Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Reason for God

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 11,933 ratings · 858 reviews

A "New York Times" bestseller people can believe in--by "a pioneer of the new urban Christians" ("Christian Today magazine").
Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics and non-believers bring to religion. Using literature, philosophy, anthropology, pop culture, and intellectual reasoni...more

ebook, 336 pages

Published February 14th 2008 by Riverhead Books (first published 2008)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 17, 2012 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: god-botheration

This is book three in my quest to find a good explanation of the Christian faith. Once again, I don't think this book is it. But in mitigation, I can now see that Christianity is so very very difficult to explain without drifting off into shimmery two-shakes-of-Four-Quartets-and-a-dash-of-Revelations language that my heart goes out to these guys who take on this task. Okay, my heart almost goes out to these guys.

Part One of this book is where TK challenges and in his own eyes overcomes seven ma...more

44 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2008 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apologetics, mere-christianity

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. Keller writes in a smooth, conversational tone. He addresses in clear language, 'real' questions from those who have crossed his path over the years, using every day examples to illustrate his points, and he does so with a pastoral heart (whi...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2008 Josh Crews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was converted from "educated" secularism in 2003. Every objection I had is addressed by this book for my background AND it's done by showing God in Jesus, and Jesus crucified.

When I became a Christian, 3 other books: the New Testament, The Case for Christ, and Desiring God were primary in my conversion. The Case for Christ proves the Resurrection as a historical event. The New Testament self-authenticates itself as God's Word and shines Jesus Christ out to the reader. Desiring God presents tha...more

34 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2008 Jori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sitting across the table from a Christian friend, I find myself again and again shaking my head in wonder at our different paths, beliefs and motivations. There are differences between us that I suspect we both pray over in our own ways. Conversations sometimes reach a point where we can only look at each other from a distance as over a river raging with spring melt. We wish to bridge that gap and yet, often, cannot. Still, I want to be engaged in these differences. The antagonism between "sides...more Sitting across the table from a Christian friend, I find myself again and again shaking my head in wonder at our different paths, beliefs and motivations. There are differences between us that I suspect we both pray over in our own ways. Conversations sometimes reach a point where we can only look at each other from a distance as over a river raging with spring melt. We wish to bridge that gap and yet, often, cannot. Still, I want to be engaged in these differences. The antagonism between "sides" that dominates most public discussions related to faith yields too few attempts at mutual understanding and produces even fewer solutions. In my own life, I want to build relationships with "those people" on the other side of so many issues that matter most to me. It was within this context that I was loaned and read Tim Keller's apologia, _Reason for God_. The book is perfect for anyone yearning to listen to a Christian answer to seven fundamental doubts that people express about Christianity (the first part of the book) and to an intelligent and compassionate Christian's defense of his Bible-based faith. I imagine that Christians reading this book might find their own faith bolstered and deepened and so would recommend it to them, too.
Keller challenges non-Christians to doubt their doubts and recognize the unprove-able beliefs (faith) upon which their own relativist/humanist/etcist values rest. It is this challenge that I value most from the book, as well as a stronger understanding of how a Christian might respond to some of my own doubts. As far as whether Keller's reason swayed my own-- we come again to that river between us. If you only knew what I know, if you only read what I read, if you only had the conversations and the courageous, intelligent contemplation that I have had, you would believe what I believe. This is what divides all us believers. I found myself deeply sad at several points in the book where I saw the river grow too wide for any bridge. And I often felt sheer love for Keller's faith and kindness. This is obviously a subjective reading. I am not interested right now in an intellectual debate about faith (like all of us, I've had those conversations) because right now I am just seeking understanding and connection. Is this irresponsible? Intellectually weak? Perhaps. But listening w/ out reacting is where I am in my practice right now. (less)

19 likes · like · see review

Apr 22, 2008 Wade rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apologetics

This is an excellent book that addresses many of the common objections to Christianity today. First of all, Keller points out how common doubt is to the Christian faith and how so many people allow doubt to push them away from Christ. But, he points out that “a faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who go though life too busy or too indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless when tragedy strik...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Phil Meredith Julie Becky Lucas

