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4.55 AVERAGE
4.55 AVERAGE
A very thorough look at the subject matter. I enjoyed reading about the various historical and modern views on suffering, and then seeing Keller tie it all together with the beauty of the Gospel.
Keller hits it out of the park again with his book on Pain & Suffering. Drawing from a wide array of people through the ages on this sensitive and sometimes hard-to-understand topic, Keller focuses intently on the book of Job to draw many of his conclusions.
For instance, the author brings out the fact that Western cultures are the least equipped to handle suffering/pain than any previous culture. In his chapter The Cultures of Suffering, Keller says, "As Dr. Paul Brand argues in the last chapter of his book The Gift of Pain, it is because the meaning of life in the United States is the pursuit of pleasure and personal freedom that suffering is so traumatic for Americans."
Although I have not read an entire book on suffering or pain before, I cannot think of a more thorough work on the subject. This book did not disappoint and richly added to my thinking on the topic. It will be a resource for years to come as pain and suffering not only comes into my life, but into the lives of others with whom I interact.
I underlined too many sections for me to include in the review, but I'll include a few of my favorite here below:
"The Bible, therefore, is about suffering as much as it is about anything...looking back on our lives, Kathy & I came to realize that at the heart of why people disbelieve and believe in God, of why people decline and grow in character, of how God becomes less real and more real to us - is suffering. And when we looked to the Bible to understand this deep pattern, we came to see that the great theme of the Bible itself is how God brings fullness of joy not just despite but through suffering, just as Jesus saved us not in spite of but because of what he endured on the cross. And so there is a peculiar, rich, and poignant joy that seems to only come to us through and in suffering."
-Introduction, p. 6
"Christians don't face adversity by stoically decreasing our love for the people and the things of this world so much as by increasing our love and joy in God."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 44
"The belief that we are saved by our virtue, the state of our hearts, or our good works injects a heavy layer of uncertainty and insecurity into our lives."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 49
"Suffering dispels the illusion that we have the strength and competence to rule our own lives and save ourselves."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 49
"In short, theism without certainty of salvation or resurrection is far more disillusioning in the midst of pain than is atheism."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 60
"One of the main teachings of the Bible is that almost no one grows into greatness or finds God without suffering, without pain coming into our lives like smelling salts to wake us up to all sorts of facts about life and our own hearts to which we were blind."
-The Challenge to the Secular, p 80
"It is inarguable that human beings have moral feelings. A moral feeling means I feel some behavior is right and some behavior is wrong and even repulsive. Now, if there is no God, where do such strong moral instincts and feelings come from?"
-The Problem of Evil, p. 103
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' said that if there were no higher divine law - that defined what justice is - there would be no way to tell if any particular human practice or experience was unjust or not."
-The Problem of Evil, p. 107
"While the human race as a whole indeed deserves the broken world it inhabits, nevertheless evil is not distributed in a proportionate, fair way. Bad people do not have worse lives than good people. And, of course, the best people often have terrible lives. Job is one example, and Jesus - the ultimate 'Job,' the only truly, fully innocent sufferer - is another."
-The Sovereignty of God, p. 133
"Suffering is at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not only the way Christ became like and redeemed us, but it is one of the main ways we become like him and experience his redemption."
-The Reason for Suffering, p. 163
"Somehow in modern-day Christian circles, we tend to see God's faithfulness as saving us from suffering. And yes, sometimes, in His great mercy, He does save us from suffering. But that is not the mark of His faithfulness. We see in Scripture that many of those He loved deeply are also those who suffered greatly."
-The Reason for Suffering, p. 185
For instance, the author brings out the fact that Western cultures are the least equipped to handle suffering/pain than any previous culture. In his chapter The Cultures of Suffering, Keller says, "As Dr. Paul Brand argues in the last chapter of his book The Gift of Pain, it is because the meaning of life in the United States is the pursuit of pleasure and personal freedom that suffering is so traumatic for Americans."
Although I have not read an entire book on suffering or pain before, I cannot think of a more thorough work on the subject. This book did not disappoint and richly added to my thinking on the topic. It will be a resource for years to come as pain and suffering not only comes into my life, but into the lives of others with whom I interact.
I underlined too many sections for me to include in the review, but I'll include a few of my favorite here below:
"The Bible, therefore, is about suffering as much as it is about anything...looking back on our lives, Kathy & I came to realize that at the heart of why people disbelieve and believe in God, of why people decline and grow in character, of how God becomes less real and more real to us - is suffering. And when we looked to the Bible to understand this deep pattern, we came to see that the great theme of the Bible itself is how God brings fullness of joy not just despite but through suffering, just as Jesus saved us not in spite of but because of what he endured on the cross. And so there is a peculiar, rich, and poignant joy that seems to only come to us through and in suffering."
-Introduction, p. 6
"Christians don't face adversity by stoically decreasing our love for the people and the things of this world so much as by increasing our love and joy in God."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 44
"The belief that we are saved by our virtue, the state of our hearts, or our good works injects a heavy layer of uncertainty and insecurity into our lives."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 49
"Suffering dispels the illusion that we have the strength and competence to rule our own lives and save ourselves."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 49
"In short, theism without certainty of salvation or resurrection is far more disillusioning in the midst of pain than is atheism."
-The Victory of Christianity, p. 60
"One of the main teachings of the Bible is that almost no one grows into greatness or finds God without suffering, without pain coming into our lives like smelling salts to wake us up to all sorts of facts about life and our own hearts to which we were blind."
