What We Talk About When We Talk About God

by Rob Bell

New York Times bestselling author Rob Bell, whom The New Yorker describes as “one of the most influential Christian leaders in the country,” does for the concept of God what he did for heaven and hell in his book Love Wins : He shows how traditional ideas have grown stale and dysfunctional and how to return vitality and vibrancy to lives of faith today.

Pastor Rob Bell explains why both culture and the church resist talking about God, and shows how we can reconnect with the God who is pulling us forward into a better future. Bell uses his characteristic evocative storytelling to challenge everything you think you know about God. What We Talk About When We Talk About God tackles the misconceptions about God and reveals how God is with us, for us, ahead of us, and how understanding this could change the entire course of our lives.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Spirituality, Christian, Christianity, Faith

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Rob Bell is a bestselling author, international teacher, and highly sought after public speaker. His books include The New York Times bestsellers What Is the Bible?, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, Love Wins, as well as The Zimzum of Love, Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and Drops Like Stars.

At age 28, Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, and under his leadership it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America. In 2011, he was profiled in Time Magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. Rob was featured on Oprah's 2014 Life You Want Tour and will be speaking at venues around the world in 2015 on the Everything is Spiritual Tour. He and his wife Kristen have three children and live in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[JR. Forasteros · Rating 5 out of 5]

What We Talk About When We Talk About God (WWTAG) is the first book Rob Bell has written since Love Wins blew up the internet. Since then, Rob has stepped down from his position as Lead pastor at Mars Hill, the church he founded, and moved to the Los Angeles area.

Writing book reviews is always tricky. But when Rob Bell writes a book, that review is even harder because you almost have to write a review about Rob himself before you can talk about the book. Well, I’m not going to do that. I’m going to stick to the book itself. If you like Rob, you’ll probably like this book. If you don’t like Rob, I doubt you’ll like it. This review is for people who are more interested in God than Rob Bell.

WWTAG launches conversations about God into the twenty-first century.

Rob opens by acknowledging a problem many in the Church are afraid to face: for many outside the Church (and a growing number inside, too) the way we talk about God feels at best stale and outdated and at worst dangerous and primitive. Rob asks if God can keep up with the modern world.

The question is rhetorical. Rob immediately confesses that the God he finds in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, the God revealed in Jesus, isn’t behind us somewhere, trying to keep up. Rather, God is ahead of us, calling us into a better future.

Rob uses the story of Jacob dreaming of a ladder to Heaven. When Jacob wakes, he confesses that God was there even though he didn’t know it. The story reminds us that

God hasn’t changed; it’s Jacob who wakes up to a whole new awareness of who – and where – God is.

How do we talk about God in the wake of Modernity?

Rob offers three concepts: God is with us, for us and ahead of us. Contrary to the distant god of Modernist Deism, God is working around us, near us, accessible to us. But Rob is clear that this is not pantheism. God is not everything. We are not God. God is with us.

Contrary to the moralistic god of Modernist Humanism, God invites us to discover the persons we were created to be. God came among us as Jesus not to give us a list of rules, to legislate us into persons God could tolerate, but to show us the way back to life. But Rob is clear that this is not Prosperity Gospel. Jesus’ good news is radical, counterintuitive.

Contrary to the primitive, tribalistic god who can’t keep up with Modernity, a god of the gaps whose realm constantly loses ground to the onslaught of Science, God is ahead of us, calling humanity forward to be a better people. Every day is a chance to move another “click” forward as a people.

The primary criticism that’ll be leveled against WWTAG will be its Progressivist bent.

Rob tackles the very difficult Scriptures of the Old Testament – like the genocides in Joshua and “eye for an eye” in Exodus by claiming that God meets human cultures where they are and then calls them forward. So what might be progressive in one culture (“Eye for an eye” in the nomadic, post-Exodus Israelite culture) can become regressive by Jesus’ day.

Will we participate or resist?
Rob argues that the whole of Scripture is God calling humanity forward, and that in our interpretation we should always be looking forward too (since that’s where God is – ahead of us). Here Rob leans most clearly towards classical liberalism. But even still, he’s grounded squarely within Orthodoxy.

If you accept any sort of progressive revelation, it’s hard to see how you can avoid Rob’s conclusions.

Rob believes that God is taking the world somewhere, that God is calling us all to participate in that, and that we have the responsibility to be the people we were created to be.

At the same time, Rob never denies the reality of Sin, the hopelessness of humanity left to our own devices and he never denies that human nature hasn’t gotten any better.

And for Rob, the answer to this dilemma is nothing but Jesus himself. Jesus is the sword that cuts through the Gordian knot of our sinfulness and opens the way into God’s better future.

So why do we need to read this book?

WWTAG sounds exactly like the conversations I have over and over with people who genuinely want to know God but can’t comprehend the god presented to them by the Church. Rob offers the Church new ways to talk about God that are still wholly faithful to the Church’s historic witness to Jesus.

And we need new ways to talk about God. Not because God has changed. But because we have.

If you don’t like Rob, you probably won’t like WWTAG. If you’re in the Church and you don’t see any problem with the way the Church has always talked about God, this book will probably just make you mad.

But if you have ever wondered how the Old Testament God fits with what you know about Jesus, give it a try. If you have ever cringed at the battle between faith and science and wondered if there’s a better way, read it. If you have a hard time ditching the idea that God is a distant judge waiting to condemn you, read WWTAG.

And we all know people who have these same questions. So get two copies of this book, and read it with a friend. Enjoy the new conversations about God this book will spark.

Bottom Line: What We Talk About When We Talk About God offers a compelling post-modern incarnation of biblical theology. Read it with a friend, because you’ll want to talk about it.

YOUR TURN: Will you read WWTAG? What image of God do you find most compelling?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review purposes from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am done trying to explain Rob Bell books. It's impossible.

I am also done recommending Rob Bell books because I am somehow personally hurt when someone else doesn't like him - his writing style, his theology, his extreme comfort with ambiguity.

Whatever. I love him.

WWTAWWTAG was about 48 hours of sublime exploring and thinking about god. He pulls in many themes close to my heart - a reckless love for people, comfort in seemingly paradoxical things, questions that can only have mysterious answers, and a fundamental starting point in Jesus.

We are all people of faith - it is just a question of what that faith is in.

Loved it. It's not a theological handbook but it is a phenomenally approachable conversation starter and a deep sense of awe for our world, other people, and who god may be, and how he may show up in our lives. When I say I see Jesus everywhere, I think of how this book FEELS.

And feels is the right word. RB has a gift of poetic writing and vivid feelings.

Sure it may play a bit much to a spiritual feeling but god isn't going to be contained in any one book, and this one is a fresh and makes-you-want-to-dance kind of inspiring.

If I recommended RB books this would be highly recommended.

[Justin DeVantier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way back when there was a man named Rob Bell. He released a book on the Christian life called Velvet Elvis. The book was poetry but not always the best theology. It was an easy read but made many of us young jaded evangelicals want to pursue Jesus again.

Four books later Bell has seen his fame rise and fall. Just like Mclaren it seems Bell has fallen in love with rhetoric and publishing deals. Bell, to his ace is a brilliant and gifted communicator. But that is where the positives end.

To put it in the plainest terms possible. “What we talk about when we talk about God” is cotton candy philosophical theology. It’s good for a couple of bites but than it can make you sick and throw up nutrients from an earlier meal. Velvet elvis was poetry with flaws. This is just bad.

Don’t read the book. You learn nothing and gain nothing. In fact here is the main point of the book.

