What do you think?
Rate this book
Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile
There is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building. Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty. This is a book about those two numbers.Jesus Wants to save Christians is a book about faith and fear, wealth and war, poverty, power, safety, terror, Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity.It's about empty empires and the truth that everybody's a priest. It's about oppression, occupation, and what happens when Christians support, animate and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.It's about what it means to be a part of the church of Jesus in a world where some people fly planes into buildings while others pick up groceries in Hummers.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2008
213 people are currently reading
2835 people want to read
About the author
Rob Bell
75 books1,646 followersRob 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
May 18, 2012
I just have finished the book and, I confess, I'm in way over my pay grade. The introduction just begins the discussion with a little story of how our misguided efforts to protect ourselves only manages to further dehumanize us and enslave us (leaving little for our known enemies to do that would be more injurious than what we are doing to our society ourselves). It really seems to be a digression from the main point of the book unless you can see it in the light of a world system doing all it can to protect itself from those it has enslaved by its greed.
It can hardly be denied that those who have more than others, especially if their wealth is achieved by the underpaid (or unpaid) labor of others make natural targets for the wrath of their victims that has often led to revolutions like that of the Israelites who cried to God because of their cruel treatment and were rescued by his intervention.
(99% of OUR people are basically slaves, only receiving enough to keep them HOPING that they will be able to vault into the truly privileged 1% that owns 80% of the productive assets of the world. People are beginning to cry out as the Israelies did in Egypt and God always hears the cry of the oppressed. You can and do mock them because even in their lowly estate they imitate their oppressors by what they own and do (within their credit limits).)
Egypt built “treasure” cities to hold all their wealth and they built them with the labor of slaves. Ah but God delivers them and calls them to himself at Sinai for a wedding between himself and all of his people. They have been slaves so long they let their fear gain control - when they wonder if Moses has died - 1) worshiping an idol (breaking a commandment they haven’t even heard yet and 2) asking Moses to be their go-between so God won’t kill them. After the image and those who made it are destroyed. Moses brings back the 2nd set of 10 commandments.
God wants them to act as beings made in HIS image but first he has to get them out of some bad habits of thinking about him and themselves (from their slave past) so he begins by saying 1) Hey! Look, there aren’t any other gods, masters or lords, so don’t venerate and obey any other creature AS god. 2) Don’t even TRY to depict what I look like because your depiction (a creation of yours) will receive the honor and praise that you should only give to ME. Want to know what I look like? Look at yourself. I made YOU in MY image. YOU are not a slave. YOU are a prince and a priest. 3) The world will judge ME by how YOU act and I will not hold anyone guiltless who dishonors me by their words or acts. 4) Slaves work every day, but you are FREE men and in recognition of this fact you must rest one day every week (just as I did when I made the world and you). You will call this day the “Sabbath” and will treat it as a holy day.
Then God can begin to address how they are supposed to act in society to bring honor to his name (as a natural consequence of being faithful priests), first to those close to them then to others. Honor your father and mother, respect and obey them, so they are never forced by your rebellious behavior to bring you to the elders to be stoned to death. Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t desire to have/take what belongs to someone else. Don’t commit adultery.
With the basics taken care of God begins to reveal his plan of redeeming all of mankind by changing the way people treat the lawbreaker, the foreigner, the widow, the orphan, the servant and the poor. Former slaves are being taught how to act so they will not become (to others) like the Egyptians were to them: haughty, heartless, unforgiving, overbearing, and cruel. Does God expect the lawbreaker to be treated with respect? Yes. Deuteronomy 25:3 “but the judge must not impose more than forty lashes. If the guilty party is flogged more than that, your fellow Israelite will be degraded in your eyes.”
God fulfilled his promise, settling Israel in its land but Israel did not do what it promised Moses (and God) at Sinai. Israel took up the ways of Egypt and empire and God being true to his word, heard the cry of their downtrodden, and sent them BACK into captivity, shame and slavery first under Babylon, then Assyria and finally Rome at the time of Christ. Christ came as a servant, not as a king. He rode into Jerusalem on a gentle donkey not a war horse. His apostles didn’t ‘get-it’ until they will filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost that he was not restoring the empire of David or Solomon but though them was restoring the perfect righteousness of HIS rule in the lives of men. Once again we drifted away into a cloistered, venerated, wealthy, corrupt priesthood and blind, needy enslaved people.
Some are still crying and waiting for our exodus while the Pharaohs in our society grow more powerful and wealthy. Some don’t know they are part of Pharaoh’s supporters and plan for expensive remodeling of church buildings when almost 1 in 5 of their neighbors is desperately poor. This is not good stewardship in God’s kingdom.
It can hardly be denied that those who have more than others, especially if their wealth is achieved by the underpaid (or unpaid) labor of others make natural targets for the wrath of their victims that has often led to revolutions like that of the Israelites who cried to God because of their cruel treatment and were rescued by his intervention.
(99% of OUR people are basically slaves, only receiving enough to keep them HOPING that they will be able to vault into the truly privileged 1% that owns 80% of the productive assets of the world. People are beginning to cry out as the Israelies did in Egypt and God always hears the cry of the oppressed. You can and do mock them because even in their lowly estate they imitate their oppressors by what they own and do (within their credit limits).)
Egypt built “treasure” cities to hold all their wealth and they built them with the labor of slaves. Ah but God delivers them and calls them to himself at Sinai for a wedding between himself and all of his people. They have been slaves so long they let their fear gain control - when they wonder if Moses has died - 1) worshiping an idol (breaking a commandment they haven’t even heard yet and 2) asking Moses to be their go-between so God won’t kill them. After the image and those who made it are destroyed. Moses brings back the 2nd set of 10 commandments.
