Judge Bell for yourself ...

"Gandhi's in hell? He is? And someone knows this for sure?" -- Rob Bell

Rob Bell is young, evangelical, and pastors Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., which he founded in 1999

The 31-year-old writer published his first book, “Velvet Elvis: Repainting
the Christian Faith,” in 2005, and went on his first nationwide speaking
tour, “Everything is Spiritual,” in 2006. He followed that nationwide tour
with others: “Sex God” and “The Gods Aren’t Angry,” both in 2007, and “Drops Like Stars,” in 2009.

Bell also produces spiritual short films used in small groups under the name NOOMA, a play on the Greek word for spirit, “pneuma.”

All of that and more makes for Bell being considered one of the most influential young evangelical pastors in the nation.

But not everyone is enamored with Bell, particularly with his newest book, “A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived,” set for release on Tuesday.

Advance reports on the book say Bell takes issue with the theological stance that “a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better.”

To some, the resulting outcry falls just short of a cyber-witch hunt.

Among the responses cited by various media, including the New York Times, is one by John Piper, an influential pastor in his own right, who simply wrote, “Farewell, Rob Bell,” which would seem to be an evangelical divorce.

But in the same New York Times report, we read this from Scot McKnight: “Rob Bell is tapping into a younger generation that really wants to open up these questions,” he said. “He is also tapping into the fear of the traditionalists — that these differing views of heaven and hell will compromise the Christian message.”

Watch Bell's promotional video.

Then, read the book. Judge for yourself whether it’s heresy or “holy questioning.”