“The enlightenment is bad. God is everywhere”

Be glad I saved you four hours of reading and 28 dollars.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nice little book read like a long (but invigorating) sermon/homily (because it’s Christian) and was honestly filled with charismatic affirmations about the importance/love/grace of God. I didn’t feel like Mr. Bell was trying to convert anybody and (most refreshingly!) he was not preachy. This just felt like the collected expression of the sheer joy he felt at meeting God. It won’t resonate with everyone and it is not filled with “deep” theology. If you need a quick spiritual boost, this will work quite well, especially if you hang in there for his literary recommendations at the end.

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow... this guy is dangerous. His writing just tickles our fleshly ears because he makes God sound just so... well... loving. But the problem is that Bell completely ignores the holiness of God, and the justness of our Creator. He twists scripture to fabricate his own version of God that is flat out heretical. BEWARE of anything this guy writes.
And for anyone that is still on the fence about him and his whole "hell isn't gonna last, and in the end ALL will be saved because God is just that loving" nonsense, Bell also just recently came out in support for gay marriage and homosexuality.
Here's a quote directly from him: "I am for love, whether it's a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man. I think the ship has sailed and I think that the church needs to just … this is the world that we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are. I believe God [is] pulling us ahead into greater and greater affirmation and acceptance of our gay brothers and sisters and pastors and friends and neighbors and coworkers".
Wow. Scary. Read 2 Timothy 3...

[Jen Steed Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you're an atheist, a Christian, or anywhere in between, YOU need to read this book. Bell's healthy dose of skepticism towards the "Christian culture" will strike a chord no matter who you are and what you believe. Perhaps you are the one who believes that the whole concept of God is ridiculous. Or a crutch. Or a denial of science. You need this book. Maybe you are the one who believes in the God of Abraham, the God of the Old and New Testaments. The God that created and destroys and loves and lets us do our thing. You need this book. And just as this book is for all people, ultimately--and most importantly--God is for all people. Bell says it best:

"Because sometimes you need a biologist,
and sometimes you need a poet.
Sometimes you need a scientist,
and sometimes you need a song."

God isn't "on one side" with us on the other. He meets us here. Right here where we are. Right now. And for those who doubt, for the skeptics, these words are for you:

"Doubt is often a sign that your faith has a pulse, that it's alive and well and exploring and searching. Faith and doubt aren't opposites; they are, it turns out, excellent dance partners."

Man I love that quote. I'm a doubter, but this doesn't mean I am weak in faith. Good stuff.

So have you ever been in a dire situation--a time when you are scared and have no idea what to do? Did you pray? Bell asks, "Why do people who don't pray, pray when they're terrified?" He goes on to explain:

"I tell you about my friend sitting there at dinner sharing that story about praying because when we talk about the God who is for us, we first have to talk about our deep-down, intuitive awareness that we need help."

When it all comes down to it, there is something inside of us that tells us we need help. That there is some force out there bigger than us that can effect great change--that can perform miracles.

Will you give this book a read? I really think you should. If nothing else, you'll learn some cool things about quarks. And other subatomic particles. And quantum physics. And at most, reading this book may change your life.

It changed mine.

[Brandan Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

About the Book:

New York Times bestselling author Rob Bell, whom the The New Yorker describes as “one of the most influential Christian leaders in the county,” does for the concept of God what he did for heaven and hell in his book Love Wins: He shows how traditional ideas have grown stale and dysfunctional and how to return vitality and vibrancy to lives of faith today.

Pastor Rob Bell explains why both culture and the church resist talking about God, and shows how we can reconnect with the God who is pulling us forward into a better future. Bell uses his characteristic evocative storytelling to challenge everything you think you know about God. What We Talk About When We Talk About God tackles the misconceptions about God and reveals how God is with us, for us, ahead of us, and how understanding this could change the entire course of our lives.

How God is described today strikes many as mean, primitive, backward, illogical, tribal, and at odds with the frontiers of science. At the same time, many intuitively feel a sense of reverence and awe in the world. Can we find a new way to talk about God?

Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Rob Bell does here for God what he did for heaven and hell in Love Wins: he shows how traditional ideas have grown stale and dysfunctional and reveals a new path for how to return vitality and vibrancy to how we understand God. Bell reveals how we got stuck, why culture resists certain ways of talking about God, and how we can reconnect with the God who is with us, for us, and ahead of us, pulling us forward into a better future—and ready to help us live life to the fullest.
Pre- Review: What is Heresy?

Before I get started digging in to Rob Bell's new book, I want to take a moment to define my perspective. I am writing as an Evangelical Blogger. But before I am an Evangelical, I am a Christian. A big-tent, broad, orthodox Christian. This means that I adhere to the traditional tenants of the Christian faith that have been defined for nearly 2,000 years. These tenants are affirmed by every major sect of Christianity- Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. These tenants are what the early Church councils agreed upon as a standard for theological orthodoxy. And these doctrines are summed up in the creeds of the faith. The basic tenants of true, orthodox Christianity are as follows:

The Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

From very early on in Church history it was understood that no one who affirmed these basic tenants of the faith was considered a heretic. One could disagree on anything and everything theologically- just not these core doctrines. These were the theological ideas that mattered. Everything else was generally up for speculation and debate. That included heaven and hell. That included atonement theories. That included the doctrine of sin. Many of the major doctrines that we have divided over and often accused people of being heretics because of their lack of agreement with us on are simply not the essentials. They don’t make one heterodox. They don’t make one a false teacher. And they certainly don’t make someone a heretic, which literally implies that the person is outside the saving grace of Jesus Christ and is damned. A serious accusation indeed.

Many Evangelicals have written Rob Bell off as a heretic. Many (if not most) Evangelical bloggers are going to post about this book and say this is the final nail in Bell’s coffin- implying that he is a goner. He’s done. He’s not a Christian. I want to begin my review saying this- in any and all of Rob Bell’s works, I have never once found a heterodox/heretical statement of theological belief on Bell’s part. Never. Not in Velvet Elvis, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Sex God, Drops Like Stars, Love Wins, and I did not find any heresy in What We Talk About When We Talk About God. Rob is infamous for asking hard questions. He pushes the envelope and asks “What if?” And whether you like that style of teaching or not is your own problem- not Bell’s. In a postmodern culture, a new generation of Christians has risen up that are asking the questions Bell is asking. We are struggling through these things. And that is why Bell has become such a go-to-guru for us- because he is one of us and understands us. He understands our desire to rethink, reform, and renew. He affirms our core belief that God is big enough, strong enough, and loving enough to handle any question or doubts we throw at him.

As I begin this in-depth review of Bell’s new work, I want to say this: I obviously don’t agree with everything Rob Bell says in this book. I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who agrees with everything in he has written in it. Rob does push boundaries and I do think it is safe to say that Bell can no longer be classified as an “Evangelical” in the modern sense of the word. He says some shocking things. But none of it- and I mean none of it- is heretical. None of it is actually new. All of the ideas Rob suggests in What We Talk About When We Talk About God have roots in the historic, orthodox Christian faith. For sure, this book is paradigm shifting. It will be wholly rejected by the conservative community (unfortunately). But none the less- it is still a thoroughly Christian work that can and will help countless people renew their faith in God. And for that, we all need to thank God for.

With that as my foundation, let’s take a look at the content of What We Talk About When We Talk About God:
My Summary (Spoiler Alert!):

The book begins with Bell suggesting that when we talk about God, we really don’t know what we mean. “I realize that when I use the word God in the title of this book there’s a good chance I am stepping on all kinds of land mines….and that’s why I use it… from people risking their lives to serve the poor because they believe that God called them to do it…to musicians in their acceptance speech at an Award show thanking God for their hit song about a late-night booty call, when it comes to God, we are all over the place.”But Bell proposes that the problem that we have with God isn’t even necessarily that we are all talking about something extraordinarily different when we speak of God. Instead, our problem is that many of our understandings of God fail to give us meaning, value, or purpose in life. In fact, for many of us, our view of God causes us harm. And that’s why Bell has written this book.

