BIOGRAPHY
 Dr. Timothy J. Keller was
born in the year 1950 and grew up in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania
where he attended Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary and the Westminster Theological Seminary. In the 1980's
Tim served on the faculty of Westminster Seminary, teaching
communication and leadership. He was first a pastor in
Hopewell, Virginia. In June of 1989 the Keller's moved to the city
to begin planting what is now Redeemer Presbyterian Church. With a
staff of over forty full time employees and a church attendance of
approximately 6.000 members and regular attendees, at five services, a
host of daughter churches, and is planting churches in large cities
throughout the world.
Tim Keller is the Senior
Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian church in New York City. Keller
promotes a Reformed Christianity that has a vision that encompasses
not only doctrinal statements, but also our piety, evangelistic
outreach, and missions of mercy. He has served on staff with
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and as Assistant Professor of
Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Keller
has authored two books and numerous articles and essays about the
Christian faith and its mission of engaging and transforming
society.
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QUOTES
Tim Keller writes, “Every expression and embodiment
of Christianity is contextualized. There is no such thing as a
universal, ahistorical expression of Christianity. Jesus didn’t
come to earth as a generalized being; by his becoming human, he had
to become a particular human. He was male, Jewish, and working
class; he was a socially and culturally-situated person.” The
implications of his statement are “jaw dropping.”
Every expression and embodiment of Christianity is contextualized.
There is no such thing as a universal, ahistorical expression of
Christianity. Jesus didn’t come to earth as a generalized being; by his
becoming human, he had to become a particular human. He was
male, Jewish, and working class; he was a socially and
culturally-situated person. There
is, in the end, only two ways to read the Bible: is it basically
about me or basically about Jesus? In other words, is it basically
about what I must do, or basically about what he has done?
Moralism vs. Christ Centered Exposition
“We do not have to make ourselves suffer in order to merit
forgiveness. We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ. 1
John 1:9 says that God forgives us because He is ‘just.’ That is a
remarkable statement. It would be unjust of God to ever deny us
forgiveness, because Jesus earned our acceptance! In religion we
earn our forgiveness with our repentance, but in the gospel we just
receive it.” (
firstimportance.org )
“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good
life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into
your life against your will and saves you from the sin and
brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion
is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if
you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then
will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different
things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.” (tim keller)
“A frightening proportion of our churches are trapped
by what Frank Tillapaugh calls the “fortress church” mentality. That
mentality is made up of attitudes that may be conscious or
unconscious: “Let them come to us! Our doors are open.” “We come to
church to have our needs met, to escape the cold, cruel world.” But
there are biblical truths that knock flat the walls of our fortress.
Every member is a minister. Every member has kingdom power to
destroy strongholds. Through us Jesus continues to immerses himself
in the needs of the world.” Ministry of Mercy, p. 172
It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord
-lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness- that you are
on the verge of understanding the gospel and becoming a Christian
indeed. When you realize that the antidote to being bad is not just
being good, you are on the brink. If you follow through, it will
change everything: how you relate to God, self, others, the world,
your work, your sins, your virtue. It’s called the new birth because
it’s so radical. (p. 78) Jesus Christ, who had all the power in the
world, saw us enslaved by the very things we thought would free us.
So he emptied himself of his glory and became a servant. He laid
aside the infinities and immensities of his being and, at the cost
of his life, paid the debt for our sins, purchasing us the only
place our hearts can rest, in his Father’s house… Knowing this will
transform us from the inside out… Why wouldn’t you want to offer
yourself to someone like this? Selfless love destroys the mistrust
in our hearts toward God that makes us either younger brothers or
elder brothers… We will never stop being younger brothers of elder
brothers until we acknowledge our need, rest by faith, and gaze in
wonder at the work of our true elder brother, Jesus Christ. (p.
87-89 The Prodigal God)
“You never are called into a new relationship with God without being
radically sent out into the world to live for others. Every
Christian man and woman is a man and woman in mission”. |
BOOKS
 The
Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
In this apologia for Christian faith, Keller mines
material from literary classics, philosophy, anthropology
and a multitude of other disciplines to make an
intellectually compelling case for God. Written for skeptics
and the believers who love them, the book draws on the
author's encounters as founding pastor of New York's booming
Redeemer Presbyterian Church. One of Keller's most
provocative arguments is that all doubts, however skeptical
and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate
beliefs. Drawing on sources as diverse as 19th-century
author Robert Louis Stevenson and contemporary New Testament
theologian N.T. Wright, Keller attempts to deconstruct
everyone he finds in his way, from the evolutionary
psychologist Richard Dawkins to popular author Dan Brown.
The first, shorter part of the book looks at popular
arguments against God's existence, while the second builds
on general arguments for God to culminate in a sharp focus
on the redemptive work of God in Christ. Keller's condensed
summaries of arguments for and against theism make the scope
of the book overwhelming at times. Nonetheless, it should
serve both as testimony to the author's encyclopedic
learning and as a compelling overview of the current debate
on faith for those who doubt and for those who want to
re-evaluate what they believe, and why.
website:
http://thereasonforgod.com/index.php |
 The
Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
In The Prodigal God, Keller uses one of the best-known
Christian parables to reveal an unexpected message of hope
and salvation.
Taking his trademark intellectual approach to understanding
Christianity, Keller uncovers the essential message of
Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Within that
parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace toward both the
irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge
both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole
new way.
website:
http://theprodigalgod.com/ |
 Counterfeit
Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the
Only Hope that Matters
Timothy Keller exposes the error of making good things
"ultimate" in his latest book, and shows readers a new path
toward a hope that lasts.
Success, true love, and the life you've always wanted.
Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they
held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion
they might not deliver. The recent economic meltdown has
cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of
months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure
retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No
wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and
resentful. But the truth is that we made lesser gods of
these good things -gods that can't give us what we really
need. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our
cravings- and now is the perfect time to meet him again, or
for the first time.
The Bible tells us that the human heart is an "idol-
factory," taking good things and making them into idols that
drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark
approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible
reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our
own hearts. This powerful message will cement Keller's
reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a
crucial time-for both the faithful and the skeptical.
website:
http://counterfeitgods.com/ |
Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the
Jericho Road
This book builds a biblical foundation for works of
service to the church and to the world at large. Some
lay blame for poverty and need on oppression; others on
laziness. Pastor Keller demonstrates that the biblical
viewpoint is far more sophisticated than either extreme. He
sets forth scriptural principles for mercy ministries,
suggests practical steps to begin and persevere in active
caring, and deals perceptively with thorny issues.
This is a biblical and practical book for Christians about
why we should be involved in meeting the felt needs of the
poor and oppressed -- and how to do it. The book is divided
into two parts, with seven chapters in each. Part 1 lays
down the principles for mercy ministries. Keller builds a
theology of mercy by expounding the parable of the Good
Samaritan, discussing the call, character, and motivation of
ministry. He addresses issues such as the lifestyle of
believers, how to discern where to focus our efforts in
meeting needs, how to address the needs of the poor
holistically, and the importance of combining deeds of mercy
with evangelistic word-oriented ministry. Part 2 is more
practical and leads the reader through the process of
initiating and managing a ministry one step at a time.
Attention is given to preparing a church for mercy
ministries, mobilizing volunteers, developing vision and
strategy, how mercy ministries should relate to evangelism
and church growth efforts, and practical criterion for
meeting people's needs. Two helpful features of the book are
(1) the careful theological reflection woven throughout, as
Keller shows how the gospel informs and shapes ministry, and
(2) the many examples and illustrations of individuals,
churches, and communities that have embraced mercy
ministries. |
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