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alisarae's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an explicit response to Love Wins by Rob Bell (I haven't read it), and it's quite good at meeting its objectives. At any rate, people don't go to hell for not believing in hell.
It would be much better if people would just say, "I know what the Bible teaches and I simply don't believe that part," than trying to stretch the words and ignore the context of passages to match up with their beliefs. At least Chan says (repeatedly...) that he wishes that there was no hell but he can't ignore what Jesus said. He also rightly says that "it is incredibly arrogant to pick and choose which incomprehensible truths we embrace."
I have always admired Chan and his contributions to contemporary Christianity. This is an accessible book that takes a systematic look at the theology of hell, and would be appropriate for both Christians and non-Christians who are honestly wondering what the Bible teaches about it.
It would be much better if people would just say, "I know what the Bible teaches and I simply don't believe that part," than trying to stretch the words and ignore the context of passages to match up with their beliefs. At least Chan says (repeatedly...) that he wishes that there was no hell but he can't ignore what Jesus said. He also rightly says that "it is incredibly arrogant to pick and choose which incomprehensible truths we embrace."
I have always admired Chan and his contributions to contemporary Christianity. This is an accessible book that takes a systematic look at the theology of hell, and would be appropriate for both Christians and non-Christians who are honestly wondering what the Bible teaches about it.
tlcollier1's review against another edition
5.0
A short book on a big topic. I was riveted from the beginning and couldn't stop until I was done! Regardless of where you stand, this stands on firm Biblical foundations, backed up with extensive study. I will read this book again and expect to find even more info.
twistingsnake's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
0.25
Do you know him? Are you secure in him? In love with him?
I was raised evangelical Christian. I’ve been steeped in the church since before I was born. When I left the church and it’s doctrine at a young age I wrestled constantly with my feelings on the church and it’s community. I especially struggled with the divisions in the church and how frustrating I found it that so many so called progressive Christians were so spineless in their understanding of their own doctrine.
The subject of hell is one of these divisions. The Christians who are more comfortable with the the love first sentiment often disavow their more hellfire and brimstone brethren. “My God would never send someone to hell.” They say proudly. I have always found that line of thinking as naive as it is moronic.
Erasing Hell is an illuminating read. Francis Chan opens the book saying saying If you are excited to read this book, you have issues. He is immediately upfront with his own moral wrestlings with the defining tenets of his faith. That hell is real and is a definitive punishment for unbelief. He states that he does not want this to be true, but that it would be a disservice to his faith to not find theological backing for whether hell isn’t the final destination for his unbelieving loved ones.
This humanity is very striking throughout the book as Francis becomes more and more aware of the fact that Jesus, despite his love and light marketing is a proud and vocal proponent of hell. Francis uses the word ‘terrifying’ over a dozen times to describe God and Jesus’s absolutism around hell. He is terrified by his God. The book often highlights that God’s sovereignty allows him a dictatorship on the human soul.
If we are created by a violent creator then we should be grateful to be destroyed and reverent in our rescue. Francis is insistent that his God, the Christian God is a vengeful creator. That even his fellow believers aren’t necessarily spared from his violent hand.
This book is one of the truest and saddest demonstrations on why spousal abuse is so prevalent within this religion. God is an absolute and violent leader of a meek and cowering people. At one point Francis compares not discussing God’s more violent perspectives as being like a child ashamed to reveal his fathers violent alcoholism to his friends.
A common modern approach against hell is that “who would want to follow a God like that?” And Francis’s response to this is “Do we have a choice?” There’s a truly saddening and pitiful desperation to close out this book. A realization that there is no reprieve for one’s love for the unsaved. That God is a vengeful god and that he and his son are capable of much more violence then the well meaning Christian can stomach.
I felt like I was reading the memoir of a battered wife who has accepted her fate and is trying to soothe another battered spouse. It’s okay that he hits you! He loves you, really. If he didn’t he’d never administer such discipline! You should be grateful for the blow.
There is no good intentioned doctrine that will ever distract from the hole in the drywall.
I hope you get out. This isn’t love. There are better paths to faith then this. I promise. There are better gods.
I was raised evangelical Christian. I’ve been steeped in the church since before I was born. When I left the church and it’s doctrine at a young age I wrestled constantly with my feelings on the church and it’s community. I especially struggled with the divisions in the church and how frustrating I found it that so many so called progressive Christians were so spineless in their understanding of their own doctrine.
The subject of hell is one of these divisions. The Christians who are more comfortable with the the love first sentiment often disavow their more hellfire and brimstone brethren. “My God would never send someone to hell.” They say proudly. I have always found that line of thinking as naive as it is moronic.
