Super Book - Rated 
Possibly it's about where I'm at in my Christian walk, but I found this book incredibly good. I found myself nodding all through it, in agreement with Bell, as if he'd put my thoughts/uncertainties into words.
In summary - don't sweat the small stuff. Don't get tied up in dogma and doctrine. Love God and accept other Christians/denominations where they're at. It's okay that we don't all choose to believe exactly the same things.
Either read it because you're wondering why your congregation sneers at the Church_of_Not_Quite_Dotrinally_Correct congregation down the road. Or read it because you think it's absolutely fundamental to have our doctrinal ducks perfectly in a row. Either way, it will invoke strong feelings of agreement or disagreement (or both!).
I feel like I've been handed some freedom, and my beliefs are no longer aligned with those of the majority of Christians around me. By God's grace, I will be able to handle that with acceptance and grace.
Sorry to step on your blue suede shoes ... - Rated 
I have had some lengthy discussions with a Christian friend of mine about religions in general and, in particular, Christianity. A lot of our discussion was about Richard Dawkins' recent book, The God Delusion, which I had recently finished. I thought that he should read it and he agreed that he would on the condition that I read Velvet Elvis. So he lent me the book and I have now read it.
I was born to parents who didn't believe in any of the gods on offer in today's world. I went to a Church of England primary school and a Catholic secondary school and was allowed to come to my own conclusions about whether or not any gods exist. I found the evidence lacking and so without the experience of `meeting Jesus' which compels some people to transcend science, I defaulted to atheism (which I believe should be the default for all children). All fourteen reviews of this book currently on Amazon are written by Christians and so I thought it appropriate to have a review from an atheist since it won't just be Christians who read this book (after all, plenty of Christians have written reviews for The God Delusion).
If people still choose to become or remain Christian in this day and age then I sincerely hope that they will be the kind of Christian that Rob Bell advocates. That is, to value good morals above all else. However, it is here that I have the biggest problem with the book. Early on the author writes "I am convinced being generous is a better way to live. I'm convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live. I'm convinced having compassion is a better way to live. I'm convinced pursuing peace in every situation is a better way to live. I'm convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live. I'm convinced being honest with people is a better way to live."
After reading that it seemed pretty clear that Rob Bell and I have got the same sort of morals. I am convinced about all those ideals also and I either successfully live my life by them or do my best to do so. He then goes on to say, in the very next paragraph "This way of thinking isn't weird or strange; it is simply acknowledging that everybody follows somebody, and I'm trying to follow Jesus."
Being good and charitable is not something Christians can take ownership of.
I appreciate that the bible teaches Christians to follow some good morals, but these are really just the same good morals (apart from the one about using the "Lord's" name in vain) that every good parent/relative/teacher should teach any child, whether Christian, atheist, Hindu, Muslim etc. What separates a good Christian from a good atheist isn't the morals; that is what they have in common. The differences are the legends, mysticism, might, superstition, culture, history, symbolism, devotion, intrigue, scandal, beauty, wars, politics and magical stories of and associated with the institution of Christianity.
For those of you have read this book, the second paragraph of page 170 beginning "Suffering is a place ..." is a powerful and thought provoking passage but the one sentence about "God being there" is completely marginal. We've all been in that position, both as the sufferer and the comforter and I have never attributed its importance to any god.
As I am sure you would expect me to say, I believe religion is well past its sell by date in this age of higher scientific understanding and increasingly more equality for all people. More than ever, people are capable of achieving earthly happiness and do not need the characteristically man-made idea of an afterlife to get them through their mortal existence. In most places world leaders find it ever harder to launch wars in the name of their god (although Bush has been a bit of a worry). Velvet Elvis makes a valiant defence of the Christian faith in this light. The book asks readers to question what they have been told by spiritual leaders, both past and present. It implores readers to be willing to be very creative in interpreting the bible in order to circumvent the contradictions, gaps and pretty shifty morals which can be found in this ancient compilation. At one point in Velvet Elvis Rob Bell writes something along the lines of "The story of Adam and Eve in the bible is true because it is true for all of us, everyday, here and now." I'm not sure whether creationists will thank the author for that particular defence.
