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What Is Wrong With the World?: The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid
Beloved pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller offers a hope-filled answer to the question beneath every devastating headline and personal loss: What is wrong with the world?
Everywhere we look, we see brokenness--wars, cruelty, and heartache. We feel it in the world around us and in our own lives. How did it get to be this way?
During his tenure as founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Timothy Keller explained on a weekly basis how the Bible provides the most comprehensive and sophisticated response to the fundamental questions of life. In What Is Wrong with the World?, based on a series of teachings given at Redeemer, Keller answers the title's pressing question by revealing that the only thing that can account for the world's pain and chaos is what the Bible calls sin. This clear-eyed and ultimately hopeful book reveals how sin is not simply a "bad" thing we do but something much more subtle and complex, affecting our relationships, our thinking, and every aspect of our existence. And only when we recognize sin for what it is can we find the profound, life-transforming answer our souls long for. What Is Wrong with the World? is for anyone who:
Feels overwhelmed at the state of the world
Battles with repeated mistakes and poor choices
Desires more than pat answers to difficult questions
Wonders how to know joy while still acknowledging pain
Wants to understand how God's love gives hope even in the hardest of places
Today's battles across the globe and in our own hearts are not the end of the story. As Keller writes, "If we stand any chance of answering the question of what is wrong with the world . . . we must begin with understanding the complexity and multifaceted nature of sin, and end with understanding the unfailing love of a God who chooses to save us from it. This book will show you how."
Everywhere we look, we see brokenness--wars, cruelty, and heartache. We feel it in the world around us and in our own lives. How did it get to be this way?
During his tenure as founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Timothy Keller explained on a weekly basis how the Bible provides the most comprehensive and sophisticated response to the fundamental questions of life. In What Is Wrong with the World?, based on a series of teachings given at Redeemer, Keller answers the title's pressing question by revealing that the only thing that can account for the world's pain and chaos is what the Bible calls sin. This clear-eyed and ultimately hopeful book reveals how sin is not simply a "bad" thing we do but something much more subtle and complex, affecting our relationships, our thinking, and every aspect of our existence. And only when we recognize sin for what it is can we find the profound, life-transforming answer our souls long for. What Is Wrong with the World? is for anyone who:
Feels overwhelmed at the state of the world
Battles with repeated mistakes and poor choices
Desires more than pat answers to difficult questions
Wonders how to know joy while still acknowledging pain
Wants to understand how God's love gives hope even in the hardest of places
Today's battles across the globe and in our own hearts are not the end of the story. As Keller writes, "If we stand any chance of answering the question of what is wrong with the world . . . we must begin with understanding the complexity and multifaceted nature of sin, and end with understanding the unfailing love of a God who chooses to save us from it. This book will show you how."
240 pages, Hardcover
Published October 21, 2025
231 people are currently reading
4292 people want to read
About the author
Timothy J. Keller
326 books5,801 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was 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 was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Timothy Keller was 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 was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 12, 2025
Phenomenally insightful. Based on one of my favorite Keller sermon series from the early 1990s, “The Faces of Sin.” So glad this is now in print.
December 12, 2025
4 stars for content but 5 stars for nostalgia. I never thought I would read another new Keller book, but God graced us with this book through his wife Kathy editing a sermon series on sin from the 90s. Each chapter looks at a different aspect of sin, its nature, and what it does in and to us. And, of course, each chapter looks how the gospel can bring forgiveness, freedom, and real change to the effects of sin in our lives. In a world that increasingly avoids the idea of sin, this book brings welcome honesty, conviction, and clarity to what is ultimately wrong with the world.
While the problems we face today are different than those of the 1990s (which is the greatest decade in American history by the way...don't @ me), there is nothing new under the sun. Sin has been humanity's core problem since the garden and Jesus alone can bring the healing, joy, and hope that we all long for.
