What We Talk about When We Talk about God

A real pleasure, this one. Read it with a notepad handy-- we use scrap paper as a bookmark and made notes on that.

It's easy reading, with lots of white space and a casual sans-serif font. There's a lot of pop theology out there, and some of it is pseudo-deep junk and some is prosperity gospel, or other shallow ego-boosting nonsense, and Bell's work is none of that.

You know he must be on to something because he rubs so many people the wrong way. I like how he cites Scripture and science with equal fluency and fondness, explores Hebrew and Greek words in thoughtful ways, and provides resources and further reading for everything from quantum physics to Banksy to holy longing (and then some).

(our copy has a different cover)

Interesting but somewhat unfocused. Rob Bell meanders through a variety of topics and while no single portion of the book is particularly enlightening – at least none were to me – there are small pieces of wisdom and challenge scattered throughout. It's a quick read, so probably worth it if you want a casual, quick look at the nature of God.