Not Sure How to Classify this Book: Not Biography, Not Theology, but Contains Both

 

    I don't think of myself as a fangirl for anyone in pop culture, but when I play the icebreaker game, what three people living or dead, would like to have dinner with, I always choose Tim Keller (Malcolm Gladwell and Ruth Bader Ginsberg). He is a former minister of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, author of many books, and an Evangelical icon. I have a bachelor's degree in Bible. I didn't learn Greek or Hebrew; I focused on theology--the study of God and beliefs. At the bachelor's level, the goal is to systematically study significant doctrines (Christology, the Bible, Trinity, etc.) and how they came to be codified historically. The goals are exposure, research, clarification, and communication. My theological education has taught me that there's a lot I don't know. So many have thought and written about theology for centuries. Deciding what voices to invest time and effort into can be difficult. I appreciate Tim Keller's thoughtfulness, kindness, and ability to make esoteric topics approachable. I have read many of his books --I highly recommend The Reason for God--and listened to his sermons. 

    In conversations about spiritual things, I often start, "Well, Tim Keller says . . ." 

    So much so that one of my daughters replies, "All hail, Pope Keller!"

    Having consumed much theology through the lens of Tim Keller, I was eager to read Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen. I enjoyed a peek under the hood of his life and who influenced his beliefs. Things I learned: he is super intelligent and well-read, his wife, Kathy, is wicked smart and fierce, he favors Puritan writers, he is widely read concerning culture, and he respects others' beliefs and treats them--people and their beliefs--with honor, he has a heart for helping others understand culture and Christianity. Hansen also lightly traces a history of Evangelicalism. The book is well-organized and engaging. I listened to the audio version read by the author, and that format would have benefitted from a more experienced narrator. 

    I don't know if this book would appeal to anyone unfamiliar with Tim Keller, but I found it worthwhile--instructive, inspiring, and encouraging.

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