He says, “I’ve written this book about that word, then, because there something in the air, we’re in the midst of a massive rethink, a movement is gaining momentum, a moment in history is in the making: there is a growing sense among a growing number of people that when it comes to God, we’re at the end of one era and the start of another, an entire mode of understanding and talking about God [is] dying as something new is being birthed” (pg 3) (and yup, there is a typo)

That is quite a bold and beautiful statement. And Rob insists that though those wonderful words may be inflammatory for many, he is not “remotely interested” in being controversial. But he acknowledges that his concepts in this book may “skirt heresy” in a quote by German Theologian Helmut Thielicke: “A person who speaks to this hours need will always be skirting the edge of heresy, but only the person who risks those heresies can gain truth”. And with that, Bell dives in deep.

The first part of the book is addressing how many of our understandings of God are like Oldsmobile’s- outdated. Bell addresses issues like women in ministry, creationism, legalism, and eschatology as issues that many Christians are behind on and that they give us an image of God that is stale. Bell says that for many Christians, believing in that image of God “feels like a step backward, to an earlier, less informed and enlightened time, one that we’ve thankfully left behind.” (pg 7) With that understand, Bell asks the question “Can God keep up with the modern world?” Now naturally, many people are going to react against this kind of questioning- of course God is timeless and maybe the things we are learning and embracing now aren’t true and godly anyways right? I recently had a professor tell our class that humanity is actually going through an “Endarkenment” and that our knowledge is becoming less and less advanced. Where does that thinking come from? It seems that Bell is proposing- a stale and dated image of God. Images of God that cause many to doubt, scoff, leave, and hate the Christian faith.

Like Love Wins, Bell says that this book is based on a deeply personal journey he has embarked on- about the times that he has doubted everything and entered into dark nights of the soul. From the very first chapter, Bell has captured the interest of almost every human being, striking the chord for all of us that lead us to decide whether or not we believe in God. Bell says that this book is an account of “What I experienced over a long period of time…a gradual awakening to new perspectives on God-specifically the God Jesus talked about.” (p 13) Bell introduces his readers to his standpoint before taking us on the grand journey through the book. He says first, he is a Christian and second, he believes that all people love to talk about God. He is clear that this is not an apologetics book- he is not trying to prove the existence of God, but rather working from his foundational belief that a God does exist.

The entirety of the book centers around six simple words: Open, Both, With, For, Ahead, So. Bell explains each word and why it is essential to our talking about God:

Open because “we all drag a massive amount of expectations and assumptions…and that…will demand that we be open.”

Both because “language both helps us and fails us in our attempts to understand and describe the paradoxical nature of the God who is beyond words.”

With because “I understand God to be the energy, the glue, the force, the life, the power, and the source of all we know… I believe God is with us because I believe that all of us are already experiencing the presence of God in countless ways every single day.”

For because “I believe God is for every single one of us, regardless of our beliefs or perspectives or actions or failures or mistakes or sins or opinions about whether God exists or not. I believe God wants each of us to flourish and thrive…”

Ahead because “when I talk about God, I’m not talking about a dive being who is behind, trying to drag us to a primitive, barbaric, regressive, prescientific age…I want you to see how the God we see at work in the Bible is actually ahead of people, tribes, and cultures as God has always been…”

So because “So is the question about what all this talking has to do with our everyday thinking and feeling and living.”

And those words serve as the chapter breakdown for the entire book. What I will do in this review is give a brief summary of the content of each chapter and then respond at the end to the whole of the book. So let’s dive in:

OPEN:

In this chapter, Rob Bell takes time to talk about the universe we live in and how massive it is, how finite it is, and how it effects who we fundamentally are. He takes us on a deeply scientific journey through the universe and describes, with great factual detail, the “weirdness” of it all. Bell points out that over 96 % of our universe is “unknowable” and right in the middle of it all floats a planet called Earth. Bell delves so deeply into issues of time, matter, anatomy, and existence simply causing the reader to scratch their heads and say, “Wow…” In this section, Bell explains what the role of science is and shows how we all can appreciate it. Science answers the “How” but not the “Why”. Bell says, “Science shines when dealing with parts and pieces, but it doesn’t do all that well with soul.” (p 75) He shows that the two things- science and soul- have been separated in our world of divides over sacred and secular, but how fundamentally God exists and is magnified in both. “Because sometimes you need a biologist, and sometimes you need a poet. Sometimes you need a scientist, and sometimes you need a song.” Bell paints a beautiful picture of the reality that the miraculous does exist and cannot always be merely explained away. The conclusion of this chapter, Bell says that to be open is to “believe that there’s more going on here, that there may be reality beyond what we can comprehend- that’s something else. That’s being open.” (p 80)

BOTH:

In this chapter, Rob Bell points out the problem of using technical language to talk about God because of its limitations. Sure, we can describe God in very technical terms, but it will always fall short. “Intense experiences and extreme situations- like great pain and anguish, or unspeakable joy and ecstasy- need extreme, larger, gigantesque language because other kinds of words and phrases aren’t enough.” And God fits into that category. But also, sometimes words themselves aren’t adequate enough to describe an emotion or a sensation. To that, Bell asserts, “When we talk about God we’re using language, language that employs a vast array of words and phrases and forms to describe a reality that is fundamentally beyond words and phrases and forms.” God is just too vast for our language. And that’s why we get paradox. Throughout scripture, God is described in contrasting terms. Mother and Father, judge and friend, lawgiver and gracious. These words don’t complement each other- they describe fundamental differences, logical inconsistencies. These paradoxes make us fearful sometimes and sometimes they make us angry. And many religious or academic leaders attempt to end paradoxes because they just don’t jive. That’s understandable. Still others turn to doubt. But as Bell points out, “faith and doubt aren’t opposites; they are, it turns out, excellent dancing partners.” (p 92)But it’s important to realize that these paradoxes aren’t Gods “fault”. It’s because “when we talk about God we’re talking about…that which is crystal clear and that which is more mysterious than ever. And sometimes language helps, and sometimes language fails.” (p 91) Our language evolves, our faith evolves, and our conceptions of God evolve. Sometimes, Bell points out, we act with so much certainty only to know that undergirding it all is the looming notion that “I could be wrong.” But that is fundamentally how faith works. That’s what it is.

WITH

In this chapter of the book, Bell addresses the language many people us about God. In most churches, a prayer will be prayed asking God to “show up” or “be present”. We often here Benedictions like “God be with you”. But the problem with this language is that is subconsciously teaches us that God is somewhere else. Bell argues that this conception of God “can easily lead people to the notion that life, the world, existence, etc. is perfectly capable of going on without that God. That God becomes, in essence, optional.” (p 99) But this is not the best way to view God. Bell proposes that God is always with us, right now. God is in all things, through all things, around all things, with all things, all of the time. And this view of God will change everything. Bell presents the case for God being present in everyone’s everyday life all of the time but a lack of awareness- or awakeness- on our part to see it. Using the Hebrew concept of “ruach” or Spirit of God that flows from God into all parts of creation, Bell uses the Hebrew Bible to paint beautiful images of God being the breath we breathe, the ground we stand, the source of our day to day life- but not in some mere metaphorical sense- quite literally! Bell goes on to tell us how to be awake to see God in every breath of our lives. Bell says, “We have an intuitive awareness that everything is ultimately connected to everything else and I believe that is one more clue to which it is we’re talking about when we talk about God.” (p 116) In other words, God is present everywhere and in everyone. Therefore we need to be more consciously aware of this connectedness and in that, we shall see God. How beautiful. “We are involved, all of us. And it all matters, and it’s all connected.” (p 119) Bell suggests that fundamental to being aware of God in all things is the necessity of faith. “Everybody has faith…to believe God requires faith. To experience this world and its endless surprise and mystery and depth and then emphatically declare that is has no common source, it is not heading somewhere, and it ultimately has no meaning- that takes faith as well.” (p 124) We all have the faith to see the beauty of God every day, but to experience the fullness of our lives requires us to slow down, breathe deeply, and gaze with more fascination than ever at the something mores’ that surround us all.

