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S U M M A R YMAKING SENSE OF GODBY T IMOTHY KELLER

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Making Sense of GodO V E R V I E W

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OVERVIEWWe live in an age of skepticism. Our societyplaces such faith in empirical reason, historicalprogress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy towonder: Why should anyone believe inChristianity? What role can faith and religionplay in our modern lives?

In this thoughtful and inspiring new book,pastor and New York Times bestselling authorTimothy Keller invites skeptics to consider thatChristianity is more relevant now than ever. Ashuman beings, we cannot live withoutmeaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity,justice, and hope. Christianity provides us withunsurpassed resources to meet these needs.Written for both the ardent believer and theskeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light onthe profound value and importance ofChristianity in our lives.

Timothy Keller is the founding pastor ofRedeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan,which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy,and three young sons. For 28 years he led adiverse congregation of young professionalsthat grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000. Dr. Keller’s books, including the New YorkTimes bestselling The Reason for God and TheProdigal God, have sold over 2 million copiesand are translated into 25 languages. Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania,and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, andWestminster Theological Seminary. Hepreviously served as the pastor of WestHopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell,Virginia, Associate Professor of PracticalTheology at Westminster TheologicalSeminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries forthe Presbyterian Church in America.

Author: Timothy Keller

Publisher: Viking

Date: September 20, 2016

Pages: 336

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Skepticism about ultimate truth seems to becommon in our modern secularized culture.This dubious attitude seems to be moreprevalent in the area of religion than in anyother. Many people assume that religion isshrinking, and as the world becomes moreenlightened, it will go away. They assume thatreligion is simply a matter of belief, whereassecularism is based purely on objectivereasoning. They assume that religion isunnecessary to find meaning, fulfillment,satisfaction, and joy in life. However, are these assumptions warranted? In Making Sense of God, Author and PastorTimothy Keller invites skeptics to consider thepossibility that Christianity offers a worldviewthat “makes sense” of the world that we live in.This book was written to a skeptical, secularaudience in an attempt to persuade them ofthe reasonableness of Christianity. In the first part of the book, Keller deals withtwo basic presuppositions that many secularpeople have regarding religion:

In part two, Keller argues that the Christian Godoffers meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity,hope, and justice in a way that the secularworldview cannot. In this section, Keller powerfully shows thatChristianity provides compelling answers tothe ultimate questions in life. Finally, in part three, Keller makes the case thatbelief in God and belief in Christianity arereasonable. He outlines many arguments forthe existence of God and the validity ofChristianity. Making Sense of God, which is a prequel toKeller’s The Reason for God, is an excellentbook that presents a compelling case forChristianity for a skeptic to read to challengethe presuppositions of his or her worldview.

Religion is shrinking in the world Religion is based purely on blind faithwhereas secularism is based purely onobjective reasoning.

MAIN IDEA

M A I N I D E A Making Sense of God


A major belief in modern, individualisticWestern culture is that a person’s identity isbased on their feelings, and people should befree to express themselves and “be who theyare.” Tim Keller argues that personal identity,contrary to the modern secular view, is notsimply an expression of our inner impulses, butrather is a filter that we use to express someimpulses and suppress others. He used the illustration of an Anglo-Saxonwarrior and a young man in Manhattan. TheAnglo-Saxon warrior, living in Britain in AD 800,felt two impulses. One was a violent impulse to kill others, andthe other was same-sex attraction. Living in hisparticular culture, he will suppress the same-sex attraction and express his violent feelings.

However, if a young man in Manhattan had thesame two impulses, he would suppress theviolent feelings and get counseling for them,but would express his same-sex attraction. Noone is really “true to their self.” We all express and suppress certain desires togain the approval of whatever is ultimate in ourlives. This filter, Keller argues, is made up of ourcore values and beliefs, and it is this filter thatdetermines our identity.

KEY INSIGHT #1

Personal identity is a filterthat we use to express someimpulses and suppressothers.

Personal Identity

K E Y I N S I G H T S Making Sense of God


INSIGHTGRAPHIC #1



One of the most valuable things about MakingSense of God is that Keller spends a significantamount of time powerfully deconstructing thepresuppositions that undergird the secularworldview. Many of these presuppositions are seen as self-evident and not in any need of defense. As anexample, many secular people believe thatreligion is based purely on faith and the beliefsof modern secularism are based purely onobjective reasoning. Keller argues that there is no “view fromnowhere.” There is no way to have a purelyobjective point of view that is not based on anyphilosophical presuppositions. Many skeptics say that they would believe inGod if there was empirical evidence.Underneath this statement is the

presupposition that empirical justification isnecessary to hold a belief. However, that proposition itself cannot beempirically verified. This skepticism aboutbelief in God cannot meet its own standard. Therefore, Keller argues that skeptics shouldstop demanding that belief in God meets acertain standard that we don’t apply to manyother commitments upon which we base ourlives. We believe many things on rational,experiential, and social grounds. This presupposition is biased against belief inGod and needlessly narrow in scope.

