Popular pastor and author Tim Keller recently published a book that presents an “emotional” and “cultural” case for Christianity.
Keller is the author of bestselling book The Reason for God, which takes a rational approach to explaining the evidence for a Creator, but his new book, Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical, can be considered a prequel to The Reason for God.
Keller, who is pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church and vice president of The Gospel Coalition, recently spoke with Matt Smethurst of The Gospel Coalition about the new book.
In the interview, Keller told Smethurst that Christians face particular challenges when evangelizing today.
“Today Christianity is culturally strange and not respected. This is the world in which we share our faith now,” stated Keller, adding that evangelism is especially challenging today because people tend to be so individualistic and don’t like others telling them what is true.
Smethurst also asked Keller, “When it comes to engaging the ideas in Making Sense of God, what generational differences do you perceive? Which themes resonate across older and younger demographics alike, and which are rather distinct?”
In answer, Keller summed up the purpose of the book:
“My overarching point is that Christianity makes sense emotionally, culturally, and rationally. We come to believe in a universe without God—or with God—by consulting our emotions, relationships, and reason. Making Sense of God is actually a “prequel” to The Reason for God because it argues that Christianity makes sense emotionally and culturally. It shows that secularism has major problems giving people meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, and hope; Christianity has better resources for all of them.”
Publication date: September 20, 2016
