an intellectual pastor with practical answers

books:


	• The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism Timothy Keller Dutton Adult, 2008 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 74 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

An Apologetic For Today's Reader

Seeing a Christian apologetic on the New York Times Best Seller list arrested my attention. Having heard the quality of Timothy Keller's spoken messages, I assumed the book would be a well-done apologetic. Yet, for a book defending the Christian faith to join the list of national best sellers, I anticipated it would need to connect with a broad audience in a compelling way. I was not disappointed. It is an excellent work of apologetics that is clearly and uniquely directed at arguments of the modern skeptic.

Keller's style is respectful and winsome, yet clear and persuasive. He builds his broad argument for Christianity on the premise that a leap of faith is required as much for the skeptic as for the believer. He explains, "All doubts, however skeptical and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs. You cannot doubt Belief A except from a position of faith in Belief B." He explains that if the skeptic and the believer will wrestle with the evidence behind their view, as well as the evidence for the view of the other, it will lead to holding our particular position "with greater clarity and greater humility." More than any apologetic book I've ever read, the author uniquely and cogently deals with issues relevant to our current culture. Keller's ability to speak to today's well-educated, sophisticated and hip skeptic has likely developed through his metropolitan pastoral ministry in New York City.

In the first half of the book, the author deals with seven of the most universal arguments against the Christian faith. In the second half he provides reasons to believe in the claims of Christianity. Keller draws from many great Christian thinkers such as C.S. Lewis, Jonathan Edwards, G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Soren Kirkegaard, Augustine, N.T. Wright, Peter Kreeft, Alvin Plantinga and Alasdair MacIntyre. He also relies on historians, C. John Sommerville and Rodney Stark. In addition, he quotes and then counters the arguments of well-known atheist authors such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. Not only would the book challenge skeptics to think deeper about Christianity but it would also give believers a greater sense of the rationality and reasonability of their faith. The respectful tone, genuine empathy and even-handed consideration he gives to the skeptic, relativist and atheist is refreshing and appealing. The book is not equipped with moving stories or loaded with masterful and memorable quotes. Yet, it is persuasive, intelligent and accessible to the average reader. The respectful approach the book takes toward doubters would make it popular with skeptics investigating Christianity as well as with those wanting to provide an apologetic to an unbeliever.

A clear distinction is made between pharisaical, self-righteous and judgmental brands of Christianity that are all too common; and grace based faith in Jesus Christ. Though Keller is a Presbyterian minister, his Reform theology is not prominent nor is it promoted. He ends the book with a strong but cautionary encouragement to become part of a local church. Some Christians may be bothered by a few of Keller's conclusions. For instance, I personally feel he gives up too much in espousing theistic evolution. Yet, it should not deter more conservative believers from reading the book or recommending it to their unbelieving friends.

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aA USEFUL BOOK

"The REason for God" is a well-planned book which deals with modern issues very well. Very impressive array of issues.

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wow

An incredible explanation of faith for the people in today's culture. One of the clearest and most intelligent discussions of the reasonableness of believing that I have ever read. If there were 6 stars I would award it 6 stars. This belongs in the hands of every agnostic, skeptic, "Sunday and Easter only" Christian and honest, intelligent seeker of truth.

an intellectual pastor with practical answers

A must read if you want the pastoral answers to the difficult questions of Christianity.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The End of Faith. The God Delusion. God Is Not Great. Letter to a Christian Nation. Bestseller lists are filled with doubters. But what happens when you actually doubt your doubts?

Although a vocal minority continues to attack the Christian faith, for most Americans, faith is a large part of their lives: 86 percent of Americans refer to themselves as religious, and 75 percent of all Americans consider themselves Christians. So how should they respond to these passionate, learned, and persuasive books that promote science and secularism over religion and faith? For years, Tim Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced ?doubts? skeptics bring to his Manhattan church. And in The Reason for God, he single-handedly dismantles each of them. Written with atheists, agnostics, and skeptics in mind, Keller also provides an intelligent platform on which true believers can stand their ground when bombarded by the backlash. The Reason for God challenges such ideology at its core and points to the true path and purpose of Christianity.

Why is there suffering in the world? How could a loving God send people to Hell? Why isn?t Christianity more inclusive? Shouldn?t the Christian God be a god of love? How can one religion be ?right? and the rest ?wrong?? Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God? These are just a few of the questions even ardent believers wrestle with today. In this book, Tim Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations and reasoning, and even pop culture to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

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