-The Challenge to the Secular, p 80
"It is inarguable that human beings have moral feelings. A moral feeling means I feel some behavior is right and some behavior is wrong and even repulsive. Now, if there is no God, where do such strong moral instincts and feelings come from?"
-The Problem of Evil, p. 103
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' said that if there were no higher divine law - that defined what justice is - there would be no way to tell if any particular human practice or experience was unjust or not."
-The Problem of Evil, p. 107
"While the human race as a whole indeed deserves the broken world it inhabits, nevertheless evil is not distributed in a proportionate, fair way. Bad people do not have worse lives than good people. And, of course, the best people often have terrible lives. Job is one example, and Jesus - the ultimate 'Job,' the only truly, fully innocent sufferer - is another."
-The Sovereignty of God, p. 133
"Suffering is at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not only the way Christ became like and redeemed us, but it is one of the main ways we become like him and experience his redemption."
-The Reason for Suffering, p. 163
"Somehow in modern-day Christian circles, we tend to see God's faithfulness as saving us from suffering. And yes, sometimes, in His great mercy, He does save us from suffering. But that is not the mark of His faithfulness. We see in Scripture that many of those He loved deeply are also those who suffered greatly."
-The Reason for Suffering, p. 185
Abordagem incrível, teórica e prática para a questão do sofrimento, seu e do outro.
Livro excelente! Indico a todos os Cristãos. Precisamos crescer e amadurecer na teologia do sofrimento.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
With the warmth of a friend who hears your pain and the wisdom of a sage who speaks truth to your soul, Timothy Keller writes this beautiful, hope-filled book. I took a long time to read this book, even setting it aside more than once. It is heavy to process grief, but this book is a helpful companion through the process.
I value the way Keller approaches suffering through a philosophical lens and presents applicable steps to apply the right thinking you learn. I also deeply value his gentle correction of many perpetuated myths in the church today regarding suffering.
God surely cares about my happiness, even more than I do, but He cares far more about my holiness. This book reiterates this truth. I loved how he highlights the refining nature of suffering without glossing over the incredible pain.
One response toward suffering I had previously not considered was thinking. Keller discussed a "disciplined thinking out" and said to "think it out until the glory breaks in on you." So often, I break from deep, logical, reckoning of truth during suffering, but Keller argues that this is the very opposite of how one should respond. This transformative thought has grown in me my ability to preach truth to myself through the pain. Keller mentions a Jonathan Edwards quote that has stuck with me when encouraging believers to remember the truth of the gospel amidst suffering: "Bad things turned to good, good things can't be taken away, best things yet to come." These simple phrases are my reminders of truth to reorient my thinking.
I value the way Keller approaches suffering through a philosophical lens and presents applicable steps to apply the right thinking you learn. I also deeply value his gentle correction of many perpetuated myths in the church today regarding suffering.
God surely cares about my happiness, even more than I do, but He cares far more about my holiness. This book reiterates this truth. I loved how he highlights the refining nature of suffering without glossing over the incredible pain.
One response toward suffering I had previously not considered was thinking. Keller discussed a "disciplined thinking out" and said to "think it out until the glory breaks in on you." So often, I break from deep, logical, reckoning of truth during suffering, but Keller argues that this is the very opposite of how one should respond. This transformative thought has grown in me my ability to preach truth to myself through the pain. Keller mentions a Jonathan Edwards quote that has stuck with me when encouraging believers to remember the truth of the gospel amidst suffering: "Bad things turned to good, good things can't be taken away, best things yet to come." These simple phrases are my reminders of truth to reorient my thinking.
Most people willing to pick up this book are likely to be actively suffering. While it is helpful in that way, one of Keller's main points is that this book (and learning about suffering well) is something we should tackle before we need it.
I read this book slowly, over the course of two full months. The book is divided into three sections, and understanding that aspect was really helpful for me (this is discussed in the intro). Section one is very philosophical and heady. Difficult to read or care about in the midst of pain and suffering (and the intro suggestion is to skip this section and come back at a later time). Section two walks through what the Bible says specifically about suffering. While this was still academic, it also was full of encouragement to the sufferer. Section three is deeply practical, looking at what a Christian can do in suffering -- walking, weeping, trusting, praying, thinking, thanking, loving, and hoping.
This book is unique in its ability to address both the philosophical and personal elements of suffering. Highly recommeded.
I read this book slowly, over the course of two full months. The book is divided into three sections, and understanding that aspect was really helpful for me (this is discussed in the intro). Section one is very philosophical and heady. Difficult to read or care about in the midst of pain and suffering (and the intro suggestion is to skip this section and come back at a later time). Section two walks through what the Bible says specifically about suffering. While this was still academic, it also was full of encouragement to the sufferer. Section three is deeply practical, looking at what a Christian can do in suffering -- walking, weeping, trusting, praying, thinking, thanking, loving, and hoping.
This book is unique in its ability to address both the philosophical and personal elements of suffering. Highly recommeded.
This book is an incredibly comprehensive, theologically rich, well-reasoned approach to the reality of pain and suffering. The sheer volume of content - from philosophical defense, to theological exposition of Scripture, to shepherding exhortations and guidance - sets this book apart as one of the most well-rounded on the topic of suffering that I have read. Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering is something quite unique, and also much needed. Keller writes with wisdom and solid reasoning, yet with a heart of compassion and understanding that's like balm to a weary spirit.