Hellbound?

Pastor Rob Bell's 2011 book Love Wins caused a stir among evangelicals with its heretical (especially to fundamentalists) position that the traditional idea of a fiery hell does not equate with a loving and beneficent God. According to Bell, any soul can be “saved,” even those of Hitler and bin Laden. In Hellbound?, filmmaker Kevin Miller queries prominent ministers, theologians, evangelical authors, and even some out-of-left-field guests (satanic rockers, atheist screenwriter-guru Robert McKee) about hell: what it is, how the Gospels actually describe it, who the devil is, and whether there is any moral sense for deceased sinners to languish in "everlasting conscious torment." Unsurprisingly, opinions split down liberal/conservative lines, with no conclusive answer reached—although the filmmaker (who even manages to get close to useful dialogue with the homophobic hatemongers of the Westboro Baptist Church) shows more favor to the all-inclusive, redemptive ministry typified by Frank Schaeffer (Crazy for God) than the brimstone-damnation types. Writers William Paul Young (The Shack), Sharon Baker (Razing Hell), and Brian McLaren (The Last Word and the Word After That), among others, skew the talk heavily towards Protestant theology (Catholicism and other faiths go largely unaddressed). An interesting documentary that is sure to spark discussion, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)