FOR

Quite simply, Rob Bell argues in this chapter that God is for every human being. God desires us all to thrive, to be ourselves. But many people’s conceptions of God are filled with against. Conditions. Bell argues that this is fundamentally a distortion of the Christian message. We have all been told that God would bless us, love us, or anoint us if only we gave more, prayed, followed, believed, or had enough faith. But this is not the image of God in Christ. This is not the portrait of a God who is fundamentally for us all. Bell declares that this is the fundamental Gospel message which he defines as “Jesus’ announcement of good news and blessing over everybody who needs it… I’ve interacted…with people…who were operating under the conviction that if they could just get better- more moral, more disciplined, more holy….then they would be in or accepted or embraced or …affirmed by God….that is not Gospel. Gospel is shocking, provocative, revolutionary, subversive, counterintuitive good news that in you moments of greatest despair…sin…failing…falling short, God meets you there- right exactly there- in that place, and announces I am on your side.” (p 134-136) Bell makes the case that this Gospel calls us to change our way of thinking and understand that God is for us even when were not all together. “[This is] a radical word about our true selves, a word so fresh and unsettling and surprising that it requires us to trust that it is actually true, that God is indeed for us.” (p 152)

AHEAD

In this chapter, Bell addressed the idea that God is constantly calling us ahead, forward, more and more towards newness and innovation. And Bell bases his entire idea on the Biblical understanding of God. He uses God’s words in the Old Testament, “An eye for an eye…” which Bell argues was initially meant to lessen violence and injustice has been twisted by the religious to justify violence. And then Jesus comes. And he changes it. Bell points out many other examples of Go

[Rod Horncastle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Those who KNOW little - should preach little. Or write smaller books.

Rob Bell is basically a whiter, more Starbucks Kool Hipster, version of Deepak Chopra trying to be a failed Evangelical liberal Youth Pastor.

I listen to the audiobook of Robby reading this. He's a great reader --- very smooth and entertaining.
So my quotes are not page marked or anything other than a few notes I made while driving.

So, when Rob talks about God:
It's not always (or often) the Biblical God, I wish he'd just come out of the Buddhist closet and state that He loves his Chakra. He's proud of his moment spent with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu back in Seattle (2008). He even says the same crap that Deepak says, "Repent, means to change your mind."
Did Jesus really die on the cross so we could Change Our Mind? You can't make a whole religion out of the bits of Jonah you remember from Sunday school pin-ups. Eventually you have to read the Whole Bible like a grown up. This is a typical problem for Youth Pastor type preachers: they are so busy trying to be KOOL and lead the churches charge into Seeker Sensitive make-overs that most of the Bible is a mystery to them.

I wasn't going to take notes on this book. But then Robbie started babbling about "God is FOR you" nonsense. Then I knew we were in trouble and about to be shafted spiritually. This reminds me of one of my favorite Bible stories: Joshua 5

13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped...

God isn't for us (Bell obviously isn't a Calvinist) God isn't even against us necessarily. God is FOR Jesus - and we are honored to be called and chosen to be adopted into Christ. The problem is: Bell doesn't know how to even begin comprehending what might happen to those who God doesn't adopt, or worse: those folks who are disgusted by God and Jesus and anything to do with a Righteous Creator. Bell just assumes a bit of light-hearted humor will have people running to Jesus with open arms. And the Bible shows this WHERE? What page exactly? At the foot of the cross perhaps?

I often think of the classic example of God being for us: 2 Kings 1
But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

And for those who hate the Old Testament's grouchy old deity then here's the New Testament: (Just for the liberals) Acts 5

8And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

So there's 53 people people God doesn't seem to be FOR. Should I add in the 42 youth that 2 bears tore up when they dared to challenge Elisha? Or those disposed of Prophets of Baal? We get the idea. The problem is Rob Bell doesn't see people the way God does. He doesn't see the huge difference between the Dalai Lama (Buddhist crap), Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu (God isn't a Christian theology), and the REAL teachings of the Bible.
I wonder what blasphemous self-righteous Hippy-Crap Bell would have gone into to support the Prophets of Baal against Elijah? Would he have labelled Elijah as a Crazy Fundamentalist Conservative non-scientific people-hater? Just because they worshiped and dedicated themselves to the wrong god doesn't mean God isn't for them...
Ummmh, actually YES! Yes it does. This is pretty much a common theme throughout the entire Bible. From the Genesis flood to the double Hellfire mass-world-genocides in the Revelation (See Revelation 19 and 20).

So, is God really for our "Flourishing, Thriving, and Well-being"? Like Pastor Rob says? A quick look at the great religious folk of history shows us this just isn't so: From the Apostle Paul, to Stephen's murder, to the martyr's of history, up to great missionaries and preachers like Amy Carmichael and Charles Spurgeon, and even Billy Graham. Sickness, death, stress, strife and religious hatred are often instore for God's people. Just ask Ravi Zacharias.

Rob and I both agree that God Is Love.
But when Love Wins that also means that Justice, Protection, Adoption, Righteousness, and TRUTH Win. Rob is still back looking longingly at the Love word. It's so romantic, so nice, so dreamy, so “Jesus is my boyfriend”...lacking in Biblical theology and truth. Quick: Somebody get this man a Bible, and a dictionary. You can't love your children if you don't protect them and guide them to absolute truth.
__________________________

WE know Rob comes off as a 3 grade Bible teacher, about a 7th grade gym coach (based on his skateboarding techniques), and a 9th grade science teacher.
Seriously Rob, are we really what secular science insists:

National Geographic: "Scientists have sequenced the genome of the chimpanzee and found that humans are 96 percent similar to the great ape species."

I've now read 2 Rob Bell books and suffered through numerous videos of him. Honestly, has Bell NEVER read a Christian Apologetics book? Ever? Has he ever spoken with a serious Christian scientist or theologian? EVER? Or even got a hold of Lee Strobel so that LEE himself could make some phone calls to straighten Bell out and point him to some very smart Christian brothers and sisters? Go to Starbucks with Ravi Zacharias perhaps.
About the Chimpanzee thing: (apparently after so-called experts trim the fat and get to the meaty bits of genome solids - THEN we may be close to 96%. But experts disagree - Rob should look into that if he's going to write books).

Sadly, Rob even promotes Crying Yoga in this book. Robby, that Buddha closet door is opening even further buddy... Creeeeeeeekkkk!

Rob babbles a bit about the Genesis "Creation Poem". That's dangerous - Best not to call the God given Creation account A POEM. Maybe the Resurrection of Jesus is just an Ascension Poem? On No, i've said too much. Now we know what Rob's next book will be about.

So why do I bother with Rob Bell and other folks who confuse the Saints? Because the Bible says this: 2 Chronicles 18

4And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the LORD.” 5Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?” 7And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” TRUTHFUL EVIL...

Yes, i'm like that one man against Rob Bell and his other 399 false prophets. Doesn't it alarm you that Bell's message is always GOOD? God is FOR us? Love WINS? We will Flourish, thrive, and have Well-being?
OR, as Satan said, 4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Because LOVE WINS When you talk about god.