"If there is a lack of joy in your life today, if the thought of Jesus dying for you does not transfix and transform you, if you're not able draw power out of the thought of what he has done for you on the cross, then you don't understand the enormity and power of sin. You haven't really seen how much of a debt Christ paid for you. You don't know how far he has brought you. You don't know the magnitude of what he has done. And you don't know the seriousness and depth of your sin that led him to do what he did." - Keller
I am forever grateful for this man's legacy and ministry.
While the problems we face today are different than those of the 1990s (which is the greatest decade in American history by the way...don't @ me), there is nothing new under the sun. Sin has been humanity's core problem since the garden and Jesus alone can bring the healing, joy, and hope that we all long for.
"If there is a lack of joy in your life today, if the thought of Jesus dying for you does not transfix and transform you, if you're not able draw power out of the thought of what he has done for you on the cross, then you don't understand the enormity and power of sin. You haven't really seen how much of a debt Christ paid for you. You don't know how far he has brought you. You don't know the magnitude of what he has done. And you don't know the seriousness and depth of your sin that led him to do what he did." - Keller
I am forever grateful for this man's legacy and ministry.
December 9, 2025
This is a book based on a sermon series Keller gave in the 90’s called “the Faces of Sin” and it’s a collection of sermons on sin. It was strange to me at first that this was edited and published posthumously with Kathy Keller’s help, but when I read it I could see why they did. It’s Keller at his best and most incisive. There are some really incredible sermons in this book, especially the first half.
Honestly, if you want to round out your thinking about sin and the remedies for addressing it in yourself and others, this was an edifying and pretty exhaustive treatment of it.
Honestly, if you want to round out your thinking about sin and the remedies for addressing it in yourself and others, this was an edifying and pretty exhaustive treatment of it.
November 27, 2025
Excellent. From a sermon series Keller preached in the 90s titled “Faces of Sin.”
I have heard from several people now, though no one who actually holds this position, that Keller is known by some as being “soft on sin.” I guess I can understand the position; while some Christian writers focus their position on sin as committing cosmic treason against a holy God, Keller often chooses to write on sin as idolatry. But what could be more treasonous than rejecting God’s covenant to make one with something else; what could be of greater evil than to give our hearts over to something other than God himself, exchanging God-worship for creation-worship, God covenant-making for creation covenant-making?
Several very good chapters in this book that I would recommend everyone to read.
I have heard from several people now, though no one who actually holds this position, that Keller is known by some as being “soft on sin.” I guess I can understand the position; while some Christian writers focus their position on sin as committing cosmic treason against a holy God, Keller often chooses to write on sin as idolatry. But what could be more treasonous than rejecting God’s covenant to make one with something else; what could be of greater evil than to give our hearts over to something other than God himself, exchanging God-worship for creation-worship, God covenant-making for creation covenant-making?
Several very good chapters in this book that I would recommend everyone to read.
January 14, 2026
Another great offering from Tim Keller. I’m not sure, but I get the impression that when Keller died in 2023 he left quite a few unpublished writings and sermons and now his wife is sorting through them to share with us. If so, I’m grateful she’s taking on that work. As expected, there is great insight and Biblical wisdom here, and each chapter is an excellent example of expository preaching.
Here are the chapter headings:
SIN AS PREDATOR
SIN AS SELF-DECEPTION
SIN AS LEAVEN
SIN AS MISTRUST
SIN AS SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
SIN AS LEPROSY (PART 1)
SIN AS LEPROSY (PART 2)
SIN AS SLAVERY
HEALING OF SIN: TRUE REPENTANCE
HEALING OF SIN: INTIMACY WITH GOD
Here’s a passage from the chapter “Sin as Leprosy (Part 1)”:
‘The only way you can say, "There are many paths to God," is by saying, "Good works are really what will get you to the top." You have to deny the concept of grace itself. And these beliefs also contain a hidden exclusiveness in them. They attempt to make salvation inclusive, and yet they reject anyone who doesn't fit the speaker's standard of morality, goodness, and truth.