KEY INSIGHT #2

There is no way to have apurely objective point of viewthat is not based on anyphilosophicalpresuppositions.

Point of View



INSIGHTGRAPHIC #2



Tim Keller always finds a way to get to thegospel as the ultimate solution. He isn’tcontent to merely prove a point or win anargument. In a book addressed to skeptics as anapologetic for the reasonableness ofChristianity, Keller boldly and repeatedly goesback to the gospel as the ultimate reason forChristianity. He argues that true meaning in lifeonly comes by a relationship with God throughChrist. True satisfaction only comes through beingsatisfied by who God is for us in Christ andwhat He has done. True freedom comes by being set free from oursin and learning to live in obedience to God outof love and gratitude. True identity comes by being adopted as achild of God through Jesus Christ.

True hope comes from knowing that one dayGod will make all things new and set everythingright because of what Christ has done. And true justice is only possible because God is“both just and the justifier of the one who hasfaith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25). The gospel is not an add-on to Keller’sapologetic for Christianity-It is Keller’sapologetic. The gospel, in all of its power andbeauty, is the most compelling reason tobelieve.

KEY INSIGHT #3

The gospel, in all of itspower and beauty, is themost compelling reason tobelieve.

Gospel Centrality



INSIGHTGRAPHIC #3



In this chapter, Keller addresses the commonpresupposition among secular people thatreligion is shrinking in the world. He shows that this is factually false, asprominent sociologists and numerous studiesshow that the percentage of people thatidentify as religious are in the majority andincreasing. Also, the human need for transcendence stemsfrom our need to make sense of what we seeand experience in the world. This is a bigreason why religion won’t go away.

Many secular people assume that religion is theproduct of a blind, superstitious faith, whereasthe beliefs of modern secularism are based onobjective evidence. However, the assumed beliefs of secularismdon’t meet their own standard for belief in God.Secularism, like religion, is based on both faithand reason.

members, who are swelling the numbers ofthe secular and unaffiliated, whiletraditional, orthodox religions will grow.” (p.25)

CHAPTER 1: ISN’TRELIGION GOINGAWAY?

C H A P T E R S U M M A R I E S

“People believe in God not merely becausethey feel some emotional need, but becauseit makes sense of what they see andexperience. . .They embrace religionbecause they think it is more fully true tothe facts of human existence thansecularism is.” (p. 23) “In the United States and Europe, liberalreligious bodies will continue to lose

QUOTES

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Are people religious because of somepsychological need inside of them, orbecause it makes sense of the world outsideof them? Does religion make better sense of theworld outside of us than secularism does?

CHAPTER 2: ISN’TRELIGION BASED ONFAITH AND SECULARISMON EVIDENCE?

Making Sense of God



“Western secularity is not the absence offaith but a new set of beliefs about theuniverse.” (p. 53) “No one can purge him or herself of all faithassumptions and assume an objective,belief-free, pure openness to objectiveevidence. There is no ‘view from nowhere.’”(p. 36) “We should, therefore, stop demanding thatbelief in God meet a standard of universallyacknowledged proof when we don’t applythat to other commitments on which webase our lives.” (p. 34)

QUOTES

What sets human beings apart from other livingbeings is our need to find a reason to live. In asecular culture, meaning is created byindividuals, and if that meaning is taken awayby death or circumstances, that person iscrushed. Only Christianity offers a meaning that isunshakable through the trials of life.

CHAPTER 3: A MEANINGTHAT SUFFERING CAN’TTAKE FROM YOU

Is atheism the absence of faith or thepresence of a different kind of faith? When someone says they’ll believe in God ifyou can prove it, how would you respond?

APPLICATION QUESTIONS “We don’t believe in a meaning we must goout and discover, but in a Meaning thatcame into the world to find us.” (p. 76) “If this life is all there is, and there is no Godor life beyond this material world, then itwill not ultimately matter whether you are agenocidal maniac or an altruist.” (p. 66)

QUOTES

APPLICATION QUESTIONS Do I get to decide on my purpose in life? Does my purpose exist whether Iacknowledge it or not?

