“Great Question. Now, an answer.” – A review of Rob Bell’s book What is the Bible?

As much as I hate to say it, there isn’t much middle ground when it comes to Rob Bell. And really none of that comes from Rob himself or at least the ideas he puts forth have always striven to continue what he has called God’s always expanding ‘inclusivity in the exclusivity’ (I might also add is a very Barthian way of thinking for you fellow theology nerds). Though early on in my exposure to Rob I was resistant to this thought, as the years have passed I discovered a deep and ever growing need for this, God’s most scandalous action, grace.I say all of this, to acknowledge that most who read this book or engage it have probably already made up their mind on how they will receive it. And when I say most, I include myself, regardless of which side or perspective you find yourself in we come to the book being open or closed to what it holds. But then there is there is this small slice who will pick up this book who don’t know Rob, who don’t know the controversy that was Love Wins, who have a longing for connection with something larger than themselves, or who have been hurt by the structures and systems that have become the ‘church’. This latter group, I would argue, is who Rob has always deeply desired to connect with and bring a needed fresh and good word to. Of course, I believe he also hopes to challenge the machine that has become American Christianity and he hopes to keep journeying alongside those who have resonated with his message but I believe that this is only secondary to that smaller 'slice'.With all this in mind, as a pastor and preacher that has drawn attention for his provocative engagement of the Bible throughout the years, Rob set out to answer many of the questions he has been asked throughout the years from individuals and groups concerning it. These questions helped form this book and ultimately gave it, it’s title. Below are a few my thoughts on What is the Bible? that I hope are helpful if you are considering reading it (and if you decide to read the book, I would love to hear your thoughts as well).

The Writing:

To receive Rob’s writing well, you have to be familiar with his speech and cadence. If you are not, the formatting of the text alone will drive you up the wall. But if you have heard him speak, for only 10 minutes on an old Nooma or part of an interview, all of a sudden his books have the ability to become very conversational and dare I say intimate.Through this conversational approach, Rob willingly engages topics, subjects, and struggles that many are often afraid to address – especially leaders within the Church. Rob doesn’t run from the complexity found in the text but invites readers to breathe a sigh of relief that whatever question or doubt that might come to mind won’t and can’t scare off God, and reminds readers that God actually welcomes them.

The Content:

First, a familiar critique of Rob is that he asks a lot of questions but doesn't offer many answers. I might suggest that this critique can’t really be applied to this book as each chapter dives into answering either a stated question or there is an implied thought or question Rob addresses as he champions the complexity of the text, of humanity, and of God. Rob even goes as far early on in the book, as if to address this very thing, by saying “Great Question. Now, an answer.” (73) before diving into a topic.Second, one of the main criticisms of Rob is often that individuals and groups will often say that he doesn’t take the Bible seriously, or seriously enough. For one, I must say if anyone can dedicate writing 300+ pages on the Bible alone, I think their argument might be a bit off.The big three topics I see that individuals will have more questions or resistance with are on the Bible’s authority, inspiration, and inerrancy. Each of these topics can be discussed separately but are intimately linked to one another. Because they are so linked, these three topics ( taking an illustration from Rob’s first book Velvet Elvis) are often viewed as major sections or foundational blocks that make up a ‘wall’ that is the Christian faith. For some removing, challenging, or tweaking any of these blocks causes the whole wall of faith to fall apart and in turn, at the very worst, make the Christian faith useless. While for others, finally being given permission to think deeply on these matters and yes, even to question them is such a freeing opportunity.For those who find themselves in more of the former camp, I believe it would be helpful if you read first NT Wright’s “How Can the Bible Be Authoritative”. In this short 25 page article, Wright puts forth a similar argument to Bell by arguing that the Bible is not the ‘Word of God’ but rather is the word of God because The Word of God (Jesus) has chosen to work in and through the pages, poems, and people found within. Often, especially in Protestant streams of thought, we have conflated Scripture and preaching to a place of authority that only God can dwell and this is where Bell and Wright invite readers to rethink this approach.This is a major shift in thinking for many, which cause the other two topics to have to be addressed and thankfully Rob takes the time to go there.Third, nothing Rob is saying is new (I think I could say this for everyone one of Rob's books). What we see with Rob is simply one of Christianity’s best communicators acting as a springboard for individuals to dive deep in the stream of thought and discussions many thoughtful people have been having since it all began. This would be where I would have my biggest criticism of the book, in that I would love for it to be footnoted or for a footnoted version to become available. This would allow individuals, like myself, who want to explore more on some of things Rob touches on, to be able to engage the source material he is references throughout.

My Takeaway:

In short, I believe this to be Rob Bell’s best work to date.Like so much of what he does, Rob has the ability to start conversations with individuals and groups that have often felt disregarded or have left behind the Church for whatever reason. His writing invites everyone, regardless of religious stripe (or no stripe at all) into conversation and challenges those like myself, to find a fresh way to articulate the complexities of the Divine and life without simply glossing over or minimizing it. I do not say this lightly, but his closing section of the book called ‘A Note on Growing and Changing’ might contain some of the most important words he has ever written – these are words anyone who is or has or will wrestle with their faith and community need to hear again and again.At it’s very best, this book challenged me to fall in love again with the Bible and at it’s worst, humbled me and reminded me that there is so much more to learn and experience of God in the Bible and in the world we live._My GoodReads rating: 4/5To understand how I rate books, please check out the following post.