If any "good person" can make it to heaven, what about the morally disabled? What about the person who has made a mess of their life and is now on their deathbed? What about the misbehaving child? Even this seemingly tolerant worldview has a bias toward the strong and the good over the weak and the bad. By contrast, the gospel says that anybody can come—good and bad, strong and weak—as long as they're humble. The exclusivity of Christianity is the requirement of humility.’
And here’s a passage from the chapter “Sin as Slavery”:
‘We know what we should do but we don’t do it.
‘How can we explain that? The Bible's explanation is that human hearts are sinful. But more than that, the Bible tells us that we have become slaves to sin. The Bible says sin is not just an action; it's a power. Every sinful action has a destructive power on the faculty that chose that action. For example, when you sin with your mind, that sin shrivels your mind's rationality. When you sin with your heart, that sin shrivels your heart's emotions. When you sin with your will, that sin dissolves your willpower and self-control.
‘Sin is the suicidal action of the self harming the self.’
Here are the chapter headings:
SIN AS PREDATOR
SIN AS SELF-DECEPTION
SIN AS LEAVEN
SIN AS MISTRUST
SIN AS SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
SIN AS LEPROSY (PART 1)
SIN AS LEPROSY (PART 2)
SIN AS SLAVERY
HEALING OF SIN: TRUE REPENTANCE
HEALING OF SIN: INTIMACY WITH GOD
Here’s a passage from the chapter “Sin as Leprosy (Part 1)”:
‘The only way you can say, "There are many paths to God," is by saying, "Good works are really what will get you to the top." You have to deny the concept of grace itself. And these beliefs also contain a hidden exclusiveness in them. They attempt to make salvation inclusive, and yet they reject anyone who doesn't fit the speaker's standard of morality, goodness, and truth.
If any "good person" can make it to heaven, what about the morally disabled? What about the person who has made a mess of their life and is now on their deathbed? What about the misbehaving child? Even this seemingly tolerant worldview has a bias toward the strong and the good over the weak and the bad. By contrast, the gospel says that anybody can come—good and bad, strong and weak—as long as they're humble. The exclusivity of Christianity is the requirement of humility.’
And here’s a passage from the chapter “Sin as Slavery”:
‘We know what we should do but we don’t do it.
‘How can we explain that? The Bible's explanation is that human hearts are sinful. But more than that, the Bible tells us that we have become slaves to sin. The Bible says sin is not just an action; it's a power. Every sinful action has a destructive power on the faculty that chose that action. For example, when you sin with your mind, that sin shrivels your mind's rationality. When you sin with your heart, that sin shrivels your heart's emotions. When you sin with your will, that sin dissolves your willpower and self-control.
‘Sin is the suicidal action of the self harming the self.’
January 11, 2026
Hadde ikke trodd at jeg skulle lese en ny Keller-bok igjen etter hans død i 2023, men her har kona og andre lagt en bok basert på en taleserie i tillegg til notater han la igjen. Taleserien handlet om syndens mange ansikt, mens boken kalles «What is wrong with the world», noe jeg ser på som et lurt valg, da spørsmålet om hva som er galt med verden er noe flere kan kjenne seg igjen i.
Keller har en egen evne til å treffe meg, og denne boken er intet unntak. Hvert kapittel tar utgangspunkt i en bibeltekst, så skriver han om hva teksten sier om synd.
Noe av det beste med boken er at den ikke bare får frem hvor alvorlig og komplekst synd er, men at han skriver håpefullt om Jesus som den eneste løsningen på alt som er galt med verden.
Det eneste jeg savnet var at han også kunne skrevet noe om naturlig ondskap - hvorfor også skaperverket er preget av syndefallet og hvordan Bibelen viser at Jesus er løsningen også mtp det.
Keller har en egen evne til å treffe meg, og denne boken er intet unntak. Hvert kapittel tar utgangspunkt i en bibeltekst, så skriver han om hva teksten sier om synd.
Noe av det beste med boken er at den ikke bare får frem hvor alvorlig og komplekst synd er, men at han skriver håpefullt om Jesus som den eneste løsningen på alt som er galt med verden.
