Since there are so many other issues raised concerning the historicity and trustworthiness of the Bible, what plans should you make? Have you experienced “pointless” suffering that later, in hindsight, you could see had a point for which you became grateful? How did they define “fanaticism” and “off the deep end”? 13. The Reason for God small group Bible study can be used individually, with groups, or by any believer who is engaging with friends who don’t share his or her beliefs. We will continue to meet, covering one chapter per week, through to the end of December (for the first half of the book). Before your meeting, outline your information goals and a sequence of related questions to help you follow the conversation and cue your notes. What troubles you most about its beliefs or how it is practiced?” [p. 3] Do you make a habit of asking non-Christians questions similar to that? The panel includes atheists and agnostics. What difference does it make? “Instead of trying to shape our desires to fit reality,” Keller says, “we now seek to control and shape reality to fit our desires” [p. 71]. Either this is reportage … or else, some unknown [ancient] writer … without known predecessors or successors, suddenly, anticipated the whole technique of modern novelistic, realistic, narrative” [p. 106]. Christians will be challenged to wrestle with their friends and neighbors’ hardest questions, and to engage those questions in ways that will spark an honest, enriching, and humbling dialogue. Why or why not? [p. 103]. 2. Finding Answers to: Life's Journey!, Life's Questions!, Life's Meaning!, Life's Purpose! Do you find this argument surprising? Do you agree? What unholy alliances between Christian faith and cultural values or political ideologies are present in our own society? Of this [gospel] text there are only two possible views. "The Reason for God, Belief in an Age of Skepticism," by Timothy Keller, is a pro-Christian work which lays out the major criticisms that modern skeptics have about faith and in particular Christianity. 5. Explaining why believing in something makes sense will make little or no sense if my explanation is not in categories my companion can understand and appreciate. Keller says that the Gnostic gospels, not the canonical gospels, “‘suck up’ to the ‘powers that be’” [p. 105]. “It is one thing,” Keller says, “to say that science is only equipped to test for natural causes and cannot speak to any others. How does secularism deal with suffering and evil? Inside this guide, you'll explore questions for group discussion and personal reflection, and exercises that will help you experience the truths of Jesus' parable in your own life. Does this 3-fold list surprise you? But it needs to be overcome every time, and thus there is an even holier angel than the one of pain, that is the one of joy in God” [p. 66-67]. Second, it gives reasons for Christian faith that are accessible, thoughtful and never overstated. It’s not because they are too Christian but because they are not Christian enough” [p. 57]. What do you hope the answer is? Because “all of us have fundamental, unprovable faith-commitments that we think are superior to those of others,” Keller argues that we must ask, “which fundamentals will lead their believers to be the most loving and receptive to those with whom they differ?” [p. 19-20]. In recent years some Western leaders particularly in the UK and US have argued that the basic values that undergird liberal democracy are shared by all people in every culture. Bible Study Guides 8. 1. Which was the one you were taught as a child? Christians will be challenged to wrestle with their friends and neighbors’ hardest questions, and to engage those questions in ways that will spark an honest, enriching, and humbling dialogue. Genesis 2 is an account of how it happened” [p. 94]. There is no reason for the author to include such names unless the readers know or could have access to them. Which one do you tend to identify with the most? [p. 38]. We all bring to issues intellectual predispositions based on our experiences” [p. 52]. 'Lord of the Flies' Questions for Study and Discussion How to Understand William Golding's Famous Novel. Keller says, “Every human community holds in common some beliefs that necessarily create boundaries, including some people and excluding others from its circle” [p. 39]. Office Hours: [p. 60-61]. We must be grateful, then, when God raises up someone who is gifted at listening to the culture, at identifying the questions being raised, and at thinking through the issues with a passion for truth, love, and the gospel. What reason does the monster give for “punishing” Justine? “The tendency of religious people,” Keller says, “is to use spiritual and ethical observance as a lever to gain power over others and over God, appeasing him through ritual and good works” [p. 59]. Do you share it? The questions are designed to get the group discussing the substance of Keller’s book, and may cover more detail than any particular group will be interested in covering.

