WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOD - Book Review

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOD is Rob Bell’s newest addition to his published work. The book was copyrighted in 2013. It is found in the Christianity/Religion section of all major booksellers and costs $25.99. ISBN: 978-0-06-204966-7

Bell writes this book because it is a deeply personal question that he continues struggling with throughout the entirety of the selection. He writes as one would speak in conversational prose. His extended question becomes: How do we talk about God? Bell also writes this book because he recognizes the need for conversation, and he recognizes the importance of rethinking who God is and how we talk about God.

Bell uses simple words to title his chapters, and these words also serve as the themes or topics of each chapter: open, both, with, for, ahead and so. Bell attempts to release the certainty of doctrine and most beliefs about God for something bigger. In many ways, Bell asserts, that certainty and dogma are too confining for a God of infinity. He wonders, “Can God keep up with the modern word?” This question is striking and is a punch to the gut eliminating all air from one's lungs. Was God left behind by our knowledge of the world, our daily workings, and our computer interfaces? Bell does not seem to think that God is dead or even that God was left behind, but he does insist that we must rethink the ways that we traditionally think about God. (I think he is right here)

In thinking about God, Bell brings doubt to the forefront. Doubt is often the ugly elephant in the room that many church people don’t want to talk about. Bell comes from a deeply personal place when he talks about being a pastor with doubts.

I should pause here and say that when you’re a pastor, your heart and soul and
          paycheck and doubts and faith and hopes and struggles and intellect and responsibility     
          are all wrapped up together in a life/job that is very public. and Sunday comes once a
          week, when you’re expected to have something inspiring to say... (12)

Fortunately, Bell does not leave the reader in that place for long because he asserts a way forward. The only way forward is to take the plunge into doubt and to be emerged in it. This leads to the emergence out of doubt into a world, not of certainty, but of integrity and faith. This emergence comes from the humans ability to embrace doubt AND fear.

The reader can take away useful information from this book. It gives the reader a chance to reflect on doubt, one’s personal convictions about God, dogma, doctrine, and one’s ability to remain open in doubt AND conviction.

Unfortunately, this book does not serve the meat and potatoes that a reader needs. I would like to say that Bell scratches the surfaces, but I am afraid that is not true. The only thing that Bell makes clear is that traditional theology does not work in this time. Here again, I think this is an oversimplification! We won’t lose God. Rob Bell and anyone else you don’t have to worry! The Triune God sustains the church, not theology.

This book would be helpful for people who want to begin the conversation about how we talk about God. This book would be better for people who are not theologically trained as an introduction to systematic theology. Like I said before, this book does not even scratch the surface, but it is not an entire wash. It can be useful, even as a devotional material to spark conversations about God.

-LB