Recommended to Ryan by: Grandview Public Library

Shelves: non-fiction, religion-theology, philosophy-history, own

I really enjoyed reading this book for a number of reasons, but primarily because it seems to fit the level of many of the conversations I've had with non-Christians. Although it is obviously written at a somewhat general level because it covers so many topics, I find it much more useful than books like Strobel's "Case for Christ" because it does a better job of acknowledging competing worldviews and philosophical viewpoints. That being said, this book is definitely not for everyone. Keller's co...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2008 Ty rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Keller's book came recommended by virtually every thinking Christian I know, billed as the theological answer to recent mass-market agnosticism. Indeed there are many out there who have artfully defended a belief in the Christian God, but Keller does not meet the mark. The first half of his book, written for skeptics, is very soft on logical/rational arguments. His response to evolution (a whopping two and a half pages), for example, is to say that if you pin him down, he believes in the process...more

11 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2008 Brent rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book is a good spiritual and religious book especially for the non beliver and people who question God and the trinity. The thing I totally disagree with the author is that we are NOT saved just by our faith. I believe we are saved by our faith and works. Example is Mother Teresa who had strong faith but if it was not because of her works, she would have been non existent. I believe we will be judged on faith (love God) and on works (love neighbor). Good book even though the author missed th...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2008 Regina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After Kirill heard Tim Keller speak and defend the belief in God so concisely to a highly critical audience, he ordered this book written by my friend Erin's NYC pastor from Redeemer Presbyterian Church. I can't wait to read it, I hear he is a modern-day CS Lewis. Hoping to hear him in person when I visit New York next month.

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2009 Lee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't get this book to try to refute it. I was actually as excited to get it as I am with any non fiction book. The introduction was great and I thought it was going to be a good read. It's about 10 pages or so and I thought it was really well written.

Then starts the doubts and questions he has received and his reasoning against them. The questions are great ones that are very typical, so it's not like he's throwing himself softball questions. Another good point. To me a lot of these made sen...more

6 likes · like · see review

view all 10 comments

Jason I don't think you quite understand what a parable is.

WRT to taking the bible literally, I would say, as an active, practicing Christian, there is qui...more
Feb 16, 2010 06:42pm

Neal Tucker Hey Jason,

I appreciate you responding to my comments. I think that you may have misinterpreted what I wrote, or perhaps what I wrote was simply unclea...more
Feb 16, 2010 07:51pm

Sep 11, 2012 Josiah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes I have this nagging feeling that, when one particularly able Atheist writer (now deceased) cleverly turns a humorous phrase in the midst of an important logical point, he has somehow made a deal with the devil. Perhaps his craft isn’t really honed by years of experience, but by witchcraft and satanic bargains.

No. I’m not entirely sane.

Though apparently I’m not the only one, because Timothy Keller seems to suffer from this same strange neurosis and goes to great lengths to prove himself...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 13, 2009 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faith, christianity

This is the first book I've read in a long time, possibly even the first book ever, that is a well-reasoned, intellectually satisfying argument for the existence of God and his divinity in Jesus Christ.

One of the things I like most about Keller's writing is that he comes across as a down-to-earth person who obviously has great respect and patience for people's questions. Not having grown up a Christian, I have often had great difficulty relating to people who speak "Christianese" and justify fai...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 12, 2008 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fewer adjectives probably describe the present age better than polarized. Nowhere is this more evident than the struggle between secular modernism and traditional Christian faith. There are probably fewer people who have more understanding of the depth of that struggle and the difficulties in communicating across that polarized gap than Timothy Keller. Reason for God takes the approach that you communicate not between believers and unbelievers, but between believers and skeptics, for he argues e...more Fewer adjectives probably describe the present age better than polarized. Nowhere is this more evident than the struggle between secular modernism and traditional Christian faith. There are probably fewer people who have more understanding of the depth of that struggle and the difficulties in communicating across that polarized gap than Timothy Keller. Reason for God takes the approach that you communicate not between believers and unbelievers, but between believers and skeptics, for he argues everyone believes in something. In short, he wants believers and skeptics to look at doubt in two different ways. He urges believers to struggle and come to grips with their doubts, so that an accepted faith is not just passively agreed upon, but plausible and understandable. And he urges skeptics to doubt their skepticism and compare their belief system with what they oppose, and to see just how solid their skepticism is.

So Keller writes like a pastor as much as he does an apologist for the Christian faith. The church the helped to found 20 years ago, and where he serves as senior minister, Redeemer Presbyterian (PCA) in New York City has sought to address doubts and skepticism seriously and winsomely, within the context of traditional, Reformed Protestant Christianity. Much of this book is obviously based on discussions held during counsel or during his well-known after worship service question and answer periods, so the book represents fresh attempts to communicate with a modern, urban culture.