Give examples of Christians denouncing something, rather than engaging in careful reasoning. Keller claims, “an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. What is his logic? 17. Printable Book Club Questions . Have you ever heard someone say that miracles were easily believed by the “more primitive” people of biblical times? The Reason for God: Conversations on Faith and Life is a DVD for small groups hosted by Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Ransom Fellowship was founded by Denis and Margie Haack in 1981. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. 9. How is Shelley using allusions to Paradise Lost? 16. 1. “The existence of God can be neither demonstrably proven or disproven” [p. 86]. The Biblical picture is that sin separates us from the presence of God, which is the source of all joy and indeed of all love, wisdom, or good things of any sort. of God raising someone from the dead… [This] argument… is like the drunk who insisted on looking for his lost car keys only under the streetlight on the grounds that the light was better there. “Violence done in the name of Christianity is a terrible reality and must be both addressed and redressed. Keller lists three reasons why the four gospel records of Jesus life, death, and resurrection should be taken as historically reliable [p. 100-109]. When is confrontation appropriate? How does Keller describe the ministry of Redeemer Presbyterian Church? 2. What are two ways in which it might improve? The Reason for God small group Bible study can be used individually, with groups, or by any believer who is engaging with friends who don’t share his or her beliefs. Does this seem to be the normal way Christians understand and speak about the incarnation and crucifixion? “We don’t reason with the other side; we only denounce” [p. xv]. When Keller says that complete inclusiveness is an illusion, does that make you uncomfortable? Why? Would you be comfortable suggesting them to a non-Christian friend? That achieves civility in a pluralistic society, which is no small thing” [p. xviii-xix]. 12. What is your response? 9. To what extent do you know this experientially? 8. “Think of people you consider fanatical,” Keller says. The Reason for God is worth reading, reflecting on, and discussing with friends—both Christians and non-Christians. C. S. Lewis is quoted as saying, “To ‘see through’ all things is the same as not to see” [p. 37]… “If you say all truth-claims are power plays, then so is your statement… To see through everything is not to see. Do you find it a good response to the objection we are considering? Use this discussion guide to The Reason for God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism, by pastor and author Timothy Keller, to guide your small group through some of the toughest questions people have about faith. To what extent should Christians help people because they might be get saved as a result? This discussion guide, used with The Reason for God DVD, will help you and your group learn how to engage others in dialogue on six common objections to Christianity. It is quite another to insist that science proves that no other causes could possibly exist” [p. 85]. If you find that little or nothing in the world angers you, what does this say about you? What reasons does Keller give for this assertion? What specific issues did they have in mind? 1. 10. August 20, 2015 August 20, 2015 ljcrum. “Christianity answered this historical challenge by a reorientation of the worldview,” Sanneh says, “People sensed in their hearts that Jesus did not mock their respect for the sacred nor their clamor for an invincible Savior, and so they beat their sacred drums for him until the stars skipped and danced in the skies. These are just a few of the questions and doubts even ardent believers wrestle with today. “Alister McGrath points out that when the idea of God is gone, a society will ‘transcendentalize’ something else, some other concept, in order to appear morally and spiritually superior” [p. 55]. Does this not seem to be an elitist argument? The Church is responsible for so much injustice. Where do you find yourself now? This discussion guide is designed to be used with the DVD sessions. What impact has the shift from what was, a century ago, generally “a culture of belief” to today’s “culture of skepticism” had on Christian belief? 25-26). [59-60]. 10 am via Zoom In the past, when you read such details in the gospel records did you see that the author meant this? Does this resonate with your sense of your fellow Christians? 10. [p. 42-44]. 2. The questions are designed to get the group discussing the substance of Keller’s book, and may cover more detail than any particular group will be interested in covering. Welcome to The Reason for God. Sociologist Robert Bellah finds that 80% of Americans are convinced that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious beliefs independent of any church or synagogue… that the most fundamental belief in American culture is that moral truth is relative to individual consciousness” [p. 70]. “I think Genesis 1 has the earmarks of poetry,” Keller says, “and is therefore a ‘song’ about the wonder and meaning of God’s creation. The guide and DVD are not about getting armed with arguments and answers so that they can be used as generic responses whenever anyone asks you … Journey to the Manger – Advent 2020 at Church of the