The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

I understand that I am going completely against the grain in my less than enthusiastic review of The Prodigal God. In actuality, I join with the majority in extolling the book for its trenchant application of the parable of the Prodigal to the lost state of humanity as well as its depiction of the immeasurable grace of God in saving sinners but two dangerous weaknesses hold me back from recommending it with enthusiasm.
I found in The Prodigal God an unfortunate weakness in its presentation of man's sin problem. When comparing the plights of the two brothers Keller contrasts the younger son's prodigious sinful life with the self-righteous Pharisies who were equally lost. So far, this is fine. But when describing the condition of the show more Pharisies, Keller made it seem as if they actually did keep the law of God perfectly. Jesus debunked this faulty approach to the law and salvation through outward piety in his Sermon on the Mount which exposed the wickedness of the heart which causes every man to violate the law of God even in our thoughts. Keller failed to show this and, by implication, failed to show the depths of fallen man's condition before God.
What disturbed me most, however, was Keller's reinforcement of a dangerous false dichotomy that is so prevalent in society and even the evangelical world today. One may have religion or one may have Jesus. The Pharisies were deeply religious but lost in their religiosity; therefore religion is bad. Although in the last chapter Keller urges believers and seekers to belong to a church, he only stresses the need for community. Keller is right about that but he ignores the necessity of partaking in the "religious" activities - the means of grace - that are available only through the Church by Christ's appointment. These are not options but Christ's requirements of all believers. To be Christian requires us to be religious, but with our hearts engaged along with our tongues, hands, and feet. Keller misses this and subsequently encourages an antinomian approach to the Christian life which the Scriptures condemn.
Had it not been for these two detractions, I would have a much easier time in recommending The Prodigal God, for there remains within its 135 pages a very powerful message that is often overlooked in expostions of this great parable. show less

I think people are on the right track when they call Timothy Keller "the next C.S. Lewis". The Prodigal God was excellent, and it definitely brought to light some things in the parable commonly called "The Prodigal Son" that I had never considered. This book also reinforced some exciting aspects of the gospel and God's grace that, yes, I knew but the way they were presented was so exciting. It made me think about them anew and I look forward to recommending this book to new believers as well as life-long Christians. I haven't been so excited about a book like this since I first read Mere Christianity. I think I'll go back in my Kindle edition and highlight some quotes!

How is this only my first Tim Keller book? Lol. I feel like I should have read *something* of his before now.

The book early on quotes my favorite book (Lord of the Rings), and near the end includes a favorite quote by a favorite author (C. S. Lewis on friendship). So it was bookended, no pun intended, by my favorite things. Huzzah!

Quick read, one I finished in just two sittings, but SO potent. Man. I see so much of myself in the prodigal son’s older brother, it’s so not even funny. Will be interesting (but altogether good) to see how God works this out in my heart moving forward.

"This short book is meant to lay out the essentials of the Christian message, the gospel." So begins Timothy Keller's new book The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith. Keller targets both seekers who are unfamiliar with the gospel and longtime church members who may not feel the need for a primer on the gospel.

Keller's book, as the provocative title suggests, is built on one of Jesus' most famous stories: the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). Keller consents that "on the surface of it, the narrative is not all that gripping." But, he contends that "if the teaching of Jesus is likened to a lake, this famous Parable of the Prodigal Son would be one of the clearest spots where we can see all the way to the show more bottom." Keller has taught from this passage many times over the years, and says, "I have seen more people encouraged, enlightened, and helped by this passage, when I explained the true meaning of it, than by any other text."

