The Evangelical Universalist Forum

JRP's summary review of Rob Bell's "Love Wins"

Having finished a 105 page in-depth commentary a few weeks ago (available here on the forum, now with a pdf and doc version attached to the first post), I am now presenting a 13 page summary review (attached below in this post.)

It’s far more formal, but also a bit less technical (paradoxically!)

Also, it’s only 13 pages. :mrgreen: Which is still 10 pages more than many internet reviewers have bothered to do.

For those visitors and readers unfamiliar with my long-form review notes, while I basically agree with the direction Rob Bell is arguing for, I am VERY critical about some of the moves he makes in his book. Not all of those are covered in this shorter review, but you’ll find plenty there to complain about if you’re looking for that sort of thing.

And plenty to cheer about if you’re looking for that sort of thing.

Which at bottom is the point to my review: opponents and supporters ought to pay more attention to what’s going on there, in sympathy with each other.

(Incidentally, anyone wanting a pdf or doc of the long-form review can now find it attached and reformatted to the first post of the thread linked to above.)

(Version 1.01 fixes three minor composition glitches. Thanks to Sonia for noting them!)
JRP reviews Love Wins.pdf (71.4 KB)
JRP reviews Love Wins.doc (66 KB)

Thanks Jason! I’ve shared it on FaceBook, will be interesting to see the response.

Btw, once I’ve finished the major project I’m working on at work, I’m going to take a look at the SEOed version of phpBB so that we get user readable URLs, among other important things!

Thanks for this Jason. Much enjoyed.

I’ve not been able to keep up with your long version, but this one hits many highlights and important points and distinctions. You note many of the things I noticed in the book plus many I’d not thought of. I especially liked that you were as fair and gracious with what you liked as you were with what you didn’t. It has bothered me too that so many have, in their eagerness to dismiss Rob’s book (because they don’t like it’s implications), misrepresented what he actually says.
No, not a perfect book at all. And yes, Rob’s style and apparent elusive coyness can be oddly frustrating. But there it is and it does have value and does raise very important things.

Thanks again.

TotalVictory
Bobx3