I love rob bell s refreshing take on things as old as time. Mar 15, 2011 few events in recent memory have caused as much controversy and confusion among evangelicals as the latest book by wellknown pastor rob bell, who in love wins denies hell and affirms. Rob bell s velvet elvis repainting the christian faith. In addition to some interesting facts about the early church and the beginnings of christianity, bell also invites us to take a wide angle view of some poignant verses and popular phrases in the bible, and its eye opening. According to, the group boasts membership totals close to 10,000 yet started as a small gathering of friends in a vacant strip mall. Perhaps more relevant than ever before, rob bells velvet elvis is his original and bestselling classic. Rob bell is the founding pastor of mars hill bible church in michigan, as well as a prominent author of numerous books on religion, including love wins, velvet elvis, and sex god. If you like any one of rob bell s books, youll enjoy velvet elvis. Velvet elvis rob bell paperback harpercollins publishers.
Jun 29, 2006 now in softcover, velvet elvis offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what christianity is really about. Jul 24, 2012 velvet elvis is the first book from rob bell, the new york times bestselling author of love wins. Rob bell s velvet elvis rob bell knows and uses a certain amount of scholarship. Rob bell rob bell is a new york times bestselling author, speaker, and spiritual teacher. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sep 06, 2011 i need a responce to the 1st 3 chaptrs of rob bell s velvet elvis about ideas of bell s religious experience and the use of the bible and if u agree with his understanding of the problems of being christian today. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 194 pages and is available in hardcover format. He compares it to looking at doctrine as a brick wall that when bricks are removed simply falls apart. Just as a velvet painting of elvis gives us another look at mr. Bell is the founder and teaching pastor of mars hill bible church in grand rapids, mi.
Rob bell was once the evangelical it boy, the hipster pastor with the thickrimmed glasses and the skinny jeans whose bestselling theology was captured in books with names such as velvet elvis. Velvet elvis is wonderfully composed, with a great message. Repainting the christian faith is a book written by rob bell of mars hill bible church, inspired by a velvet elvis painting in his garage. Rediscovering wondera new video from rob bell youtube. Under his leadership mars hill was one of the fastestgrowing churches in america. Drury i had a chance to read rob bells book velvet elvis over christmas break. Selected as one of 2011s most influential people by ti. Presley, so also, rob bell wants to paint for us an alternative picture of the christian life. Rob bell is a bestselling author and international teacher and speaker. Rob bell has a magic touch when it comes to taking a simple, silly story and using it as a guidepost for a soulsearching journey. Velvet elvis, sex god, jesus wants to save christians, drops like stars, love wins1 mass media.
Amazon ibooks barnes and noble for thousands of years followers of jesus, like artists, have understood that we have to keep going, exploring what it means to live in harmony with god and each other. In velvet elvis, rob bell frees us to consider god beyond the picture someone else painted for us in order to find an authentic understanding of the christian faith. Velvet elvis is the first book from rob bell, the new york times bestselling author of love wins selected as one of 2011s most influential people by time magazine, pastor bell offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what christianity is truly all about in velvet elvis. He is the author of the bestselling velvet elvis, sex god, jesus wants to save christians, and drops like stars, speaks to soldout audiences across the world and pioneers a series of short films called nooma. The first edition of the novel was published in january 1st 2005, and was written by rob bell. Velvet elvis author encourages exploration of doubts. Apparently, bell has a message that is resonating with vast numbers of people, and hes presenting that message in a way thats obviously connecting.
I first heard of rob bell at a pastors conference, where his publisher advised me that velvet elvis had sold 100,000 copies in less than a year. He hosts the weekly podcast the robcast, which was named by itunes as one of the best of 2015. On its surface, bells first book, velvet elvis, might seem rather innocuous. I would like to add my own contribution to the now raging dialogue concerning its claims and implications. This book is for those who need a fresh take on jesus and what it means to live the kind of life he teaches us to live. Your job is the relentless pursuit of who god made you to be. He is embarking on a speaking tour everything is spiritual sic in the summer of 2006. Aug 02, 2012 perhaps more relevant than ever before, rob bell s velvet elvis is his original and bestselling classic.