[Tim Callicutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many critics jumped at the chance to denounce Bell as a heretic after the release of his last book (somewhat unfairly, I felt), and because of this they often missed the point Bell was trying to make. Bell wasn’t attempting to destroy the idea of hell – he was just trying to make it more ambiguous.

That’s where this book comes in. Here, Bell tries to do the same with the nature of God. And unlike Love Wins, Bell’s case here is more convincing.

The fault with Love Wins was Bell’s assumption that the best way to convince people of the ambiguity of the afterlife was to be painfully ambiguous himself. The result was a muddled book that tended to meander and buried the point he was trying to make. Perhaps in response to the misinterpretation of his last book, Bell treats his argument in this book in a much more forthright way (as forthright as Bell can be).

Basically, Bell argues that all the doctrines and hard-line formulations we’ve made to describe God are insufficient to describe him. Although Bell does not condemn theology itself, he makes the point that the doctrines we teach only serve to describe a particular facet of God – not define Him.

Instead, our theology should be grounded within our experience of God:

To elevate abstract doctrines and dogmas over living, breathing, embodied experiences of God’s love and grace, then, is going the wrong direction. It’s taking flesh and turning it back into words. The first Christians talked about the fullness of God residing in Jesus because the movement of that embodiment goes in a particular direction, that direction being from/idea to skin and bones/from abstraction to concrete being/from word to flesh. (149)

Before he sets into the meat of his exploration, though, he discusses the importance of two other terms: open and both. He asserts that we must be open to the overpowering Being of God while also recognizing that our language both articulates and fails to capture the true essence of God.

In this introduction, Bell realizes the full breadth of his audience in attempting to provide a third way between the scientifically minded, anti-religious groups and the Bible-thumping (at times) anti-intellectuals in the church.

He breaks down the barrier between the secular and sacred. The Jews had no conception of the secular, and neither should we. Rather, there is a prominent spiritual essence that undergirds every single moment of life. This theme reappears in a major way in the final chapter:

You are on a holy ground wherever you are and Jesus comes to let us know that the whole world is a temple because we’re all temples, all of life is spiritual, all space sacred, all ground holy. He comes to heighten our senses and sharpen our eyes to that which we’ve been surrounded by the whole time; we’re just now beginning to see it. (183)

From this promising beginning, Bell proves that he is still the same thought-provoking teacher he’s always been. The meat of the book lies in three words, each with a corresponding chapter: with, for, and ahead.

In God being with us, Bell shows that there is (thankfully?) no escape from God – he is present in all aspects of life. In God being for us, Bell reveals God as the ultimate meaning that has the ability to accept all of us. In God being ahead of us, Bell sketches out the trajectory that God leads us along as a progressive Being – it is we who are behind.

I have my usual qualms about his writing style – he always seems to be talking at you – and his failure to differentiate between ambiguity and nuance. Therefore, Bell’s attempts to find a Third Way are only partially successful. He definitely falls on the liberal side of things if that’s how we choose to measure it (despite the systemic problems with such labels).

For instance, he does a lot to talk about the accessibility of God that may appeal to the non-religious group without properly addressing God’s particularity. That is, although Christ has made God accessible to us, there is still a part of God that is set apart from us. For some people, this would include the sin/repentance dynamic found throughout the biblical narrative, but I understand Bell not putting that here (even though it does undergird much of the last two chapters). For me, he loses the radical ‘God at risk’ element we find in his acceptance of us.

Also, Bell’s book falls mainly within the realm of abstract thought. This would not be a problem if he did not specifically attempt to give practical applications in the last chapter. They mostly fall flat as such, but lead to an interesting discussion of how we should reformulate our sense of community in light of God.

But such critiques do not draw away from the impact of the total book. As always, Bell is compelling in the questions he pursues. Although there is a lack of defined theology, I feel that this is what the church needs to hear.

In many ways it’s funny. The evangelical church began as a relational way of connecting with Christians in light of the hard-line denominationalism of Protestantism at the time – that is, too much doctrine. But now we face many evangelicals facing the same problem with doctrine becoming an idol itself. We obsess over secondary questions such as the proper way to read Genesis in light of evolutionary theory.

There will always be a tension between the traditional and the relational aspects of Christianity. At the end of the Pauline corpus in 2 Timothy we see pseudo-Paul arguing for more traditional forms of authority to help combat the presumable excess fostered by the largely Spirit-led church through much of the first century. In essence, it’s the beginnings of Catholic ecclesiastical structure and it served a purpose at the time, even though it faced its own pitfalls later.

Bell’s thoughts need to be heard and integrated into the Church’s own thought, but not deemed the final word. I feel he would agree. His thoughts bring their own pitfalls and excesses to the table, but to ignore him because of this would only allow us to continues ignoring our own faults.

3 Highlights:
As per usual, Bell introduces the reader to a plethora of foreign and ancient terms that we can continue to mull over like ruach or splagchnon.

Bell has some pretty good thoughts in the chapter “Ahead” dealing with Old Testament laws. Everything he mentions has been pretty well worn in scholarly discussions over these passages in the mainline Protestant tradition for years, but it’s good to see a moderated liberalism being introduced to the evangelical sphere.

Some people like all of his little sarcastic remarks, some don’t. I personally love them. My favorite was when he referred to Keith Richards as a premier “British theologian.”

Rating: 4/5

[HG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Rob Bell, but this wasn’t as good as his other books. I ended up skimming most of this but I did really like the “Ahead” chapter. It gave me a new perspective on “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.” People tend to use this verse to justify getting revenge but it really means that the punishment for a wrong should fit the sin and not go overboard. Also, when the Torah talks about how men should take women as their wives after winning a war, the Bible is talking about how women should be given a place in the home and not treated as property. While primitive to us, this was revolutionary back then.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book. Short and sweet (4 1/2 hours of an audiobook--I listened to it in 2 sittings, a flight and a bus ride). I was hoping he would get at his title "what we talk about when we talk about God" and he does. Lots and lots of good metaphors (and some cheesy ones, but ok). Super readable too-- Accessible, accessible accessible! The audiobook is read by Rob Bell and I couldn't love the execution more. It will be a good day when I read this book again.

The theme I understood from this book reminded me of something I read in Frank Schaeffer's "Patience with God" when Schaeffer said something like 'life alternates between meaningful and meaningless. As soon as we start to say the world is meaningful, something heinous happens which is absolutely unexplainable, so we start to lose trust in something that orders the world, let alone cares about individuals. Then something beautiful happens, and our eyes are opened to the beautiful complexity and cannot honestly say this is all random meaningless chance."

Bell tells a story of sometime when he was a pastor going back and forth on the meaningful/meaningless scale ...the only problem was it was a sunday, easter sunday. And he was expected to preach a sermon on how everything was going great and God was there etc. etc. etc. ...I wonder if he will ever tell that story publicly in a more candid way. It would help my processing, but who knows the difficulty that could be there. From that story comes this book.

Bell spends most of his time talking about the meaningful side.

In the beginning Bell starts out by acknowledging he is opening a (or, another!) can of worms with this topic. Many people say "God" but mean so many different things. He tries to explain the common theme between most people when they talk about God, or even perhaps prescribe what we should mean...If I (taylor) had my way we would all start here and define this divinity, this God, where Bell does. To my joy I think he distinguishes well between the parts of this God that are almost universal in acceptance and then the parts that are his beliefs. For example, most people will say that there is some kind of good energy that is present when genuine Love, Joy, Peace is/are present, but not everyone will say that that energy is personal and loving. He also notes that he is a christian and understands God through the person of Jesus, which is funny because most of the people I know who identify with that would say that Bell is a heretic and mock him for saying that. I don't know if he gets very many points from those outside of american christianity for saying that either.

