REVIEW: LOVE WINS by Pastor Rob Bell

BOOK: Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell
MOD-BLOG RATING: *

THE SHORT VERSION:

More of a college bull session on paper than a serious discussion of the doctrine of Hell, Pastor Bell's book is thought-provoking but not particularly useful. It is recommended only to those interested in what Bell is hearing from non-Christians, rather than to current Christians looking for a real analysis or study of the historical doctrines of Hell.

THE LONG VERSION:

Since the time of the Jesus, the Church and it's leaders have had to keep a close eye on Doctrine - the right teaching about Jesus and God. First century heretics wanted to do away with Christ's humanity - arguing that his flesh was merely an illusion because all that was physical was evil. Later heretics attacked the idea of morality - arguing that Christ had brought complete freedom from ethical living. Still later heretics wanted to abandon Christ's deity - arguing that it was enough for Jesus to be a good teacher. Separating well-meaning questions from sheep from evil-intending questions from wolves has been a major preoccupation from Jesus to Peter to Paul to Augustine to Martin Luther to the present.

The newest charge of heresy within the Evangelical community is against Pastor Rob Bell of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan (not to be confused with Mars Hill Church in Seattle run by Pastor Mark Driscoll). In his new book "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived", Pastor Bell questions the existing prevailing doctrine of Hell - specifically the eternality and finality of eternal punishment - and points out how the doctrine has done much to alienate non-believers.

Bell's book is not a comprehensive treatise on the doctrine of Hell, neither an analysis of its historical underpinnings nor a detailed philosophical argument for a particular position. It is even hard to really figure out what his exact position is on the doctrine of Hell. (I suspect Pastor Bell would see this as "nuanced", whereas to me it was simply "vague".) But I believe this is a fair encapsulation of his views:

Hell does exist. However, it is neither eternal nor inevitable for any human being. Hell is not "punishment", but rather God allowing us to choose to be without Him, which is necessarily misery. God's love and omnipotence is paramount over his wrath or judgement, and ultimately all will come to Him, whether it takes a lifetime or millennia.

Pastor Bell's arguments are actually limited to only a single chapter of the book (all others are preamble, or reflection afterwards) and come out to these:

1. From the very earliest Church fathers, there have been those who believed Hell was not eternal.
2. References to Hell in scripture are vague. (He has digressions into discussions about the Hebrew "Sheol", Greek "Tartarus" and "Hades", and a dismissive look at Gehenna.)
3. God is absolutely sovereign, and absolutely wants all to be reconciled to Him.
4. Most of Jesus's references to "the coming wrath" were references to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, and not to Hell. (A statement he does not spend much time defending.)
5. "Forever" is an incoherent concept, and not one recognized by the Biblical writers.
6. A temporary Hell is "a better story" than an eternal place of conscious torment.

I am not going to address each of these in turn - I leave it to other more educated men and women to do that. But I will note that none of these arguments are novel, convincing, or in many cases even compatible with a plain reading of the text. And Bell ignores many, many more scriptures dealing with Jesus speaking words like "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41) Nor does he dedicate much time to the "lake of fire, which is the second death" in Revelation, which is the most clear reference to an eternal place of torment in all of scripture.

However, in the end, it appears to me that #6 above is the core of Bell's argument. "An eternal Hell makes for a bad story. A temporary Hell where all are ultimately saved makes for a much better one!" Bell is known for embracing the Arts more than the average Evangelical pastor, and his book is full of shifts from a prose to a poetic style (something I found jarring as a reader). As such, he is clearly bothered by the idea of an unhappy ending for many, and by the fact that there are many who reject Christ because they can not accept a God who would sentence a plurality or majority of the human race to a place of eternal torment "for a few short years of sin on the Earth." And he is even more disturbed by the number of people who have rejected Christ because of the traditional doctrine of Hell.

But Christ warned that the gospel, while being "Good News", would be an offense for many. And that "the way to life is narrow, but broad the way to destruction". Over and over in scripture - both Old and New Testaments - we see God saving a "remnant" from destruction - a relatively tiny number out of the mass of humanity.

But the weakness of Bell's argument is actually a saving point. I said to someone after reading the book, "What Bell proposes is heresy, but I do not think Bell is a heretic." This book is not intended to set a new standard for critical analysis, or preach that anyone who teaches Hell is against Christ. Instead, it is like a late-night college bull session, where a bunch of guys stand around saying "What do you think about THIS?" or "Have you ever thought about THAT?" These discussions are not intended to be the last word on any topic. They're intended to stimulate thinking, bat around ideas, and provide a safe forum to ask questions that no college professor would take seriously. Ultimately, they strengthen the orthodox, by allowing each person to figure out why the heterodox fails for him or herself.

Overall, I do not recommend this book to most readers. It's not a serious discussion that shows both sides of the issue, or even provides a coherent argument for its own side. It is more likely to disturb and weaken than to edify. But if you are someone who enjoys playing with ideas, and are comfortable doing lots of your own research afterwards, it can provide a diverting read.

