Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
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Book Reviews of Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Book Review: Quite Insightful!
Summary: 5 Stars
It isn't so much that author Rob Bell, pastor of a mega-church, answers your questions; it's that he helps you ask better questions. He begins Velvet Elvis by discussing a painting of Elvis on velvet done by an artist who signed his name as R followed by a period. Bell then ponders what if this artist had claimed to have painted the ultimate Elvis with no further need for other artists to try? Ridiculous, we would say.
Bell moves on to consider the church and to suggest that it would be just a foolish to think of Christianity as unchanging. Rather Bell points out cultural dimensions down through the centuries that help us make sense of scripture and shed light on its interpretation. For instance, did you know there were gods in the region of Asia Minor that turned water into wine (Dionysus), healed people (Asclepius) and provided bread (Demeter)? Bell suggests that is why John opened his gospel with miracles that showed Jesus was superior to those gods.
The book has plenty of such insightful moments. Bell discusses the "principle of first mention," which implies that a significant word in a passage may reflect upon the first mention of that word in scripture. Mary thinking Jesus is a "gardener" is one of those words. Bell is also knowledgeable about history and points out customs of the Caesars that bear light on the political dimensions related to the coming of Christ.
I recommend the book to any Christian or seeking unbeliever who enjoys exploring history and its implications for the church and its people. The book is written in "movements" rather than chapters. It's short pithy paragraphs kept me jotting notes to remember Bell's insights.
Written by Shirley Brosius, author of Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories About Women Who Made a Difference. ([...])
Book Review: A Fresh Manifest of the Christian Faith For The New Millenium
Summary: 5 Stars
Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis is a true winner. I his book, he concisely and clearly covers most of the big points of the Christian Faith: Biblical Interpretation, Discipleship, Sanctification and Purification, Evangelism, Questioning the Bible, Roots of the Jewish Faith and more. And more over, Bell seems to hit a lot of issues right on the nose where many religious teachers miss the mark completely. For example, he teaches that we as Christians need to stop viewing the world from such a binary point of view as "Christian/Non-Christian" and embrace those who are not like us. We need to view the BIble in such a way that it is relevant to our culture in the 21st century while still always searching for the Truth. Rob Bell makes some very provocative statements in this book that may make a few religious leaders turn their heads and cough, but I really think that he's getting at something here. Bell's primary thesis for his book is that our faith must be consistent with the world around us and I think that he really challenges us to look at the Faith and constantly repaint it. We're human and we'll never get it right, but Bell encourages us to get as close as we can. Bell's points are easily digested in this short, easy read. His casual style jumps off the page and speaks to the reader instead of just waiting to be read. Just about anyone can get through this book in under 8 hours. Short sweet and to the point. Bell acknowledges that he doesn't have it nailed. With the controversy surrounding this book, I think that Bell has accomplished his purpose. To stir up discussion. Whether you agree with him or not, no matter how conservative or liberal you are, I would encourage you to get your feet wet with Bell's teachings, for the sake of discussion if nothing else.Book Review: Open your mind to the possibilities
Summary: 5 Stars
Rob Bell provides a thought-provoking book on the Christian faith and what it can mean to us if we take some time to really think about and learn about the faith.
Many reviews have painted this book as a revolutionary approach or "rebranding" of the Christian faith for modern times, and it's just the opposite. What Bell does is ask us all to understand that when we receive God's Grace, it is a gift, and part of that gift entails expressions of faith that are contemporary. But, they're still based on the absolute truths of the Bible and God's Word. What God's Word is, in some cases, is open to much interpretation, but his point is that we should be mulling it over and chewing on it and discussing it and living it daily. As he points out, God is here all the time, He doesn't just show up at a certain point in time. God is everywhere.
Because of this simple fact, and the fact of Jesus and His teachings, we should be striving for heaven on earth, and not trying to accomplish things in order to attain a place in some distant and ephemeral heaven.
Read the book, enjoy the stories and the writing style, think about what Rob Bell is saying, and it will give you a very solid foundation to build a strong faith, or at least to know why some things are the way they are.
Too many Christians ignore or don't know the Word of God, and don't live in ways that would make God say "well done good and faithful servant." Rob Bell shows that there is energy, excitement and wonder in the Word of God, and the way of Jesus is a great way to live, with or without the eternal implications attached to it.
Book Review: Great theological study!
Summary: 5 Stars
Once, when I was attending a Nazarene university, and going to a Baptist church, a theology student asked me what my denomination was. I replied by telling him that I chose not to associate with a specific denomination. He proceeded to tell me that that was worse than being a Baptist. Now, that could have been a funny moment if either of us had laughed, but it was meant in sincerity and disrespect. Where is this animosity coming from? I kept playing that memory over and over again in my head as I read Velvet Elvis. This book really challenged me to think about how easy it is for us, for me, to make brick walls with my faith. But for all the doctrines we write and learn, and the theology classes we take, maybe we have missed the point. It seems we forgot the most important thing: God wants us to love. But what is this love? What does it look like, and what does it mean as a Christian? How do we live in harmony with others and still be faithful to Christ? Those questions opened up into more questions. Am I simply spending all my time defending a brick wall that I have built, or am I spending my time loving my fellow Christians and non-Christians? Is it all right for me to say that my faith is flexible? I don't know many things, but will that shake my faith? Is it all right to have a God that is so great, He continues past the reaches of my mind? Once again, Rob has exposed so many crucial questions with a unique style of writing and phenomenal storytelling.Book Review: Honest, Humble and Insightful
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit that when I first heard of the book I dismissed it as a feel good book before even reading it. Velvet Elvis as a title for a book on God? Come on. That is why when I did read it 6 months after I bought it, I was blown away.
Although his writing style is a bit quirky, the stories he tells brought new meaning to Bible passages in ways I never thought of before. When he describes the passage where Jesus says "his yoke is easy", Bell's explanation of what a yoke was in Jewish rabbinical tradition made this verse explode with life. He does this frequently in the book.
Another thing that was driven home was his humility. When he was discussing about how he battled against wanting to be accepted as "super pastor" and how that almost destroyed his faith. That was real and quite applicable to my own life. John Ortberg has referred to this as one's shadow mission where one's purpose is distorted just enough to change it completely.
One thing you cannot say about Rob Bell is that he conforms to the typical criticism of the Emerging Church movement as being feel-good, wishy washy and watered down. His call is real and his call is strong. The challenge to impact the world is one that should be heard in all churches. His calls to action are found throughout the book. One cannot deny that Rob Bell believes in God and his role in the mission of the church. He not only believes but lives it out to its fullest.