On Goodreads, I gave Rob Bell’s book Love Wins three stars. I might have given it 2.5 if I had the option.
I went through a detailed chapter-by-chapter analysis (but not as thorough as I would’ve liked to be!) outlining some of the issues I had in the book. Let’s see if it’s possible to recap:
Preface: Raises more questions than it answers, book has no notes, footnotes, endnotes, or bibliography. Further reading doesn’t cut it.
Chapter 1: Questions about heaven and hell that are set-up for the rest of the book.
Chapter 2: Heaven is a place on earth. God will eventually redeem and restore this broken world.
Chapter 3: Bell says Gehenna was really the city dump in Jesus’ day. Not a spiritual place of eternal torment. Bell says people can still reject God in the afterlife but leaves the door open for eventual repentance. He introduces an idea similar to purgatory in Catholicism. Then he says everyone will eventually be reconciled to God.
Chapter 4: Bell asks: Does God get what God wants? What is it that God wants? “‘God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth’ (1 Tim. 2).” Bell says contradicts himself in this chapter by saying that yes, some people believe God gets what He wants through eventual universal reconciliation and restoration but that God’s love allows for the freedom to reject him if someone wishes to do so. He adds that people don’t need to believe in the traditional doctrine of hell to be a Christian and that people can assume there’s a chance for repentance in the future.
Chapter 5: Bell tells his readers that Jesus dying on the cross and rising again the third day was a very beautiful thing. Don’t mar this beauty with nasty talk of eternal exclusivity via the traditional view of hell.
Chapter 6: Bell says that (since Paul says that) Jesus was present in the rock that Moses struck to give water to the Israelities, so Jesus is present in anywhere or anything. He also puts forward the odd idea of reverse universalism which posits that Jesus is present in all paths (ie, Jesus can be Mohammad for Muslims, Vishnu for Hindus, or nirvana for Buddhists).
Chapter 7: Using the template of the parable of the prodigal son (or the two sons), Bell says that we will all be at a party/celebration (heaven) and we can choose to exhibit negative attitudes and vices (hell) during the party if we want to. We can reject the Father’s love.
Chapter 8: Bell reminds his readers that people can miss out on rewards, celebrations, and opportunities and that love wins.
(And no, I would not have been able to do the summary above had I not done the analyses first.)
This Journey Is My Own 
Hello, I started reading the book at the bookstore, while waiting for the Library to have an available copy, and went up to chapter 1. In my opinion (which may or may not be popular) the Preface and Chapter 1 have questions that I think a lot of us have in our minds, but don’t dare to ask too much because of their unpopularity. Answers are hard to come up with, but if I recall correctly, the author promises to answer some of them. Chapter 2 has an interesting message about beginning to live heaven on earth, I did not understand the author saying that earth is heaven. His message is more like: let us start living heaven right now, instead of trying to be a good Christian so that we can finally go “over there”. I was reminded about the Lord’s prayer where it says “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. I believe we must live here on earth the same way it is lived in heaven (loving, accepting, and serving each other). Great conversation! I’ll continue to research this book. God bless!
I really wish I had the book back in my hands so I could provide evidence as to how I came to this conclusion. But alas, I do not. But I think I remember Bell making points about God restoring and redeeming this earth in “the new heaven.” I think his overall point, however, was to live as best as we can before God now so that we prepare ourselves to be good stewards in the new heaven/afterlife.
You are correct about the Preface; Bell says he will arrive at some answers but that is not his main goal.
Look forward to hearing more of your thoughts, Noel! Thanks for the comment!
Nice Job!
Thanks! I’m catching up with your posts. You have great insight and analysis.
Thanks!
The problem with Bell’s book is that his points are based upon his own assumptions and desires, and nothing resembling biblical doctrine at all. If he would just look at what Jesus alone said about hell, he could not come to any of these conclusions. I know it’s nice to say that everyone will get a second chance in the end, but nothing in Scripture points to this, therefore, Bell is misleading people and demeaning the holiness of God.