Keller writes that two large influences in his life are the 18th century pastor Jonathan Edwards and the British professor CS Lewis, and that show up well. He presents afresh, much of the doctrines about God and man, as taught by Jonathan Edwards, and he holds a fresh grip on the reasoning style of CS Lewis. Yet he also makes good use of presuppositional apologetics, where he doesn't try to argue people into the Kingdom of God, but rather challenges people to see where what the suppose comes from and where it is going.

This is a literate, smart, witty, well-written, and winsome book, accessible and challenging to Christian and non Christian alike. The author makes good use sources ranging from Flannery O'Connor to U2's front man Bono to make his case. Again, going back to the premise of the work, of trying to communicate calmly between portions of a polarized world, you find an author that actually likes and enjoys the skeptics he encounters and learns a lot from them. But what he presents, and challenges his readers with is a full embrace of traditional Christian faith. Other writers might just stop with a basic, "Apostles Creed" faith, but it can best be said that Keller argues for an "Apostles Creed" plus faith, or fleshing out a more fuller faith; for example, he presents a great argument for what is known as the doctrine of penal substitution and the necessity of growing in an individual faith within a community of other believers (something sorely needed to be taught to believer and skeptic alike).

The book is divided into two sections, the Leap of Doubt and the Reasons for Faith, with an intermediary chapter between. The first section is an examination of what quite a few skeptics in this age presuppose, the second is a fresh appeal to traditional Christian faith. His section on the knowledge of God is exceptionally strong. He argues that no one is really relativistic, as many in the culture world might argue for, but instead, again drawing on Edwards (with help from play write Arthur Miller), that men know God, they just suppress what they know. He cannot prove that God exists, for everyone already acknowledges that he is there.

Not everyone will agree with all that Keller has to say. Some will say that he is too strong on some points, and too weak on others, or would prefer a more fleshed out thought on some issues; but this work should at least get conversation started; which appears to be his goal as much as anything.

This book cannot be more highly recommend to believers and skeptics alike, especially those active in the early 21st century, globalized world, with all its strains. Time will tell how it will age, for it does dialogue with many of the issues of our time with traditional truth in a fresh way.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Believers and non-believers alike

As a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, founded by the author, Tim Keller, it seemed a requisite that I read his recently published book. I probably wouldn't have bothered to pick it up otherwise. It was written mostly as a rational argument to answer the skeptics' disbelief of the existence of God, so as someone already deeply rooted in my Christian faith, I didn't expect it would have much to offer me. I was totally wrong. The first half of the book, in which Tim debunks the seven main ar...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 20, 2009 Adam Ross rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: church-and-culture

Just appalling. The first two chapters are okay (nothing to write home about, but decent), but the book rapidly degenerates. He cites Marx approvingly at one point, and believes evolution is compatible with Christianity. But the worst element of the book is his approach itself. The book is designed to answer objections to the faith, but his method is to take the heathen's objection and then try to show how God or Christianity lives up to, or meshes with, the objection. This is the utter inverse...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 15, 2008 Karen L. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Homeschool high schoolers

Recommended to Karen L. by: I think our friend Tim W.

Shelves: homeschool, apologetics, christianity

This is a wonderful book for skeptics. Finally one you can give a friend and not be embarrassed about any overly didactic preaching. His skillful speaking abilities and knowledge come from years of pastoral experience at a large Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. His method of persuasion is gentle, pastoral, and a very "Socratic" approach. What I liked about Keller's way of handling the questions of skeptics, is he is highly respectful in his treatment of people who do not have faith, but have q...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 13, 2009 Darrell Reimer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A friend of mine taught Intro Philosophy at the U of T for a couple of years. He HATED that class. When I asked him why, he said, "The kids all think it's 'Stump Tha Perfesser' time."

I constantly fought my own "stump tha perfesser" impulse while reading this book, even as I knew my friend would clean the floor with Keller's argument. In the main, while I am sympathetic to Keller's perspective, I have some crucial difficulties with the tactic he employs: when the exits get sealed off like this, i...more

1 like · like · see review

May 29, 2013 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-for-a-bookclub

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.

I read this book and A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith by Brian McLaren together in a spiritual book club, in order to compare and contrast the authors’ views. I felt like while the McLaren addressed more of my specific concerns with modern day Christianity, this book was directed generally towards non-believers, which I am not. Thus, in many ways, Keller frustrated me as he danced around the issues that concern me (and many of my...more Actual rating: 2.5 stars.

