Some say heretic. Some say misunderstood. Others say prescient prophet. When I say Rob Bell, what do you say?
Rob Bell is perhaps one of evangelicalism's most talked about people of the last decade. Some would say he isn't even a proper Christian anymore, let alone an evangelical. Through his innovative short films (the NOOMA series) and provocative, paradigm-shifting books, Rob Bell, keen surfer that he is, has certainly made some waves in the contemporary Christian world.
Now Bell has been featured as the subject of a short documentary by the New Yorker, titled The Hell-Raiser, which explores "A megachurch pastor's search for a more forgiving faith."
The short, elegantly crafted film seems to sympathise with Bell, as it traces his journey from pioneering pastor to evangelical outcast, to LA-based motivational speaker and messenger of "good news". Bell's critics are unlikely to be converted by its portrayal, but Bell's story is still a fascinating one, and whatever your opinion of the man, raises some important questions for the Church.
Jesus on the edges:
"Almost everything Rob did came with some measure of controversy," says one friend of Bell's, as we watch Bell surfing by sunset in slow motion. Not many could get away with that kind of introduction.
When we first hear Bell, he says: "I had heard these Jesus stories, and wherever there was an in-group that pushed somebody to the edges, Jesus always moved to the person on the edges. And when there was somebody who no one would listen to, he would hear their cry." Thus we are introduced to the life and thought of Rob Bell, and it's an appropriate introduction. He's a man on the edges, constantly asking questions and pushing boundaries, and as he does so finds himself pushed further out from the 'in-group'.
Since his landmark debut Velvet Elvis, Bell has courted controversy, but not simply for the sake of it. His provocative thought has been centred on a God who surprises, a God not made in our image, who does not conform to a flag, or a human political agenda, or whatever we would have him be. 'Have we got 'x' wrong?' is often the shape that Bell's thoughts would take. If it represents true humility and a desire for the truth, then that question is surely a worthy one.
Women, war, and Love Wins
The film notes how Bell received push-back for preaching on issues such as women's equality and the Iraq War (questioning unthinking devotion to military might). Those controversies set the stage for Love Wins, in which Bell questioned traditional Church teaching on Hell, and flirted with the possibility of Universalism – the idea that ultimately, all souls are saved, and none are damned to eternal conscious torment. Bell was reacting to an understanding of eterntiy that gives us a "horror story" and nothing like "good news". Much has been said and written in response to Bell since Love Wins, which need not be repeated here. Rather, it is Bell's reflection on his criticism which bears consideration.
"When people think they're defending God, all sorts of normal decorum gets tossed out of the window," said Bell of the backlash he repeatedly faced. Bell's dismissal from the conservative evangelical world was captured plainly when John Piper simply tweeted "Farewell, Rob Bell."
Conservative agitation about neglect of traditional teaching is understandable, but aggressive demonisation or labelling surely only exacerbates division. Whether you agree with his theology or not, Bell is right about one thing: theologically themed discourse can be incredibly heated, personal, and unkind. The fact is of course, tragically ironic, and is something that can push many away from church.
"Stay on your journey"
Bell eventually left the church he founded (Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, Michigan) to work on TV, writing and speaking projects in LA. He tells quite movingly of how he was encouraged by his church members to "stay on your journey", and that 'journey' is clearly one of profound importance to Bell. It may look to many like a simple shift into liberalism, morphing from traditional Christian teaching into something more vague and generically motivational. Again, people will disagree, and Rob Bell can do what he likes.
Neverthless, Bell is clearly moved by the idea that "people need good news", and his 'journey' has been one of constantly asking what that good news looks like, and whether outsiders really do hear it as 'good news'. That is surely a question that all Christians should take seriously.
