W. Phillip Keller (1920–1997)

This dated book (published in the'70s) is written by a pastor who had worked as a shepherd in Africa and elsewhere and who applies his knowledge of the herding of sheep for practical interpretation of the 23rd Psalm. Each chapter of the book (twelve in all) takes a line from the Psalm and discusses it in detail from the perspective of the sheep or the shepherd. Keller's audience is obviously those who are Christians but he is trying to reach out to Christians who would be sympathetic to show more nonbelievers and the Gospel message of Jesus Christ for those who had yet to cultivate a deeper personal relationship and spiritual connection by means of the Holy Spirit.
Keller actually says that his book is the first one to be published by an actual shepherd. Some strange things are said in the process of his reflections on Christ as a Good Shepherd. He says that some of his friends are the most talented and respected scientists and professors in the country but they too have an unsatisfied spiritual thirst for God which only Christ can satiate. Here he is referring to the conclusion that being a Christian does not guarantee a prosperous life or a life without soul destroying pain and hardship. He also says that "the Beats" (beatniks and hippies) also have a tendency to live indulgent and dissolute lives. This is a book with warnings about a world at large and our western culture specifically which even then was growing anti-Christian. But rather than adopt an attitude of fear and resentment about the unsympathetic elements to living a Christian life in the world, Keller opts for a quiet peaceful confidence in Jesus as a sheep would for its good and faithful shepherd.
This theme of Christ as shepherd has been taken up by other preachers since Keller's book and it seems to have been a handy approach to keep people's attention. I've heard a few like reflections on the internet by some who may not have even known of the existence of Keller's book. This short work would be categorized under: Christian Living, Devotionals, Biblical Reflections, and Self Help. I was given this book as a gift and it was a very fast read during Lent 2021. show less

A thoughtful insight into the most famous Psalm. I enjoyed reading the words of an actual shepherd and gaining a more complete understanding of this familiar passage. This small book is a detailed examination of one of the most iconic metaphors for God's relationship to his people. Lovely.

Keller presents profound spiritual truth in his story of the “worthless” animal thought to be untrainable, who ultimately becomes a magnificent and valuable sheep dog—similar to how God's love can transform our worst characteristics into blessings.

Phillip Keller, a former shepherd, takes apart the 23rd Psalm and investigates it line by line, sharing stories from his own experiences and explaining elements from the perspective of caring for sheep throughout the course of the year.

When I was in college, I heard a series of short sermons that had been inspired by this book, so it had been on my TBR list for awhile. Unfortunately, I think the sermons were the better parts of the book. Though there were some nuggets of wisdom and some show more details of caring for sheep that I never would have connected to lines in the psalm, I was left underwhelmed. Many of the thoughts are overly repetitive. Keller was a lay preacher, and some of his points seemed to me rather thinly connected to the psalm through a bit of wordplay, and not backed up by the meaning of the original words or Bible scholarship. More personally, I thought his wording old-fashioned (this was published in the '70s) and was a little put off by his choice to quote the King James Version. Cautiously recommended for some of the details that do connect strongly with the psalm. show less