I read this book and A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith by Brian McLaren together in a spiritual book club, in order to compare and contrast the authors’ views. I felt like while the McLaren addressed more of my specific concerns with modern day Christianity, this book was directed generally towards non-believers, which I am not. Thus, in many ways, Keller frustrated me as he danced around the issues that concern me (and many of my atheist friends) the most--the role of women, homosexuality, and condemnation of other faiths. In fact, that is my biggest complaint about this book. For example, Keller says, “Don’t worry about gender roles until you figure out what you think about the central teachings of the faith . . . It is important to consider the Bible’s core claims about who Jesus is and whether he rose from the dead before you reject it for its less central and more controversial teachings.” On the one hand, I see Keller’s point and generally agree one should start with the basics. On the other hand, it annoys me that he doesn’t discuss and clarify this issue more, as I know many women and men who reject Christianity outright because of what they see as its outmoded views on gender roles and other issues like homosexuality.

I also felt like Keller’s argument that we should take Bible literally was questionable at best, if not ridiculous. He discusses the text, “Slaves obey your masters.” He notes that for generations, this text was interpreted to teach that slavery is permissible, even desirable. Keller states that this is a classic case of misinterpreting the historical context of the bible, because when the New Testament was written, there was no great difference between slaves and the average free person. Slaves made the same wages as free laborers and could eventually buy their freedom. Keller argues, “Most important of all, very few slaves were slaves for life. By contrast, New World slavery was much more systematically and homogeneously brutal.” He continues to describe how New World slavery was race-based, slavery for life which allowed masters to kill, rape, etc. their slaves. He thus concludes, “While the early Christians did not go on a campaign to abolish first-century slavery completely, later Christians did so when faced with New-World style slavery, which could not be squared in any way with Biblical teaching.”

I’m just not buying what Keller is selling here. I feel strongly that even first-century Roman slavery was wrong and neither would not nor should not be tolerated by modern Christians today. I am also pretty sure there were a lot of New World Christians who (incorrectly) thought slavery was just fine based on this exact Biblical text; Keller completely oversimplifies the American Civil War by implying that all New World Christians went on a campaign to abolish slavery.

So it would have been easy for me to write off this book entirely given how strongly I disagreed with the two assertions described above. However, because I kept reading the book with my book club, I found other things that I really appreciated about Keller’s viewpoint. Firstly, I appreciated his assertion that hell is not a God mercilessly casting souls into eternal fire because they made bad choices during their life. Keller argues that rather hell is “the trajectory of a soul, living a self-absorbed, self-centered life, going on and on forever.” This rings true to me.

I also deeply valued Keller’s discussion of forgiveness based on a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Forgiveness is the Christlike suffering which it is the Christian’s duty to bear.” Keller states that forgiveness isn’t easy, rather it is almost a costly suffering and death which at first actually feels far worse than anger, but eventually leads to freedom. Keller states, “Forgiveness must be granted before it can be felt, but it does come eventually. It leads to a new peace, a resurrection. It is the only way to stop the spread of the evil.”

Finally, I was intrigued by Keller’s argument that when non-Christians state they can only believe in a God of love (and therefore can’t believe in a Christian God) they are actually asserting a uniquely Christian belief. Keller notes that the only religious textual support for a God of love is in Christianity. I’m no Christian scholar, so I have no idea if this argument is true, but I would be interested to find out more myself.

So overall, I can recommend this book if you are willing to keep an open mind and overlook some very questionable arguments. If you do this, I think you will find some tidbits (and undoubtedly they may be different ones than I mentioned) that stretch your mind and enrich your faith.
(less)

like · see review

May 04, 2013 John Martindale rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apologetics, audiobook, christian