I believe Rob Bell's book is important for the Christian faith because it encourages Christians to be charitable and moral and to not get hung up on guilt, original sin and eternal damnation. It is quite well written but at times it is a bit too conversational for my liking. There is too much use of the one sentence (sometimes even one word) paragraph which gave this reader the constant impression that the author thought he had said something earth shatteringly profound (and he usually hadn't). I enjoyed most of his stories about his parish, friends and family - although, writing this now, I wince when I recall his story of his two friends having a non-religious wedding in beautiful surroundings and the author manages to make it about his god. I was impressed with his knowledge of the history and cultures of the Mediterranean and Middle East 2000 years ago. I was warmed to hear of the positive impact he has made on many people's lives, particularly in Africa. Rob Bell is clearly a kind and smart man.
Ultimately, this book is not for those of wavering faith or no faith and so it was always going to be a book which I would be frustrated to read. However, it gave me an interesting insight into a direction which Christianity is moving. I think it is a step in the right direction.
A book to restore your sanity - Rated
I bought this book without realising what a cult Christian book it had been, based on an Amazon recommendation. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. Somehow Rob Bell manages to write some very profound ideas in a light easy to read format. What he says makes incredible sense, but he challenges us all to question both what he writes and what is taught to us as 'God's word'. The basis for this is not that he doubts the Bible, but that firstly since we always read a translation there is a degree of human interpretation, and secondly anybody teaching from the Bible brings their own personal interpretation, and so can never say that they are teaching God's word.
For those frustrated by the black and white simplicity of today's conservative evangelical Christianity, this book will restore your sanity that you can be Christian and use your brain, and that to question what you are taught is good not bad. Rob Bell has a infectious faith that is real and engaged with the world of today.
Read this book once as a light read, return to it again and digest it at a deeper level and then pass it on to others who can also be encouraged by it.
Best avoided - Rated 
2 good things and a plethora of bad things:
Good thing #1: Rob Bell is an excellent communicator, and is very easy to read.
Good thing #2: He has some interesting Jewish/Greek background information that sheds new light on some familiar Biblical passages.
Bad thing #1: He has no idea what the Christian gospel is. Or more likely, doesn't like it. "This is what we are all dying for - something that demands we step up and become better, more focussed people. Something that calls out the greatness that we hope is somewhere inside of us." (p169) In other words, salvation is found in being good people. This is the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches. It's a disasterous liberal falacy.
Bad thing #2: Actually #1 is bad enough not to need a #2. But here's another example anyway: "Heaven is full of people whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people whom Jesus died for. The difference is how we choose to live..." (p146) The guy is a heretic. And mixes truth with utter falsehood, like the worst kind of false teachers. Avoid like the plague.
Take him very seriously... - Rated
...when he says you should read this book critically. I have a hard time recommending this book. I found it frustrating, because Rob veers wildly from wonderfully insightful to deeply misguided and misleading. It worries me that he would so casually throw out some of the observations he makes in this book, because he's a figurehead to many Christians who aren't inclined to approach critically anything that fits their preconceptions, and I doubt there's much in here to challenge anyone of that particular mindset. There are parts of this book which manage to even come across as if Rob were not a Christian at all, and I dread to think of the impact it could have on the developing faith of one of the many teens he's popular with.
If you have set everything about your faith rigidly in place a good while ago, you could really have something to gain from reading this book, if you are able to approach it with an open mind. Try not to allow recognition of how flawed some of the ideas in the book are to get in the way of the genuine, timely insight shown elsewhere.
If, however, you've yet to have a long, hard look at what you believe, I would urge you to look elsewhere. The last thing you need is something easy to swallow and utterly worthless - and unfortunately, there is much in here that fits the description.
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