God wants them to act as beings made in HIS image but first he has to get them out of some bad habits of thinking about him and themselves (from their slave past) so he begins by saying 1) Hey! Look, there aren’t any other gods, masters or lords, so don’t venerate and obey any other creature AS god. 2) Don’t even TRY to depict what I look like because your depiction (a creation of yours) will receive the honor and praise that you should only give to ME. Want to know what I look like? Look at yourself. I made YOU in MY image. YOU are not a slave. YOU are a prince and a priest. 3) The world will judge ME by how YOU act and I will not hold anyone guiltless who dishonors me by their words or acts. 4) Slaves work every day, but you are FREE men and in recognition of this fact you must rest one day every week (just as I did when I made the world and you). You will call this day the “Sabbath” and will treat it as a holy day.
Then God can begin to address how they are supposed to act in society to bring honor to his name (as a natural consequence of being faithful priests), first to those close to them then to others. Honor your father and mother, respect and obey them, so they are never forced by your rebellious behavior to bring you to the elders to be stoned to death. Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t desire to have/take what belongs to someone else. Don’t commit adultery.
With the basics taken care of God begins to reveal his plan of redeeming all of mankind by changing the way people treat the lawbreaker, the foreigner, the widow, the orphan, the servant and the poor. Former slaves are being taught how to act so they will not become (to others) like the Egyptians were to them: haughty, heartless, unforgiving, overbearing, and cruel. Does God expect the lawbreaker to be treated with respect? Yes. Deuteronomy 25:3 “but the judge must not impose more than forty lashes. If the guilty party is flogged more than that, your fellow Israelite will be degraded in your eyes.”
God fulfilled his promise, settling Israel in its land but Israel did not do what it promised Moses (and God) at Sinai. Israel took up the ways of Egypt and empire and God being true to his word, heard the cry of their downtrodden, and sent them BACK into captivity, shame and slavery first under Babylon, then Assyria and finally Rome at the time of Christ. Christ came as a servant, not as a king. He rode into Jerusalem on a gentle donkey not a war horse. His apostles didn’t ‘get-it’ until they will filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost that he was not restoring the empire of David or Solomon but though them was restoring the perfect righteousness of HIS rule in the lives of men. Once again we drifted away into a cloistered, venerated, wealthy, corrupt priesthood and blind, needy enslaved people.
Some are still crying and waiting for our exodus while the Pharaohs in our society grow more powerful and wealthy. Some don’t know they are part of Pharaoh’s supporters and plan for expensive remodeling of church buildings when almost 1 in 5 of their neighbors is desperately poor. This is not good stewardship in God’s kingdom.
August 8, 2011
...I'm still kind of waiting for the substance, like maybe if I keep thinking about what I read it will be revealed to me. Perhaps I'm being a little mean, but this book, though given the honorable task of calling Christians back to Christ, attempts this by making naive and indefensible generalizations about politics and history (of which I happen to be a student) through the lens of an only less naive interpretation of the Bible (not that I'm a scholar) which quite happily leaves out things like Jesus overturning the tables of the money-changers, seeming acceptance of slavery as a social fact, etc.
My complaint also stems from something typical of Bell and other emergent-church types: pure deconstructionism/criticism without any building back up. Of course, Bell says we are supposed to have more faith and rely less on theological systems and so forth, but Bell's answers to "how do we then live, or understand God?" seem to be, "well, read the bible and look at how nice Jesus is." But EVERYONE already knows how nice Jesus is. Even Nietzsche was able to like Christ if not Christianity. Just do whatever feels good, man. If it doesn't feel good, it's not from God. This sounds like something a stuffy old man would write about the youth, but my point is that I wanted a book that would plot a course, but it really was just kind of a high-floating sermon, and fairly preachy, too.
All this being said, it's a good book for someone new to these areas and will appeal to many people on the verge of becoming Christians or those who just want to find an outlet for the anger they have against the sins of the church. If I had read this 6 years ago I may have found it to be a little bit more compelling. As it is, I've been reading "the Sickness Unto Death" by Kierkegaard as I read Bell's book, and what I've found is that Kierkegaard has more lessons to teach Christians than any emergent church writer, and you can go ahead and throw the lessons of the Reformation on top of that. Kierkegaard gives a much different attitude towards people's feelings. He would ask: Where is the masculinity of Christianity, it's defiance against what people want, it's demand for perfection and honor, it's requirement of the subservience a knight owes to his king? Bell might answer: we need to present God in such a way that everyone would agree with him without any offense.
My complaint also stems from something typical of Bell and other emergent-church types: pure deconstructionism/criticism without any building back up. Of course, Bell says we are supposed to have more faith and rely less on theological systems and so forth, but Bell's answers to "how do we then live, or understand God?" seem to be, "well, read the bible and look at how nice Jesus is." But EVERYONE already knows how nice Jesus is. Even Nietzsche was able to like Christ if not Christianity. Just do whatever feels good, man. If it doesn't feel good, it's not from God. This sounds like something a stuffy old man would write about the youth, but my point is that I wanted a book that would plot a course, but it really was just kind of a high-floating sermon, and fairly preachy, too.
All this being said, it's a good book for someone new to these areas and will appeal to many people on the verge of becoming Christians or those who just want to find an outlet for the anger they have against the sins of the church. If I had read this 6 years ago I may have found it to be a little bit more compelling. As it is, I've been reading "the Sickness Unto Death" by Kierkegaard as I read Bell's book, and what I've found is that Kierkegaard has more lessons to teach Christians than any emergent church writer, and you can go ahead and throw the lessons of the Reformation on top of that. Kierkegaard gives a much different attitude towards people's feelings. He would ask: Where is the masculinity of Christianity, it's defiance against what people want, it's demand for perfection and honor, it's requirement of the subservience a knight owes to his king? Bell might answer: we need to present God in such a way that everyone would agree with him without any offense.
January 8, 2009
If you are not inspired to live like Jesus over and above living like an American after reading this book, you either completely missed the point or have some serious issues with syncretism to work out.
That said, Rob Bell paints a beautiful, poetic manifesto (for all the reviewers complaining about how 'short' the book was, perhaps a healthy understanding of expectations coming in would have been worthwhile) that far surpasses even his brilliant 'Velvet Elvis'. Bell says so much in so few words, cutting through the heady theology and allowing Jesus to pierce the heart of His followers to wake up and 'get it'.