Making Sense of God



Human beings seek satisfaction in life in anumber of different areas using a variety ofstrategies. However, nothing can ultimatelybring true satisfaction apart from a lovingrelationship with God. As Saint Augustine once said, “You have madeus for yourself, and our hearts are restless untilthey find rest in You.” Human beings weremade for fellowship with our Creator, and wewill never be satisfied until we have it.

Many secular people believe that it isoppressive for a person to impose absolutemoral values on another, and everyone shouldhave the unqualified freedom to live as theyplease as long as they don’t harm anyone. The problem with this is that the definition of“harm” requires absolute moral values. Kellershows that true freedom is not the absence ofconstraints, but the presence of the right onesthat lead to human flourishing. The enclosure of a fish bowl exists for theflourishing of a goldfish; for a fish to demandfreedom from the fishbowl would be foolishand harmful. Similarly, God’s laws are designedfor our flourishing and joy.

CHAPTER 4: ASATISFACTION THAT ISNOT BASED ONCIRCUMSTANCES

We want something that nothing in this lifecan give us.” (p. 87) “The problem is not that you love yourfamily or job too much, but that you loveGod too little in relationship to them.” (p.92)

QUOTES

Does my discontentment in life pointbeyond this life? Is God my ultimate source of satisfaction?


CHAPTER 5: WHY CAN’TI BE FREE TO LIVE AS ISEE FIT, AS LONG AS IDON’T HARM ANYONE?

Making Sense of God


The cultural message of modern secularism isthat people should live however they want andnot let anyone tell them who they should be. However, we all express certain impulses andrepress others based on the image of ourselvesthat we want to portray to the world. It is thisfilter that expresses our identity, not theimpulses themselves.


CHAPTER 6: THEPROBLEM OF SELF

“Freedom should be a means to an end, notan end in itself.” (p. 110) “The reality is that none of us are freeagents. We are all worshipping and servingsomething. The better question is this:Which “master” will affirm, cherish,empower, and honor us, and which oneswill exploit and abuse us?” (p. 112)

QUOTES

Is freedom always a good thing? Could there be situations in which theabsolute, unqualified absence ofrestrictions is bad?



“It’s an illusion to think identity is simply anexpression of inward desires and feelings.”(p. 127) “We use some kind of filter–a set of beliefsand values–to sift through our hearts anddetermine which emotions and sensibilitieswe will value and incorporate into our coreidentity.” (p. 127)

Which impulses do you suppress out of fearof how others will perceive you? Are you being “true to yourself” bysuppressing them?

QUOTES

Making Sense of God



he was willing to bear the cost and take thejudgment himself.” (p. 147)

The identity that is offered in Christianity is notbased on what people do for God, but whatGod has done for them in Christ. The Christian is simultaneously a guilty sinnerbefore God, which is humbling, but also lovedand accepted by God because of Christ, whichis affirming. Understanding these realities is the foundationfor an identity that doesn’t crush the self orexclude others.

Human beings are hope-driven creatures.Secularism is marked by an optimism aboutthe progress of human civilization, but withoutGod, this optimism is naïve at best. If there is no ultimate, objective meaning in theuniverse, it is futile to believe in progressbecause the world will ultimately come to anend. Only Christianity offers a hope for the futurethat can face anything because of what Jesushas done for us.

CHAPTER 7: ANIDENTITY THAT DOESN’TCRUSH YOU OREXCLUDE OTHERS

“If you believe the gospel and all itsremarkable claims about Jesus and what hehas done for you and who you are in him,then nothing that happens in this world canactually get at your identity.” (p. 139) “The cross reveals a God who is socommitted to justice that the cross wasnecessary. Sin and evil cannot beoverlooked–they must be judged. Yet at thesame time it shows us a God so loving that

QUOTES

Is my identity based on my performance orChrist’s? How is God’s justice revealed in the cross?


CHAPTER 8: A HOPETHAT CAN FACEANYTHING

Making Sense of God


Therefore, there must be a God, becauseobjective moral values are self-evident.

A secular worldview cannot account forobjective moral values, yet our experience ashuman beings tells us that certain things areobjectively right and wrong. Only the belief in a personal, transcendent Godmakes sense of this phenomenon. If there’s noGod, then there can’t be objective moralvalues.


