Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Curious About This Book: Reason For God by Timothy Keller

I visited the Family Christian book store. While having a discussion with one of the store employees, he mentioned a book that his men's Bible study group was working through. He brought it up after we were talking about someone I knew who had chosen not to go to church because of the experience she had had as a child with the church.

People don't get burned by God, they get burned by people who abuse the morals and integrity established by God. It is why establishing a relationship with God and not with the "church" is so important. A pastor I had once said that people become disappointed when they start putting people on a pedastal and taking their eyes off of God.

I think I am going to add this to my "want to read" list of books.

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

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

Why is there suffering in the world? How could a loving God send people to Hell? Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive? Shouldn’t the Christian God be a god of love? How can one religion be “right” and the rest “wrong”? Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God? These are just a few of the questions even ardent believers wrestle with today. In this book, Tim Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations and reasoning, and even pop culture to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

1 comment:

From the Doghouse said...

We need more of these kinds of books.