Bell's book is framed around the idea that Jesus is not only saving the world,
but saving US.
You and me.
In America.
From the kingdom of comfort.
From the pursuit of power.
From the priority of preservation.
From the empire of indifference.
From an exile of irrelevance.
If the Church is to regain her authority in the world instead of settling for the preponderance of power in political realms, then it will be necessary to follow the urgings of Jesus and the trajectory of all human experience (encapsulated and emulated in YHWH's deliverance of His people from bondage in the exodus)from enslavement to liberation, from power to authority, and from despairing comfort to sacrificial hope.
Jesus Wants to Save Christians is the perfect manifesto for that journey.
That said, Rob Bell paints a beautiful, poetic manifesto (for all the reviewers complaining about how 'short' the book was, perhaps a healthy understanding of expectations coming in would have been worthwhile) that far surpasses even his brilliant 'Velvet Elvis'. Bell says so much in so few words, cutting through the heady theology and allowing Jesus to pierce the heart of His followers to wake up and 'get it'.
Bell's book is framed around the idea that Jesus is not only saving the world,
but saving US.
You and me.
In America.
From the kingdom of comfort.
From the pursuit of power.
From the priority of preservation.
From the empire of indifference.
From an exile of irrelevance.
If the Church is to regain her authority in the world instead of settling for the preponderance of power in political realms, then it will be necessary to follow the urgings of Jesus and the trajectory of all human experience (encapsulated and emulated in YHWH's deliverance of His people from bondage in the exodus)from enslavement to liberation, from power to authority, and from despairing comfort to sacrificial hope.
Jesus Wants to Save Christians is the perfect manifesto for that journey.
October 18, 2016
Once again, Rob Bell is crossing the line of the conservative, American Christian mindset. And once again, I can only imagine the militaristic agenda he denounces will undoubtedly be aimed at him from within the Church. That's why I love this book (and it's Biblical, providing a good slap in the face to dissenters).
April 3, 2018
Wow! This is a book that every American Christian needs to read!
I've read some reviews that "complain" that this is really just a written sermon, and, while I agree, I have to ask why that's a problem. Sometimes we need to be told, shown, reminded, "preached to" about what's important. That's what this book does. If the majority of Christians acted on the sermon in this book, Western Christianity might (would?) regain the credibility it has almost completely lost over the course of the past 40 or 50 years when it decided to forsake its mission and instead pursue political power at all costs. The subtitle of this book is important, but may be lost on the majority of Christians who don't realize that the church IS in exile.
My only concern with this book is that many Christians will perhaps mistake it as a "WE can save the world" manifesto; it might be perceived as incorrectly arguing that all we need to do is work hard for social justice and the world will be bright, shiny, and new again. Of course, we can (and MUST) make the world better for the oppressed, but the only final and perfect solution is Christ's return. I'm not saying that this book is arguing AGAINST this point, but rather that it doesn't really make it. And the book is correct in implying that too often Christians don't act as Christians are commanded to do because of our "laissez faire" attitude that all we have to do is wait for Jesus to come and fix everything.
I've read some reviews that "complain" that this is really just a written sermon, and, while I agree, I have to ask why that's a problem. Sometimes we need to be told, shown, reminded, "preached to" about what's important. That's what this book does. If the majority of Christians acted on the sermon in this book, Western Christianity might (would?) regain the credibility it has almost completely lost over the course of the past 40 or 50 years when it decided to forsake its mission and instead pursue political power at all costs. The subtitle of this book is important, but may be lost on the majority of Christians who don't realize that the church IS in exile.
My only concern with this book is that many Christians will perhaps mistake it as a "WE can save the world" manifesto; it might be perceived as incorrectly arguing that all we need to do is work hard for social justice and the world will be bright, shiny, and new again. Of course, we can (and MUST) make the world better for the oppressed, but the only final and perfect solution is Christ's return. I'm not saying that this book is arguing AGAINST this point, but rather that it doesn't really make it. And the book is correct in implying that too often Christians don't act as Christians are commanded to do because of our "laissez faire" attitude that all we have to do is wait for Jesus to come and fix everything.
November 27, 2008
Just minutes after the arrival of Thanksgiving Day 2008, this book serves as a reminder of one thing I’m especially thankful for this year.
Egypt.
My wife and I lived in an “Egypt” for a large portion of 2008.
I arrived in Egypt unexpectedly. I had no idea that I was headed there. Yet I am glad that I did not know. For had I known, I may have changed course, only to arrive there at a later date. Early on, I resisted Egypt, as if in denial of its existence or of my residence there. A time later, I accepted.
God wanted me in Egypt for this season. As painful and fearful as it was. He taught me so much while living there...
Uncertainty.
Certainty.
Faithfulness.
Provision.
Contentment.
Trust.
Unity.
Recently, God brought my family and I out of Egypt, out of our bondage. For this I am extremely thankful.
Yet, while I am thankful for His deliverance and a new season—a new Jerusalem—this book has taught me to remember Egypt. I want to live in the freedom of deliverance from Egypt but with the memory and awareness of my life in Egypt.
And so this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for Egypt.
Jesus wants to save [me] from...forgetting my Egypt.
Egypt.
My wife and I lived in an “Egypt” for a large portion of 2008.
I arrived in Egypt unexpectedly. I had no idea that I was headed there. Yet I am glad that I did not know. For had I known, I may have changed course, only to arrive there at a later date. Early on, I resisted Egypt, as if in denial of its existence or of my residence there. A time later, I accepted.
God wanted me in Egypt for this season. As painful and fearful as it was. He taught me so much while living there...
Uncertainty.
Certainty.
Faithfulness.
Provision.
Contentment.
Trust.
Unity.
Recently, God brought my family and I out of Egypt, out of our bondage. For this I am extremely thankful.