Servant, Chapter Two – “How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?”, Chapter Three – “Christianity Is a Straitjacket”, Chapter Four – “The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice”, Chapter Five – “How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?”, Chapter Six – “Science Has Disproved Christianity”, Chapter Seven – “You Can’t Take the Bible Literally”, Chapter Eleven – “Religion and the Gospel”, Chapter Twelve – “The (True) Story of the Cross”, Chapter Thirteen – “The Reality of the Resurrection”, Antiracism and Reconciliation Newsletters, Antiracism and Reconciliation Reading Lists, House Church Resources – December 25 and 27, 2020. A collection of 163 Student Opinion questions from this school year still open to comment on our blog. “Human beings are most free and alive in relationships of love. Session 6-The Reason for God Study. 14. Christians will be challenged to wrestle with their friends and neighbors’ hardest questions, and to engage those questions in ways that will spark an honest, enriching, and humbling dialogue. Are you convinced this is true? Share Flipboard Email Print Penguin Group Literature. Is this a compelling argument? Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. What is a good, winsome way to present this truth to a skeptic without seeming arrogant or insensitive or offensive? What are the implications of this for the church in a rapidly changing, pluralistic culture like the United States? 39. The Reason for God small group Bible study can be used individually, with groups, or by any believer who is engaging with friends who don’t share his or her beliefs. What does this suggest? Given the refutation of the “story of the blind men and the elephant” [p. 8-9], how do we make this argument while maintaining the humility appropriate to knowing we see only in part, through a glass darkly (see 1 Corinthians 13)? Do you think Christianity should be understood to be a form of moral improvement? Is this common knowledge among Christians? Chapter 5. 3. Sometimes such questions evoke strong emotions—where do these come from? 12. How are notions of freedom (individual and otherwise) foundational to our society’s values? If not, can you see why some people might? Fire disintegrates. I’ll serve you though it means a sacrifice for me.’ If he has done this for us, we can and should say the same to God and others. How do evangelicals fare today by this standard? Summarize each objectively and clearly in language that would be readily understood and appreciated by a non-Christian who does not have a churched background. What is the difference between being lovingly exclusive and narrow-mindedly oppressive? 1. If you have any questions about the study, or about God in general, feel free to email me from the link in the right sidebar. Is this the view of the future that Christians tend to believe in and hear about in church? Knowing God Personally 2. How many Christians engage in such long and hard struggle? The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism Questions for Study Part 2 Chapter 8: The Clues of God • Keller notes that the world, and indeed the whole universe, is “contingent” (pg. The perennial issues may not change, but different generations in different cultures may raise strikingly different questions in their quest to make sense of things. 10. We must not make settled, final decisions about anyone’s spiritual state or fate” [p. 80]. Use these guidelines when developing questions: Plan your questions. Hell, Keller says, is “the greatest monument to human freedom” [p. 79]. Second, it gives reasons for Christian faith that are accessible, thoughtful and never overstated. Christians will be challenged to wrestle with their friends and neighbors' hardest questions, and to engage those questions in ways that will spark an honest, enriching, and humbling dialogue. "The Reason For God" Discussion Questions Index Posted January 2, 2009 by Church of the Servant. Do you find them compelling? The Church is Responsible for so Much Injustice. Chapter 7. Why? Have you ever heard excuses given for it by Christians wanting to defend the honor of their faith? Why or why not? What does this say about you? Why? The Reason for God small group Bible study can be used individually, with groups, or by any believer who is engaging with friends who don’t share his or her beliefs. What reasons would you give if a non-Christian challenged it as untrue or implausible? Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Hasn't science disproved God? 4. [p. 99] What did they specifically challenge or doubt in the biblical texts? What about injustice? If you have any questions about the study, or about God in general, feel free to email me from the link in the right sidebar. 6. Can you think of a time when you used this argument inappropriately and hurt or angered someone? 15. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 293 pages and is available in Hardcover format. COMPLETE RESOURCE DIRECTORY BELOW. Which are you most drawn to? Have you ever heard this objection to Christianity? Does this resonate with your sense of your neighbors and co-workers? It would mean that no one could really know what Jesus said and did, and that the Bible could not be the authoritative norm over our life and beliefs. Sometimes arguments like this in defense of God are made in a tone that seems coldly logical—which offends doubters who are truly wounded by the horrible suffering they find in our broken world [p. 27]. [p. 40]. If it is true, why don’t we hear hell explained this way? Explain. It is a response to or perhaps an antidote to the the writings of popular authors like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. 7. 7. The COS building is currently closed. How does this correspond to the claims of miracles we sometimes hear about today? To what extent do evangelicals actively submit themselves and their churches to Christianity’s own resources for critiquing itself? The Reason for God small group Bible study can be used individually, with groups, or by any believer who is engaging with friends who don’t share his or her beliefs. QUESTIONS GOD. Together, they have created a ministry that includes lecturing, writing, teaching, feeding, and encouraging those who want to know more about what it means to be a Christian in the everyday life of the 21st century. Give examples of rhetoric from the side of skepticism; from the side of Christian faith; from the side of faiths other than Christianity. This was the best and the first of the harvest. 15. We all know of examples of how skeptics give ridiculous or offensive arguments against Christianity—ignoring for a moment the proper offense of the cross, give five examples of arguments against skepticism or for Christian faith where either the argument or the Christian are ridiculous or offensive to unbelievers. “Skepticism, fear, and anger toward traditional religion are growing in power and influence. The perennial issues of life never change. Christianity helped Africans to become renewed Africans, not re-made Europeans” [p. 41]. [p. 95] What other texts of Scripture reveal similar doubts about a miracle occurring? Do you agree? 9. How does this make you feel as a non-Christian? Since so many highly knowledgeable scholars are convinced this is the only possible conclusion, given the historical evidence, does this make you nervous? Tim Keller's The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (TRG, hereafter) is the result of the many questions about God and Christianity pastor Keller has received over the years during his time at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York. Many Christians might find this statement to be unsettling. The Reason for God small group Bible study can be used individually, with groups, or by any believer who is engaging with friends who don’t share his or her beliefs. To what extent do you agree with him? 8. How often do Christians seek the very best arguments of their opponents? 8. The guide and DVD are not about getting armed with arguments and answers so that they can be used as generic responses whenever anyone asks you … 3. Have you ever heard this understanding of the miraculous before? One person is quoted as saying that “the difference between Redeemer and other churches was profound and lay in ‘irony, charity, and humility’” [p. 43]. Why or why not? On October 1 a class began to review Tim Keller’s thought-provoking book, “The Reason for God”. How does this cause you to see hell? I will change for you. Is this a political idea Christians can endorse? How do this provide a better answer than every other worldview? Does this resonate with your experience of talking to people who raise this objection? Christians will be challenged to wrestle with their friends and neighbors’ hardest questions, and to engage those questions in ways that will spark an honest, enriching, and humbling dialogue. 13. What role has each played in your spiritual pilgrimage? Christians will be challenged to wrestle with their friends and neighbors’ hardest questions, and to engage those questions in ways that will spark an honest, enriching, and humbling dialogue. Bible Study Methods 6. Keller recommends that both skeptics and believers “look at doubt in a radically new way” [p. xvi]. by Denis Haack. They are notes to help guide and direct the discussion. Chapter 2: How Could a Good God Allow Suffering? Since we were originally created for God’s immediate presence, only before his face will we thrive, flourish, and achieve our highest potential. Only then is it safe and fair to disagree with it. How does our setting require a change in the reasons we give for belief? Discussions on Part 2 of the book beginning in January 2009: January 7: Chapter Nine – “The Knowledge of God”, January 14: Chapter Ten – “The Problem of Sin”, January 21: Chapter Eleven – “Religion and the Gospel”, February 4: Chapter Twelve – “The (True) Story of the Cross”, February 11: Chapter Thirteen – “The Reality of the Resurrection”, February 18: Chapter Fourteen – “The Dance of God”, February 18: Epilogue – “Where Do We Go from Here?”, 3835 Burton St SE What are the usual views of doubt? A true opium of the people is a belief in nothingness after death—the huge solace of thinking that our betrayals, greed, cowardice, murders are not going to be judged… [but] all religions recognize that our deeds are imperishable” [p. 75]. What similarities do these stories share?