This book isn't so much about a religious definition of God, though he derives most of his metaphors from the Christian/Jewish traditions. It is more about the things we are talking about when we honestly talk about divinity we have experienced. It is the best attempt I've seen at separating what we've inherited from our cultures when talking about God and what actually is probably real. He is not trying to convince anyone to join a tradition, or leave one for that matter, but trying to help you see a connection between the love, joy and peace we experience despite the things in life telling us it is meaningless.

My only obvious critique is that he spends a good amount of time after the introduction on scientific factoids and how according to the best calculations, we know about 4% (or was it 6%? --a small number anyways) of what we think the universe is about. He then talks about some things science can't explain about itself, and transfers that knowledge to the spiritual using some quotes by scientists. Not that its bad, but I think it negatively affects the readability. It's a fair amount about atoms and particles and space and light speed, quantum theory etc.

Overall, as I listened I felt like there was a grateful and awe inspiring sentiment I had. I wanted people to stop their arguing and love. There's a story he tells about speaking at a conference with the dalai lama and archbishop desmond tutu promoting peace between cultures and religions. There were protesters. Christians. He said why are there people who would spend their afternoons protesting a conference about peace?! ...I felt similarly watching the sunset in Uluwatu in Bali. If you've seen that sunset I'm not sure you could be angry enough to kill, but you may love enough to allow yourself to be killed like Jesus did. ...I digress...thank you Rob Bell for not just preaching that sermon that easter sunday and moving on, but diving down into your doubts to see how far the rabbit hole goes, I think you've found something really good.

[Blake Atwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here are four ways to know you're reading a Rob Bell book: Discussion of Hebrew words? Check. Exposition of Old Testament context? Check. Vague, hopeful ruminations on Christianity? Check.
Single.
Word.
Sentences?
Check.

For as many books as he's written now, Bell has developed a distinctive style and voice, one that both preaches to a growing and restless choir within Christianity while simultaneously revolting its more conservative members.

In What We Talk about ... , Bell uses small words to convey immense ideas about God, the universe and everything else: hum, open, both, with, for, ahead, and so. The hum chapter speaks to the complexity of the universe and its relationship to our atomic building blocks, but these are ideas I've read before. In fact, I felt as if I'd read most of this book before, in some form or fashion. Little about it particularly arrested me.

Despite that, I appreciated Bell's repeated insistence that God is for us, an idea that some twist to their gain and yet others fail to wholly believe because of the hardness of life. If Christians could honestly wrap their minds around the "withness" and "forness" of Jesus, Christianity may be able to humbly stumble forward into the next chapter of the faith without internal discord and external culture wars.

[Marty Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does one find their way in the current world of theological ideologies, loud-mouthed opinions, biblical hermeneutics and the like? More importantly, what happens to God (or more realistically, our understanding of God) in the meantime?

Bell continues to re-articulate the gospel and repaint the Christian faith in a way that resonates with the typical 'every-day' thinker. While keeping away from the high and lofty academic discussions fit for those with ministry training, the discussion certainly challenges every reader in profound ways.

Rob takes his philosophical approach to theology and asks some big questions -- some may even say THE big questions -- about who God is. He challenges the reader to be open about the possibilities and realize that language both helps and hurts the theological conversation. He then makes some profound statements about God as seen through Jesus. God is WITH us, God is FOR us, and God is AHEAD of us. Wrapping up the book with a section on "so what", Bell challenges us to talk about God differently.

I personally feel as though this conversation may be even more foundational than the conversation of Love Wins. In approaching our fundamental understandings of who God is, the conversation seems to rise above the arguments of biblical hermeneutics. It certainly will be more practical for the "typical person" who doesn't have theological conversations on a regular basis.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I compiled a Goodreads shelf of all the books mentioned in the bibliography of this book. Enjoy!

---------
I loved this book. I've read most of Rob Bell's and this was by far my favorite. Surprisingly, the first section is all about quantum and astrophysics. But his point is that the more we learn about about science and faith, the more overlap there are between the two fields.

This is not a theological book. Nor is it a tough philosophy read. It's more like a consolation of faith and science, an argument for the faith community to progress scientifically, and vice versa. With a little armchair psychology thrown in.

The book is well written, in Bell's typically poetic form. You can tell the man loves a good turn of phrase, because the epilogue includes a list of cool-sounding phrases, just for funzies. Speaking of the epilogue, he has an absolutely awesome bibliography. I seriously added about ten books from his bibliography to my reading list.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard Bell speak about the content of this book when I listened to a talk he gave at some Christian school in Tennessee (maybe it was a seminary). It sort of reminded me, the whole book, I mean, of the first section of Mere Christianity--reaffirming how God is a part of all of our lives, that there is not one person on earth who doesn't interact with God (whether they know it or not). Obviously, this is not a book for everyone, especially atheists easily triggered to anger by the mention of the divine. But as someone who is, despite all, pretty crazy about the person of Jesus, I found a lot in this book to affirm that affection.

Of all of his books, this is the least "Christian." He hardly talks about Jesus at all, though Jesus does come up enough to make someone who isn't a Christian uncomfortable. I think, though, that the main point of this book is to give perspective about God's generous, orderly, and loving nature in a world where chaos tends be a little more obvious.


Thanks Rob Bell, again, for the right words when I needed them.

[Tom LA · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author's intent is clearly very positive, and I loved the book for that inspiring energy, but, based on what I was looking for, this was not the book for me. The theologic reasoning doesn't even scratch the surface of the main themes around "God" already handled centuries ago by the great spiritual thinkers, not only Christian ones like the Fathers of the Church, but Muslim and Hindu too. After reading "The experience of God" by David Bentley Hart, I have to be honest, this felt like drinking watered-down Pepsi after having had a glass of Chateau Brion Graves 1975.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t much of a review, more of a thought or two.

I first learned of Rob Bell through Pete Holmes’ podcast. He refers to a few spiritual and/or Christian/Christ-leaning leaders frequently. Rob Bell is one of them.

If you are a hard-liner then Bell may not be for you, but personally I love the way he explains and/or rationalizes his view points.

I don’t necessarily share all of his views on what/who/where/why/how God is, but I feel he does a better job at packaging his views than most pastors. He doesn’t spend too much time getting into the weeds in a word-for-word analysis of what the Bible and its passages mean, partly because I think he feels that would be missing the point.

Despite that, he does break down multiple (in his view) common misinterpretations of famous Christian beliefs and sayings, including what “eye for an eye” actually meant when it was first written. That is, it wasn't about revenge.

It’s fascinating stuff really, regardless of what your “beliefs” are. I put that word in quotes because we all have a set of beliefs that we’ve put our faith/confidence in whether we look at it that way or not.

And now, time for a song:

https://youtu.be/nlaoR5m4L80?si=YtjnK...

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant. Rob Bell challenges the intellectualism of the Western Church by explaining that, when we focus on knowledge about something we are missing the point; it is the experience of that something, or someone, that we should seek. It is within this context that Bell says, "To elevate abstract doctrines and dogmas over living, breathing, embodied experiences of God's love and grace, then, is going the wrong direction. It's taking flesh and turning it back into words" (149).

Unfortunately, some may misunderstand Bell to be saying that doctrine is not important--which is a complete misreading of what he is trying to say. What Bell is attempting to do is reintroduce a kind of mysticism necessary within the context of a transcendent God.

This book was a great read, and one that many modern evangelicals, who are wrapped up in head knowledge, would benefit from reading. Sadly, most won't because it was written by... Wait for it... Rob Bell. In fact, the only reason this book is controversial (besides Bell's old earth creationism, which in my book isn't a problem) is because of who authored it.