Yet, while I am thankful for His deliverance and a new season—a new Jerusalem—this book has taught me to remember Egypt. I want to live in the freedom of deliverance from Egypt but with the memory and awareness of my life in Egypt.
And so this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for Egypt.
Jesus wants to save [me] from...forgetting my Egypt.
Read
September 29, 2019Second time reading this, still good, still surprisingly relevant.
November 15, 2021
Lots to think about!
March 27, 2017
I think this is probably a lower rating than it deserves, but I read it directly after another book of his which was positively impacting. Also, I am reading this many years and deep revelations (for Mr. Bell) after having written it. Good insights,though. I just think both he and I have moved farther down the path. I do wish I would have found this earlier in my journey - I would have known I wasn't alone.
August 23, 2011
A fantastic look as the narrative of the Scriptures as it refers to social justice, the maringalized, and the oppressed. What narrative have we bought into? Are we really a church in exile? Do we represent the people of God or the empires of injustice?
December 31, 2019
I had never read this book before, but a lot of what Bell is getting at here feels like it could've been written for 2019 instead of 2008 when it was published. Very insightful.
November 5, 2009
I've really wrestled with many things in this book. It seems to me that the overall message Bell and Golden are sending is good--but there are moments in the book that made me stop and reconsider everything they'd just said. There were some leaps in logic that I wasn't able to get totally on board with.
Just like Velvet Elvis, I think this is a book to which I'll return to chew on some more. Until then, I'd recommend it to the critical thinking Christian who isn't afraid of the questions it leaves behind.
HERE'S A BLOG I POSTED WHICH DELVES MORE DEEPLY INTO MY "ISSUES" WITH THE BOOK:
So. This book has me feeling pretty ambivalent about some of the ideas presented. I like Rob Bell's style and approach . . . most of the time. And then there are these moments when I'm just tripping along, reading and agreeing, and all of a sudden he makes what appear to me to be HUGE leaps in logic. And because I've been in agreement thus far, I'm afraid that I missed more of them than I noticed.
I came out of this book feeling like I had been manipulated into agreement rather than persuaded, and I really hate to be manipulated.
Also, some of the theological, doctrinal, and spiritual "leaps" he makes make me . . . uncomfortable. Which, granted, is NOT always a bad thing. But very often he makes an irrefutable statement, uses some "if THIS, then THIS" logic on it, but when I look at where he landed from where he started, I see these small . . . holes? I don't know how to describe it, adequately. Basically, I have to think, "Yeah, this is ONE possible conclusion you could draw. But it's FAR from the only conclusion, and it may not even be the BEST conclusion."
There's something far deeper that concerns me, and it's not unique to this book, but there's a passage that illustrates quite nicely the idea/attitude that worries me.
"Imagine how dangerous it would be if there were Christians who skipped over the first-century meaning of John's letter and focused only on whatever it might be saying about future events, years and years away. There is always the chance that in missing the point, they may in the process be participating in and supporting and funding the various kinds of systems that the letter warns against participating in, supporting, and funding.
That would be tragic.
That wouldn't be what Jesus had in mind.
That would be anti-Jesus.
That would be anti-Christ."
[pg. 134:]
Here's what worries me about that passage. First of all, what apparently is being communicated here is the idea that, without complete understanding of Scripture, its history, its origins, its original audience, its original word meanings, its original structure, its original syntax, etc . . . that you cannot possibly correctly understand Scripture. It also is apparently communicating that if you miss those things, you're somehow connected to . . . the spirit of the anti-Christ.
I am not saying that those things aren't good, worthy pursuits. I think they are. But I read the above passage and I think, "What about the Christian in China who is lucky just to have access to a page of the Bible? Who has NO access to additional learning or study? Who couldn't possibly study all the nuances of Jewish history, the linguistic nuances of the Bible, or the cultural implications? What about that guy? Are you honestly telling me that his reading of Revelation (which is the book to which Bell is referring) will lead him to the anti-Christ because he understands it at face value?
How arrogant. How . . . immature. To assume that only upon extensive study and examination can the true meaning of Scripture be revealed and honored in our lives?
Foolishness.
Please understand, I'm not saying that study is bad. It's really, really good. It can unlock understandings that can take us deep into the heart of God.
But the idea that we cannot possibly be "true" Christians until we understand all those other things, or even that we will not be "good" Christians, or "the right kind" of Christians, is just . . .
false.
We still read Shakespeare, don't we? And people who have NO deep education or understanding of the man, his work, the delicate nuances or the balance of his word play, his life and times, Elizabethan theater, or anything of the sort--they still watch, enjoy, understand, and learn from his plays.
Do they get as much out of it as someone who has done the extensive studies?
No.
But do they entirely miss the point? Do they completely fail to understand anything? Is it useless and pointless for them to experience Shakespeare without the extensive studies (and therefore understanding)?
No.
Shakespeare's plays still do their work, even when we miss the little stuff.
And Shakespeare wrote for his immediate audience, only. He was not my Creator God, who knew even before he ever inspired a single word of Scripture that, not only would Isaiah, and David, and Jesus, and Paul be reading and understanding his words, but so would I.
We're talking about an author who meant for his words to be read by people of all ages, races, cultures, and generations.
We're talking about an author who sits with each of us as we read his words.
We're talking about an author who speaks to each of us as we read his words.
Who interprets for us.
Who releases revelation and understanding as his words enter the heart and mind of people who read with a genuine desire to seek him.
And if the rest of Bell's premise--that the Bible is the literature of and for the little guy, the marginalized, the obscure, the oppressed, the beaten down--if it's really for that guy, then the above ideas are elitist, at best, and down-right Pharisitical at worst.
You can't start out by saying that the Bible is all about being anti-empire and then say you can only truly understand it if you're a product of said empire and have enough education and resources available to you so that you are capable of understanding it.
I think it's good to study and unpack Scripture. I think it's worth it to do so. But I do not believe that missing what the original readers would have seen can, in any way, lead to the conclusion that it is somehow "anti-Christ."
