Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10.5)

Vision
Christian Progressivism“Too Much of Nothing” is never a good thing, as Bob Dylan reminded us.

But it strikes me that this is precisely what we’re being asked to embrace from the “Christian Progressivism” movement spearheaded by Rob Bell. That, at least, is my impression from a lengthy interview with Mr. Bell by the gushing Jennifer C. Martin (“Author Rob Bell Talks About Christian Progressivism, Spreading Grace, And The ‘Real’ Jesus,” UPROXX, May 14, 2016).

Rob Bell doesn’t want to be held prisoner by labels like “Christian” or any of the worn-out forms associated with that camp. He wants to “live more freely and fully” because, he explains, what Jesus emphasized during His earthly ministry was “full life.” So why does he refer to his progressivist movement as “Christian”?

Mr. Bell’s work, unlike (as he sees it) the evangelical Christianity he wants to leave behind, is all about “how we actually live in the world and how we see things in the deepest seat of our being.” Since the universe is expanding, Mr. Bell explains, we need to expand along with it so that we can realize our “moments of greatest love, joy and connection.” “Every day,” he continues, “you either line yourself up with the fundamental direction of the universe, or you go the other direction.”

Huh?

As for specific beliefs, Mr. Bell sees them as an endless loop, unique to each of us, that “are always talking to one another” as they give direction to our lives. Grace is a gift everyone possesses but most folks don’t realize. His mission is to open their minds to grace, which, he explains, is simply love.

Mr. Bell does not refer to himself as a “Christian” because he doesn’t think Jesus would. To him, the word Christian “implies some big sort of cumbersome system, when at the heart is a Christ who invites us to live in the world in a particular way.” And that way is?

He has met plenty of non-Christians “who were so Jesus-y”, and he prefers their lifestyle to that of “loud and outspoken” so-called Christians, who, obviously, are not “Jesus-y.”

He says, “I think what Jesus is doing is calling us beyond form. To not clutch and cling to some of these forms, but to let them go.” Some? Not all? But which?

Rob Bell insists, “The ultimate Jesus message isn’t having lofty, abstract ideas about what happens when you die. It’s very concrete guidance and direction for how we live right now.” Grace, you see, only grace; not anything so “cumbersome” as Kingdom or Law or even, it seems, church.

Too much of nothing. Consistent with his views, Rob Bell has expanded beyond the parochial form of a local church. He now writes books, does tours, guests on pop interview shows, gives lectures, and hobnobs with artists, CEOs, and other expansive sorts. Clearly he provides himself with many opportunities to “walk the streets and boast like most” but I think Dylan might justly conclude with respect to his message, “he don’t know a thing.”

What Mr. Bell touts as a new vision of Christianity isn’t really new at all. “It’s all been done before, it’s all been written in the book,” as Dylan has it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship) warned against exalting grace, or any other Biblical idea, as a Rosetta Stone of Biblical interpretation, since this can only lead to misinterpretation. “Too much of nothin’ can turn a man into a liar.”

Rob Bell may offer some positive insights and hopeful ideas, but as J. Gresham Machen argued regarding last century’s Christian liberalism, Rob Bell’s version may use the terms of faith and even have some very appealing features, but it’s not Christianity (Christianity and Liberalism).

There’s just too much of nothing in Christian progressivism to merit its being included within the pale of historic orthodoxy. And one gets the impression that’s just fine with Rob Bell and his admirers.

So when it comes to Christian progressivism, “It’s all been done before/it’s all been written in the book./So when there’s too much of nothin’/nobody should look.”

For reflection
1.  Why is it wrong to exalt grace – or any other Biblical term – as the defining idea of Christianity?

2.  Christianity is not, in the first instance, about grace. It’s about Jesus. What’s the difference?

3.  How can you make sure you aren’t blown along by winds of false doctrine, such as “Christian Progressivism”?

Next steps: What do your pastor and church leaders think about the “Christian Progressivism” of Rob Bell? Ask them.

T. M. Moore

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