Rob Bell is Youth Group Guy

Last updated on: June 21, 2013 at 7:10 pm by Jonathan Ryan

Rob Bell is Youth Group Guy 2013-06-21T19:10:36-05:00 Jonathan Ryan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I just got an advanced copy of Rob Bell’s new book, What We Talk About When We Talk about God. Part of the gig is I’m supposed to write a review

Here it goes.

Note: this will not be a normal, linear review. Given that’s pretty much Bell’s writing style, I figured I’d go with that.

I want to offer two disclaimers. This is the first Rob Bell book in my library. I’ve watched a few of his sermons and his Nouma videos. Here is what I’ve always thought about Rob Bell. He reminds me of the annoying guy I’ve seen in campus ministries or youth groups everywhere. You know the one I mean. He dances during worship, raises his hands up and points to the heavens like God is a hot rock star. Youth Group Guy is also the type of person who’ll come up to you and say, “Dude, God is awesome, man, He really is.” Nothing wrong with the sentiment. However, you can’t help hide your laughter at his over enthusiastic and somewhat superficial anthems.

At the same time, I don’t get the unrelenting hatred of Rob Bell spewed by John Piper, Mark Driscoll, etc. Is Rob Bell a heretic? I honestly don’t know. Do I think he deserves the level of spew he gets? Most likely not. I think people hate Rob Bell because of his “Youth Group Guy” style. His critics say they don’t like him for his theology. They must be smarter than I, because I have no idea what the Gehenna {redacted for language as people didn’t seem to get the joke about Love Wins view of the, er, bad place} Rob’s theology might entail. Thus, I find the condemnation of it a bit premature.

My second disclaimer is that, I’m undergoing my own faith transformation. I’m asking a lot of questions and going back to the raw foundation of what I believe. In this process, I’ve found myself deeply questioning my identity as a fully formed, full blooded Reformed Presbyterian. What does that mean? I’m not prepare to speak on this just yet. I’m not becoming “emergent” or “liberal”, whatever those terms mean. I’m in sympathy with Bell’s approach to “strip it back” to the basics. However, in this process, I hold firm and fast to that beautiful statement of the Faith, The Nicene Creed.

Now, on to Bell’s book. What did I think?

I think Rob does a great job at asking real life questions many Christians avoid. For example, what do we mean when we say the word “God”? This seems like a really basic and childish question. Most people can’t describe what they mean by “God” If they try, “God” starts to look like themselves and that “God” starts agreeing with everything they might say.

I’m always amazed at our ability to create God in our image. The God of the Bible refuses those labels. When Moses asks God’s name in Exodus, do you know how God responds? The essential translation is close to: “I Will Be Who I Will Be”. This means God will define Himself, thank you very much.

Rob raising the “Who is God” question is important, because a lot of shit has been attached to God’s name. A lot of the Skubulos {redacted for language as people can’t seem to take the modern translation of this word} must be flushed because I’m tired of worshiping it. I’m tired of worshiping the idol skubulos {redacted for language, see above} god of my heart and the American Christian culture. I want the real “God Who is There”.

I’m also glad Rob uses science to discuss the weirdness of the universe. Things are weird. They get weirder the more we find out through science. I appreciate Rob’s discussions in this section of the book, even if he still comes off as Youth Group Guy with enough knowledge to be dangerous.

I also appreciate Rob’s insistence on seeing the world through a REAL Judeo-Christian view of the world. That is, everything is sacred and spiritual. The dualistic mindset of physical and spiritual is a purely Greek philosophical invention. Bell presents a great challenge to American Pietistic Evangelicalism and dualistic view of the world we embrace.

Problems start coming for Rob in this book when he keeps the focus on “us” and what “we” think. I found it a bit nauseating and narcissistic. Hell, I started FEELING self centered because of all the times I had to read “I” or “we”. In this, Bell contradicts the title of the book because its not really about God. Its about us. In this, Bell falls back into the trap of the American Pietistic Evangelicalism he is trying to spurn.

So, what about the answers Bell proposes about who God is?

His answers are a bunch of rambling, rumbling, shucking, jiving, beat poet, train wrecks that make very little sense. They’re “Youth Group Guy’s” answers. They’re well meaning, but mostly incoherent. The answers might be fine for an open mike poetry night, but not as answers to the important questions Bell raises.

This is probably why he gets in so much trouble with people like Piper and Driscoll. Instead of saying, “Dude, Rob, your book kinda sucks because I have no idea what the Gehenna {redacted for language for above reasons} you’re saying”. Instead, they’ll probably bring the rod of overreaction and bray like loud men whose opinion MUST be heard {redacted for language, as Asses in reference to donkeys seems to offend some].

For me, I go back to Youth Group Kid. He says a lot of stuff that seems profound and good. In fact, some of what he says IS profound and good. Yet in the end, you keep wondering when the kid is going to make any sense. You wonder if he really knows what a jumbled mess he is making.

I’m sure there will be many blogs out there about Rob Bell being a heretic, etc and so on. I’m not going to cast him out of the Kingdom. I like his questions. I hope he keeps asking them.

Yet I would say to him “Youth Group guy, you’re scaring your brothers and sisters. They don’t get what you’re saying because you’re not making much sense.”

P.S. For those of you who claim Bell is an “artist”, I would say, so am I. And, if I turned in an incoherent mess of a book to my agent, she would skin me. Just saying.

Geek Books

Previous Post

March 4, 2013

3 Gates of the Dead....Lego Sets? Probably not....yet...

Next Post

March 7, 2013 The Justice Rogues: International Justice Mission

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Alien Life ASMR Book Reviews Careers in Writing and Filmmaking Catholic Imagination Christmas miracles DC Trinity War Articles Ebola Faith Family Entertainment Fangirl Raves Filmmaking Geek Books Geek Comics Geek Culture Geek Entertainment Geek Gaming Geek Girl Geek Goes Catholic Geek Goes Catholic Geek Literature Geek Movies Geek Music Geek Sports Geek Tech Geek TV Ghost Bear Ramblings God's Not Dead Coverage Grace Unplugged Coverage Ham on Nye Coverage (Yeah, we went there) HWA Stuff Indie Artists Interviews Jonathan Ryan Book News Kardashians Lord of the Rings Mark Driscoll Movie Reviews Parenthood Pixie Perfect Salt Lake City Comic Con 2014 Social Issues Teen Author Boot Camp The Conjuring Coverage The Michigan Dog Man Adventures Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter Salome Mary Martha