Let me close with one last thought: I understand that Bell might be making a point that I am intentionally ignoring. That's not my focus. What bothers me is that he feels like it's okay to go to this extreme to make that point.
(I would also like to clarify that this is not something that I've found exclusively, or even predominantly, in Bell's work. I've seen in all over, in many places and expressed in many ways. And like I've already said, I tend to like Bell's ideas and his style. I'm not trying to discredit him personally or theologically. It's just that I think too many people read stuff by church leaders like him, and swallow it whole, without really thinking about it or comparing it to the Word, and I think that's the most dangerous thing we can EVER do with the words of men.)
Just like Velvet Elvis, I think this is a book to which I'll return to chew on some more. Until then, I'd recommend it to the critical thinking Christian who isn't afraid of the questions it leaves behind.
HERE'S A BLOG I POSTED WHICH DELVES MORE DEEPLY INTO MY "ISSUES" WITH THE BOOK:
So. This book has me feeling pretty ambivalent about some of the ideas presented. I like Rob Bell's style and approach . . . most of the time. And then there are these moments when I'm just tripping along, reading and agreeing, and all of a sudden he makes what appear to me to be HUGE leaps in logic. And because I've been in agreement thus far, I'm afraid that I missed more of them than I noticed.
I came out of this book feeling like I had been manipulated into agreement rather than persuaded, and I really hate to be manipulated.
Also, some of the theological, doctrinal, and spiritual "leaps" he makes make me . . . uncomfortable. Which, granted, is NOT always a bad thing. But very often he makes an irrefutable statement, uses some "if THIS, then THIS" logic on it, but when I look at where he landed from where he started, I see these small . . . holes? I don't know how to describe it, adequately. Basically, I have to think, "Yeah, this is ONE possible conclusion you could draw. But it's FAR from the only conclusion, and it may not even be the BEST conclusion."
There's something far deeper that concerns me, and it's not unique to this book, but there's a passage that illustrates quite nicely the idea/attitude that worries me.
"Imagine how dangerous it would be if there were Christians who skipped over the first-century meaning of John's letter and focused only on whatever it might be saying about future events, years and years away. There is always the chance that in missing the point, they may in the process be participating in and supporting and funding the various kinds of systems that the letter warns against participating in, supporting, and funding.
That would be tragic.
That wouldn't be what Jesus had in mind.
That would be anti-Jesus.
That would be anti-Christ."
[pg. 134:]
Here's what worries me about that passage. First of all, what apparently is being communicated here is the idea that, without complete understanding of Scripture, its history, its origins, its original audience, its original word meanings, its original structure, its original syntax, etc . . . that you cannot possibly correctly understand Scripture. It also is apparently communicating that if you miss those things, you're somehow connected to . . . the spirit of the anti-Christ.
I am not saying that those things aren't good, worthy pursuits. I think they are. But I read the above passage and I think, "What about the Christian in China who is lucky just to have access to a page of the Bible? Who has NO access to additional learning or study? Who couldn't possibly study all the nuances of Jewish history, the linguistic nuances of the Bible, or the cultural implications? What about that guy? Are you honestly telling me that his reading of Revelation (which is the book to which Bell is referring) will lead him to the anti-Christ because he understands it at face value?
How arrogant. How . . . immature. To assume that only upon extensive study and examination can the true meaning of Scripture be revealed and honored in our lives?
Foolishness.
Please understand, I'm not saying that study is bad. It's really, really good. It can unlock understandings that can take us deep into the heart of God.
But the idea that we cannot possibly be "true" Christians until we understand all those other things, or even that we will not be "good" Christians, or "the right kind" of Christians, is just . . .
false.
We still read Shakespeare, don't we? And people who have NO deep education or understanding of the man, his work, the delicate nuances or the balance of his word play, his life and times, Elizabethan theater, or anything of the sort--they still watch, enjoy, understand, and learn from his plays.
Do they get as much out of it as someone who has done the extensive studies?
No.
But do they entirely miss the point? Do they completely fail to understand anything? Is it useless and pointless for them to experience Shakespeare without the extensive studies (and therefore understanding)?
No.
Shakespeare's plays still do their work, even when we miss the little stuff.
And Shakespeare wrote for his immediate audience, only. He was not my Creator God, who knew even before he ever inspired a single word of Scripture that, not only would Isaiah, and David, and Jesus, and Paul be reading and understanding his words, but so would I.
We're talking about an author who meant for his words to be read by people of all ages, races, cultures, and generations.
We're talking about an author who sits with each of us as we read his words.
We're talking about an author who speaks to each of us as we read his words.
Who interprets for us.
Who releases revelation and understanding as his words enter the heart and mind of people who read with a genuine desire to seek him.
And if the rest of Bell's premise--that the Bible is the literature of and for the little guy, the marginalized, the obscure, the oppressed, the beaten down--if it's really for that guy, then the above ideas are elitist, at best, and down-right Pharisitical at worst.
You can't start out by saying that the Bible is all about being anti-empire and then say you can only truly understand it if you're a product of said empire and have enough education and resources available to you so that you are capable of understanding it.
I think it's good to study and unpack Scripture. I think it's worth it to do so. But I do not believe that missing what the original readers would have seen can, in any way, lead to the conclusion that it is somehow "anti-Christ."
Let me close with one last thought: I understand that Bell might be making a point that I am intentionally ignoring. That's not my focus. What bothers me is that he feels like it's okay to go to this extreme to make that point.
(I would also like to clarify that this is not something that I've found exclusively, or even predominantly, in Bell's work. I've seen in all over, in many places and expressed in many ways. And like I've already said, I tend to like Bell's ideas and his style. I'm not trying to discredit him personally or theologically. It's just that I think too many people read stuff by church leaders like him, and swallow it whole, without really thinking about it or comparing it to the Word, and I think that's the most dangerous thing we can EVER do with the words of men.)