Well, I liked this book a little more then I expected to. For one I like Keller's style and tone, and I liked that he briefly touched upon some of the reasons for God, that I personally find convincing. I like how Christianity makes sense to him; how it provides a foundation for human rights, mercy, justice, equality and love and also a reason why we should care for the poor, animals and the environment. If Christianity is understood properly, its a vanguard against bigotry, hate, prejudice and...more Well, I liked this book a little more then I expected to. For one I like Keller's style and tone, and I liked that he briefly touched upon some of the reasons for God, that I personally find convincing. I like how Christianity makes sense to him; how it provides a foundation for human rights, mercy, justice, equality and love and also a reason why we should care for the poor, animals and the environment. If Christianity is understood properly, its a vanguard against bigotry, hate, prejudice and arrogance. But with that said, there were parts that didn't jive with me.
The section on the problem of pain and evil, though having some good points, ultimately failed in my opinion, because, well, he is a Calvinist. His doctrine keeps him from even being able to even mention C.S Lewis and Alvin Plantinga's freewill explanation, which I think is the only way out of the problem.
The absolute worst part of the book was the chapter on hell. Keller has an assumption which I think simply has no biblical support (the assumption is that the soul is by nature immortal; cannot be destroyed and must live forever) and since he has this perspective, he is forced to discard a plethora of scripture on the subject, indeed he can't see the forest for the trees. He then freely engages in pure speculation, sharing how God sends no one to hell, we choose to go there and hell is just being stuck with our rotten self forever and ever. (I am guilty of all of this speculations too, back when I believed the soul had to live forever). But yeah, I wrote a paper on hell ( http://www.facebook.com/notes/john-ma... ) sharing some scriptures that I could finally take at face-value once my assumption was challenged. But yeah, I think the bible is quite clear that Adam and Eve lost the right to immortality due to sin and as the story progresses we learn, through Christ, immortality is a gift only for the saved. Then we have passage after passage saying what will happen in the final judgment to the lost: God will destroy both body and soul, the soul will die, they will be burned up both root and branch, totally consumed by fire, devoured, utterly perishing like the beast, they will be no more, the wicked will suffer extinction, etc... etc... (The bible couldn't be any clearer then this!!!) The results of this punishment are everlasting. Hell is the second DEATH and death means death, not everlasting life in torment! God will raise the wicked, judge them according to what they've done and God will have them cast into hell, where they will be consumed. This is an everlasting punishment, the bible is incredibly clear that the punishment is a capital punishment, it is final, forever, the end! And this my friend is justice, this fits with the character of God, the God who wants to remove evil, not preserve it forever and ever. Keller primarily carries on about God being just, and indeed God is just, and that is precisely why Keller is more definitely wrong!
Keller mentions the common argument that myths surrounding Jesus couldn't have popped up so soon, that people had accesses to eye-witnesses, that the Jews could have easily produced the body... etc... But after learning about the story of Scientology; how it arose so quickly, with all its myths, miracles and supernatural hogwash, how much of it was easily disprovable, but the faithful believed anyways, I feel this resent example discredits the common apologetic argument. If people have enough faith in something, even if the Jews dragged a bloody corpse through the street, the faithful would insist it wasn't Jesus. That is the power of faith. I think you'd only need someone like Peter to have a hallucination of Christ and to be utterly convinced, and he could convert others and everything else would just fall into place. Even the woman first finding the tomb makes sense if you consider that a majority of believers earlier on were the poor and woman. I don't think this is what happened, but I think it could have, if we observed the wild-fire of modern movements. I did like Keller bringing up C.S Lewis' point that the gospels are not written as myth, but as histories (lots of unnecessary details in the stories). If the the gospels are fiction, they are a complete anomaly, for there is no evidence of this genre of literature existing at that time in history.(less)

like · see review

May 04, 2013 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this book Keller provides answers to the age-old question “Why should I believe in God?”. Keller makes some interesting observations and mentions many theories from well-known theologists and philosophers. The information was good but it seemed like Keller’s ideas kept going around in circles with him revisiting the same arguments. I think he also could have made his ideas easier to connect with if he had added more stories of personal experience. This being said I would still recommend this...more

like · see review

Apr 24, 2013 Craig rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you've ever had major objections, doubts or questions about the existence of God, or want to be able to talk more effectively with those who have, you have to read this book. In it, Dr Timothy Keller addresses such topics as Hasn't science has proven God doesn't exist? Why does religion cause so many wars?. How can God allow evil and suffering? How can Hell exist if God loves us?

Big questions, and important ones too, but all worth asking and worth having an answer to, one that is logical, rat...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 Patrick rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a gift, so I'm politely trying to read it. I'm on page 26 of 293, and I'm telling you, I don't think I'm gonna make it.

At his best (so far), Keller makes straw man arguments and then 'proves' his claims by knocking them down. Often, to be fair, they're the same half-thought-through objections that your average doubter may have about religion, but they're hardly the strongest form of the arguments.

