, quite a lot of people it would seem!