Love Wins: An Expansive, Inclusive, Consistent Theology for the Millennial Generation

Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, by Rob Bell makes an innovative contribution to theology for the 21^st century in that it articulates a distinctly Net Generation theology.   Although born in the heart of Generation X Bell articulates Christian Faith in terms that take seriously the Millennial Generation’s critiques of what has come to be understood as “Orthodox Christianity.”  Like Donald Miller Bell has an uncanny knack for connecting to the culture of today’s young adults.  Bell, however, has a very complete knowledge of the scriptures, the church fathers and a thorough grasp of Greek and Hebrew which gives his theological assertions a depth and authority that is compelling and refreshing.

Bell’s opening story revolves around an art show held at his Grand Rapids, Michigan church in which one woman included with her art work a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. The quote drew the attention of an anonymous critic who left a note next to it:  “Reality check: He’s (Gandhi) in hell.”  “Really?” questions Bell, “Gandhi’s in hell? He is?  We have confirmation of this?”  He then asks a long list of difficult questions that point up the terrible inconsistencies between a theology of a loving God and the popular understanding of a God who readily condemns his children to hell and eternal punishment.  For Bell, the notion God might hold people hostage to an eternity of punishment in hell, based on wrong decisions about Jesus, made during a few short years on earth likely determined through misinformation delivered by less than exemplary disciples; is incompatible with a loving God!  For Bell any notion that our salvation is dependent on us, renders God powerless.

I was particularly impressed with Rob Bell’s discussion of heaven and hell.  People have talked wistfully of “heaven on earth”.  Bell does a nice job of affirming that possibility through his assertion that Jesus understands the Kingdom of God is available to us in the present age and in the age to come.  This is not, however, the classic articulation of the social gospel’s exclusive focus on bringing in the Kingdom through our good work in this time.  Rather, Bell talks about living toward heaven in the here and now as a sort of “practice” for the people we will need to be in the age to come.  It’s the best articulation I’ve seen of why it’s useful,  important, and joyful to live as God’s people in the present.

Bell’s unpacking of hell is equally helpful.  He begins by talking about every reference to hell in the scriptures, which are few.  He works through the Old Testament references to a place of the death, pointing out that this simply wasn’t a doctrine of much interest to Judaism.  Then he deals with Jesus’ twelve specific references to hell in the New Testament  and works through some of the allusions to hell.  Interestingly Bell points out that in all of these instances Jesus is not warning the heathen about the consequences of wrong belief, but is warning the religious of the “consequences of straying from their God-given calling and identity to show the world God’s love” (p. 82).  I especially appreciated Bell’s interpretation of the parable of the Sheep and the Goats from Matthew 25.  I’ve always been uncomfortable with the Lord sending the goats to “eternal punishment.” Rob Bell uses his considerable knowledge of the Greek to correct our misunderstanding of this common translation, suggesting a better rendering might be that the goats are sent to a time of intense correction (p. 91).  In conclusion Bell says,  “we need a serious word to describe the real consequences we experience when we reject the good and true and beautiful life that God has for us.  We need a word that refers to the big, wide, terrible evil that comes from the secrets hidden deep within our hearts all the way to the massive, society-wide collapse and chaos that comes when we fail to live in God’s world God’s way” (p. 93).  Bell says “hell” is a good word to describe all this awfulness, but he doesn’t believe that hell is final or that it puts us beyond God’s reach.

 I am particularly interested in Rob Bells theological treatise because he seems to be addressing objections to popular Christianity raised by young adults in American today.  He is impatient with formulaic Christianity (ie.  “Believe these truths and you go to heaven when you die.  Don’t believe and you go to hell.”)  He courageously identifies the vengeful, wrathful, violent God as a misconception of the God Jesus proclaimed.  Bell is post-modern enough to hold multiple understandings of heaven and hell, and the cross and resurrection.  He understands these diverse theological perspectives came from differing faith communities trying to explain large life changing concepts to different people.  He is not threatened by holding multiple theologies together.  He welcomes the opportunity to look at concepts from different angles.  Lastly Bell has a broad theology of acceptance of all people which is a core value for the Millennial generation.  His embrace of all cultures and all beliefs is remarkable for one known as an “evangelical”.  Hi s theology might, at one time, have described as liberal and yet the Biblical defense of his positions is rooted in his Evangelical base.  He nicely defies a label.

As a pastor deeply committed to reaching the next generation I find Rob Bell’s discussion of the church’s “outreach strategies” both amusing and hopeful at the same time.  Bell says that the deepest problem we face in the church today is theological.  Somehow the culture has decided that Christianity proclaims a God that is supposed to be loving, but  in action is vengeful and untrustworthy.  “(This) is the secret deep in the heart of many people, especially Christians:  they don’t love God.  They can’t because the God they’ve been presented with and taught about can’t be loved.  That God is terrifying and traumatizing and unbearable.  And so there are conferences about how churches can be more relevant and missional and welcoming and there are vast resources, many, many books and films, for those who want to reach out and connect and build relationships with people who aren’t part of the church…  (but) if something is wrong with your God;  If your God is loving one second and cruel the next, if your God will punish people for all of eternity for sins committed in a few short years, no amount of clever marketing or compelling language or good music or great coffee will be able to disguise that one, true, glaring untenable, unacceptable, awful reality.”  (p. 174-175).

Bell says we need to reclaim the God who loves us all, unconditionally.  Of course we do.  This is what the reformation was all about 500 years ago.  Somehow the church had boiled down the grace of God into a few simple steps to achieve salvation:  give some money, visit a shrine, or buy an indulgence.  How absurd that salvation could be accomplished by we creatures.  Yet popular Christianity seems to assert that grace can be boiled down to a few right beliefs.  Affirm the right theological tenets; say the right prayer and you’re “in!”  How absurd that salvation could be dependent on us.  Bell pulls us back to grace and reminds us God gets what God wants.  God wants us and simply never gives up on us.  Love wins.

A couple weeks ago I watched an interview with authors Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais on the Newshour.  They were discussing their new book, Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation is remaking America.  I was delighted at their assessment of the positive impact they believe the Net Generation is having on education, the work place and especially on politics.  They believe the Millennial Generation is actually the best hope we have to build cooperation into our future politics.  You can watch their interview at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/july-dec11/millenials_09-26.html.

The more I study this generation and learn about the Millennial’s different take on community, learning, working and knowing the more hope I have for our future.  Rob Bell seems to be wrestling to articulate a theology that is both faithful and works for this generation.  I suspect this theology has emerged out of the faithful listening of a Pastor to the yearnings of his people as they intersect with the cross.  This new generation may indeed reform the church without even knowing it is doing so.