This Friday we will host middle school students to discuss concepts of Heaven. The focus is on biblical views, emphasizing that Heaven is not an escape but a restoration of creation. Salvation’s goal is not merely going to Heaven but dwelling with God in a renewed earth, reflecting God’s presence now and in the future. … More What is Heaven?
Heaven isn’t the point of the gospel—and N.T. Wright challenges the “accept Jesus and escape earth” narrative of Christianity. Curtis Chang talks with Wright, leading theologian and prolific author, about New Creation and his latest book asking whether the Bible’s promise is the Kingdom of God on earth—or simply going to heaven when you die. … More N. T. Wright: Heaven Isn’t the Endgame (Good Faith Podcast)
While we’re busy carving pumpkins and collecting candy this weekend, November 1 will be All Saints Day. More familiar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians, this is a day we pause both to remember and celebrate all those brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us. The church universal is made up of … More ‘A Great Cloud of Witnesses’: All Saints Day Reflection
In “The Fire That Consumes”, E. W. Fudge places the textual evidence front and center in the Hell debate. … More One Hell of a Book by E. W. Fudge
It is so easy to place God in a box. But again and again we find that God cannot be confined to our little categories. One large way we have managed to push God’s penetrating presence out of our world is by the way we think of and imagine Heaven. I think Heaven can be … More Rethinking Heaven 2: What? When? Where?
WHY ‘GOING TO HEAVEN’ IS NOT THE ULTIMATE CHRISTIAN HOPE. What happens when a loved one dies? Their body is laid to rest while their eternal soul goes to be with the Lord. This is true, but not the end of the story. It seems that for many this is the natural process: Our physical … More Rethinking Heaven 1: Out of the Platonic Fog
Those who know me will know that Greg Boyd has been one of my teachers and theological mentors over the years. He continually stretches my thinking and challenges me to wrestle courageously with the Biblical text and not mindlessly adopt the traditional beliefs handed down through church history. Some of his views are controversial and … More ReKnew Manifesto (Greg Boyd)
Now for a second key point to Jesus’s “cosmic landfill” image of Hell. We should not speak of eternal damnation as something God imposes on us against our will, as if we had no choice in the matter. Jesus has taken our trash upon himself, his offer of forgiveness is always before us and he … More GARBAGE DAY 11 – Locked From The Inside (Hell 3)
What then does Jesus’ graphic allusion to Jerusalem’s garbage dump tell us about the nature of hell? First, as we have already discovered, each person has been created for the common purpose of bringing glory and praise to the Creator. We were made to be showcases of God’s majesty. We fulfill this role whenever we … More GARBAGE DAY 10 – Scissors That Won’t Cut (Hell 2)
Earlier I mentioned the unpopularity of the topic of repentance both inside and outside the church today. An even more hair-raising, gut-wrenching topic, offering a greater challenge to our culture’s sensibilities is the idea that an all-loving, all-merciful God would send people to some hell for all eternity. Shall we pour a cup of coffee and talk about Hell for a moment?
… More GARBAGE DAY 9 – God’s Cosmic Landfill (One Hell of a Mess)
Jeff Cook’s thoughts on Chan’s new book Erasing Hell, and why it does not even enter the conversation Bell started: Dress it up however you wish, Erasing Hell is a response book to Rob Bell’s Love Wins,yet despite replicating Bell’s style in their cover art and promotional video—the primary problem in my mind with Erasing Hell is that the authors … More Erasing Hell, Rob Bell & the Issue of Audience
So…have you read it yet? How did you react? Rob Bell’s editor Mickey Maudlin speaks out about Love Wins: Nothing makes me more proud than to see a book I edited reach a wide audience. By that measure, I should be beaming over Rob Bell’s Love Wins. And I am. Not only has it spent fifteen weeks … More Rob Bell’s Editor Comments on ‘Love Wins’
I highly recommend this! I will be attending and hope to bring along with me as many MainStreet friends as possible. This will be a fun, thought-provoking field trip together. -JB Woodland Hills Church’s next Q&A with Greg Boyd and Paul Eddy is coming up on Tuesday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m. There has been … More Heaven & Hell Q & A
Ben Witherington is picking apart Rob Bell’s Love Wins chapter by chapter here. Here’s a taste of his critique of chapter 7: Let me be clear that I think in one sense Rob is right—- God is not quixotic. He is not gracious and loving one moment, and cruel the moment after you die. I … More Rethinking Rob Bell’s Rethinking of Hell & Rethinking It Again
Why does C.S. Lewis often get a pass with the same crowd that has written Rob Bell off as a heretic or at least heterodox? C. S. Lewis held to many theological positions that pushed the theological envelope just as far — especially related to Hell — and he fairs alright among the crowd that … More C. S. Lewis, Rob Bell & Two Kinds of People
What do you think of the perspective of Dr. Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary, below? From Dr. Mouw’s blog: I told the USA TODAY reporter that Rob Bell’s newly released Love Wins is a fine book and that I basically agree with his theology. I knew that the book was being widely criticized for having … More Mouw on “Love Wins”
The Christian blogosphere is often a nasty place, where stones get tossed back and forth around the clock with very little listening to the other side. I think I’d give up all together on the hope for balanced and grace-filled conversation if it weren’t for Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed. He’s a kindred spirit in … More Widen Your Perspective
Kevin DeYoung has a thorough and devastating review of Rob Bell’s book Love Wins. It’s well worth the read — though it’s lengthy. I read it late last night and I’m still processing it. But here’s a couple paragraphs to chew on and share your comments. “So why do I say Bell is a universalist … More DeYoung’s Review of Bell’s Love Wins
I’ve mentioned some of the strong criticism for Rob Bell’s yet-to-be-released book on Heaven and Hell called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Now a couple positive endorsements from Eugene Peterson and Greg Boyd. “In the current religious climate in America, it isn’t easy to … More Rob Bell Endorsements
Rob Bell’s forthcoming book, Love Wins, is bringing the discussion of Hell to center stage. May we all grow in our knowledge and beliefs about this very biblical and Jesus-y topic. As the buzz continues to increase around this debate in the church as Bell’s book releases, may we all dig our noses into Scriptures … More Tim Keller on Hell
Here it is. The book that signals the apocalypse for many Evangelicals — especially those espousing Reformed theology. Rob Bell is questioning the traditional view of Hell. He will, and already is, suffering the wrath of the Reformed blogosphere — DeYoung, Piper, Justin Taylor and the boys. This should be an interesting ride as this … More VIDEO: Rob Bell Stirs the Pot
I am currently teaching a 4-week class on the topic of Heaven with our high school students. What a fascinating and inexhaustible topic to explore! Among many questions that this raises is ‘What happens immediately upon death?’ Of course, Christians believe the soul lives on beyond the last heart beat and cessation of brain activity. … More D’Souza on Life After Death
A former student (now in college) asked the following question a while back. How would you answer this fascinating theological question about the nature of Satan, forgiveness, judgment, heaven and hell? Q: I was discussing Lucifer and his fall from heaven with a roommate, and she wondered if Lucifer ever had a desire to return … More Q&A: Can Satan repent, be forgiven and saved from Hell?
Kingdom Harbor 