Christianity,  Entertainment

Rob Bell To Produce TV Show Based on His Own Life

When Rob Bell left Mars Hill Bible Church, he said that he was leaving because he felt a “calling to share God’s love” in new ways. Sarah Pulliam Bailey reports that one of those “new ways” is to produce a television drama about his own life. Bell has joined-up with Carlton Cuse—one of the creators of the TV series Lost—to produce a television pilot, and ABC has already bought the rights to it. New York Magazine has a brief report on how Cuse and Bell got together and what the show will be like:

According to our spies, Bell and Cuse first met up a few years back, at Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world dinner. They kept in touch and ultimately came up with the idea of a series that would be loosely based on Bell’s own life story as a musician who ended up founding his own church, Michigan’s Mars Hill Bible Church. While based on biblical principles, Bell’s brand of spirituality is not about hard-core evangelical, fire-and-brimstone teachings. Instead, his goal is to service folks’ spiritual needs without the overlay of religious dogma (see also: Oprah). Stronger is similarly expected to explore spiritual themes but without being as on-the-nose as other recent series that have tackled these issues, such as 7th Heaven and Touched by an Angel. There’s also expected to be a narrative twist to the project that will make it a bit unconventional, but for now, that detail is being kept secret (this show is from a Lost-ie after all).

You can read the rest of Pulliam Bailey’s article here.

20 Comments

  • Monica

    As if there weren’t enough narcissism oozing from the TV, we get his own special brand during prime time. And on ABC no less, the network known for being “family friendly.” They own Disney right? It makes such head-smacking sense.

  • Mark

    Not a Bell fan. However, if it’s a show about him, possibly Bell is only different in degree and maybe more honest than all the celebrities in televangelism we endure today.

  • donsands

    Bell is quite fixed in his view of Christianity, and he is one who warters down the Gospel. The Gospel is powerful, and Satan hates it, and he is way wiser than us, and crafty. He surely has his ministers of righteousness and his light, which is darkness really, and so dark is that light.

    Have a great Lord’s day! Keep blogging. It’s good stuff.

    • Matt

      Would you rather have another season of “Desperate Housewives” instead?

      Bell likes to use the arts to communicate stories creatively. He obviously does it well enough – regardless of your opinion on his theology – to gather the attention of the media. I find it encouraging that Bell gets to tell his story in a creative way on national TV rather than in a suit and tie on TBN. Give it a chance – after all, it’s probably going to be a story for entertainment in a wholesome way, not meant to change your theology.

      • Kamilla

        Two rather silly false dichotomies you has there.

        I don’t find either scenario is encouraging given the likelihood of either giving us the truth.

      • JB

        At what point in time are we gonna recognize the use of classic wisdom? Businesses fail, churches fail, the government fails, so why not have a culture in the making of hopeful things. TV is teaching the new generation, whereas classic “wholesome” wisdom is falling my the waist-side. Let’s encourage Bell and try something deeper than the “Desperate Housewives” theme of the lifestyle everyone thinks it should consume. Things can’t make a difference until people get off their “blessed assurance.” I applaud Bell’s mainstream of deep creativity; after all, we were creatively created. Just saying and I agree with you Matt.

    • yankeegospelgirl

      You’re misusing the word slander. If I were to say that Rob Bell steals pennies from little old ladies, that would be slander because we have absolutely no evidence whatsoever that this is something Rob Bell does. Saying “Sheesh, that’s pretty egotistical” is not slander.

  • donsands

    Good word Gospelgirl. Bell is out front with his confusion of truth, and he is way out there, and we need to be wise and seek to understand the Holy Writ, and love it, and know that Satan is an angel of light. Is Bell one of the false teachers that leads people astray? He sure could be, when one considers the way this guy lives his life, and the doctrine he gives out. I do not trust this man whatsoever.

    And at the same time there are many different doctrines within the Body of Christ, that many Christians agree to disgaree on. But we have this love for the truth, for the Word. Not man’s ideas, but Christ’s truth, and His Cross. The orthodoxy is clear, and Bell doesn’t like it. But he has a way to play games, and these are teachers whom drive me crazy. I’d rather have a Mormon come and argue his beliefs with me, then those who try to keep everyone happy.

  • JJ

    Yet again we have those that call themselves “Christians” judging others. You all have imperfect information about this endeavor yet you condemn it. The “Passion of the Christ” was produced in part by Mel Gibson (yes Gibson) yet it was a great movie that had tremendous impact in both the Christian and secular communities. I thought that Christians were supposed to be known by the fruit of Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Many of you claim that it is people like Bell for the decline of the western church but in reality it is because the fruit of the Spirit is not visible. Many of you will probably think I’m full of crap; if so then you should read Unchristian by David Kinnaman (Barna Group).

    • Craig

      JJ, you’ve got it a bit wrong here. The text that you are using is speaking about judging people to having been given salvation or not-things in which we cannot know. (Matthew 7:1-6) However, we are told, in Scripture, to judge doctrine and to be sure that what one is saying is in line with what God has said in His Word. (see 1 John 4:1-6)This is what is going on when one criticizes Bell-his theology is wrong according to the Word and so must be judged so to warn people not to follow it

  • Jeff

    Craig, I know this is late, but I had to push back. I don’t understand how you can argue your point using the 1 John 4:1-6 passage. John speaks about testing the spirits to see if they come from God and verse 2 tells us how to do that, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” – does Bell do that? Of course! Another way of testing is to see the fruit of his life and teaching. Do they draw people to Jesus, to loving others, to helping heal our broken world? Again, yes. You might want to rethink your arguments my friend.

  • JB

    See how many people tremble when you smile and say you believe in Jesus and love Him. It’s fascinating and beautiful at the same time. You have some that weaken and some that praise. It’s like night and day of 1 John 4:1-6. Or as Rob Bell would call it, Death and Resurrection. It’s by far a beautiful test.

    To another thought, David, after God’s on heart, messed up by taking Bathsheba, but still Holy Scriptures prevailed thru God, and yes I’m talking about Solomon. Everything is used in God’s glory no matter the situation or circumstances. Oh and I believe Love does Win, 1 Corinthians 13, according to my scripture. Have an awesome day to all.

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