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The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
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Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical, is a prequel to The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism.
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 mos ...more
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 mos ...more
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Hardcover, 293 pages
Published
February 14th 2008
by Dutton
(first published 2007)
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Start your review of The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

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

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
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

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

Is there an option for a negative star???
I picked up this book because it "encouraged questioning" .. ya, no. He took a skeptics question and created a finger-pointed argument against it, which didn't do his side any justice. For example, someone who doesn't belive in something actually does ... thats a belief in itself. -_- .... okayyy???
You can tell he is a traditionalist which I also don't like. Focus on converting & winning arguments is not doing anything good. Add the malice tone & unnecess ...more
I picked up this book because it "encouraged questioning" .. ya, no. He took a skeptics question and created a finger-pointed argument against it, which didn't do his side any justice. For example, someone who doesn't belive in something actually does ... thats a belief in itself. -_- .... okayyy???
You can tell he is a traditionalist which I also don't like. Focus on converting & winning arguments is not doing anything good. Add the malice tone & unnecess ...more

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

This is one of those, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" books. i didn't pick up this book to make fun of it. i read it because i would like to hear an intelligent plausible argument for the existence of God. I am sure there is one, but you won't find it in this book. To paraphrase the author: why did Jesus have to die for our sins? Well, if your neighbor accidentally ran into your wall and it wasn't covered by insurance, someone would have to pay for the damages. So even if you forgave you
...more

Jan 06, 2020
Natalie Vellacott
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
christian-theology
"A life not centred on God leads to emptiness. Building our lives on something besides God not only hurts us if we don't get the desires of our hearts, but also if we do. Few of us get all of our wildest dreams fulfilled in life, and therefore it is easy to live in the illusion that if you were as successful, wealthy, popular or beautiful as you wished, you'd finally be happy and at peace. That just isn't so."
"Most people believe that, if there is a God, we can relate to him and go to heaven ...more
"Most people believe that, if there is a God, we can relate to him and go to heaven ...more

I liked this book a lot, because it gives a fundamentalist perspective (primarily based on the idea that the Bible is the literal world of God, or Bible inerrancy)....and it was great to see that so clearly defined. I thought that Keller argued this viewpoint incredibly well.
I couldn't begin to comment on all the points raised in the book, but some major issues concerned me.
Firstly, I was very disconcerted by Keller's insistence that only one of the major religions is right and other religions a ...more
I couldn't begin to comment on all the points raised in the book, but some major issues concerned me.
Firstly, I was very disconcerted by Keller's insistence that only one of the major religions is right and other religions a ...more

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
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

There are much better texts on theology, ethics, belief in a god or gods. When compared to the well educated writings of Bonhoeffer, Kant, Satre, Anselm, Dawkins, Aquinas this book is woefully lacking. I might add, it read as you would expect a privileged and sheltered American new age preacher would write. Anything outside of his "expertise" is met with derision and ignorance. I would be shocked if this man ever saw a Mosque, Synagogue, Buddhist temple, let alone read the works of their major p
...more

I was really disappointed by this. I actually picked it for a group read with some friends, having read Keller before and been impressed by him. I wasn't impressed with this.
The full title of the book is The Reason for God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism. And the back suggests that Keller "addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics...have about religion." And goes on to say that "Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one." And then, "to skeptics, ...more
The full title of the book is The Reason for God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism. And the back suggests that Keller "addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics...have about religion." And goes on to say that "Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one." And then, "to skeptics, ...more

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

This non-fiction work by Timothy Keller, a noted pastor, was required reading for my last year of schooling. At my school Christian Education was compulsory and even despite my beliefs I found it a drag since most of what was discussed I already knew a lot about and was repetition. This book and the surrounding discussion was a cut above everything else we were looking at. This is because rather than merely looking at the Bible itself we looked at other belief systems and at apologetics, somethi ...more

While this was the book that made Keller famous (or famouser), it was distinctly different from his other books all of which I love. It is much more an apologetic and reasoned argument than it is sermonic. Keller is a great thinker and follows in the footsteps of Christian intellectuals like C.S. Lewis. I appreciated his calm, measured, and reasonable tone and arguments throughout the book. He makes it easy for readers to process his ideas without being attacked or bombarded. A very good book.

This is good start for Christians who want to learn about apologetics. Keller, articulate as always, uses biology and physics to make the case for God. It’s not the strongest, but it’s something. If you’re looking for more advance apologetics I suggest reading Frank Turek’s “Stealing from God” or Dinesh D’Souza’s “What’s so Great About Christianity.” Another good one is “Bearing False Witness” by sociologist Rodney Stark. All are equally great.

Here’s my three-sentence summary of this book if you don’t care to read the following rant: Keller essentially says, “Yah, Christian beliefs about the nature of things are unprovable, but so are yours. However, our beliefs are still better because they give us reasons to do good, along with warm fuzzies; Yours don’t, see?”
At first, I was happy to read in the Introduction a desire for open-mindedness and respectful dialogue between the religious and the non-religious. Consider his humble plea:
At first, I was happy to read in the Introduction a desire for open-mindedness and respectful dialogue between the religious and the non-religious. Consider his humble plea:
“At...more

This was the first book I read as a Christian - I mean - after I became born again in the summer of 2011, I picked up this book, which had been sitting on my shelf for the past four years collecting dust, and prayed over it: 'God, please teach me.' As a new believer - who at that point didn't even own a Bible! - I was embarking through a piece of theological work that was to help formulate my life thenceforth. I've never been so thankful for a book out of sheer gratitude for its existence than I
...more

Mar 31, 2008
Karen L.
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Homeschool high schoolers
Recommended to Karen L. by:
I think our friend Tim W.
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

