Eckhart Tolle.
Rhonda Byrne.
Elizabeth Gilbert.
…Rob Bell? Yes, the moment has arrived. After telling us to learn from Tolle about ‘The Power of Now’, encouraging us to unlock ‘The Secret’ Byrne, and exhorting us to ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, Oprah has added Rob Bell to the list of must-read spiritual gurus. This month the media giant picked Bell’s recent offering What We Talk About When We Talk About God as her ‘Super Soulful Book of the Month’, saying:
Pastor Rob Bell is shaking up the way we think about God and religion. I love his new book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God (HarperOne). When I first started reading it, I was highlighting my favorite passages, but then I realized—what’s the point? I’ve marked every page! It just wowed me. In the book, Bell explains that God is and always has been with us, for us, and ahead of us—and then explores how we can really absorb this knowledge into our everyday lives to become more connected to spirit.
So, having reviewed the book for Christ and Pop Culture, I have three basic thoughts on this.
You can read those thoughts at…Christ and Pop Culture. (Click on this one.)
(Also, yes, I know, sorry for 2 articles is one day, but honestly, no editorial control here.)
Reformedish 
Have to say i agree on all three points (even a “conservative guy” like me). I often have said that simply condemning books we’ve never read or had serious engagement with often robs us of credibility when engaging with those who have. Every Christian should have read Bell and McLaren and Dawkins (probably not 50 Shades of Grey but … i think you get my drift) to at least be able to interact with their ideas on an intelligent level.
Both articles are outstanding- it is terribly refreshing to hear a non-knee jerk reaction from someone in the Reformed tradition to a ROb Bellbook *coughjohnpipercough*. I may just have to read this book. I read love wins and thought it was pretty awful, but this sounds a lot better.
Yeah, it is, but it’s still not great. I’d say check put my review of it. Also, thanks!