CHAPTER 9: THEPROBLEM OF MORALS

“If we believe that the resurrection reallyhappened, then Jesus Christ has, as it were,made an opening in the barrier between theideal and the real.” (p. 172) “Belief in a final judgment gives us enoughhope so that we will neither resort toviolence to bring justice nor give in andcollaborate with injustice.” (p. 172)

How does what you believe about the futureshape how you live right now? Why is the Bible’s teaching on a futurejudgment a good thing?


QUOTES


“A moral judgment about something cannever be made apart from an examinationof its given purpose.” (p. 186)

“If, as in the secular view, we have not beenmade for a purpose, then it is futile to eventry to talk about moral good and evil.” (p.187)

Is there something that you instinctivelyknow is right or wrong? Why is it right or wrong?

QUOTES

Making Sense of God



moral compass that does not turn you intoan oppressor, and a hope that can faceanything, even death.” (p. 216)

To their credit, many secular people aregenuinely concerned about injustice takingplace in the world. However, injustice is often cyclical becausepeople who are passionate about justice oftenbecome self-righteous and cruel when dealingwith those that they consider to be oppressive. Only Christianity provides adequate moralgrounds for pursuing justice in society. Aconcern for social justice is a good thing, butwithout an objective moral standard, thatconcern is without a foundation.

This chapter surveys 6 powerful arguments forthe existence of God. These are arguments from existence, fine-tuning, moral realism, consciousness, reason,and beauty. A very powerful and convincing case can bemade for the existence of God in each of thesecases, and it is foolish to ignore these powerfularguments from philosophy, science, andScripture.

CHAPTER 10: A JUSTICETHAT DOES NOT CREATENEW OPPRESSORS

“People who are passionate for justice oftenbecome self-righteous and cruel when theyconfront persons whom they perceive asbeing oppressors.” (p. 210) “[These are] Christianity’s unsurpassedoffers—a meaning that suffering cannotremove, a satisfaction not based oncircumstances, a freedom that does nothurt but rather enhances love, an identitythat does not crush you or exclude others, a

QUOTES

How do you perceive and treat others thatyou consider on the“other side” politically,theologically, or in any other way? How does Christianity provide the basis forsocial justice?


CHAPTER 11: IS ITREASONABLE TOBELIEVE IN GOD?

Making Sense of God



“To insist that there must be anevolutionary and scientific explanation is toassume that there can’t be any nonmaterialor transcendent reality . . .That is aphilosophical assumption, not a scientifichypothesis.” (p. 223) “If your premise that there is no God leadsmost naturally to conclusions you know arenot true—that moral obligation, beauty andmeaning, the significance of love, ourconsciousness of being a self are illusions—then why not change the premise?” (p. 227)

QUOTES CHAPTER 12: IS ITREASONABLE TOBELIEVE INCHRISTIANITY?

The person of Jesus Christ is the mainargument for why we should believe inChristianity. The resurrection of Jesus is ahistorically verifiable fact, and even secularhistorians admit that, on the basis of evidencealone, the resurrection is as well attested asany other ancient event. The gospels are historically reliable documentsthat should not be dismissed as naive religiousliterature. Ultimately, however, the mainreason to believe is the person and work ofJesus Himself. What He said and did isevidence enough for the validity of His claims. Are people religious because of some

psychological need inside of them, orbecause it makes sense of the world outsideof them? Does religion make better sense of theworld outside of us than secularism does?


“Jesus Himself is the main argument forwhy we should believe in Christianity.” (p.228) “These scholars argue that as long as youdo not begin with an imposed philosophicalbias against the possibility of miracles, theResurrection has as much attestation as anyother ancient historical event.” (p. 242)

QUOTES

Making Sense of God


C O N C L U S I O N

CLOSING THOUGHT

In this fine book, the following insights wereprominent:

This book makes the case that secularismdoesn’t have the resources to make sense ofthe world we live in. What about Christianitymakes the world make more sense?

Personal Identity: Personal identity is afilter that we use to express some impulsesand suppress others. Point of View: There is no way to have apurely objective point of view that is notbased on any philosophicalpresuppositions. Gospel Centrality: The gospel, in all of itspower and beauty, is the most compellingreason to believe.

CONCLUSION

Making Sense of God provides the skeptic witha powerful case for the rationality of religiousfaith in general and Christianity in particular. It shows that the secular worldview cannotmeaningfully account for the world as we knowit. It gives reasons why Christianity providesmeaning, hope, freedom, justice, and more.But most of all, it points to Jesus Christ, who isHimself the reason to believe. It is only in Christthat we can “make sense of God.”

What about Jesus’ person or work makesChristianity so compelling? Did the resurrection really happen? Why orwhy not?


Making Sense of God

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