"Just let the Bible be whatever it is."...But just what is the Bible?
What is the Bible? This is a vitally important question.
Rob Bell is a famous American author, pastor, and "a singular rock star in the church world" (according to Time Magazine, who also named him among the most influential 100 people in the world in 2011). He is most notably known for his previous pastoral leadership of mega church Mars Hill and his New York Times bestseller "Love Wins" (which was a controversial book that some think catalyzed his exit from Mars Hill).
Let me first start out by saying that I personally don't know Rob Bell, but I am vaguely familiar with the controversy that has surrounded him in recent years, especially in Evangelical circles. This is particularly so since the release of his book Love Wins in 2012 where he was essentially black listed from the orthodox Evangelical church as a "liberal" teacher who had wandered from traditional orthodox Christian doctrine (see reviews about Love Wins from the Gospel Coalition here, and Denny Burk here). This even prompted Francis Chan to pen a response to Love Wins in his book titled Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and the Things We Made Up.
Bell's most recent book What is the Bible?: How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Change the Way You Think and Feel About Everything (2017) is actually the first book of Bell's that I have read. (for other reviews on this book see the bottom of this post)
