Kris and I sat down the other night to watch Rob Bell's DVD called The Gods Aren't Angry
Here are some highlights for me: first, it's almost a history -- a brief one no doubt -- of the human attempt to appease the gods through sacrifice, bargaining, pleading, and manipulating. The big message is that God is satisfied with the sacrifice in Christ, a sacrifice that deconstructed all sacrifices. We can rest in the redemptive act of God in Jesus Christ. The 90 or so minute message ends with some excellent stories of how this pleading is present and can be resolved in our world.
The altar in the middle of the stage reminded me of the altars I've seen in Pompei and Ostia antica. I took long looks at those altars, working my imagination up to envision what it was like, but I also had to maintain distance from those who were listening to tour guides.
I saw the presentation as a kind of flip image of Yancey's stuff on God's grace. Instead of coming at this from the angle of God's goodness and grace, Rob Bell comes at it from the angle of the futility of human attempts to control the forces and gods out there.
Because of my own study of atonement, I kept waiting for Rob to come forth with a theory of atonement but he didn't, though I did hear at times a little Girard -- the ending of all violence against scapegoats -- and even Anselm, who famously emphasized the idea that God's justice and honor were satisfied by the death and resurrection of Christ, the God-Man.
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
Rob,
I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning
Scot,
When I saw it live, I didn't find the linkage to Girard. Much more of a deconstruction towards the theology, the historical, and often present thinking, that's it about what we can or need to sacrifice to God in order to be atoned for our sins. Rather then God serving and sacrificing (Matt 20:28) for us. A message that might seem simplistic to the studied but still a popular misconception (even if Rob's means to getting to these sacrificial ends differ from others.) It is this needed deconstruction which was communicated in a captivating narration that gave flesh to this good news.
Good news from someone who seemed to be learning the depth of this sacrifice right along with the rest of us. I appreciated this childlike post resurrection view of the present world.
I took my girlfriend to see it and with her growing up outside the church walls, she found it hard to follow because his stories, jokes, and points, were intended for an audience who new the bible stories. This was an interesting critique, since I've heard many assume Rob's ministry is for the unchurched. When it's been for the church to reclaim the beauty and truth of the church.
I saw Rob on the "...gods..." tour at GWU in Washington DC, and was completely impressed. I went with a group, that in Christian spiritual terms, was like the United Nations. Myself (red-letter Christian), N.,an ex-hippie veteran of both Woodstock and the '68 Democrat convention now a liturgical hardcore would-be Anglican ultra conservative, T. and K. a lesbian couple, T. attended a small group I used to lead they attend a purpose driven high school auditorium church, S. a Methodist preacher's kid bitter single very professional, and D. a rebellious pentecostal (AOG) woman. My catholic friends were busy and the only Ukranian orthodox person I know moved, so it could've been more diverse but it was a wild bunch in one vehicle nonetheless.
We had a long discussion afterwards and we all related that in our differing ways we got the same message. We don't please God by our actions. I have repeated so often since then, when referring to instances where I feel I'm trying to earn God's favor as "pitching virgins into the volcano."
I thought Rob did a fantastic job. I felt the audience for his message was exactly the folks I brought with me, whose theological discussions are exactly on the level of the material he presented. Deep, but accessible.
Rob,
Scot is right. Then I would go with Scapegoat and if want to round it off, Girard's work called: Things Hidden Sine the Foundation of the World (particularly the second half).
I wonder how any of you would respond to the contrary assertion that God is angry and hates us? (a'la the other Mars Hill and some folks fighting "the truth war")
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.