But I think it’s more of a choice thing. $16.00. It is an honest reflection of my ignorance. For this reason Keller requests that we consider our cultural location when we are offended by the teaching on hell. The Christian faith is the most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man-and the dogma is the drama.”, Universalism is Biblical, as I mentioned in both of my previous comments. They want 'freedom.' In the following chapter, you’ll learn about the author’s arguments on the reason why it is good to believe in the Christian God. Interesting chapter. Not always correctly either. That is a very modern and western objection. The Reason for God by Tim Keller: Chapter 5. Of course it's a subject that is difficult and our modern human sensibilities and limited understanding can struggle with it...but placing ourselves as moral judges over God and redesigning him to suit our most modern preferences? But I think that the opposite is also wrong. Evil and Suffering May Be (If Anything) Evidence for […] Summary The title is fairly clear. In The Meaning of Marriage, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York's Redeemer Presbyterian Church and bestselling author of The Reason for God, uses the scriptures as his guide to show readers what God's call to marriage is, and why this is such a powerful call. I said “You can prove calvinism, arminianism or universalism by looking at Paul’s writings. A lot of these churches work within the city, where the poor are for the most part. Part of the objection, he says, lies in a more general objection to the idea of a God who has standards of right and … this is what the noun Sheol describes. I think you have a great heart, and I’m not trying to separate people by doctrine as I believe we are all one. You can prove calvinism, arminianism or universalism by looking at Paul’s writings. In chapter five, “How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?” Keller addresses the common objection that a loving God cannot also be a God of judgment. Why should anyone preach hell? Several years later when I accepted Christ, I recalled that statement, and it haunted me so much that I found that person and corrected myself. I know the stuff mentioned on that website are not backed up with figures and statistics. Keller says. He does this to show that our disdain for the idea of judgment often comes from our deep belief in personal rights. This is an apologetic work for why Keller thinks there is a reason for God's existence, specifically the God of the Bible. My point is that too many people get hung up on doctrine. The God of the Bible is One of love and of justice. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “The Reason for God” by Timothy J. Keller. I will agree that God is entirely capable of doing this. Raleigh, thanks for sharing your thoughts. He responded. I have seen many churches who dedicate most of their energy to serving others. While I welcome and appreciate today’s renewed interest in studying the early church, we need to be careful not to embrace everything the early church fathers taught as biblical. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Chapter 6 – Science Has Disproved Christianity ~Below I've copied excerpts of a few book reviews, along with the hyperlinks, and then I've given my own humble opinion~ ~~~~~~~~~~... A mere 13+ hour flight separates us from China! During the first few centuries after Christ died, christians believed in universal salvation and reconsiliation. Keller argues against the point of view that Christians belief system naturally makes them narrow-minded. Even as my view and understanding of sin changed, this basic human trait remained. The reality is Jesus talked a LOT about hell...so if we claim to be Jesus followers we can't only admire his actions but we have to believe his words. April 30, 2009 — Leave a comment. Anyone could use the Bible to prove that all 3 three of these viewpoints. June 14, 2008 in Book reviews, Christianity, Culture, Tim Keller. If everyone is going to be saved one day, then why do I need to follow Christ? (p. 193) Keller goes on to say that what we as Christians see as Good News – the Gospel – our society views as difficult at best and horrific at worst. Well, I guess nothing would change at all and the world we currently live in is as good as it will ever get. The longer I live, the more atrocities I see, and the more heinous sin I witness the more I understand God's wrath...what still blows my mind is his patience and grace that reaches down to a sinner and makes him a son. provoking conversation at the intersection of faith, life, and culture, June 14, 2008 in Book reviews, Christianity, Culture, Tim Keller. Can you recall hearing a sermon on the wrath of God, the final judgment, and/or the doctrine of hell? The whole “You need to be saved” thing is very repulsive. Really?!? It is a prison of eternal self-centeredness, misery, and torture. ( Log Out /  In addition, there are places in the NT where aionas is used with God or Jesus as the subject and it would be inappropriate to translate it as meaning anything other than forever or eternal in those contexts. The Reason for God ~ Chapter Five ~ How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell? Christianity is a straightjacket: This section does not apply to me. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.Ben Eastaugh and Chris Sternal-Johnson. The first edition of the novel was published in 2007, and was written by Timothy J. Keller. One day God would reconcile all things to himself. http://flyinabove.bloghi.com/2006/06/08/universalism-the-prevailing-doctrine-of-the-first-500-years-of-christianity.html. Many people agree on this, as it has been very controversial over the years. The main impression I am left with after this chapter is that when we choose our own form of 'freedom' on Earth, we will continue to receive that 'freedom' for all eternity. We insist that the individual is the ultimate determiner of right and wrong and that no one is in a position to condemn me for what I believe. In The Reason for God, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason. The only remedy for such a sickness is to have our hearts rewired by the grace of God in Christ. I didn’t really give any passages or anything, so I’ll include a link that I find helpful: http://www.biblicaluniversalism.com/EXAMININGTHESO-CALLEDUNIVERSALISTICTEXTS.htm. The Reason for God by Tim Keller: Chapter 7. I am very critical of fire and brimstone preaching. With this in mind, here’s how Keller defines hell: “Hell, then, is the trajectory of a soul, living a self-absorbed, self-centered life, going on and on forever…it is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity.” What makes Keller’s explanation of hell so helpful is that he places it within the context of a comprehensive understanding of sin. If you love the wit of Tim … To be truly loving people, shouldn’t we want them to know Christ and all the good things that come along with it? I can point you to many presbyterian churches that are not only helping the poor, but modeling for the church at large how to do this well. He argues that it is not deduced by simply looking at the natural order, nor is it found in other religious texts like it is in Christianity. And in the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason. It’s as if they want people to suffer eternally for their sins. So...we tried to manage the fever for 24 hours, and after contacting the neurosurgeon on call, we decided to head to the ER. The Reason for God is worth reading, reflecting on, and discussing with friends—both Christians and non-Christians. Reply. Chapter 5: How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell? Sin is not primarily breaking God’s laws (that is merely a symptom of a much bigger problem). Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Chapter 2 of Keller’s book is titled, “How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?” The skeptic argues even if God exists, the existence of evil calls into question either that God is omnipotent and/or that God is good. I don’t understand why people are so against universalism. Who says? Lewis attempted to defend what he coined ‘mere’ Christianity. He therefore admonishes us not to be so quick to allow Western cultural sensibilities to be the final arbiter in judging whether Christianity is vaild or not. SUMMARY. There are a lot of assumptions being made, here, that I’m not completely sure you could back up. The Reason for God – Chapter Twelve: The (True) Story Of The Cross “The primary symbol of Christianity has always been the cross,” begins Chapter Twelve. This is how it’s supposed to be. I’m with you that it sometimes means “age.” However, it can also mean “age” in the sense of an unbroken age or perpetuity of time (thus forever is a fine translation). Technically He should be able to, and would want the greatest good for humanity. For example, “Aionas” means everlasting or eternal. The church is located away from poverty, people think they can just give 10 percent of their money to the church and everything is okay with them and God. If people are tormented in hell or whatever you want to call it, they will eventually see the need for God and turn to him. I just think it makes a whole lot of sense. The Reason for God Summary. Either we have free will to choose God, or there are a certain elect who God choses as his people. "Someone had to die before the Christian God would pardon us. That is love. You wrote, “Eternal separation from God is not a just punishment for a life of sin on earth.” Why not? He described Christianity as a house that included Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and various strands of Protestantism. I think we need to be careful not to confuse the issue on this point. I was with my oldest and only child, who was probably 3 at the time, and an acquaintance mentioned something about 'the devil,' and I said, "Oh, we don't believe in the devil or in hell." When a passage speaks about final destinies, it is appropriate to translate aionas as “eternal” because final destinies involve the final age which is eternal. The former deals with criticisms or issues that skeptics may have for God, while the later gives proofs. This is terrible rationale. They don't want to be 'controlled' by anyone. They should just be avoided as it is something that is very vague in the Bible and preaching salvation is counterproductive. There are so many people who claim to be Christians and yet deny, edit, and erase a majority of what God has revealed about himself in the Bible. In his 1952 book by the same name, C.S. But it seems somewhere along the way, we sort of grasped the 'love' concept, and then we became the jury, judge and executioner of all we believe to be wrong. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE HELL unless it is nipped in the bud.” God does not send people to hell kicking and screaming. The new testament has 2 or 3 words that get translated to hell. It is easier to talk about doctrine than it is to be out in the world loving people as Christ loved people. In chapter five, “How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?” Keller addresses the common objection that a loving God cannot also be a God of judgment. So, we are fine with inflicting punishment ourselves, but just can’t stand a God to do it. Isn’t it entirely possible that those in hell continue to rebel against God? If you love someone and see them harmed, would you not be judging the instigator or would it be better to simply love the victim and the perpetrator? I recently read a book in which the author bad-mouthed doctrine in the introduction and then proceeded to present his doctrne throughout the rest of the book. Keller brings the chapter to a close by asking where we get our notion that God is a God of love in the first place. We can't understand God's incredible mercy and grace until we comprehend our own depravity and the reality that we deserve the opposite of his extended hand of friendship. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism Summary & Study Guide Timothy Keller This Study Guide consists of approximately 29 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Reason for God. Romans 9 speaks a lot about this, and is mainly where I am drawing this argument. Why couldn’t an all powerful, all loving, all knowing God save all of his creation? Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S®6 active, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone. Building relationships with the oppressed is what is important and that is what Jesus taught us to do. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (2008) is a book and DVD on Christian apologetics by Timothy J. Keller, a scholar and founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Some did, but they were declared to be outside of orthodox Christianity. It is untrue that all early Christians believed in universal salvation. People are afraid of universalism. Anyone can give to a charity, and the church is a charity, and an inefficient one at that (most of the time). Eternal damnation is found. Do we know that God is specifically granting true repentance to those in hell? Out of that overflow of joy and gratitude comes the love and service to others. To demonstrate and showcase all of his characteristics, including justice and wrath? I think Laura is right to say that the reason we don’t care for the poor is because of sin. Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth. Chapter 1: Following Hard after God The only reason why we desire to pursue God is because He has first put this desire within us (John 6:44). I can understand why we believe in a God of pure love, especially in our Western culture, because the Bible teaches us to love God first and then love everyone else, including even those who are unlovely to us. What about the common argument that so-and-so was such a good person, they simply couldn't go to hell? Especially when the people who pronounce it don’t exactly know what it means, and think they are doing a something noble when they are really doing a disservice to people and turning them away from the church. 5 – Suffering, injustice, and calamities don’t oppose God’s existence. Keller goes on to emphasize that the God of Christianity is a God of both love and justice, and that these are in no way at odds with one another. I’ve always felt it “funny” how we as humans tend to categorize “badness” and like to think of “their” sins vs. “our” sins so differently, even when we are talking about the collective “our”. There is no irrefutable proof of GodÕs existence, but many people have found strong clues for his reality in many places Philosopher Alvin Plantinga believes there are two to three dozen very good arguments. You assume that people sent to hell will be truly sorry and repent. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 293 pages and is available in Hardcover format. The Reason for God ~ Chapter Four ~ The Church is ... We Can All Make a Difference - 2nd Version. However, I disagree with you. I do actually agree that doctrine is important. Keller approaches the question in a couple different ways: And he wanted Lazarus to do it for him. Here is the summary from Stefanie's blog: “How can we believe in Christianity if we don’t even know whether God exists?” asks Timothy Keller at the beginning of chapter eight. All three are very difficult to grasp and understand. It is untrue that there is no word for “forever” in the Greek. Dealing with the infinite is very confusing. Chapter 5 was a doozy! So if we can make things right in our little world, why would we need God to do that? Here's a teaser... One More Lady Bug is getting an updo!! You can also disprove each using other texts by the same author. The original text plus a … But he chose not to. Sadly, people living solely for themselves can never get enough of whatever they are after, and they seem to be chasing elusive happiness. Well the one problem with you assuming these things is that they are nowhere to be found in the Bible. This is one of the reasons why I disagree in many areas with presbyterians. A God who, instead of flicking this sin twisted world out of his universe, entered into it, served his enemies, and shed his own blood. All this is to say, rich theology and doctrine fuels my living. For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000. I will concede the fact that I can find no passage that indicates that this is the case, but I believe it’s less of a stretch to this conclusion than it is to say that God works in and changes the hearts of those he is punishing. “Aionas” does not mean forever, but means “Ages of Ages”. He argues that “all loving persons are sometimes filled with wrath, not just despite of but because of their love.” In other words, God’s wrath points us to his opposition to sin – the cancer which eats aways at his good creation. The Reason for God Timothy Keller Chapter 1: There Can't Be Just One True Religion. We are so excited to share with you soon! The End of Faith.The God Delusion.God Is Not Great.Letter to a Christian Nation.Bestseller lists are filled with doubters. There are many philosophical as well as common sensical problems with this. Jesus referred to Gehenna as a metaphor to describe separation from God. I believe everyone needs to have a relationship with Christ, but maybe someday ALL will, as Christ died for all. Oh my! Keller divides the ... My favourite chapter in this part is Chapter 13, ... As with any other good series, I strongly recommend you to start with that first before reading The Reason for God (that makes the two of us).