March 17, 2025
I have listened through the Bema podcast a few times now (seasons 1-6) and I found that background very helpful to reading through this book. I see why Marty and Brent like Rob Bell’s work now.
I also see why some church leaders may push back against Rob’s teachings.
About 10 years ago I started feeling like I had “lost the narrative” myself of the bible, and saw how much Christians in both political parties seemed to nearly “hate” each other.
“This can’t be what Jesus planned for his church” I quietly started thinking to myself.
Rob’s message is a good one, a tough one, and a challenging one. One that will have me thinking, and “doing” more for those I come into contact with every day.
I also see why some church leaders may push back against Rob’s teachings.
About 10 years ago I started feeling like I had “lost the narrative” myself of the bible, and saw how much Christians in both political parties seemed to nearly “hate” each other.
“This can’t be what Jesus planned for his church” I quietly started thinking to myself.
Rob’s message is a good one, a tough one, and a challenging one. One that will have me thinking, and “doing” more for those I come into contact with every day.
June 13, 2022
"Jesus Wants to Save Christians" takes you on a journey through the Christian Bible, analyzing some of the greatest struggles of the Hebrew people and the reasons for their downfalls.
The reader is reminded that usually when nations have crumbled, it was because they put their own desires before the needs of the people. It was when they sought power and status and neglected the poor, the widowed and the vulnerable.
The authors do a great job of linking these struggles to current-day America, the modern Babylon of the world.
This book is a prophetic work, reminding us of what happens if we choose to live against God's plan for the world. Rather, if Christians truly want to be known as God's people and vessels in this world, we should intentionally seek to live out a Eucharist way of life in the world.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a well-constructed overview of the Christian Bible in a bite-sized chunk and understand the implications of this for our world and lives today.
The reader is reminded that usually when nations have crumbled, it was because they put their own desires before the needs of the people. It was when they sought power and status and neglected the poor, the widowed and the vulnerable.
The authors do a great job of linking these struggles to current-day America, the modern Babylon of the world.
This book is a prophetic work, reminding us of what happens if we choose to live against God's plan for the world. Rather, if Christians truly want to be known as God's people and vessels in this world, we should intentionally seek to live out a Eucharist way of life in the world.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a well-constructed overview of the Christian Bible in a bite-sized chunk and understand the implications of this for our world and lives today.
April 22, 2025
I think if you were to give me this book a few years ago I would have dismissed it as progressive Christian propaganda of some kind or something like that. Now I think even though it can be incredibly corny at times this would be a very helpful introduction into one of the most prominent themes throughout scripture, empire vs shalom. How do we as Christian’s in America deal with the fact that we are incredibly wealthy and the people who wrote the Bible were incredibly poor? Would recommend for anyone wanting to dig deeper into biblical themes from a different lens than maybe one is used too!
May 11, 2023
Rob Bell has been blasted in different evangelical circles over the course of time but I what I always appreciate about his writing and teaching, he consistently refuses to overcomplicate the gospel. This wasn’t my favorite of his books but I found his presentation of the the “Eucharist” beautifully accessible.
March 29, 2025
Good stuff. Agree with overall sentiment. Just wonder if it'd go a step further if written 15 years later.
April 16, 2021
I read this book when it first came out, and I thought it was cool but it sorta just got lost in my sea of books. Now that I'm older, 13 years older to be exact, I get it. I see how important this book was then and is now. Seeds were planted the first go, and I recognized the roots of this perspective and how deeply they have grown over the years , shaping my beliefs and practice to be what they are now. Full disclosure: I'd likely not be an adherent of my former faith at all if not for this book specifically, and Rob Bell's work in general.
May 18, 2016
Jesus wants to save Christians is Rob Bell's (he of the Noomas and Velvet Elvis) third and probably most substantial book, co-authored with Don Golden from World Relief.
Its subtitle 'A Manifesto for the church in exile' neatly encapsulates the heart of the book. Church shouldn't be about empire and in the USA it is. Church should be about the mission of God which is calling people and creation out of exile (slavery to sin) and into the new reality of God's purposes.
The book isn't long, 181 pages and only slightly more words. As ever stylishly produced, the cover is definitely intriguing. There's lots of white space because Rob writes
in an interesting way,
that is supposed to make you pause
and realise how important
that last sentence really was.
Which after a while, gets a bit annoying and to my mind eventually just seems a bit pointless. Overplay your hand and a great writing device just seems to be a bit gimmicky. But these quibbles aside this book has greater substance than his previous two and will no doubt continue to polarise opinion. Republican Christians I imagine are not going to like his sincere questioning of America's use and misuse of power. Reformed Christians are not going to like the lack of wrath as Bell describes the atonement and so on...
Firstly, because the first section is telling the story of the Bible this feels a more deeply scriptural book, there's lots of scripture here. This is good, we're engaging with the text. The arguments will be about interpretation.
There are some interesting connections made that I'm not sure about, do the 3000 saved on Pentecost in Acts really mirror the 3000 killed after the Golden Calf incident? Was the gentile Luke really that clued in? Not sure, but it's an interesting idea.
Bell seems to see Jesus as our great representative, so his blood reconciles, rescues and redeems, it does when we trust in it, save us from exile and slavery to sin. But there's nothing here on justice, holiness etc...
The two dominant themes are exodus & exile and Eucharist. The Church should be on an exodus to a new reality, calling people out of exile. The Church as the body of Christ should be broken and poured out for the poor and the needy of the world. Remember the poor and don't be seduced by the empire.
As a call to be involved in the needs of the world this book works well and on that level I commend it. As a retelling and subverting of a story that gives churches rights and standing in the Empire, I applaud it. Sentences like “The authority that the church has in culture does not come from how right, cool, or loud it is, or how convinced it is of its doctrinal superiority” hit the mark and do so often.
But I just wonder if it's all been done better elsewhere. Shane Claiborne attacks empire with more verve and bite, NT Wright informs us of exile and exodus with greater depth and insight, Ron Sider calls us out on poverty with greater authority.
