What We Talk About When We Talk About God

Bell's (Love Wins) signature sermonic style, studded with stratified paragraphs, moves the reader comfortably along. However, behind his easy-to-read approach is a deeper sensibility, a heavier theological hand, than in any of Bell's previous works. While in the past Bell has questioned traditional views on sex, sacrifice, and hell, now he tackles the big one: God. He writes of "waking up in new ways to the God who's been here the whole time," a divine being who is with, for and ahead of humanity so that a jaded generation of "spiritual but not religious" may see Jesus, and divinity, in all things. As always, his work is replete with unexpected stories, relevant pop culture references, and new takes on old scriptures; Bell is finally certain about his ontological uncertainty. Undoubtedly, conservative readers will find much to argue with, and Bell seems content with that, hoping that for many others, this book will be a welcome breath of fresh air in a spiritual haze. Agent: Chris Ferebee (Mar.)