In what way? Isn’t he pretty much saying what Father Robert Barron is saying:
This is what Father Robert Barron had to say about this. I’m not sure he differs that much from what Bell is teaching:
Great video, but Fr. Barron gets one thing incorrect, when he says that Bell argues that everyone will definitely be saved. Bell doesn’t argue that; Bell argues that there is much in the Christian tradition that points to the possibility that all will be saved, and thus we may reasonably hope that all will be saved – which is what Fr. Barron also argues.
That’s what I thought Bell was teaching. I don’t know why there is so much controversy over his book unless certain kinds of people really like the thought that most people will be damned.
It takes a Village to emerge a church.I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says, but I am a big fan of Rob Bell. It sounds like I’d like Father Barron too.
And on net balance, I would say the “emerging church” movement (or conversation, as some prefer) is a Good Thing, though some associated with it go too far, and are too liberal both theologically and politically. I would say that’s true of the Emergent Village faction in particular.
It’s not because anyone likes the thought, but because to many,from a Biblical perspective, it seems that we cannot reasonably hope that all people will be saved.
There’s always purgatory to fear … I think as many people are turned away from Christianity by the traditional teaching on hell then are saved by it. Hell is real, but I think we can hope, as Barton and Bell do, that God’s grace will be triumphant for most people if not all. God desires all to be saved and Christ was sent to save the world, not to condemn the world. That doesn’t mean there might be someone who would completely reject God’s love, but our job is to hope and pray that God will save everyone. The church makes that clear when we pray for the salvation of all in mass. Wouldn’t be worth doing that if it couldn’t happen.