Book should lead some Christians to re-examine their views
There seems to be voluminous chatter in Holland over Rob Bell’s new book, “Love Wins.” Not having read the book, numerous well-meaning Christians nevertheless content themselves to promulgate harsh criticisms of its content. I shall therefore be unscrupulous about defending the book, having myself only read half.
Before dismissing Bell, honest people should carefully examine just what he has to say. This approach should hold for anyone who represents an unpopular opinion — Holland’s David G. Myers, for example. I am not an expert on theology, still less on hell, but I think it’s excellent to let out some stale air and let in some fresh insights on these issues. This is a troubling subject, and everyone senses it. Why not say so?
Perhaps this is why Bell’s book has been met with such vitriolic demands that he shut the window. Yet numerous Christians have voiced unorthodox opinions on the subject. C.S. Lewis is one notable example, so I am surprised that contributors like Charles E. Hunt (Sentinel, March 30) invoke Lewis against Bell. “The Great Divorce” is an exploration of purgatory, and “Mere Christianity” voices the harsh reproach that if people “cannot understand books written for grown-ups, they should not talk about them. All the scriptural imagery [about heaven is] merely symbolical … .” Elsewhere, in “Reflections on the Psalms,” Lewis notes the historical fact that the Old Testament does not advocate life after death; hell simply refers to the state of being dead. This view was maintained by the Sadducees. The Pharisees held to an afterlife, but it is uncertain how this view came about. This alone calls into question a host of assumptions.
Many Old Testament passages seem to refer to an afterlife, but in actuality do not. Before criticizing specks in the eyes of others, Christians ought to examine their own views with some degree of self-criticism. The more firmly these views are held, the more self-criticism will be necessary. This is undoubtedly Bell’s real point. The plank in the eye of the beholder may very well turn out to be a judging heart. If this declaration upsets some delicate dispositions, then such infirmities have been a long time in coming.
Originally published in The Holland Sentinel.