Saturday, June 04, 2011

Agreed! Thanks, Scot McKnight (Regarding Rob Bell)

From http://www.patheos.com/community/jesuscreed/2011/03/02/waiting-for-rob-bell/

Scot McKnight said:
I’m grateful to God that Rob Bell is opening this after-life door and, from what I’m hearing, he’s only looking inside the door to see the prospects of universalism, asking you and me to realize both that we have some thoroughly unbiblical ideas and that we need to rethink this stuff all over again. I don’t expect Rob Bell to say one thing new, though I expect him to say what he says well enough to grab our attention.

Friends, this is an old discussion, and there are some great studies out there. Rob Bell is almost certainly not adding something new, but he’s pushing the door open and saying, “Folks, this vast and massive room of universalism and what’s awaiting us when we die are things we must take much more seriously. The next generation of Christians are pressing upon this door and we better stop and listen and think it through one more time.”

My contention is this: the approach to this generation is not to denounce their questions, which often enough are rooted in a heightened sensitivity to divine justice and compassion, but to probe their questions from the inside and to probe thoughtful and biblically-responsible resolutions. We need to show that their questions about justice and God’s gracious love are not bad questions but good questions that deserve to be explored.
----------------------
Cindi's comment: Well said! I so agree. I want to remember this perspective, as this discussion still pops up now and then. So I'm posting it here for my reference and your, reader, information. Thanks to Craig Wright for drawing it to my attention. Responsible theology is definitely a team sport.

No comments: