If you have read our day’s leading skeptics you owe it to yourself to read this as well. The Reason for God exudes warmth in its simple and understated style, a manner of writing that stands in stark contrast to the exaggerated antics of Keller’s atheistic foes. His thesis is this: “If you come to recognize the beliefs on which your doubts about Christianity are based, and if you seek as much proof for those beliefs as you seek from Christians for theirs—you will discover that your doubts are not so solid as they first appeared.” He seeks to prove that thesis in the book’s first part. Publishers Weekly has said well that this is a book for “skeptics and the believers who love them.” Believers will rejoice in a book that carefully and patiently answers the objections of their skeptical friends and does so with grace and in a way consistent with the Bible. Tim Keller's The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (TRG, hereafter) is the result of the many questions about God and Christianity pastor Keller has received over the years during his time at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York. Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens’ God is Not Great (among others) are flying off the shelves, telling readers that “religion poisons everything.”. I look forward to using The Reason for God as a reference in my conversations with skeptics, in my teaching a class of 20-somethings, and in my own personal struggles with faith and doubt. $24.95. They assume too much and deliver too little. You might be surprised to see so many books that are hostile towards Christianity (or theism in general). The Reason for God is divided into two halves. As I read through the corpus of his writings I learn to understand how he thinks and learn to understand what he believes. Using literature, philosophy, and Scripture, Keller and the group explore the truth of Christianity. Receive every article in your inbox by subscribing below. “But, at the same time, robust, orthodox belief in the traditional faiths is growing as well.” As each grows, those who hold to each become increasingly convinced that they are in imminent danger. ... and his confident assertion that “God is how we got here” reflect an obvious divide in our culture. Find book reviews, essays, best-seller lists and news from The New York Times Book Review. Live news, investigations, opinion, photos and video by the journalists of The New York Times from more than 150 countries around the world. Pick up this book and read it. The subtleness of Keller’s preaching style translates well into book form. And really, much of the book only makes sense within our contemporary cultural context. It will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God. Keller’s volume seeks to fill that void, and it does so well. While the skeptic has several volumes he can hand to a believing friend (many of them written by the aforementioned authors), the believer has fewer to choose from. That’s not to say that I think everything is within the scope of human knowledge.Surely there are things not dreamt of in our philosophy, not to mention in our science – but that fact is not a reason to believe in supernatural beings. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and potent reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. Opinionator | Reasons for Reason Search. In The Reason for God, Timothy Keller sets a commendable example for approaching unbelievers. In the final chapter, Keller encourages people to join the church (which he compares to the ocean – enormous and diverse). Even skeptics have a kind of faith hidden within their reasoning. Some may quibble with the fact that Keller does not make the case for conservative Protestantism, but perhaps Keller’s Reformed theology is coming through here, as he trusts in the sovereignty of a God who will lead his people to right belief and practice. It is as though Mr. Beckett sees very little reason for clutching at … The Reason for God is divided into two halves. It is a response to or perhaps an antidote to the the writings of popular authors like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. So it was with great interest that I read. It is no secret—indeed, it has become notorious—that the Times has in recent years introduced a strong element of political correctness into its coverage of culture and even the news. In the first seven chapters Keller looks at seven of the most common objections and doubts about Christianity and discerns the alternate beliefs underlying each of them. In lieu of a comments section, I accept and encourage letters to the editor. However, his method is not representative of a proper hamartiology (doctrine of sin). Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. This section is titled “The Leap of Doubt” and answers these seven common critiques: In the second half of the book, titled “The Reasons for Faith,” he turns to an examination of seven reasons to believe in the claims of the Christian faith. Within the book he does not make the classical distinction between believers and unbelievers, but rather between believers and skeptics. Because Tim Keller has written so little, I do not know him in the way I feel I know many of his peers—pastors and theologians who have written extensively. The world is polarizing over religion—or at the very least our culture is polarizing over religion. I think many arguments for the existence of a God depend on the insufficiencies of human cognition. For example, many believers will be uncomfortable with his defense of evolution—not the naturalistic evolution of so many skeptics, but a theistic evolution that attempts to reconcile rather than ignore the creation accounts of the Bible. In his New York Times bestselling book The Reason for God, Timothy Keller established himself as a modern-day C. S. Lewis who brings together faith and intellect, theology and popular culture, modern-day objections and historic Christian beliefs. Anyone for whom religion is more than a matter of “lifestyle” must regard the coverage afforded to religion by the New York Times with grave dismay. Manhola’s Dargis’ Picks. Published by Penguin and with a positive review by Publishers Weekly, it has all the makings of a bestseller. Skeptics will see that even their skepticism is founded on some kind of faith and will be challenged to discern those underlying beliefs. Best of 2020 › The Best Movies of the Year. Understanding what we believe about belief is crucial. This is the first in a series of interviews about religion that I will conduct for The Stone. Site by Mere. G.G. He is always very cautious to breach the tough topics with much gentleness and humility. In his New York Times bestselling book The Reason for God, Timothy Keller established himself as a modern-day C. S. Lewis who brings together faith and intellect, theology and popular culture, modern-day objections and historic Christian beliefs. My daily, curated collection of Kindle deals for Christians. Unsubscribe at any time. Others will not appreciate the way he wears his Protestantism on his sleeve, especially in the chapter on the cross. For example, in the chapter on religious exclusivity, Keller takes the criticism that “there can’t be just one true religion” and shows how the hidden assumption behind this criticism is actually exclusive and arrogant. 445 pp. And in the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason. Faith in God has almost vanished. The New York Times ran a long editorial over the weekend arguing that higher wages can cause economic growth instead of its always having to be the other way around. The radical atheists will most likely respond with harsh invectives towards Keller and his reasoning. He is the general editor of The Gospel Project, and the author of multiple books, including Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, Eschatological Discipleship, and Gospel Centered Teaching. But the arguments Keller makes are compelling and reasonable and targeted pointedly at today’s skeptics. The Reason for God Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller The New York Times bestseller that makes “a tight, accessible case for reasoned religious belief” (Washington Post). A ‘God Problem’ at the New York Times. We have something else entirely.”. In the second half of the book (“The Reasons for Faith”), Keller makes his case for Christianity. Why Does It Matter that Jesus Was Born of a Virgin. But there is still an illusion of faith flickering around the edges of the drama. Our co-chief film critics picked their top 10 movies of this past year.Here are their top three picks and reviews. ... an all-good God can allow evil and pain to exist if he has a good reason for doing so, and the burden of proof is upon the atheist to show that no such reason or reasons exist. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (2008) is a book and DVD on Christian apologetics by Timothy J. Keller, a scholar and founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. All content © Tim Challies, 2002-2021. The Reason for God arrives at a unique time, for we are at a point when both belief and skepticism are on the rise. “Skepticism, fear, and anger toward traditional religion are growing in power and influence,” says Keller. It seems likely to me that nobody but Tim Keller will agree with everything he says. The New York Times ran an article the other day called "Does God want you to spend $300,000 on college?" The book begins with an Introduction, between the two parts is an Intermission, and following it all is an Epilogue. The Reason for God exudes warmth in its simple and understated style, a manner of writing that stands in stark contrast to the exaggerated antics of Keller’s atheistic foes. In making his case for Christianity, Keller walks a fine line between avoiding denominationalism altogether and promoting his own denominational distinctives. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or receive his columns via email. Lewis for the 21st century" (Newsweek). I read constantly and find that books allow me to understand the people who write them, especially when the author has written several books. Key idea 1 of 10 Contrary to popular belief, the Christian church is not particularly exclusive – but it does have core beliefs. Personally, I think he avoids both extremes quite well. A New York Times bestseller people can believe in—by "a pioneer of the new urban Christians" (Christianity Today) and the "C.S. EVERY Presidential election in the United States is … It is a response to or perhaps an antidote to the the writings of popular authors like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. Copyright © 2021 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. 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