And be aware, if Pastor Bell does shift from "What if?" to "This is the only way", he will truly have become a heretic.

I have actually had this conversation...

Review of the Kindle 3

Prior to the release of the iPad, I was a big fan of the Amazon Kindle. And I am still a big fan of the Kindle service and use it all the time on the iPhone and iPad. The ability to have the same books everywhere is invaluable to me.

But I will admit that the new Kindle 3 due out in a few days is a compelling upgrade. Faster processor, better battery, lighter, and now with Wifi. So, I am looking forward to reviews like this one highlighting the new device. I do believe eBooks are the future - if only as ONE aspect of reading. And Amazon hopes to own the category, even in the age of the iApps.

A Thirteen Year Old Reviews a Walkman

The Walkman reached its 30th birthday this year. I remember really enjoying my Walkman as a kid. In an article that is sure to make those who remember having a Walkman feel old, the BBC has a review of the Walkman by an iPod-toting thirteen year old as he trades in his iPod for a week.

HARDWARE REVIEW: Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

The Short Version: I love this camera. While it has a few clear weaknesses, it more than makes up for them in quality, ability, and manual controls.

Background: I am a photography enthusiast. Not the kind who stalks around taking random pictures of strangers, or who wanders the forest looking for interesting plants. The kind who enjoys taking pictures at events: quiz meets, softball games, weddings, etc. to share with friends. I own a Canon EOS 50D (digital SLR) but also like to have a smaller point-and-shoot for travel or situations where the "snap-click" noise of an SLR is unacceptable. My last point-and-shoot had proved bad for the lower-light situations where I tend to shoot, and a wedding was coming up that I wanted to cover. In the past, I had always gone for ultra-compacts but this time around I wanted something that could handle both low-light and long zooms while still being pocketable. I tried an Olympus Stylus 9000 (returned due to impossibility of focusing reliably and blur indoors) and researched the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. But in the end, I chose the Canon Powershot SX200 IS and purchased it from Amazon.Com.

The Good: This camera is a joy to use. It has an automatic mode, a "super-easy" mode, 5 scene modes, a dedicated "special scenes" mode with less-used options, video, full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and Program mode, like an SLR. Unlike the competition, the camera has nearly as much customizability as an SLR and the controls are fairly easy to use due to a new menu structure for Canon camera. The pictures are clear, crisp, and has relatively low noise even down to 1600 and 3200, when compared to other point-and-shoot models. The SDHC card slot will accommodate even the largest 32 GB models of memory card (yes, I tested with one those those) and saving to card is quick. The 3.0" LCD on the back is also clear and crisp. And I love the "selective desaturization" mode in the camera. And how do you beat 12x zoom (28 to 300mm equivalent lens) in this size package?!

The Bad: The camera is not perfect. First, while very pocketable, it is not an ultra-compact - it is about as long as an iPhone but 4 to 5 times as thick and it is has definite heft in your hand and pocket. Second, time from shot to shot is not quick, even in "burst" mode, sometimes taking a full second or 2 to recycle between shots. Third, battery is life is only moderate - over the course of a wedding and reception (about 8 hours) I went through 3 fully-charged batteries, and the batteries themselves take over 2 hours to recharge. Finally, when zoomed to the extreme, the camera often finds it hard to find a focal point and may vacillate between two of them, forcing you to let go of the shutter and recompose the shot. This lead me to lose a few really critical photographs.

The Bottom Line: This camera is a keeper, but you'll want to keep your SLR for the most important or challenging occasions. The 12x zoom is great for getting in close or finding a good wide-angle option. It is pocketable, has a plethora of manual options to allow you to get the best shot, has several really fun auto options, and comes in at under $400 even at the expensive shops. How much did I like this camera? Let's just say that I am now one of 3 friends who all own the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS.

Last-minute iPhone 3G Details

Apple Insider has up some interesting last-minute details on the iPhone 3G. If you plan to run out this weekend and pick one up, be sure to skim thru them.

* The actual activation of an iPhone 3G through the modified iTunes app Apple and AT&T will use takes less than 30 seconds. A credit check takes about 5 minutes and the remainder of the process that includes picking a plan takes less than 5 minutes.

* The majority of customers signing new 18-month contracts with AT&T should be prepared to possibly have their existing rollover minutes reset to the number of monthly minutes included with their new iPhone 3G plan. This is standard practice for AT&T and it's possible it will carry over to iPhone upgrades.

They also have up a quick summary of the first iPhone 3G reviews that are out there on the web.

First Modbook Review

The Modbook was first announced over a year ago as a third-party attempt to produce a line of touch-screen Macs. It missed several shipping deadlines, but finally appears to be reaching consmers. Click thru for one of the first reviews of the first touchscreen or tablet Mac.