This is a good book, if you don't know that God cares for the poor or your teenagers are a bit too self-obsessed then give them this. It's cool enough and punchy enough and short enough to work. But as a manifesto it lacks real depth - there's not much on practical application here, no stories to get us thinking, no actions to follow other than to 'hear the cry of the oppressed and do something' which is helpful only to a point.
It could
have been
so much
more.
Its subtitle 'A Manifesto for the church in exile' neatly encapsulates the heart of the book. Church shouldn't be about empire and in the USA it is. Church should be about the mission of God which is calling people and creation out of exile (slavery to sin) and into the new reality of God's purposes.
The book isn't long, 181 pages and only slightly more words. As ever stylishly produced, the cover is definitely intriguing. There's lots of white space because Rob writes
in an interesting way,
that is supposed to make you pause
and realise how important
that last sentence really was.
Which after a while, gets a bit annoying and to my mind eventually just seems a bit pointless. Overplay your hand and a great writing device just seems to be a bit gimmicky. But these quibbles aside this book has greater substance than his previous two and will no doubt continue to polarise opinion. Republican Christians I imagine are not going to like his sincere questioning of America's use and misuse of power. Reformed Christians are not going to like the lack of wrath as Bell describes the atonement and so on...
Firstly, because the first section is telling the story of the Bible this feels a more deeply scriptural book, there's lots of scripture here. This is good, we're engaging with the text. The arguments will be about interpretation.
There are some interesting connections made that I'm not sure about, do the 3000 saved on Pentecost in Acts really mirror the 3000 killed after the Golden Calf incident? Was the gentile Luke really that clued in? Not sure, but it's an interesting idea.
Bell seems to see Jesus as our great representative, so his blood reconciles, rescues and redeems, it does when we trust in it, save us from exile and slavery to sin. But there's nothing here on justice, holiness etc...
The two dominant themes are exodus & exile and Eucharist. The Church should be on an exodus to a new reality, calling people out of exile. The Church as the body of Christ should be broken and poured out for the poor and the needy of the world. Remember the poor and don't be seduced by the empire.
As a call to be involved in the needs of the world this book works well and on that level I commend it. As a retelling and subverting of a story that gives churches rights and standing in the Empire, I applaud it. Sentences like “The authority that the church has in culture does not come from how right, cool, or loud it is, or how convinced it is of its doctrinal superiority” hit the mark and do so often.
But I just wonder if it's all been done better elsewhere. Shane Claiborne attacks empire with more verve and bite, NT Wright informs us of exile and exodus with greater depth and insight, Ron Sider calls us out on poverty with greater authority.
This is a good book, if you don't know that God cares for the poor or your teenagers are a bit too self-obsessed then give them this. It's cool enough and punchy enough and short enough to work. But as a manifesto it lacks real depth - there's not much on practical application here, no stories to get us thinking, no actions to follow other than to 'hear the cry of the oppressed and do something' which is helpful only to a point.
It could
have been
so much
more.
March 9, 2014
Jesus Wants to Save Christians is a well-chosen, provoking title which accurately hints at its central focus, which is that in many ways the church—and particularly the church in America—has lost sight of what it means to live life in the way Jesus charged us. Beyond this, however, Bell and Golden appear to have written a testimony intended for an audience beyond Christians: even simple contextual points that are familiar to most Christians are observed and their relevance explained.
This easy-to-read, thesis-driven book spends its first chapters looking at the repeating cycle of exile and redemption throughout the Bible. The repeating elements the authors draw our attention to are quite important to their purpose, which is (in part) to look at the whole narrative arc of the Bible as one unified and self-referential story.
And they do a good job: an awareness of the intent of the writers of both the Old and New Testaments consistently shows; the text is neither difficult nor time-consuming; and the book is worth the time it takes to be awakened to or reminded of the connections Bell and Golden emphasize and the significance of these connections regarding the divine plan for humanity.
The second thrust of the book focuses on the angle that the cycles of exile and redemption occur within the context of the power of “empire” over groups of oppressed peoples. Currently, America fits quite obviously into the category of empire and, consequently, participates broadly in the oppression of many peoples and groups.
The church, however, has a message of redemption for these oppressed peoples and groups. This message cannot be delivered from the position of empire; the only way to deliver this message is to become “weak,” to stand beside those who are oppressed, to live as Jesus lived, “broken and poured.” We, the church, are Eucharist.
September 1, 2014
Where was God when I lost my job? Where was God when my father died? Where was God when my son got sick? One of the most cliched answer to this question is "where He was when His Son was crucified."
That answer is true, those who give it mean well, but it is often inappropriate and may come off as very insensitive. In "Jesus Wants to Save Christians", Rob Bell calls Christians to live out the mission they have been saved for. He argues that the best and most effective way to live out the Christian mission is in the context of a church. We shine brightest in community.
God has ordained that His ministry to the world is primarily through His church, the church that He created and commissioned and empowered after the resurrection of Christ.
Where is God when it hurts? God is in His church, using the human hands of its members to bind up the hurting wounds. He has saved us and equipped us to reach out for the lost and the least and the oppressed.
Where is God when hunger strikes? God is in the hearts of the Christian "haves" that lend their food to the starving. God is in us, and working through us, His church, to challenge and change the world for His glory.
Although Bell addresses the role of the church in the world tangentially, his message hits home with impeccable precision. Jesus wants to save Christians... from complacency and apathy and aloofness to the great commission.
We have not just been saved for evacuation to heaven at such future day, we have been saved for the redemption of the whole creation beginning now. The whole cosmos groans for the "church" to be revealed, for the Christians to BE what they claim to be.
This is a good read. All reservations about the current Rob Bell considered.
That answer is true, those who give it mean well, but it is often inappropriate and may come off as very insensitive. In "Jesus Wants to Save Christians", Rob Bell calls Christians to live out the mission they have been saved for. He argues that the best and most effective way to live out the Christian mission is in the context of a church. We shine brightest in community.
