Love Wins

April 4, 2011
Bell, influential pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and author of Velvet Elvis, aims to provide an introduction to some of the big questions of Jesus' life and message. Claiming that some versions of Jesus should be rejected, particularly those used to intimidate and inspire fear or hatred, Bell persuasively interprets the Bible as a message of love and redemption. He is clearly well-versed in the scriptures, and for support his arguments look to everything from the parable of the prodigal son to Revelation to the story of Moses, in addition to his own personal experiences as a pastor, many of which are the book's highlights. Bell's vision of Christianity is inclusive, as he argues against some traditional ideas--for instance, hell as eternal punishment reserved for non-Christians--in favor of a God whose love and forgiveness is all encompassing. His style is characteristically concise and oral, his tone passionate and unabashedly positive. The result is a book that, while not exploring its own ideas deeply, may be a friendly welcome to Christianity for seekers, since they don't have a dog in the fight over hell that this book has ignited among the professionally religious.

February 15, 2013
Christian inspiration for dudes and dudettes. Hey, it's not complicated: God has invited you to a party! Distilling messages from his similarly titled book for adults (2011), Bell offers general attitudes for living a Christian life, rather than a specific set of rules, in a combination of prose, Q-and-A's and occasional free verse. He repeatedly rejects the validity of any "system of sin management" imposed by "spiritual bullies" or organized religions that limit free questioning or envision God as anything but loving. He also acknowledges the lure of risky behavior (with an anecdote featuring his butt cheeks and a BB gun) and the natural confusion that arises from seeing evil in the world--but promises that the party has already started right here and that God's love (which encompasses everyone, including atheists and non-Christians) is an open invitation to join the festivities. Using the parable of the Prodigal Son, he argues that it's all a matter of what kind of personal stories we tell ourselves and also that "[h]ell is being at the party but refusing to join it." Easily digestible, a little glib, but reassuring: "God is there, / standing there in the driveway, / arms open, / ready to invite you in." (Q&A with author; recommended reading) (Nonfiction. 13-18)

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July 1, 2013
The pastor and author of bestselling adult books brings his message to teens in this chatty, brief self-help book. Overall, Bell preaches that a loving God is not interested in granting salvation to only a small group of chosen people. The book jumps around from one idea to another, but the conversational style may appeal to questioning teens. Reading list.

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