Hand-On Video Review of Amazon's New eBook Reader

Color me "interested but skeptical" when it comes to the Kindle. I must wonder whether it really is worth it when you can get an Asus Eee PC or OLPC for the same price. And when you can already read lots of books on your iPhone.

Answers to common iPhone questions

David Pogue has up a supplement to yesterday's posted iPhone review to answer the most common questions that he has recieved. Not too much is revealing, but there are a few gems.

Does the iPhone have a speakerphone? Vibrate mode? Airplane mode? Yes, yes and yes. The speakerphone and the vibrations are both weak, though.

Can I dial without looking? Can I dial one-handed? You can’t do much on the iPhone without looking. Then again, few people can operate a cellphone without looking. Dialing the iPhone one-handed, though, is easy. As your fingers grasp the iPhone, your thumb is free to tap buttons, scroll lists and so on.

Can I use a SIM card from another phone? The iPhone comes with an installed SIM card, the tiny circuit board that stores your account information and phone number. Apple says that you should be able to replace it with any recent AT&T card, once you activate it at iTunes. No other company’s SIM card works in the iPhone.

Another site worth checking out is iPhone Source which is looking to be the central repository of iPhone Applications available online. Unfortunately, none of them work with my Sidekick. :-(

WSJ iPhone Review

Apparently, the press embargo on the iPhone is now broken, and thus all kinds of newspapers and websites are releasing their reviews. So far, the vast majority appear to be positive... very positive in fact, and far more than I expected with the known drawbacks of the iPhone. I am not sure yet if this is just the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field, or if Apple really has redefined the smartphone space. The Wall Street Journal's review is among the best and most balanced.

The iPhone's most controversial feature, the omission of a physical keyboard in favor of a virtual keyboard on the screen, turned out in our tests to be a nonissue, despite our deep initial skepticism. After five days of use, Walt -- who did most of the testing for this review -- was able to type on it as quickly and accurately as he could on the Palm Treo he has used for years. This was partly because of smart software that corrects typing errors on the fly.

But the iPhone has a major drawback: the cellphone network it uses. It only works with AT&T (formerly Cingular), won't come in models that use Verizon or Sprint and can't use the digital cards (called SIM cards) that would allow it to run on T-Mobile's network. So, the phone can be a poor choice unless you are in areas where AT&T's coverage is good. It does work overseas, but only via an AT&T roaming plan.

I am sticking with Tmo and my Sidekick III, but I know at least one guy who will be camping out at the local mall in hopes of scoring an iPhone. I'll let you know my impressions when he is showing it off on Sunday.

NYT iPhone Review

As long as we're giving in the iPhone mania, why not a video review that actually gives you a chance to see the thing in action.

Mod-Blog Review: Spider-Man 3

Movie: Spider-Man 3

MPAA Rating: PG-13

The Short Version: Fun, but uneven movie. Ignoring the Spider-Man canon more than either of the ones that came before it, it tries to fit too many villains and storylines into too little time. However, even with its weaknesses, it is better than any of the other summer movies currently out there.

The Long Version: This time out we are at a rare moment in Peter Parker's life. He is in love, Spider-Man is beloved by the public, and none of his close friends are sick or dying. This, of course, requires that before the end of Act 1, everything gets thrown into chaos. While romance deepening between MJ and Peter, a mysterious meteor lands next to the happy couple and an oily-black substance begins stalking the web-slinger. At the same time, in one of the weired retcons (retroactive changes in continuity, a rewriting of history that tends to plague DC more than Marvel) suddenly the police find out that the thug Peter faced in Spider-Man 1 was not actually Uncle Ben's killer. Now, the oily-black substance "bonds" to Peter and causes him to revel in vengeance against the new target of his anger, while at the same time Harry Osborne finally steps into his father's... uh... boots (?) to take his revenge against Spidey.

It is a good summer movie, don't let the mixed reviews out there fool you on that. If this were the first installment of a Spider-Man franchise, we'd all be hailing it as a great example of comic-book adaptation. That being said, the critics have a point. The film is not nearly as good as the original or as Spider-Man 2 (though Shadowmom liked it better than 2). The movie is amazingly uneven. The first 1/2 is a solid mix of drama and action, and then at just about exactly the halfway point suddenly things switch gears and you can tell the director is rushing to fit everything else into the already-long running time. (Be watching for a Spider-Man 3.1 or 3.5 with MANY more scenes inserted). Still the drama works and the action is amazing. The problem is that it doesn't always fit together. And ultmately, that is what made the first two Spider-Man movie, the first 2 X-Men movies, and the Batman Begins movie work so well.

But fear not, Sony has already committed to a Spider-Man 4, even though none of the principle actors have done so. But with a guaranteed blockbuster, it seems unlikely that anyone but Raimi would really say no to a 4th outing. At least until Toby Maguire is too old or the actress who plays Aunt May dies.