Rob bell, the pastor who questioned hell, is now surfing. Rob bell is the pastor of the mars hill bible church, located in grandville, michigan. Selected as one of 2011s most influential people by time magazine, pastor bell offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what christianity is truly all about in velvet elvis. Rob hopes to leap from his bestselling short nooma video series into networkclass tv, partnering with the redhot writer and producer carlton cuse. I need if for a bible camp for college and there trying to throw me out. The church grew from zero to 10,000 in less than two years and rob bell has become a phenomenon. What ever happened to rob bell, the pastor who questioned. Rob bell velvet elvis rob bell and other leaders of the socalled emerging church, like steve chalke, also undermine the trustworthiness of the bible by stating facts in complete opposition to the clear teachings of scripture. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it. His books include love wins, how to be here, what we talk about when we talk about god, velvet elvis, the. Jul 24, 2007 rob warns the readers, do that to this book. From what ive seen thus far rob bell seem to be closer to understanding the realities of biblical grace than many orthodox writers and teachers.
Velvet elvis is, according to the official online summary, for the millions of people who are fascinated by jesus, but cant do the standard christian package. Explaining the title velvet elvis is helpful in describing the book. In velvet elvis, rob bell frees us to consider god beyond the pictu. Rob bell, the pastor who questioned hell, is now surfing, working with oprah and loving life in l. In velvet elvis, bell invites readers to wrestle with their faith, and offers a radical new perspective on jesus, the church, and christianity today. Rob bell deviates from traditional, conservative, mainstream baptist theology in several areas. Bell has a cheap painting in his basement of elvis. His books include the new york times bestsellers what is the bible. Aug 11, 2006 rob bell has a magic touch when it comes to taking a simple, silly story and using it as a guidepost for a soulsearching journey. On the occasion of the release of love wins in paperback and new covers on all his books velvet elvis, jesus wants to save christians. Rob bell is a new york times bestselling author, speaker, and spiritual teacher. His stated goal is to rethink the christian faith in terms that will strip it down to the bare bones and. God doesnt have boundaries, and faith doesnt have to be limited to what someone else has told us. Just because im a christian and im trying to articulate a christian worldview, doesnt mean ive got it nailed.
Rob bell quotes author of velvet elvis 301 quotes from rob bell. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading velvet elvis. His books include love wins, how to be here, what we talk about when we talk about god, velvet elvi. Hes somewhere between the realm of the popular writers like macarthur and the scholars like witherington on this score.
Repainting the christian faith by rob bell goodreads. Rob bell is a bestselling author, international teacher, and highly sought after public speaker. A theological critique of rob bells velvet elvis by mark w. His books include the new york times bestseller love wins, along with what we talk about when we talk about god, the zimzum of love, velvet elvis, sex god, jesus wants to save christians, drops like stars. Perhaps more relevant than ever before, rob bell s velvet elvis is his original and bestselling classic. Millones cajones a novel how to be here the zimzum of love what we talk about when we talk about god love wins drops like stars jesus wants to save christians sex god velvet elvis. Time magazine recently called rob bell the hipperthanthoupastor thursday, dec. Listen to and download episodes of the robcast and get information on rob bell events, tours, books and films. Rob bell book love wins stirs controversy, denies core. He also said that 30,000 people a week downloaded his sermons from the mars hill church in grand rapids.
In his debut book, bell explores a new understanding of the christian faith. Rob bell is finishing a new bookactually lots of new books, if you count the colorful new editions of his first five books plus the brandnew book coming out in 20. This, along with the fact that his influence seems to only be growing, led me to read his book velvet elvis. Rob bell, velvet elvis, repainting the christian faith, grand rapids, mi. Repainting the christian faith kindle edition by bell, rob. Jul 01, 2006 velvet elvis mooshes everything the the author must have felt he wanted to say into one scatter shot book and the result is a bit patchy. Rob bell, pastor of mars hill bible church in grandville, michigan, is in many ways taking the christian world by storm. For many people, the last they heard from rob bell was in 2011. Now, at age 34, bell is taking the mars hill message national with velvet elvis.