Det eneste jeg savnet var at han også kunne skrevet noe om naturlig ondskap - hvorfor også skaperverket er preget av syndefallet og hvordan Bibelen viser at Jesus er løsningen også mtp det.
January 23, 2026
I loved it! A refreshing and in-depth read.
December 16, 2025
Eeekkk! I think this is my first written review on Goodreads!
What’s Wrong with the World by Timothy Keller was profoundly convicting in a way I wasn’t fully prepared for but deeply needed. I didn’t grow up with a clear understanding of sin or how deeply it affects both the world and the human heart. I was first really introduced to that reality in college, and now, walking through a particularly complicated season of life, this book resonated with me on a much deeper level.
Keller doesn’t allow the reader to remain distant or merely intellectual. Again and again, I found myself having to pause, go back, and read the passages of Scripture for myself. What followed was uncomfortable but holy; genuine reflection, conviction, and humility.
There was a moment where I could only describe my response as learning to truly hate my sin but not in like a hopeless or condemning way, but in a way that drove me toward repentance and grace. It stripped away self-justification and left me laid bare before God. I don’t know how else to explain it except to say the Holy Spirit was clearly at work haha.
This is not a light or casual read for me at least. Keller writes with clarity, theological depth, and pastoral wisdom, inviting the reader into deep self-examination while never losing sight of the hope found in Christ. I’m grateful for how this book humbled me, challenged me and ultimately pointed me back to the gospel… again and again. Gosh and people think Keller is “too soft” on sin. Reminds me I’m in need of Christ more than ever!
What’s Wrong with the World by Timothy Keller was profoundly convicting in a way I wasn’t fully prepared for but deeply needed. I didn’t grow up with a clear understanding of sin or how deeply it affects both the world and the human heart. I was first really introduced to that reality in college, and now, walking through a particularly complicated season of life, this book resonated with me on a much deeper level.
Keller doesn’t allow the reader to remain distant or merely intellectual. Again and again, I found myself having to pause, go back, and read the passages of Scripture for myself. What followed was uncomfortable but holy; genuine reflection, conviction, and humility.
There was a moment where I could only describe my response as learning to truly hate my sin but not in like a hopeless or condemning way, but in a way that drove me toward repentance and grace. It stripped away self-justification and left me laid bare before God. I don’t know how else to explain it except to say the Holy Spirit was clearly at work haha.
This is not a light or casual read for me at least. Keller writes with clarity, theological depth, and pastoral wisdom, inviting the reader into deep self-examination while never losing sight of the hope found in Christ. I’m grateful for how this book humbled me, challenged me and ultimately pointed me back to the gospel… again and again. Gosh and people think Keller is “too soft” on sin. Reminds me I’m in need of Christ more than ever!
February 17, 2026
This sermon-series-turned-book on the topic of sin was a solid 4-star all the way until the end, when the last two chapters rocketed it up to a life-changing read I'll reference again and again.
Up until then, it was still a great book. One of Tim Keller's strengths, for me, is how he shows that Old Testament people, who for me can feel too ancient and foreign to be relatable, are very human, struggling with the same heart we all have. He's also great at picking up those little threads in the OT that seem weird at the time...but actually are pointing to Christ. The Naaman chapters were standouts in this regard, probably worth the whole book to read.
But the last two chapters, teaching repentance using Psalm 51 and Thomas Watson's Doctrine of Repentance, were stellar. Succinct and wise, they shifted my thinking in subtle but immediately effective ways. They were hard-hitting, but caring and pastoral. I'm going to make copies of the last chapter and hand it out to anyone who tells me they're struggling with besetting sin. Seriously.
Up until then, it was still a great book. One of Tim Keller's strengths, for me, is how he shows that Old Testament people, who for me can feel too ancient and foreign to be relatable, are very human, struggling with the same heart we all have. He's also great at picking up those little threads in the OT that seem weird at the time...but actually are pointing to Christ. The Naaman chapters were standouts in this regard, probably worth the whole book to read.