I would highly suggest reading it.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all of Bell's books and have enjoyed and been challenged by each one in different ways. My reading life has been in a bit of a dry season, so it was with great anticipation that I started this book. The first four chapters were a letdown for me, seemed mostly re-hashed material from "Everything is Spiritual" and previous work (not that I didn't benefit from that material, it was just not fresh for me).

Fortunately for me, chapter 5 follows chapter 4, and chapter 6 follows 5, as chapter 7 follows 6. These three chapters make the book, I loved reading this! My conclusion is that this is not his best work but it still has value:
•for the post-modern seeker, makes a good effort at relieving the perceived tension between the material and spiritual.
•from the Christian worldview, it is a perspective different than Christian fundamentalism, which seems to get most of the attention.
•chapters 5 and 6 propose a compelling (compelling because it's more accurate???) theology for those that are haunted by, or have rejected the theology of their past.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 / 5

I journaled a LOT with this one. I'm going to need some time to correlate my thoughts and opinions and write them down before I settle on something.

I liked it and some of it I already know or had ideas about. More spiritual than religious, which I prefer. Some stuff I didn't agree with, stuff I did. Some stuff I wasn't sure about so I journaled and it came to me.

The idea of "taking a beautiful woman unto yourself" that's commanded in the Bible didn't need to be apologetic-ized. It can just as easily, and in my opinion it's better to, simply drop that and have the Bible take the L there. It isn't progressive to treat a woman like property just because you shelter her. You do the same thing to cars in a garage, but they are still your cars to do with as you see fit.

I think spirituality is so much bigger than a religion box, and I agree with his stepping away from labels regarding it. Useful? sure, but also confining. Like any hierarchy.

Maybe I'll put more thoughts as I poke through again and journal.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m unfairly comparing this to his other book: “What is the Bible,” which I thought overall was ‘better’ and ‘more illuminating.’ That is not to say this is a bad book by any means. It calls to the fore what should be the crux of the Christian faith and the many things that can distract us or distance us from that crux of the Christian faith, or sidetrack is completely. Overall I thought this book was very well done, pointed out how the argument of science versus religion is a misguided and fruitless struggle that misses the point of the core tenets of Jesus’ message entirely and is really beside the point (among the many other ‘distractions’ mentioned). I highlighted many passages to revisit at a future date or for future encouragement.

[Trey Nowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pastor I think that is very progressive for this day and age. I think many would actually enjoy his views and non judgmental attitude with the way he writes. A breath of fresh air when you are looking for someone talking to the average person about God and how to live life.

[EKR · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, with caveats and context. I’ve got a lot of thoughts and there are a lot of layers to my impressions, many of which I won’t unpack here, so this won’t be super articulate.

I tried reading this book a couple months ago, and had to put it down. I couldn’t stand Rob Bell’s writing style or tone or maybe even his personality. I went in biased against him as a white male mega church ego centric preacher dude, and so it’s no surprise I couldn’t get past the first page or two.

But something about it was pulling me to give it another shot, so I dropped my judgement and condescension. I went in open and without feeling the need to either agree 100% or prepare a counter argument. I just read the book.

And I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was interesting. It put to words some things I’ve experienced and felt, and it offered a few new perspectives on some other things. It was easy and accessible and not theological or intellectual at all; I often prefer something more challenging in that sense. This wasn’t a class or a debate or an analysis. (Or even particularly good writing.) But it was interesting and resonant and refreshing.

I found myself wishing I had read this as a teenager, and wondering how it would have impacted my faith and my experience of the world. And I want to share it with my teenager, to let it help me explain to my sons how I feel the “hum of reverence” when I’m at the ocean or looking at the stars or listening to music or watching them play or witnessing people come together or strangers connect and share a moment. It can help me explain to them that God is so much more expansive than the constraints of typical explanation, that we’re part of something sacred and connected and much bigger than we are, that we are being drawn forward to repair brokenness and to connect to the world around us. That faith and science and intellect are not in conflict. And for them to read that message in a book where they can re-read and think about things in new ways, and ponder connections they haven’t made before.

This book may be too simplistic for people who think often and deeply about spirituality and God and the universe, but it may be profound for teens or for people who have had a very traditional religious upbringing.

I’m glad I read it, and I’m better for having dropped my condescension and opened to listening to someone I had prematurely decided I wouldn’t like. This book offered me a bridge to someone and a way of thinking that is different from who and what I typically interact with, and I found I could agree and relate and engage and think in new ways. So that was good, too.

Takeaway - this book was another that is helping me reconcile what I’ve been taught/raised with about faith and God and the Bible, with what I believe now and how I want to raise my kids.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a Rob Bell book in years and I forgot how wonderful a writer he is. I've always appreciated Bell's work and the primary reason I stopped reading his books is price - he got popular enough that his books never crept down in price! Of course, that's the publisher...but anyway.

I created a new shelf just for this book. The thing is, lots of Christians find Bell dangerous and even a bit scary. I know people who shudder when they hear his name (though they admit they haven't read his books). Yet the first chapter in this book is brilliant. Bell talks about the complexity, beauty and wonder of the universe we find ourselves in, from the very big of galaxies and black holes to the very small of quarks and particles. All this to end up by saying that to be truly open minded is to leave space for God. To reject God outright is the closed position.

Its fascinating that to some degree, this is standard Christian apologetics. But Bell just does it better. He writes a book I could see skeptics actually reading and being interested in. Let me clarify, not skeptics who enjoy reading philosophy and such. I am thinking of people who tend not to read books about God because they just find God irrelevant or pointless. I am thinking of normal people who take their kids to school and soccer, who work hard and spend weekends doing home improvement and all that. Bell writes in a way that everyday people could connect with. I would give this first chapter, if not the whole book, to all sorts of people. In other words, perhaps people who don't read much at all would find Bell's book interesting.

The rest of the book is Bell talking about God as with us, ahead of us, for us (and maybe a few more). I suspect two things. People who already didn't like Bell and see him as heretical would deem this book also highly questionable. People who do like Bell and are sympathetic will find this book helpful. Take the God ahead of us. Is this different then what we learned in Sunday school? Yes. But is this basically what people like NT Wright, Jurgen Moltmann and other top-notch theologians have said? Yes. Bell may take what those others taught and apply it slightly differently or go a step or two in a different direction. In general though, its a good and helpful book.

Perhaps I could be nitpicky about a few things. Of course, I don't think Bell's target audience is people like me. And I doubt he's concerned with my nitpicky-ness. Overall, if you're someone who is skeptical of faith and Christians, or someone who has been around church in a while and finding it all stale, I'd recommend this book. For the record, my favorite book of Bell's was Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and I find this book most similar to that. Velvet Elvis was good but not memorable and Love Wins was controversial and brought up lots of good topics but lacked the notes and bibliography to show where Bell was coming from which this one thankfully has. I even noted a few books Bell mentioned as ones I need to read.

[David S Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How you believe and what you believe are two different things.”

I am convinced that Bell is a genius. Not in the way that we often prescribe a genius. Bell is a curator and connector. His ability to see seemingly random things and tie them together in such a way that beauty and wonder can be found in them is a real gift to us.

Sure he’s not as worried about the traditions you might want him to be worried about, but in this book about God, or rather how we talk about him, he explains why. The God revealed to us in Jesus is both with us and for us (in more ways than we might imagine) but also ahead of us. To talk about this God then is to see the traditions and past history of God, not as something we are called to preserve and maintain, but rather as a map to guide us into the future that God has for us each individually and collectively.

As a pastor I find myself thinking that more of us should talk about God the way that Bell does here. It’s curious and inquisitive, which I think is a deeply human way to think about things. But I mean human in an expansive way. Religion and Science both tend to think in reductionist ways, which is what Bell really wants you to realise (amongst other things) in this book. To cease thinking in such small categories better prepares us to talk about God.