At his worst (so far), he redefines any thinking about life, soul, humanity, and religion (...more

like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Brett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apologetics, culture, gospel

Can Christianity survive in the 21st century? Is Christianity still credible? Is it even reasonable? In "The Reason for God," Keller offers a concise yet compelling defense of the Christian faith. In the first part of the book, Keller tackles seven contemporary objections to faith (e.g. "There Can't Be Just One True Religion," "Science Has Disproved Christianity," and "How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell"). While not a thorough treatment of any given doubt, Keller consistently demonstrates...more

like · see review

Oct 24, 2012 Jason Polk rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thought provoking and pastorally written for believer and seeker alike. Most chapters were incredibly helpful, and provided excellent treatment of the subject. I found Keller's chapter on hell the least helpful, with the exception of his quoting from Miroslav Volf's "Exclusion and Embrace" that continues to run through my head whenever I or someone I know is wrestling with God's judgement -- "My thesis is that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance…My thesis will be...more

like · see review

Oct 30, 2011 Chin Hwa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A wonderfully humane, probing, and thought- and heart-provoking book that asks hard questions of the Christian faith (like suffering, the reliability of the Bible, the hypocrisy evident in the church, hell, science, and exclusivism). One of the most valuable points the book makes is that a skeptical attitude to God is just as much a 'faith' as is a believing one. His point is that rationalism (often the sister of skepticism) - the stance that often results in the belief (note the word!) that not...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 17, 2011 Strawshine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apologetics

Timothy Keller's "The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism", reads much like an updated "Mere Christianity". Keller does an excellent job of offering refutations to many common objections atheists and non-Christians raise against the faith in a scholarly manner (the end notes at the back of the book are substantive!). In the latter half of the book he clearly explains aspects of Christianity that some might struggle with (for instance, why did Jesus have to die in our place for our sin...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Timothy Bertolet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great book. I would particularly recommend it to people who are searching about the truth of Christianity and the Christianity God. Keller argues that all unbelief in Christianity is based upon other beliefs. He challenges the reader to be as critical of their alternate beliefs as they are against Christianity, guiding us through some basic arguments. He shows that many of them are internally inconsistent and 'self-destructive'. He uses non-Christians' own arguments to show their great...more

like · see review

Jul 29, 2011 Carissa Norris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What I liked most about this book was its approach. Keller wants to show that people of faith are not idiots ignoring reason. In fact, people of faith can be, and often are, people of reason. He explains in the first part of this book the reasoning that leads someone to a belief in God. I especially liked this part because he said so well what I often try to say and don't say as well. It is tiring for nonbelievers to tell you that you obviously are stupid and can't think when you, in fact, have...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 25, 2011 Sheila rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian, non-fiction

Subtitled Belief in an Age of Skepticism, The Reason for God at first looked like it was going to another popular survey of scientific and historical reasons to accept the Bible. I do in fact thoroughly enjoy such surveys, but this book is something more. The author is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, and he addresses real doubts and concerns expressed by real people—people who have indeed grown up in an age of skepticism.

Timothy Keller draws his reasons not...more

like · see review

Jun 25, 2010 Melissa Stebbins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kellers apologia for the Christian faith is broken into two parts. The first looks at common objections to Christianity and attempts to answer them. The answers are not necessarily new but he does point out that behind every objection there is a corresponding belief that should really be examined to determine whether it is in fact reasonable. He covers seven topics:

1. There can't be just one true religion
2. A good God could not allow suffering
3. Christianity is a straitjacket
4. The church is...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Christianity	1	12	Apr 09, 2013 03:46pm
I just bought this!!	4	121	Aug 05, 2012 09:31am

combine
Other Editions (21)

More editions...

Genres

Christian

238 users

Religion > Theology

158 users

Religion

155 users

Non Fiction

136 users

Religion > Christianity

120 users

Religion > Faith

59 users

Philosophy

54 users

Spirituality

31 users

Religion > God

13 users

Culture

9 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Timothy Keller

Dr. Timothy Keller is founder and pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Over the past 20 years, the church has grown to five services at three sites, with a weekly attendance of over 5,000. Named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Churches in America, Keller’s ministry is notable not only for winning over New Yorkers who are skeptical to faith, but also for its missional...more

More about Timothy Keller...

Books by Timothy Keller

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

The Meaning of Marriage: Finding Happiness in Your Most Profound Relationship

King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus

Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Reason for Go...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Reason for God: Be...

“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” — 63 people liked it

“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus' miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.” — 25 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Reason for God
avg rating	preview: The Reason for God Goodreads rating: 4.15 (11933 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8630164-the-reason-for-god?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368431046l/8630164.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8630164-the-reason-for-god?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Reason for God by Timothy Keller[/url]

The Reason for God

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website