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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

book recommendation: the reason for god by timothy keller

As a child, the plausibility of a faith can rest on the authority of others, but when we reach adulthood there is a need for personal, firsthand experience as well.


Tim Keller, The Reason for God

I just finished The Reason for God yesterday. Wow. I have never read an argument for Christianity quite like this, and I have definitely never seen doubts about God and Christianity, as well as religion in general, so well-addressed. By "well-addressed" I mean that Tim Keller, who is a Christian, discusses each common doubt, and all the threads of thought that would make a person doubt, without a condescending or judging voice. They are reasonable doubts, that many believers might have had or still have. There are also reasons for faith that are addressed. Thus, the book is divided into two parts: First, "The Leap of Doubt", in which Keller discusses the 7 doubts that he as a pastor in New York City has most often been approached with over the past twenty years, such as "How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?" and "Science Has Disproved Christianity". Second, he discusses "The Reasons for Faith" in which he not only states Christian beliefs, but why they are reasonable and valid, such as "The Problem of Sin" and "The Reality of the Resurrection". Keller includes thoughts from literary, religious, philosophical, and scientific thinkers, as well as pieces of real-life conversations he has had with contemporary New Yorkers throughout his years in the city.

This book is for skeptics and believers. I would recommend it to anyone who has an inkling we might not just be "hanging out here". To learn more, check out the website here.

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