But the last two chapters, teaching repentance using Psalm 51 and Thomas Watson's Doctrine of Repentance, were stellar. Succinct and wise, they shifted my thinking in subtle but immediately effective ways. They were hard-hitting, but caring and pastoral. I'm going to make copies of the last chapter and hand it out to anyone who tells me they're struggling with besetting sin. Seriously.
February 22, 2026
It's hard to think that a book on sin could be good, but this one was, without a doubt. The ten chapters were taken from sermons preached by Keller and as I read one per morning, it felt like he was preaching to me. It's an easy read, but it isn't easy - be ready to be convicted again and again.
November 9, 2025
A phenomenal spiritual successor (or predecessor, depending on how you look at it) to Counterfeit Gods.
December 30, 2025
Probably the best Tim Keller book that I have read. Simple and concise, yet very powerful, convicting, and thought provoking.
January 15, 2026
When Tim Keller died, I grieved for a whole range of reasons - one of them being that I have habitually read his books for spiritual refreshment while on annual leave. As I finished his book 'Forgive', I felt like I had come to the 'end of an era' that had lasted for many years.
So when I heard that some of his sermon series would be released as books posthumously - edited by Kathy Keller, no less - I was ecstatic.
And this IS a good book. But... it didn't feel quite the same. I'm not sure if it's because it was 'sermons-turned-into-a-book' (by someone other than Tim himself), or whether it felt like the same thoughts I've heard before and just re-shuffled into a new format... I can't put my finger on it.
It IS a good book. But I suspect his posthumous books will never be as good as the ones that came from his own pen.
So when I heard that some of his sermon series would be released as books posthumously - edited by Kathy Keller, no less - I was ecstatic.
And this IS a good book. But... it didn't feel quite the same. I'm not sure if it's because it was 'sermons-turned-into-a-book' (by someone other than Tim himself), or whether it felt like the same thoughts I've heard before and just re-shuffled into a new format... I can't put my finger on it.
It IS a good book. But I suspect his posthumous books will never be as good as the ones that came from his own pen.
January 6, 2026
Good read, very convicting!
Good, convicting read about the way we live life.
The notion of “we need to want God more than anything else” is something I need to carry with me.
Good, convicting read about the way we live life.
The notion of “we need to want God more than anything else” is something I need to carry with me.
February 3, 2026
This is a great book about sin and how we too often don't even know how to think about it. The way Tim Keller writes is so readable for anyone, so don't let the complicated topic of sin keep you from reading this. This isn't a preachy book. And best part of all, he never points to the sins of other people. His goal is to get us to examine our own lives.
It's very short, very readable, no filler just straight to the point. 10/10
It's very short, very readable, no filler just straight to the point. 10/10
November 15, 2025
sin (according to the Bible and in this book explained by Keller from a sermon series in the 90's) is a predator, self-deceiving, leaven, mistrust, self-righteousness, leprosy, slavery, and yet there is healing of sin: with repentance and intimacy with God
officially my new favorite Christian author
officially my new favorite Christian author
December 2, 2025
How could 6 hours of Tim Keller's sermons and notes be anything but 5 stars?! Well put together and something I should probably return to at some point. Would be better to read on paper where I could highlight and notate and things..
February 3, 2026
It’s weird reading a posthumous Keller book, but the last two chapters on killing sin and repentance are gold.
October 23, 2025
So amazing. I really hope Kathy will edit more of Tim’s sermon series into books.
November 24, 2025
Convicting, compelling and filled with sobering reminders
December 31, 2025
On my shelf to revisit as a resource. Practical and compelling.
February 5, 2026
Excellent.
January 1, 2026
Tim Keller's practical and challenging Bible teaching lives on. Adapted from a sermon series, the messages are very accessible, so easy to read and as always the application is laid out clearly. Such a good expose of what sin is and how we deceive ourselves. The last two chapters on repentance challenge our superficial dealings with sin in our lives.
