Rob Bell quickly established a growing congregation in the USA and was nominated one of the world’s most influential people by Times magazine. Then he wrote a book in which he questioned the existence of hell. That made him an object of hate for conservative Christian Americans.
It is one of modern Christianity’s really big international stars who will attend Olav’s Festival 2019.
At Byscenen during the festival, Bell will present «Everything is Spiritual»which he has performed to full houses all over the USA. With just a felt-tip markers and a big white board, he takes us from «the big bang» through the present day and into the future, by menas of a humorous and charismatic exploration of science, faith and the meaning of everything.
He will also participate in The West Front Meeting the previous day, where the topic is «Can God change His mind?». There he will take part in a conversation with Bjørn Eidsvåg and church leader Helga Haugland Byfuglien among others.
From hero to villain
Rob Bell (48) is one of the most charismatic and at the same one of the most controversial figures in Christian USA.
Bell became famous as pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, the quickest growing congregation in the USA. As early as 2007, theChurchReport.com named him one of the 50 most influential Christians in the USA.
In 2011, however, he published «Love Wins». Among other things, this book challenges the traditional Christian notioin of hell and damnation. Its publication lead to a conflict with the the congregation, and he resigned and began on a mission to find «a more merciful form of faith».
In the book, Bell expresses acceptance of the doctrine of universell forsoning – a view which advocates that everyone, believer of non-believer, will be reunited with God after death. He also accepted gay cohabitation and fronted gay rights in the church.
All in all, this has made him a bitter pill to swallow for the conservative faction of Christian USA, and the documentary «The Heretic» from 2018 shows the strong reactions which he still encounters. In return, Bell has dubbed conservative Christianitya very narrow, politically intertwined, culturally ghettoized Evangelical subculture».
The storm of which he is the centre resulted in him being included in Time magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2011..
At the same time, the same opinions and the same faith has made Bell very popular among more liberal Christians all over the world.
Everything is Spiritual» was first performed in 2006, but the Olav’s Festival version has been thoroughly up-dated.
Rob Bell has been featured a number of times in e.g. The New Yorker, CNN and Time magazineHis many books have reached the top of New York Times’ list of bestsellers. He hosts the weekly pocast The RobCast, which was singled out by iTunes as one of the best as the best in 2015. He has toured with Oprah Winfrey and appeared as a guest on her show several times.
Rob Bell lives in Los Angeles with his wife Kristen and their three children.
Ticket price: 75,- incl fee.
Age limit: 18
The doors open at 17.00
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