Here’s the thing about Bell. He’s easy to bash. His style, rhetoric and ambiguity frustrate so-called scholars like me (so we write “better” books which no-one reads or understands). But I think he’s also doing something significant for lots of people. In all the hurt and traditionalism within the church, I think he’s helping more than a few people hold on to their trust in God while they figure out what they’re doing or where they’re going. Sure I think that if everyone read more Karl Barth or St Paul they’d figure it out, but seriously, who’s going to do that? But Bell is the easy step, the safe recommendation. Honestly, I’d happily hand this book to anyone on the edge of faith, at very least what they’ll hear is of a God who is for them. Something they probably don’t hear enough in church.

[Marnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas, engaging stories. Main point: everything is spiritual - (I should have read Heschel.)

[Louis Fritz v · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, when I heard Rob Bell was coming out with another book, I was apprehensive given my distaste for Love Wins and its presentation of more what ifs than genuine thoughts or research to direct the reader to follow. Yet, when I watched the Podcast for his newest text, I was please with his comments and had to download the ebook for myself right away.

Right away, the reader can see a distinct difference between this and Love Wins as the text is promoting a theology crafted through the simple phrase, "God is with us, for us, and ahead of us." Yet, this phrasing is not simply a pop theology seeking to minimize the greatness of God; rather, it is presenting it in simple terms because the elaboration of these terms is so great. Rob Bell illustrates this theology through his experiences in both general revelation - the viewing of God in nature - and special revelation - the viewing of God through the Scriptures. While Bell admits that the majority of his understanding of such terms are taken from the research of others, Bell does well to craft a coherent flow which builds upon itself.

Furthermore, what may be startling for some, Bell's theology is clearly orthodox in the general sense. On speaking of the human condition, Bell states clearly that it is not about perfect people; rather, it is imperfection made perfect through Jesus:

"Gospel insists that God doesn’t wait for us to get ourselves polished, shined, proper, and without blemish— God comes to us and meets us and blesses us while we are still in the middle of the mess we created. Gospel isn’t us getting it together so that we can have God’s favor; gospel is us finding God exactly in the moment of our greatest not-togetherness. . . .Gospel isn’t doing enough good to be worthy; it’s your eyes being opened to your unworthiness and to Jesus’s insistence that that was never the way it worked in the first place."

Further elaborating on what is made available to the believer:

"The peace we are offered is not a peace that is free from tragedy, illness, bankruptcy, divorce, depression, or heartache. It is peace rooted in the trust that the life Jesus gives us is deeper, wider, stronger, and more enduring than whatever our current circumstances are, because all we see is not all there is and the last word about us and our struggle has not yet been spoken."

Such theology clearly mirrors the teachings of key biblical theologians throughout history who have promoted the depravity of man, yet the holistic nature of Christ's rebirth within the individual. Now admittedly, Bell does not confirm or deny the fullness to which one's commitment to Jesus is, yet for the purpose of introducing the significant part Jesus plays on the heart of the individual, his material is spot on.

That being said, this text is not necessarily the core text whereby an individual can here the Gospel message and find salvation right away. But I do believe this text is a very useful tool in reaching people who desire to ask the very question Bell's question alludes, "Who in fact is this God the Christians and other religions are so ready to talk about?" Hopefully strong Christians can use a text or a page from Bell's methodology in order to bridge the gap between the nonbeliever and Jesus and bring them closer to the God who is with us, for us, and ahead of us.

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great!

A very unique look at God from a very neutral perspective - people across faiths can enjoy it.

Rob Bell was a part of Oprah's 'The Life You Want Weekend' that I attended this fall and his talk was one of the best of the whole weekend. That is why I got this book.

Oprah believes, and so do I, that "there is no life without the spiritual life." We all have a spiritual component to us as humans and to deny that is to deny part of our very humanness!

I can see why Oprah likes Rob Bell so much because that is basically the message of this book. We all have issues with organized religion. I'm not saying I don't - at times even the best and most sincere religious people are going to let you down. Why? Because they are people - just like you and me!

But Bell reminds us not to transfer those feelings to God. He gives us some easy ways to think about God that are free from all the church doctrine.

He does a lot of talking about the universe and science as a way of illustrating what he has to say. Surprising, as most people feel that science and faith cannot go together. Bell believes they can. He talks about how some things that we might call IMPOSSIBLE are actually happening every day - at the atomic level. Unless one is a physicist one might never know these things - and I was fascinated to learn them. Amazing and "impossible" things are happening all around us - how does that not point to the existence of God?

In fact, what I remember most from his Oprah talk was the idea that we humans are made of the same particles as the stars! We have a part of the vastness of the universe in us at all times - so how could we ever think we don't matter?

I think this book should be read by everyone - those that call themselves "religious" and those that think religion and God are just not for them. To the "religious" people Bell will give you a broader vision of God that goes beyond all the "rules." To the non-religious, Bell shows why God is not so bad.

A truly inspirational book, a perfect blend of faith and science that is both simple and very well written. Did I mention that I LOVE this book? :)

[Steven Fouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rob Bell tackles the most important, least asked question that humans face: what is God like? The answer to this question shapes not only how we see God, but how we see ourselves and those around us and how we choose to act. It's a question we need to ask more often, and Rob tackles it well here.

The Good: Rob is one of the few writers that can write about God or what it means to follow Jesus in a way that makes me think, "I've thought that for a while now, but I've never seen those ideas in print." His writing is fluid, and his breadth and depth of knowledge are impressive and at times subtle. This may be his most important book, but unfortunately one of his least popular ones.

The Bad: Rob's reputation particularly with people who have never read his writings. Unfortunately, those same people most need the discussion contained in these pages, even if they disagree with his conclusions. Everyone should think about exactly who and what God is, but I suspect some people will avoid the subject simply because Rob wrote about it.

The Ugly: This book, while thoroughly enjoyable, is awkwardly paced. The second chapter, which is really the first chapter after the introduction, is 60 pages long, or roughly 1/3 of the book. This wouldn't be a big deal, except the book has seven chapters, which means that chapter is enormous compared to the others. If you get started and just think the book will never end, push through that ginormous chapter and the pacing will pick up. The long second/first chapter was some of my favorite content, but it makes the book seem strangely laid-out.

In short, everyone (Christians, Skeptics, Short People, People with Three Eyes) should read this book and think about exactly what we are talking about when we talk about God. This book is great for getting to the heart of that matter. Read it.

[Charles Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple caveats before I get to the real business of this post – reviewing Rob Bell’s most recent book What We Talk About When We Talk About God.

To like or dislike a book is not an endorsement/rejection of a person. I can like a book by someone I generally disagree with and vice versa. I don’t believe in theological “guilt by association.” Someone told me years ago that I shouldn’t be so public about which books/authors I read. I think that’s ridiculous. In fact, maybe we should only read books that are provocative or from “dissenting voices.”
Yes, I agree with some of the literary reviews of Bell. Namely, his writing style annoys me. I could listen to him speak for hours, and he’s good at writing in his speaking voice. But writing is a different medium than speaking and should therefore be approached h differently. Too much white space, one word paragraphs, etc.
Yes, it’s often annoying that Bell isn’t very transparent about his sources or what he’s really saying.
I don’t read Bell’s books looking for answers, I read them because he asks the same questions that I ask and is as unsatisfied with the “standard response” as I usually am. I don’t think of him as a theologian, but a poet. What I mean by that is to be a “theologian” requires precision, ample cross referencing, citing sources, etc. Whereas a poet is more concerned with painting a picture – or the beauty of the thing. We need BOTH poets & theologians in the church. I particularly think of Bell as a poet-provocateur – someone who is looking to start conversations, not answer questions.
Having thus qualified my review... for full review, see my blog.