November 21, 2025
I did feel very hopeful after reading this. It was helpful to revisit the problem of sin, but also be reminded of God's grace to sinners. I really appreciated what he shared about King David. David lusts after his friend Uriah's, wife. Uriah serves him faithfully at the front lines. He is willing to lay his life down for his King. David repays this most precious friendship and loyalty by committing adultery with Uriah's wife. Bathsheba gets pregnant. David tries to cover up his adultery by bringing Uriah home to spend the night with his wife. Out of the deepest loyalty, Uriah says he couldn't possibly do that while others are still at the front line. He goes back to war. Now David, still trying to cover up his sin, commands Joab to put Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting. Uriah dies. The payment for Uriah's love and loyalty to David is David's adultery with Uriah's wife and his own death. What is astonishing is that David is one the godliest of men. He dwells with God. He abides in God. He seeks God's face. He has faith in God through the worst perils. He is an extraordinary man of God, but even he fell to the deception of his own heart. His sin ensnared him to the point of grave abuse and murder. We all must be on guard against sin, because it can take us to terrible places.
The hope is in God's grace to sinners. God still honours David, after he repents. David certainly pays some severe consequences in his family. But it is Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba who becomes part of the line of Christ. God saves sinners. Dire sinners. I am very thankful for that today.
The hope is in God's grace to sinners. God still honours David, after he repents. David certainly pays some severe consequences in his family. But it is Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba who becomes part of the line of Christ. God saves sinners. Dire sinners. I am very thankful for that today.
February 6, 2026
I Am, You Are, Sin Is
Early in the 20th Century, the Times of London sought to commence the symbolically new era by asking several prominent thinkers of the time their judgment of what was wrong with the world. Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton is said to have replied, “Dear Sirs, I am. Yours, G.K. Chesterton”. His actual reply may have been somewhat more erudite, but its essence was the apocryphal summary which has become legend. (Chesterton later wrote a book on the question.)
The late Tim Keller (through the effective compilation efforts of his widow, Kathy), a prominent Christian evangelist, apologist, thinker and author of our time, offers a compelling examination of the question in his correspondingly titled book. Keller’s conclusion goes to the why more than the who, and focuses on that uncomfortable theological subject, sin. And, while too many Christians avoid the topic, or see it not in the mirror, but in the world, Keller makes it clear that none of us is without sin (Romans 3:23). Thus, his conclusions are interchangeable with Chesterton’s: I am, you are, sin is. Keller’s exposition is convicting and honest, but he also offers hope, our Savior Jesus Christ. See your sin. Confess your sin. Mourn your sin. And hate your sin. That is how Keller advises us. “What Is Wrong with the World?”, in Keller’s readable style, offers help and a hope for any growing or despairing Christian, in other words, nearly everyone.
Early in the 20th Century, the Times of London sought to commence the symbolically new era by asking several prominent thinkers of the time their judgment of what was wrong with the world. Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton is said to have replied, “Dear Sirs, I am. Yours, G.K. Chesterton”. His actual reply may have been somewhat more erudite, but its essence was the apocryphal summary which has become legend. (Chesterton later wrote a book on the question.)
The late Tim Keller (through the effective compilation efforts of his widow, Kathy), a prominent Christian evangelist, apologist, thinker and author of our time, offers a compelling examination of the question in his correspondingly titled book. Keller’s conclusion goes to the why more than the who, and focuses on that uncomfortable theological subject, sin. And, while too many Christians avoid the topic, or see it not in the mirror, but in the world, Keller makes it clear that none of us is without sin (Romans 3:23). Thus, his conclusions are interchangeable with Chesterton’s: I am, you are, sin is. Keller’s exposition is convicting and honest, but he also offers hope, our Savior Jesus Christ. See your sin. Confess your sin. Mourn your sin. And hate your sin. That is how Keller advises us. “What Is Wrong with the World?”, in Keller’s readable style, offers help and a hope for any growing or despairing Christian, in other words, nearly everyone.
January 24, 2026
What can I say? Timmy K is (was) a legend!
