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I like to read, and often I get to read books that friends give me or recommend to me. Many years ago, a friend who I tend to trust and love very deeply in the Lord sent me a book from the man who had been his pastor when he had lived in the U.S. A man whose sermons I had enjoyed from time to time when I listened to them on bus trips to MT (membership training, a really interesting Korean cultural thing), though I have since lost those decent sermons from my ipod.
I was enthusiastically underwhelmed by the book, and had a few grave concerns about the ideas presented in it. I left it alone, mostly because I thought that maybe the book was an anomaly, and that the guy in question was mostly good.
Since then, I have had a great deal more experience with the teaching ministry of Rob Bell, from the Nooma videos I’ve seen played, and the way in which people I normally respect and trust spiritually take to his teaching. I have found that the errors in Velvet Elvis have not been anomalies, but in some sense the basis of his thinking, and as such, I feel I now need to express what I think, so that people will at least know why I have such strong opinions of the man’s teaching.
If you’re reading this, please remember that I am not deriding Rob Bell personally, I cannot see his heart. Nor am I deriding people who disagree with me. That said, I do think that what Rob Bell says is erroneous, dangerous to the Body of Christ, and if followed, can lead people very far away into what Paul calls in Galatians “another Gospel”.
Please read the post to come with some charity towards me, and prayerfully. Be assured, I am trying to be measured in my response.
→ Online Reading (July 3, 2008)
← Online Reading (June 30, 2008)
2 thoughts on “A Prolegomena to Comments on Velvet Elvis.”
Personally, I’d be interested to hear your opinion on his ideas. I read the book probably two years ago and don’t remember much except that I liked it, but I’ve heard concerns similar to yours.
July 1, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I would be too. :-) Unfortunately half of what I wrote last night before “sleeping on it” didn’t get saved, so I have to rewrite, and it is Canada Day today, so it’ll be evening before I manage to get it posted.