The book is laid out in seven brief chapters which aim to uncover the extravagant (prodigal) grace of God, as revealed in this parable. Keller shows how the parable describes two kinds of "lost" people, not just one. Most people can identify the lostness of the "prodigal son," the younger brother in Jesus' story, who takes his inheritance early and squanders it on riotous living. But Keller shows that the "elder brother" in the parable is no less lost. Together, the two brothers are illustrations of two kinds of people in the world. "Jesus uses the younger and elder brothers to portray the two basic ways people try to find happiness and fulfillment: the way of moral conformity and the way of self-discovery." Both brothers are in the wrong, and when we see this, we discover a radical redefinition of what is wrong with us. "Nearly everyone defines sin as breaking a list of rules. Jesus, though, shows us that a man who has violated nothing on the list of moral misbehaviors may be every bit as spiritually lost as the most profligate, immoral person. Why? Because sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord and Judge just as each son sought to displace the authority of the father in his own life." As these quotes hint, Keller's exposition of the two sons lays the groundwork for a penetrating analysis and critique of both moral relativists on the liberal left and religious moralists on the conservative right, showing that the latter are just as lost as the former. What both need is Jesus, whom Keller presents as "the true elder brother," the one who comes to our rescue at his own expense. Through his grace, we are given hope and invited to the great feast of the Father.

As with Keller's preaching, this book is intelligent and winsome, combining thoughtful reflection on both text and culture with searching heart application. Keller's book is effectively illustrated with a liberal use of stories and quotations from literature, movies, and the arts. Most imporantly, the book orients the reader's heart to the hope of the gospel of God's grace revealed in Christ.

One more note: for readers who may have felt intimidated by Keller's recent book The Reason for God, don't shrink away from The Prodigal God. It is probably only 1/3 of the length and much easier to read. I highly recommend it to unbelievers, seekers and established Christians. show less

Anyone who equates Jesus and Christianity with intolerant moralist religion should check out this book and to see this powerful message told by Jesus. The church often misses the point of Jesus' parable about the "prodigal son". Just our name indicates we have blown it, because the parable is about two sons, both of whom are distance from their father. At the end of the parable, the prodigal son is reconciled with his father, and the older ("good", rule following, religious) son is not. The parable is aimed at the heart of religious folks. Jesus is neither for an irreligious nor moralistic religious outlook. Keller gets the parable right, and explores how this parable gets to the heart of Jesus' life and message: both sons (people who show more thumb their noses at God, and those who "follow" God for their own self interest) are lost but God pursues both with amazing love. Books by Kenneth Bailey go into more depth regarding the historical / cultural background of this parable (which make the parable's point even stronger), but Keller does a better job bringing the parable into modern times and challenging us to respond to Jesus' message. show less

The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most famous and familiar stories of the Bible - and one, according to Timothy Keller, we have often misunderstood. In his book, The Prodigal God, Keller walks us through the parable step by step, revealing it to be more than a simple lesson on forgiveness - it is nothing less than a representation of the gospel itself. He explains that the story is not just about the wayward son, but about both sons and their desperate need for grace. Neither loved their father for who he was, but for the inheritance he could give them...the inheritance one demanded, and one felt he deserved. The lesson Jesus taught that day was a shattering call to both sinners and the self-righteous to search their hearts show more and discover they are neither too far gone - nor too stubborn and proud - for God to welcome them home with open arms.

There have definitely been times in my life I would have identified with the wayward son....and times, I am sorry to say, that I was the proud son as well. How often I have wanted to live life on my own terms - either by throwing caution to the winds and trying to imitate the world in my quest to find pleasure; or by being the good little Christian girl who would receive good things because of what I had done...not because of what Jesus has done for me. The word "prodigal" is defined as recklessly extravagant - Keller teaches us that it is our heavenly Father, reckless in His love, extravagant with his grace, who is truly the prodigal of the story. How thankful I am for His extravagance! This book was a beautiful reminder of God's love for his broken people, no matter how broken we are. show less

A short and easy read that I completed in preparation for an upcoming sermon on Luke 15. I think Keller does a very good job of explaining the context of the parable and establishing the fact that Jesus was speaking to the scribes and the Pharisees. Thus, the focus for instruction and application really is the heart and attitude of the elder brother. Keller is right to challenge any form of Pharisaism in the church, and he rightly wants churches to be places that rejoice over the salvation of the lost.

As Keller notes, we should also be careful to avoid becoming Pharisees about people we perceive as Pharisees. Unfortunately, it's these sections that I think Keller plays too much into the evangelical ethos of constant introspection and show more second-guessing our interior motives. Eventually, we all have to acknowledge our own pride and selfishness before God and cast ourselves on Him alone for our salvation. Locating our assurance on anything but the objective atonement Jesus has provided and sealed and confirmed in the ordinary means of grace is folly. show less