Rob Bell and I don’t have the greatest relationship. I’ve actually never met the guy, but having read a number of his books and watched a number of his DVDs I find I have a love/hate relationship with him. On the one hand he is a phenomenal orator. His creativity and dynamic speaking style are commendable. But his theology often leaves much to be desired. And that summarizes my experience with Bell’s book Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality. On the one hand, Bell has some great insights and communicates some important points. On the other hand, he is far too short on the gospel and that makes Sex God limited in its helpfulness.
Bell understands what so many of us miss: that there is a connection between sex and spirituality. “This” (sex) is really about “that” (spirituality) he writes. He spells it out very clearly for us in the text, saying:
You can’t talk about sexuality without talking about how we were made. And that will inevitably lead you to who made us. At some point you have to talk about God. (15)
This short, creative, volume is really about unpacking that connection. Bell’s chapters, with their obscure titles, focus on several important themes related to sexuality and spirituality. He touches on man’s being made in the image of God, on the importance of sex and yet the insufficiency of sex, he points to the importance of marriage, and even to the absence of sex and marriage in the New Heavens and the New Earth. The book covers a lot of ground in 175 pages.
Bell draws out some great applications for reader. He reminds us that because we are made in God’s image then how “we treat the creation reflects how you feel about the Creator” (28). He points out that sex is really about connections, not just about the physical act (42-43). He talks about the nature of lust, as that which comes from a “deep lack of satisfaction with life” (73). He talks about true love as the “giving away of power” (98), and he directs us to consider carefully how a proper view of sex spares us from giving it away cheaply. He writes:
You don’t need to give yourself away to someone who won’t give himself to you. You don’t need to use your body to get what you need. It’s a cop out for not being a certain kind of woman – a woman of dignity and honor. (122)
Some of the practical implications of Bell’s theology of sex are desperately needed in the church today. For that we can commend this book. But before you pick up your copy you need to know that Bell’s theology is incomplete.
Of particular importance is Bell’s understanding of the relationship between the gospel and sex. His view of the relationship is very limited. He points to the example of Jesus. Certainly that is an aspect of the gospel. Peter identifies Jesus’ death as a model for our own humility in the face of suffering. But Bell doesn’t go any further than that. In fact some of the ways he speaks about the death of Jesus are simply wrong. For example, speaking of the nature of true love he says that a woman must accept that she is “worth dying for” (chapter 6). But that’s actually the opposite of what the gospel says.
The gospel says we are unworthy rebels who deserve to go to hell. The sexual rebellion that Rob writes about warrants our damnation. The gospel is not “we are worth dying for,” rather we are not worth dying for and Jesus did it anyway. That’s the real heart of Jesus’ love. That’s what redefines us and redefines our sexuality. But Bell misses this.
Nowhere does Bell discuss specifically how Christ’s atonement transforms our sexuality, or reshapes our identity. He talks to us about our role in the ongoing creation of the world. He talks about channelling our “life force” into this ongoing creation project. He talks about the example of Jesus’ love, but he doesn’t talk about the uniqueness of Jesus’ love. I don’t have a problem with identifying Jesus’ death as an example in some ways for us, but to suggest that it’s not also completely different and unique is to fall way short of the gospel, and way short of ultimately helpful.
The atonement changes everything about our sex, any book that doesn’t address that falls short of being a helpful book. And in my opinion falls short ultimately of being a Christian book.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 
Haven’t read this one yet, though I am currently working through Bell’s book “Jesus wants to save Christians.” More than halfway through and I have to say it is excellent. As to theology, which of ours isn’t incomplete? While I understand where you are coming from with the atonement aspect of the cross, our death in sin and resultant unworthiness before God, I wouldn’t disagree at all with the statement that we are worthy to be loved and saved. The difference is in which perspective you take. Apparently, despite our unworthiness as sinners and enemies of God we still found a worth in his eyes which ultimately led to our redemption.
I don’t mean to be disagreeable, just sharing some thoughts. The typical evangelical gospel begins in Ephesians 2 with man dead in his sins in need of redemption. And yes, that is the gospel. But Paul’s gospel started before that in Ephesians 1, with us being chosen before the foundation of the world holy and without blame before him in love. This is point at which most of evangelicalisms’ gospel is limited.
The gospel does begin with election, I have no problem with that. But our election is not rooted in our worthiness, but in God’s mercy. Paul says we were chosen in him to become blameless and holy, not because we were.
wherever you start from the gospel is still the same: Sinners saved by grace, this is not of ourselves.
True that, brotha.