Matt's Blog
The internet has been abuzz this weekend with news of megachurch pastor Rob Bell's latest book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. The book synopsis released by the publisher states that Bell is "arguing that a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering." In other words, he appears to be openly professing his belief in universalism, the belief that everybody ultimately goes to heaven regardless of what they believe.To help you understand the position of universalism, it might be useful to describe a few positions held by theologians on the subject of how a person receives eternal life. Here are some definitions that you should know:
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Review: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, by Rob Bell.
Excerpts of the review found at the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/us/05bell.html?_r=1):
"In a book to be published this month, the pastor, Rob Bell, known for his provocative views and appeal among the young, describes as 'misguided and toxic' the dogma that 'a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better.'
"Mr. Bell, who through his publisher declined to comment on the book or the debate, has resisted labels, but he is often described as part of the so-called emerging church movement, which caters to younger believers and has challenged theological boundaries as well as pastoral involvement in conservative politics."
"While sliding close to what critics consider the heresy of 'universalism' — that all humans will eventually be saved — he never uses the term."
Wikipedia article
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Church Mouse article supplemented by Ichabod quotations
