Any Good Info on Rob Bell?

[Kenny]

Apparently there is some controversy being stirred up over this guy in my wife’s aunt’s church. Someone claimed that he teaches that Jesus was a homosexual and that the Bible is not inspired. Are any of these things true?

[Matt the Bat]

Check out RBerman's thread where he reviews his book, Velvet Elvis. It's right here in this sub-forum: http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/sh...d.php?t=127925

[roger242]

This controversy that you speak of is simply preposterous. I am a member of the congregation at which Rob Bell teaches, and I just don't know where people get these crazy accusations. Rob DOES NOT teach that Jesus is homosexual; and Rob DOES NOT teach saying the Bible is not inspired, but in fact has been quoted saying that the Bible IS inspired. I cannot comment on this any further, because I don't know the root of this "controversy".

All of the accusations that I've seen against Rob can almost always be traced back to a quote of his that has been taken out of context. "Beware those dogs."

[Kenny]

This controversy that you speak of is simply preposterous. I am a member of the congregation at which Rob Bell teaches, and I just don't know where people get these crazy accusations. Rob DOES NOT teach that Jesus is homosexual; and Rob DOES NOT teach saying the Bible is not inspired, but in fact has been quoted saying that the Bible IS inspired. I cannot comment on this any further, because I don't know the root of this "controversy".

All of the accusations that I've seen against Rob can almost always be traced back to a quote of his that has been taken out of context. "Beware those dogs."

I suspected that some of these claims might be either exagerated or downright false. That's why I started this thread, to see if anyone could point me to some reliable info.

[Rayado]

I like his Sex God a lot better than I do Velvet Elvis. I've been meaning to check out the Nooma videos. He's really good on some stuff but he's kind of wonky on others--and I think he has a lot of potential for good.

(Edit) Forgot to mention that JP Holding reviewed Velvet Elvis here and that's pretty much the conclusion I came to as well just from reading it.

[Kenny]

I like his Sex God a lot better than I do Velvet Elvis. I've been meaning to check out the Nooma videos. He's really good on some stuff but he's kind of wonky on others--and I think he has a lot of potential for good.

(Edit) Forgot to mention that JP Holding reviewed Velvet Elvis here and that's pretty much the conclusion I came to as well just from reading it.

Apparently his stuff on sex is part of how the controversy got stirred up about him in my wife’s aunt’s (conservative, rural, SBC) church. Supposedly he advocates the Biblical permissibility of – gasp! – oral sex between married couples. If that’s all, then he isn’t saying anything that I personally have any problem with.

Obviously if he really were advocating the claims that Jesus was a homosexual and that the Bible is not inspired, that would be a problem. But it sounds like these accusations are false.

BTW, thanks to both of you who linked me to reviews of Velvet Elvis. I'll check those out.

[Philosophickle]

Rob Bell wouldn't say something like that. On the other hand, he would say something that could lead some people to believe he thinks things like that, as emerging type people tend to say crazy things in order to rouse attention.

[Kenny]

All of the accusations that I've seen against Rob can almost always be traced back to a quote of his that has been taken out of context. "Beware those dogs."

I just listened to that sermon. Not that I agreed with every part of it (it's rare that I hear a sermon for which that is the case). But I thought it was a beautiful, moving sermon.

[fiddlin-john]

"beware them dogs" is a good sermon. I like how he turns it right back around on all the hip emergent Christians at the end. Woops! You can be the dog too.

the nooma videos are flaky and uplifting, but worth a watch.

[RBerman]

And on the downside, here is the loony Phyllis Tickle speaking at Rob Bell's church about the erotic indwelling Holy Spirit, whom we replenish with energy by eating the Lord's Supper.

[fiddlin-john]

And on the downside, here is the loony Phyllis Tickle speaking at Rob Bell's church about the erotic indwelling Holy Spirit, whom we replenish with energy by eating the Lord's Supper.

This is what kills me about the Emerging guys... They are right on track, and you follow them a little further, and you start to say "hmmm" and the next thing you know, you look up and saying "Where in Hades am I?"

[Kenny]

And on the downside, here is the loony Phyllis Tickle speaking at Rob Bell's church about the erotic indwelling Holy Spirit, whom we replenish with energy by eating the Lord's Supper.

Yikes! What was that!?