The Faith behind the Religion
21 January 2019
This is probably one of the very few Christian books that I have read of late, probably because these days I tend to find Christian books to be, well, rubbish. However, I have found something quite refreshing when it comes to Keller in that he seems to write is a way that is certainly not fundamentalist, and also is actually grounded in reality. I guess that is the problem when it comes to a lot of these books, and that is that if they aren’t fundamen ...more
21 January 2019
This is probably one of the very few Christian books that I have read of late, probably because these days I tend to find Christian books to be, well, rubbish. However, I have found something quite refreshing when it comes to Keller in that he seems to write is a way that is certainly not fundamentalist, and also is actually grounded in reality. I guess that is the problem when it comes to a lot of these books, and that is that if they aren’t fundamen ...more

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
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

Shallow, arbitrary, and unsound. Disappointing and unsatisfying. I was almost going to give it three stars, but it just kept getting worse and worse, and it still did not end on a good note for me.
He is preachy and simplistic, and I guess it's not surprising, as this was written by a pastor, who does not seem to be an academic. While Keller does make some good points, flaws abound within his arguments, and he doesn’t dive anywhere nearly deep enough into apologetics to give adequate answers to t ...more
He is preachy and simplistic, and I guess it's not surprising, as this was written by a pastor, who does not seem to be an academic. While Keller does make some good points, flaws abound within his arguments, and he doesn’t dive anywhere nearly deep enough into apologetics to give adequate answers to t ...more

Had every good intention of liking this book as it was recommended (gifted, in fact) by a friend whose intellect I respect. Sadly and disappointingly, it lost me from the Introduction. It started admirably by recognising the polarisation between the camps of theists and sceptics but before long it started making pronouncements about sceptics which don't reflect the views of at least this particular member of that group (along with many others I know).
Keller insists that non belief in God is a b ...more
Keller insists that non belief in God is a b ...more

Powerful. Several thoughts.
Keller's logical progression reminds me of a philosophy class. I can't figure a way out of his logic. In fact, he makes such a strong case for the existence of God that a nonbeliever is left to throw up their hands and simply deny reason and (ironically) have clinging faith in their disbelief. His argument that Christianity is the one true religion also is compelling, certainly it seems to be the one of broadest logical appeal.
Everyone should read the first section, a ...more
Keller's logical progression reminds me of a philosophy class. I can't figure a way out of his logic. In fact, he makes such a strong case for the existence of God that a nonbeliever is left to throw up their hands and simply deny reason and (ironically) have clinging faith in their disbelief. His argument that Christianity is the one true religion also is compelling, certainly it seems to be the one of broadest logical appeal.
Everyone should read the first section, a ...more

I started reading this book because I started attending one of the Redeemer churches in NYC which Keller refers to founding in this book. I find the attitude of the church to be similar to the tone of The Reason for God.
As someone raised in the church (Lutheran) who went through several years of struggle with religion, I found this book to helpful and enlightening. It also made me feel better about my continued struggle with Christianity as a religion and my personal relationship with God.
Kell ...more
As someone raised in the church (Lutheran) who went through several years of struggle with religion, I found this book to helpful and enlightening. It also made me feel better about my continued struggle with Christianity as a religion and my personal relationship with God.
Kell ...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 e
...more

I'm happy to read both sides of the faith question, and so bought this book with the hopes that Keller would come up with something new. In fact, his logic is often poor and easily refuted. I'm about half way through it, and though I intend to continue and finish, I've "lost faith" in the author's ability to reason logically.
For example, he claims that skeptics have a "faith" of their own when they claim that doubt is, itself, a "leap of faith." It is not a leap of faith to posit that no invisib ...more
For example, he claims that skeptics have a "faith" of their own when they claim that doubt is, itself, a "leap of faith." It is not a leap of faith to posit that no invisib ...more

My faith is deeper and apologetics stronger after listening to The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. Timothy Keller narrates his book that talks to our innate soul. He produces evidence and corroboration of what the Bible says today as legitimate to what is presupposed to be the Word of God. More than this, Keller appeals to that center in all of us that we call a conscience. It is in this realm that we sense wrong from right and question ethics and morality. The greater theme is o
...more

There are a ton of reviews for this, so I will keep this short, in the hopes that someone might actually notice its brevity and glean a bit from it. Here goes.
THE GOOD
Keller writes fairly conversationally, implements a fantastic range of quotations from a handful of authors, and, in a few chapters, actually makes a point or two worth noting.
THE BAD
Keller produces enough straw men to populate all the world's fields, his logic is poor at best and disingenuous at worst, and his rehash of old ar ...more
THE GOOD
Keller writes fairly conversationally, implements a fantastic range of quotations from a handful of authors, and, in a few chapters, actually makes a point or two worth noting.
THE BAD
Keller produces enough straw men to populate all the world's fields, his logic is poor at best and disingenuous at worst, and his rehash of old ar ...more

Timothy Keller says:
The belief in a God of pure love – who accepts everyone and judges no one – is a powerful act of faith. Not only is there no evidence for it in the natural order, but there is almost no historical, religious textual support for it outside of Christianity. The more one looks at it, the less justified it appears.
Questions:
1. Why is that attitude of a know-it-all person in matters of faith which cannot be touched or proven? Is that how you would win over your atheist son? We hav ...more
The belief in a God of pure love – who accepts everyone and judges no one – is a powerful act of faith. Not only is there no evidence for it in the natural order, but there is almost no historical, religious textual support for it outside of Christianity. The more one looks at it, the less justified it appears.
Questions:
1. Why is that attitude of a know-it-all person in matters of faith which cannot be touched or proven? Is that how you would win over your atheist son? We hav ...more
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He is also Chairman of Redeem ...more
Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He is also Chairman of Redeem ...more
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“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.”
—
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“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.”
—
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