Rob Bell, hell --- and let's all yell!

If you are unaware of the furor caused by the pre-publication buzz about pastor Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins:  A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived (to be released March 15, according to Amazon.com), welcome back from your rest, Rip Van Winkle.

The Christ-follower segment of the internet is largely in a state of tumult, with  premature --- and often harsh --- denunciations of Bell ("he's Universalist", "he's a heretic" and so on), and pushback from those like New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III, who say, Chill folks, we haven't even read the book!  (What many have seen is this promotional video for the book).

So what's my take?  I don't have one.  I haven't read the book.

What I have to offer is more substantial than an opinion on a book I haven't read; it's a link to my friend Paul Wilkinson's blog, Thinking Out Loud.  Paul, you see, is one of a tiny number of people who have seen the book --- at least a draft copy.  You can read Paul's thoughts on it all here.

After that, it's back to sleep, Rip.

[UPDATE March 7:  Pastor and New Testament scholar Greg Boyd says he, too, has read Bell's book --- and says further that Bell is not a universalist.  You can read Boyd's comments here.]
[UPDATE March 11:  Louis McBride, the Bible and academic book buyer for Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, posted his review of the book today.  McBride also has a master's degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  He blogs here.  In his review, he notes Boyd's review, as well as, that of Tim Challies, one of the best-known evangelical bloggers.  Evidently, Challies disagrees with Boyd --- Challies thinks Bell is a universalist.]
[UPDATE March 11:  Bell will be launching his book March 14 at a live event in NYC.  You can read the particulars here.]
[UPDATE March 13:  Theologian Roger E. Olson pleads for cooler heads to prevail.  You can read it here.]
[UPDATE March 14:  Christianity Today editor Mark Galli posted his review today.  You can read it here.]
[UPDATE March 15:  Fuller Theological Seminary president Richard Mouw weighs in.  You can read it here.]