The end of the week has come about and I have successfully resisted the urge to buy Rob Bell's Love Wins book. [!!!! hallelujah chorus !!!!!]
But I did follow the conversation and I was impressed that my son was talking theology today on his facebook page in relation to the Rob Bell controversy.
Wow - Martin Bashir seemed really harsh on Rob Bell in his MSNBC interview [partial transcript here] which I found painful to watch and have not yet shown my wife. As one twitterer suggested, Martin repeatedly insulted Rob and then asked him to confirm the insults - "Its true, isnt it?"
I was wondering if it was because Bashir attends Redeemer Church in New York and was bringing in some attitude from Tim Keller's belief on hell, which is not uncontested in emerging church circles. But then after listening to Martin explain that interview to Paul Edwards, he appears to be actually very neutral and desires to be a journalist who brings out the truth rather than take sides in squabbles.
And he had a problem with Rob Bell apparently misquoting Martin Luther - fair enough.
Martin Bashir also mentioned that his daughter attends an emergent church in England called the Edge. Probably this one in Bristol, but there are now 3000 fresh expressions [as they call them in England) in the UK, according to Bishop Graham Cray, so there might be a number of them called The Edge. But as a parent with a child in another country, like Bashir, I can imagine a little anxiety in hoping that they will come under good spiritual teaching in the absence of a caring parent.
The panel at Southern Seminary happened [audio here] but it was quite congenial, not heated at all really. Actually it got terribly boring so I stopped listening. I dont think they got around to talking about the various nuances of the word "hell", as I had hoped but maybe another day? Sounds like Al Mohler is priming the pump for a book on the subject of universalism. Hopefully I will resist that one also.
Sometimes I wonder whether the Christian church in our western countries has become, quite regrettably, a book club.
Wife went to a movie tonight with a friend and kids went to a Christian youth group so, for the first time in a while, I have a quiet night.
Might watch an action movie and go to bed. Good night.
