Notice I’m just reviewing the trailer, here. Though some questioned the graciousness of John Piper’s tweet of “Farewell, Rob Bell” (in response to the trailer of Love Wins), it did turn out to be a bit prophetic. During the book’s journey from conception to controversy, Rob Bell left his publication family at Zondervan and his church family at Mars Hill. He left many wondering what he truly believes about hell (and, seemingly, the rest of the Doctrine of Atonement) and, practically, what his next vocational strive would be. The past while, Rob Bell’s been working with former Lost Producer Carlton Cuse on a television series, and holding seeming smaller, artsy versions of TED conferences in Laguna Beach.
And now he’s releasing another book.
Arguably, Bell’s greatest area of giftedness is communication. That’s why it’s surprising that this video is so terribly confusing. He speaks the vast majority of the trailer on his creative process for book-writing (why?), and barely touches theology until the end. Who the “we” is in the book title is fairly crucial. With it, is Bell (wrongfully) projecting his creative and/or theological processes, or is the “we” encouraging a mature conversation between himself and the reader?
I hope it’s the latter, but there’s already some obvious discrepancy between the trailer and HarperOne’s over-simplified and very unhelpful book descriptions. Like I said, Rob Bell is a gifted communicator, and I honestly want this book to communicative of the truth of the Bible and God’s love, and a healthy biblical balance of mystery and certainty. I believe God is "pulling us forward" (not backward) in truth, wisdom, intelligence, art, science, and love. It could be a great book for the rising religious "nones," and Bell should find a new publisher. But if this book as confusing and jumbled as the trailer and other preview info, this isn’t going to happen. Matthew Paul Turner, a more avid supporter of Bell than I am, describes it as “cryptic.”
We'll just have to see when the book is released to be read in our post-Love Wins world.
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