We live in an age of skepticism.
Faith is seen as something ridiculous, something to be laughed at, despite the fact that all of us put our faith in something, whether that be God, a politician, or the chair we sit in every day. People want facts, proofs, guarantees, which is admirable in a sense. They don’t want to believe in something just because it’s believed by their parents or was taught to them as children. They’re looking for studies and data, something to back up what they believe. And for many, this means throwing faith to the wayside.
But these same people need faith, perhaps more than they know. They might scoff at this notion, but the truth is that faith is not just a blind belief in fairytales. It’s a trust in what’s been revealed to us as truth. Faith may carry a different connotation in our culture, but it can actually be both logical and intellectually satisfying. Though atheists and agnostics may think otherwise, there is good reason to believe in God, the Bible, and the gospel, and this is what the late Tim Keller explored in his book, The Reason for God.
In this book, Keller answers common skeptical questions with both logic and biblical truth. He discusses the presence of suffering and injustice in our world, the reality of hell, and the sometimes-tense relationship between religion and science. He also tackles whether there can be only one true religion and whether we can read the Bible literally. In each of his answers, Keller explains that none of these issues are a reason to reject God or Christianity. On the contrary, these questions are reasons for God. For example, Keller writes,
“We cannot skip lightly over the fact that there have been injustices done by the church in the name of Christ, yet who can deny that the force of Christians’ most fundamental beliefs can be a powerful impetus for peace-making in our troubled world?”[1]
The second half of the book pivots away from these questions to have some philosophical discussions of how we intuitively know God exists by focusing on clues in nature, moral obligation, and the presence of sin in our lives. Keller then covers the truth of the cross, the reality of the resurrection, and the grand story of the gospel. After all,
“If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything.”[2]
The Reason for God concludes with a challenge to the skeptics who dared to read the book to the very end. It asks for readers to examine their motives, take inventory of their reservations, and count the cost of having faith in God. And if the reader has come to the realization that there is good reason for God and that the cost is worth it, Keller reveals how one can become a Christian by turning away from their sin and joining a local church community.
I chose to read The Reason for God shortly after Tim Keller’s passing in May 2023, and I can see why his work has been so highly praised. His arguments are clear and well-reasoned, and it’s evident that he was a pastor who shepherds people rather than some scholar who sits up in his ivory tower. Throughout the book, Keller includes quotes and conversations from both parishioners and skeptics, addressing their issues with compassion and truth. There were parts of this book that got very philosophical, which I had a slightly difficult time focusing on and following. But this was an overall good read and would be a great resource for both skeptics and those who encounter skeptics (which should include us all).
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[1] Tim Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (New York: Penguin Books, 2008), 21.
[2] Ibid., 210.
