Review of "The Reason For God"

Timothy Keller has been pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, in Manhattan, for nearly 20 years. In that time, he has heard many questions and comments about the Christian faith from young, hip, New York City urbanites. Keller routinely holds Q&A sessions following the services at the church and, so, he has fielded a lot of genuine queries along the way. “The Reason For God” poses a number of these questions and comments, along with Keller’s response.

Many of the objections to Christianity are what you would expect to hear. For example:

There can’t be just one true religion.
How could a good God allow suffering?
Christianity is a straightjacket.
The church is responsible for so much injustice.
How can a loving God send people to hell?
Science has disproved Christianity.
You can’t take the Bible literally.

The response to these challenges comprises the first half of the book. In “part 2” of the book, Keller presents some of the basic Christian doctrines, still maintaining a tone of explanation and defense of the faith.

The jacket flap of the book states that Keller “explain[s] how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity”. I found that to be true and it comes across in the book.

Many of Keller’s answers to the objections to Christianity are not particularly original—since the field of apologetics has a long and much-pondered history. However, Keller presents some great insights. For example, explaining how Christianity is not the great enemy of pluralism and multiculturalism, Keller writes, “Christianity has been more adaptive (and maybe less destructive) of diverse cultures than secularism and many other worldviews.”

He goes on to explain, “The pattern of Christian expansion differs from that of every other world religion. The center and majority of Islam’s population is still in the place of its origin—the Middle East. The original lands that have been the demographic centers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism have remained so. By contrast, Christianity was first dominated by Hellenists and centered in the Mediterranean. Later the faith was received by the barbarians of Northern Europe and Christianity came to be dominated by western Europeans and then North Americans. Today most Christians in the world live in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Christianity soon will be centered in the southern and eastern hemispheres.”

What Keller writes is true and it’s an important insight. It speaks powerfully to the adaptability of Christianity. It also points out a truly unique and extraordinary quality of Christianity.

The person that comes through in “The Reason for God” is smart and thoughtful. He is a good communicator and his ideas are cogent, sound and helpful.

Dan Marler
First Church of God
Oak Lawn, IL

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