A Mending Shift

a bird sings, not because if has an answer to give, but because it has a song to sing … this is my song

Jesus Wants to Save Christians…

jesus_saves_christians…as most of you know, is the title to Rob Bell’s newest book. I just purchased the book yesterday and plan on posting some sort of reviewy thingy once I finish it. Until then, I wanted to share my thoughts on the title and extend an invitation to you.

First, my thoughts on the title. Like any good title should, Jesus Wants to Save Christians begs for attention and further inquiry. But I also think this brilliant title does something much more important: It reveals how much pre-meaning we as Christians place on certain words. This title gets us all in an upheaval, steaming and venting, “What do you mean, Rob? How dare you say that traditional Christians don’t have a relationship with Jesus and are going hell!! Who are you, oh high-and-mighty-Bell? Are you so arrogant to think that your new camp of ‘Jesus’ followers are the only ‘Christians’ who have it right? I’ll tell you who is going to hell, Mr. Bell, you and your cronies. Jesus Wants to Save Christians…hrmph, Jesus wants to save pagans, of whom you are the worst…” and on and on they rant.

I love it. ‘Cause all the ranting reveals an emerging point, that our theology is grossly shaped by our particular culture and the meaning it gives the words we use. A perfect example is this title. Whenever most Evangelical Born-Again Christians read the words “Jesus” and “Saves” in the same sentence—whether in the Bible or elsewhere (such as a book title)—they immediately impose their predisposed definition: A salvation by Jesus from a flaming Hell and separation from God. This title is brilliant because it plays with and reveals this faulty tendency.

So when you read a title like Jesus Wants to Save Christians, ask yourself, Could it be saying more than our initial knee-jerk reaction might lead us to think? Could there be other things Christians need to be saved from by Jesus? Could “save” and “salvation” and “saved” might have other meanings than those we impose on them given our particular 21st Century Christian culture? What might we as Christians need to be saved from?

Great food for thought.

Which is why I believe Rob Bell titled his book, Jesus Wants to Save Christians: To shake us up and get us thinking.

Brilliant!!

My invitation to you. I invite you to share your thoughts about the book. You may have read it or simply heard about it, but what are your thoughts about it? If you read it, what did you think? What grabbed you? What challenged you? If you haven’t read it, from what you’ve heard about the book, what are your thoughts? As you share, please let us know if you have or haven’t read it. And if you haven’t, do you plan to or not.

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This entry was posted by on Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 at 8:41 am and is filed under book, Christianity, church, Church Re-Formed, emergent, ethics, freedom, God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, missional, postmodern, theology, transformation, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About The Author

Jeromy Johnson
I live in Folsom, CA, with my wife, Jennifer, and three kids. I am surrounded by and cared for deeply by some great friends. Their love for me is truly a moonlit reflection of Papa's love, and for that, I am deeply blessed and grateful.

Comments

  • http://www.doableevangelism.com Randy Siever

    Reading it now…about halfway through it. Not too wowed by anything yet, but it's early. Seems very much like his previous two books (which are bound and sized precisely the same). I'll get back once I finish it, but I'm frankly having trouble with motivation to get 'er done.

  • http://stormface.wordpress.com Colin

    I have added it and removed it from my amazon shopping cart a bunch of times! I always look at it in the bookstore and am kind of “distracted” by the choppy writing style. I am sure I could get past the style that is not to my taste and enjoy the content.

  • http://jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    Colin, regarding the writing style, it definitely is a bit more artistic, but it has a certain rhythm to it that makes the “choppy look” flow smooth while reading. You can go to http://jesuswantstosavechristians.com and download the intro and first couple chapters before buying.

  • derek

    I've read other books by Bell. This is on my 2009 list. I really liked “Velvet Elvis”.

    As for the title, his last book as called “Sex God” so I don't see this one being a much more controversial title.

    I think Bell will raise a lot of questions that the Church as a whole needs to address. I'd argue that most people posting on this site have probably already been asking them. But If Bell can spread the word to a wider audience, more power to him.

  • http://jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    Yea, Derek, the only title I can think of that might be more controversial is “Sexy God”, though “Jesus is Satan's Father” might make a close second.

  • derek

    I haven’t read this one either (its on my 2009 list) but I loved another book by Bell titled “Velvet Elvis”, so I’d imagine I’ll enjoy this one as well. As far as the title “jesus came to save christians” doesnt touch his last book titled “Sex God”.

    I like Rob Bell and what I’ve heard about his church. I think this book will raise a lot of the questions that need to be asked in today’s church.

  • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

    The book is actually a fairly close following of a series of messages Rob and Don did almost two years ago. It was an invitation to participating in a deeper way, beyond the typical rhetoric. I loved it.

  • http://www.doableevangelism.com Randy Siever

    Ok…I finished it last night. The meat of it (and the answer to what Jesus wants to save Christians from) is contained in the last two chapters (6 and 7). I found those two chapters pretty stimulating, profound and intriguing…but it took a lot of reading to get to that. I liked Velvet Elvis quite a bit, but found Sex God to be just more of the same…which is what the first five chapters of this new book was like for me as well.

    Great picture of what the church should be about (eucharistically focused), without slamming anyone too hard. Those last two chapters made the purchase worth it for me.

  • http://jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    As I write I am in the middle of chapter 6. Though it seems to definitely be the meatier section of the book, the background and context of the preceding chapters lead up to and help give a narrative understanding. For me, I am not sure if chapter 6 would be having the impact on me like it is if I hadn't read the first five. To be continued…

  • http://jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    Jonathan, Rob has a way of doing that and does it well.

  • http://www.chadholtz.wordpress.com Chad

    I read it a couple weeks ago. I really liked it. The title is from a sermon series Bell did a couple years ago. I thought it would be much of the same but was surprised (pleasantly) to find it expounding more on the themes from that. The New Exodus perspective is engaging.

    It was interesting to hear them say the Bible begins with Exodus. I had heard my theology prof say the same thing a few months ago in a lecture – Genesis 1 is birthed from Sinai. I won't get into all the reasons for that here but it makes for a good theological conversation.

    DId anyone else pick up some of the universal themes in the chapter Blood on the Doorposts of the Universe?

    peace.

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