To give a simple example bell states on page 85 of velvet elvis. Religion news service religion news service rns rob bell was once the evangelical it boy, the hipster pastor with the thickrimmed glasses and the skinny jeans whose bestselling theology was captured in books with names such as velvet. Rob bells velvet elvis repainting the christian faith. His books include love wins, how to be here, what we talk about when we talk about god, velvet elvis. In dit eerste boek van rob bell, geeft hij een zeer bijzondere inleiding tot het christelijk geloof. Rob bell is the founding pastor of mars hill holy bible church in grand rapids, michigan. The world will also lose a lot if anyone paints a picture of the church and calls it the. If this painter pronounced his work to be the endall of painting, the world would have lost a lot. Selected as one of 2011s most influential people by time. Velvet elvis is the first book from rob bell, the new york times bestselling author of love wins. What other book might you compare velvet elvis to and why.
Rob bell has 64 books on goodreads with 154494 ratings. Velvet elvis author encourages exploration of doubts megachurch pastor rob bell says faith in jesus must be repainted for each generation if its to avoid the fate of elvis kitsch. He begins by talking about a painting and noting how if, after this painting had been finished, it would have been a tragedy for the painter to announce that there was no more need for anyone to paint, because he had just painted the ultimate painting. Rob bell wrote a book entitled, velvet elvis, repainting the christian faith, which is his repainting version of the christian faith. Its also a fun and simple read that teaches its readers all sorts of cool stuff without giving off too heavy of a hey, youre learning stuff now. His books include love wins, how to be here, what we talk about when we talk about god, velvet elvis, the zimzum of love, sex god, jesus wants to save christians, and drops like stars. A vibrant voice for a new generation of christiansthe most recognizable christian leader among. This is a book for those who know theres a god, who know that truth, beauty, design, and love come from somewhere, but they cannot stomach the current versions of. Repainting the christian faith 2005, is pastor of mars hill bible church in grandville, michigan. Velvet elvis by rob bell elvet elvis is author rob bell s attempt at bringing christianity into the modern world. He begins by talking about a painting and noting how if, after this painting had been finished, it would have been a tragedy for the painter to announce that there was no more need for anyone to paint, because. Park july 2007 this article challenges ideas put forward by rob bell in velvet elvis where the ideas are not congruent with healthy theology or theological practice.
Velvet elvis by rob bell overdrive rakuten overdrive. Rob bell approaches faith is such a pure yet modern way which is immediately accessible. Where does velvet elvis rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far. Theres even a part that sounds like my impossible faith article 1623. Imbued with a gift for speaking and a propensity to. Michigan pastor rob bell, known for his unconventional preaching style, offers a fresh and challenging work of christian inspiration in his new book, velvet elvis giving readers a 21stcentury and distinctly unstodgy view of what it means to wrestle with ones faith. In august 2005, zondervan publishing published bells first book, velvet elvis. Bell was the founder of mars hill bible church located in grandville, michigan, which he pastored until 2012. The trinity is like the spring of a trampoline that helps us to spring up in faith for a better look at what god is like. Finally, bill, i get very little sense of the belief system you ascribe the emergent church from reading velvet elvis. Download and read online for free velvet elvis by rob bell. A vibrant voice for a new generation of christiansthe most recognizable christian leader among young adultsrob bell inspires readers to take a fresh look at traditional questions of faith. Repainting the christian faith is one of those books.
While rob bell wondered in his book velvet elvis whether or not the christian faith would be in jeopardy if we lost the doctrine of the virgin birth, mark driscoll continued to preach through books of the bible, to point people to jesus, and to call people to repentance. Rob bell, pastor and author of love wins, comes out and states what many have been waiting to hear. His books include velvet elvis, sex god, jesus wants to save christians, drops like. In love wins, bestselling author, international teacher, and speaker rob bell velvet elvis, drops like stars addresses one of the most controversial issues of faithhell and the afterlifearguing, would a loving god send people to eternal torment forever. In velvet elvis rob bell discusses doctrine as the spring on a trampoline. Aug 22, 2008 the context concerning what rob bell had been discussing in his first book velvet elvis. This audio book is unabridged and read by the author, so you get an excellent insight in to some of the passages, especially the more personal material. Repainting the christian faith ve was his supposedly superior emergent church understanding of christianity as opposed the proper historic orthodox christian faith. He had risen to prominence in the early 2000s, fueled by his popular nooma videos which kickstarted his mainstream fame, and later on with a series of books like velvet jesus, sex god, and jesus wants to save christians.