Introduction: 

We begin this course with reading Chapter 11 of The Reason for God followed by viewing several video clips of Tim Keller addressing some of the issues raised in his book. According to Keller “Christianity teaches that our main problem is sin.” He then wonders that if this is true then why must one select Christianity and Jesus? Keller's response to this is that only Jesus claimed to "be" the way to salvation whereas other major religion founders only "show" the way to salvation. Keller then proceeds to define religion as “salvation through moral effort,” and the Gospel as, “salvation through grace.” Thereafter Keller speaks of two forms of self-centeredness and the "Damage of Pharisaism before goint into an in-depth discussion of grace.

After having completed the readings for this session and reviewed the accompanying video you may choose - on a purely optional basis - to answer the study questions and submit them at etwimber@hotmail.com or to contact Dr. Wimberley by phone or email to request a time for dialogue about what you have learned. You may do so by phone or dialogue via Skype or Facetime. Dr. Wimberley's phone number is 239.405.4164. We may convene group meetings of the class using the Zoom application on our computers. You can enroll in this course by emailing etwimber@hotmail.com or by texting Dr. Wimberley at 239.405.4164.

Readings: 

Keller, Timothy (2009) The Reason for God. New York, NY: Penguin, Chapter 11

Video: 

Tim Kellor on

Study Questions:

1. Keller refers to a Flannery O’Connor character, Hazel Motes, who seemed to feel that in some ways the goal to live a “sinless life” is so that God will be more certain to bless you (and therefore save you). This is sometimes referred to as works-righteousness. Assuming (only for the sake of argument, of course) that there is a little of this works-righteousness in all of us, what area(s) of your life are susceptible to this pride of morality? That is, what acts or habits do you have that, if you were to really examine yourself, are motivated at least in some small part by the belief that God will certainly repay you for your kindness?
2. According to Keller, Dr. Jekyll’s efforts to do good works in order to compensate for his evil tendencies “do not actually shrivel his pride and self-centeredness, they only aggravate it. They lead him to superiority…” (p. 176-7). Do you find this to be the case in the lives of people you know – that the more they practice good, the more self righteous they are likely to become? Or do you find the opposite – the more they practice good, the more humble they become?
3. A teenage Christian girl lives in fear that she might somehow say or do something that is less than perfect; she tells you that she strive for perfection because she wants to be a good example for the sake of her non-Christian and new-Christian friends. When you suggest that she might be trying too hard, she assures you that everyone should lead a sinless life, if they are serious about their faith. What would you say in response?
4. Keller  describes the Christian “gospel” as believing “that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued… that Jesus was glad to die for me” (p. 181). This is contrasted to “religion” which is a set of rules that must be obeyed to gain divine approval. Are these two characterizations accurate, in your experience?