This book is so good! It’s a collection of some of his sermons on sin, and it is at once both incredibly convicting, yet comforting. He (or, rather, the Holy Spirit through him) will seem to probe your heart, psychoanalyzing you and showing you that you’re a sinner, but then comfort you by reminding you of Jesus. Chapter by chapter he does this, using Scripture as an anchor, and it’s great!
Quote from the book: "When I do something bad, I repent. When I do something good, I'm going to repent again. I'm going to say, 'Do you think, oh foolish heart, that you accomplished that? That was a gift of grace." If we adopt this practice in our own lives, it softens us. When you're proud, repent and it'll bring you down and back to God. When you're unhappy and you've failed, repent and it'll bring you up and back to God. As Martin Luther tells us in the first of his Ninety-Five Theses, Jesus "willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.* All of life is repentance.”—Tim Keller, chapter 10, page 213.
This book is so good! It’s a collection of some of his sermons on sin, and it is at once both incredibly convicting, yet comforting. He (or, rather, the Holy Spirit through him) will seem to probe your heart, psychoanalyzing you and showing you that you’re a sinner, but then comfort you by reminding you of Jesus. Chapter by chapter he does this, using Scripture as an anchor, and it’s great!
Quote from the book: "When I do something bad, I repent. When I do something good, I'm going to repent again. I'm going to say, 'Do you think, oh foolish heart, that you accomplished that? That was a gift of grace." If we adopt this practice in our own lives, it softens us. When you're proud, repent and it'll bring you down and back to God. When you're unhappy and you've failed, repent and it'll bring you up and back to God. As Martin Luther tells us in the first of his Ninety-Five Theses, Jesus "willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.* All of life is repentance.”—Tim Keller, chapter 10, page 213.
October 27, 2025
Posthumously written books can be disappointing. This one was not disappointing but rather was excellent. According to the preface, the book was put together based on a sermon series delivered by Timothy Keller. His wife, Kathy, who put the book together also let’s us know that she has been responsible for helping with the transition from the spoke to the written word in previous books. The net result is that there is no apparent difference to the style and content of this book from what might be hoped for. As the title suggests, the book is about what is wrong with the world – which is sin in each of us. Keller delves into different ways we are drawn to different types of sin and then ends the book with God’s solution to this problem.
August 30, 2025
This is classic Keller. Based on a sermon series in the 1990s, Keller looks at sin from several different angles, giving us different windows into why sin--far from being antiquated, is fresh, relevant, and the underlying problem in our world.
It's easy to chalk up sin as those really bad issues--murder, adultery, theft, etc. But Keller, as he does best, pries at the insides, showing why it's a matter of the heart--of mistrusting God, being consumed, being addicted, our intractable pride.
Lastly, the solution in straightforward terms: real repentance (including hating the sin) and communion or intimacy with God.
It's easy to chalk up sin as those really bad issues--murder, adultery, theft, etc. But Keller, as he does best, pries at the insides, showing why it's a matter of the heart--of mistrusting God, being consumed, being addicted, our intractable pride.
Lastly, the solution in straightforward terms: real repentance (including hating the sin) and communion or intimacy with God.
February 13, 2026
Let me start by saying how happy I am that we can continue to get fresh wisdom from Tim Keller, thanks to his widow, Kathy, and his editors. This book does not read like a sermon series, though it obviously was one. The material grew out of a series on the “Faces of Sin” (SPOILER ALERT—that’s what is wrong with the world!) The chapters on leprosy were especially compelling.
I especially recommend that you listen to the audiobook. Hearing Tim Keller’s word through another voice provided a new perspective.
I especially recommend that you listen to the audiobook. Hearing Tim Keller’s word through another voice provided a new perspective.
February 22, 2026
I cannot get behind church that teaches that you are anything but a poor, miserable sinner. My heart literally hurts when I hear people say, “but I’m a good person.” Every Christian should read this book by Timothy Keller- reading about your sinful nature isn’t easy, it may even be uncomfortable, but I’m so glad he did the hard thing, and wrote this book. 5 stars, will forever recommend this and be re-reading it. Also, an excellent book to read at the beginning of Lent during a time of self reflection and repentance
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