Erasing Hell is an illuminating read. Francis Chan opens the book saying saying If you are excited to read this book, you have issues. He is immediately upfront with his own moral wrestlings with the defining tenets of his faith. That hell is real and is a definitive punishment for unbelief. He states that he does not want this to be true, but that it would be a disservice to his faith to not find theological backing for whether hell isn’t the final destination for his unbelieving loved ones.
This humanity is very striking throughout the book as Francis becomes more and more aware of the fact that Jesus, despite his love and light marketing is a proud and vocal proponent of hell. Francis uses the word ‘terrifying’ over a dozen times to describe God and Jesus’s absolutism around hell. He is terrified by his God. The book often highlights that God’s sovereignty allows him a dictatorship on the human soul.
If we are created by a violent creator then we should be grateful to be destroyed and reverent in our rescue. Francis is insistent that his God, the Christian God is a vengeful creator. That even his fellow believers aren’t necessarily spared from his violent hand.
This book is one of the truest and saddest demonstrations on why spousal abuse is so prevalent within this religion. God is an absolute and violent leader of a meek and cowering people. At one point Francis compares not discussing God’s more violent perspectives as being like a child ashamed to reveal his fathers violent alcoholism to his friends.
A common modern approach against hell is that “who would want to follow a God like that?” And Francis’s response to this is “Do we have a choice?” There’s a truly saddening and pitiful desperation to close out this book. A realization that there is no reprieve for one’s love for the unsaved. That God is a vengeful god and that he and his son are capable of much more violence then the well meaning Christian can stomach.
I felt like I was reading the memoir of a battered wife who has accepted her fate and is trying to soothe another battered spouse. It’s okay that he hits you! He loves you, really. If he didn’t he’d never administer such discipline! You should be grateful for the blow.
There is no good intentioned doctrine that will ever distract from the hole in the drywall.
I hope you get out. This isn’t love. There are better paths to faith then this. I promise. There are better gods.
liz56rose's review against another edition
4.0
I love the honest opinion, the facts, and biblical research invested into this book.
This book was truly written from a place of humility and love for the word of God!
This book was truly written from a place of humility and love for the word of God!
booksrachelreads's review against another edition
4.0
Good intro to what the Bible says and what Jesus actually teaches about hell and life after death. Not exhaustive, obviously, as it’s a super short book. Got me thinking and ready to dig into scripture to learn more than it actually gave me conclusive answers, which I’m okay with
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I like Francis Chan, but this book was just okay for me. Probably not something I'd recommend.
pantscapo's review against another edition
1.0
Rejected.
This book made me sad. Chan literally spent this much time arguing with an author who probably gives two patoots about his opinion. And what did he accomplish other than writing a too-long sermon on something theoretical? Maybe I'm just tired of this type of book, and rightfully so. But this one sat unread on my shelf for over a decade. And now it will sit unread on someone else's shelf. Good riddance.
This book made me sad. Chan literally spent this much time arguing with an author who probably gives two patoots about his opinion. And what did he accomplish other than writing a too-long sermon on something theoretical? Maybe I'm just tired of this type of book, and rightfully so. But this one sat unread on my shelf for over a decade. And now it will sit unread on someone else's shelf. Good riddance.
djla2009's review against another edition
4.0
Francis Chan is a really cool guy, I think. He writes very consisely and clearly. If you're looking for a nice book that organizes the major references of hell with interpretation, this book works for that. He is very honest about when the Bible is unclear and doesn't push a person interpretation with being clear that it is uncertain. A quick, simple, challenging and encouraging book.
The downside is that this is a surface level, not very deep discussion. Chan gets to his point and moves on. But for someone who wants to get more detail/interpretations ect, you won't get it. Chan''s main point is hell is a real place, we don't know much about it but it should be avoided at all costs. Anything else is secondary.
A great book but I think that if you come into this book fully convinced that there is no hell, Chan isn't going to spend much time trying to convince you otherwise. He's more interested in how his(and my) view of hell should affect the way you live; That you should be pushed to care about people more.
The downside is that this is a surface level, not very deep discussion. Chan gets to his point and moves on. But for someone who wants to get more detail/interpretations ect, you won't get it. Chan''s main point is hell is a real place, we don't know much about it but it should be avoided at all costs. Anything else is secondary.
A great book but I think that if you come into this book fully convinced that there is no hell, Chan isn't going to spend much time trying to convince you otherwise. He's more interested in how his(and my) view of hell should affect the way you live; That you should be pushed to care about people more.