Postmodern tosh
BREATHE 014 (NOOMA DVD)
By Rob Bell
Zondervan. 14 minutes. £9.49
I first saw NOOMA DVDs advertised while visiting the USA two years ago. Their branding, packaging and display were superb and easily the most eye-catching product in one of the biggest Christian bookstores I have seen.
However, even without buying the product, my concerns were raised by watching the display DVD briefly in-store. It all seemed ‘much ado about nothing’, with very little solid biblical meat to chew on. Having now seen this DVD, I would affirm that view. The problem with Rob Bell is not so much what he says, but rather what he doesn’t say.
The DVD’s description of itself says: ‘We want spiritual direction, but it has to be real for us and available when we need it. We want a new format for getting Christian perspectives. NOOMA is the new format.’ Again, this made me sceptical, but I was prepared to be proved wrong. The DVD opens with graphics filmed in an Underground station, eventually bringing in a voiceover from Rob Bell, and then finally we see him speaking to the camera. It is certainly not Bible teaching as we know it, but, at this stage, I was still receptive to its potential.
Bell’s teaching is hard to describe. Words that spring to mind include ‘uncertain’, ‘mysterious’ and ‘mystical’. He quotes many Bible passages (frequently just quoting a single verse here or there), but never did I feel there was authority in the way they were conveyed; rather, Bell appeared to be hesitant to proclaim the Word of the Lord. I would also query the interpretation of Scripture for one of his major arguments. Throughout his thematic teaching, there is a rather eerie soundtrack played in the background.
Bell has sought to reach a postmodern visual generation through a new multimedia format. It’s hard to write it off completely, because it is extremely professional and attention-grabbing. However, it is likewise hard to recommend it, as I’m not sure what it actually communicates and I am not persuaded by the medium he uses, which panders to the present self-centred consumer generation.
Ben Carswell,
UCCF Staff Worker & member of Duke Street Church, Richmond