God has ordained that His ministry to the world is primarily through His church, the church that He created and commissioned and empowered after the resurrection of Christ.
Where is God when it hurts? God is in His church, using the human hands of its members to bind up the hurting wounds. He has saved us and equipped us to reach out for the lost and the least and the oppressed.
Where is God when hunger strikes? God is in the hearts of the Christian "haves" that lend their food to the starving. God is in us, and working through us, His church, to challenge and change the world for His glory.
Although Bell addresses the role of the church in the world tangentially, his message hits home with impeccable precision. Jesus wants to save Christians... from complacency and apathy and aloofness to the great commission.
We have not just been saved for evacuation to heaven at such future day, we have been saved for the redemption of the whole creation beginning now. The whole cosmos groans for the "church" to be revealed, for the Christians to BE what they claim to be.
This is a good read. All reservations about the current Rob Bell considered.
August 4, 2021
Not that I disagree. But his style drives me nuts.
November 29, 2008
This book presents a great challenge to the Christian church, particularly the Christians that live in America. The book has a great Biblical theme in discussing the history of God's people through the Exodus/Mt. Sinai, Jerusalem, and Babylon. The theme is a cycle of God's people who suffer oppression, are then delivered by a merciful God, then become arrogant and turn away from God, and then suffer oppression again as God brings judgment. The challenge today is which land are we living in? Sinai? Jerusalem under Solomon? or Babylonian captivity? Although the book does not provide a lot of answers it certainly points reader to the Lord and his Word. The book challenges the Christian to consider what he/she does with his money. Do we really need expensive cars and big houses, while so many people live off $2 a day? Do we really need multi-million dollar expansions to our church facilities, while so many people in our cities are living off the street? Should we really rely on government for our security and build more bases and grow the military or should we solely rely on God? Overall this is a quick read that invokes powerful questions and leaves the reader to pursue their own opinion.
August 31, 2015
I've read most of Rob Bell's books and this is my favourite. Using the work of Tom Holland as a foundation, Rob and Don lead readers through the cycle of Egypt, Sinai, Jerusalem and Babylon, drawing so many connections throughout the Scriptures I was astounded. How have I never been shown these before? There is clearly a metanarrative at work here and I find Holland's frame of the New Exodus as a strong motif (among others) for understanding it.
The dominant question throughout is, 'will those with power use their blessing and influence on behalf of others, or will they fortify their own position?' The church, as Christ's body, must continually remember and be reminded that we are called to pour out ourselves on behalf of the oppressed because it is the character and action of our Lord and Saviour. The church is many things, but it must primarily be about embodying Christ to and for the world in which it lives. This work is a simple and understandable introduction to this call for us today.
The dominant question throughout is, 'will those with power use their blessing and influence on behalf of others, or will they fortify their own position?' The church, as Christ's body, must continually remember and be reminded that we are called to pour out ourselves on behalf of the oppressed because it is the character and action of our Lord and Saviour. The church is many things, but it must primarily be about embodying Christ to and for the world in which it lives. This work is a simple and understandable introduction to this call for us today.
January 18, 2025
This was my first dive in to a Rob Bell book. Excellent! He draws many good points using tons of Scripture and calls us to look at verses that we may have glossed over. He does a fantastic job of tying together the Old and New Testaments, which has now made me want to do a more thorough reading through my Bible to see the whole story instead of picking select books to read through.
The entire book is a great call to action for the church in America to bust out of their complacency and start being the church to a hurting world. The statistics he quotes are great reminders that we Americans really have it good in this country, despite our complaints otherwise.
It really is time for the church to start living out what we say we believe and start showing that Christians really are different from the rest of the world because we follow a Saviour who is different from the rest of the world.
The entire book is a great call to action for the church in America to bust out of their complacency and start being the church to a hurting world. The statistics he quotes are great reminders that we Americans really have it good in this country, despite our complaints otherwise.
It really is time for the church to start living out what we say we believe and start showing that Christians really are different from the rest of the world because we follow a Saviour who is different from the rest of the world.
Read
December 18, 2020Not a review, but thought I'd pick out some quotes:
"If you are a citizen of an empire that has the most powerful army in the history of humanity and is currently on the way to spending a trillion dollars on a war, passages in the Bible about those who accumulate chariots and horses from Egypt are passages about you and your people."
"Revelation is a bold, courageous, politically subversive attack on corrosive empire and its power to oppress people."
"How do children of the empire understand the Saviour who was killed by an empire?"
"If you are a citizen of an empire that has the most powerful army in the history of humanity and is currently on the way to spending a trillion dollars on a war, passages in the Bible about those who accumulate chariots and horses from Egypt are passages about you and your people."
"Revelation is a bold, courageous, politically subversive attack on corrosive empire and its power to oppress people."
"How do children of the empire understand the Saviour who was killed by an empire?"
January 15, 2020
This is essential reading for Christians, and that's pretty much all I can say.
Okay, I can say more. But only a little. This book is full of viewpoints that will be offensive to many (most?) humans who belong to a "mainstream" or traditional church. And these viewpoints *should* be offensive, because they are offensive in the way that Jesus of Nazareth was offensive to the people of his time who thought they had life, the universe, and everything completely figured out.
More like this, please. Always.
Okay, I can say more. But only a little. This book is full of viewpoints that will be offensive to many (most?) humans who belong to a "mainstream" or traditional church. And these viewpoints *should* be offensive, because they are offensive in the way that Jesus of Nazareth was offensive to the people of his time who thought they had life, the universe, and everything completely figured out.
More like this, please. Always.
June 3, 2013
A quick read with a solid theme. There were times in the book that the author belabored the point a little too much, but overall a good book. The epilogue was the highlight. I would definitely recommend that!
November 20, 2008
His best book yet. The whole thing blew my mind, page by page. Brilliant, Inspired, Mind-Blowing. Rob Bell asks the question others are afraid to. He really gets it.
December 29, 2008
Too much to say about this one...You just have to read it for yourselves!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews