Book Review: Forgive by Tim Keller
Book Review: Forgive by Tim Keller
27 December 2022
Why is forgiveness a crucial part of Christianity? In his new book, Forgive, Tim Keller explores the biblical foundations of the practice and shows how Christ’s decision to forgive was so countercultural.
Tim Keller has written a lot of books on big topics: biblical theology, contemporary apologetics, preaching, prayer and even biblical commentaries. So when I found out that his next book would be on forgiveness, I found it a bit underwhelming. Was this a waste of his brilliance and insights? After all, hasn’t this topic been written about and discussed ad nauseam by other writers and thinkers?
Forgiveness is a topic that can make or break people, and it is controversial. We live in a cancel culture where removing someone rather than forgiving them is supposedly more virtuous. So yes, forgiveness is a timely, important and hard topic to write about.
In typical Keller fashion, he brings to the surface aspects of forgiveness that we may or may not realise. Things like conflict over forgiveness, where many argue that forgiveness helps perpetrators to escape accountability; the fading of forgiveness, where the concept of forgiveness becomes increasingly problematic; and the indelible need for forgiveness – that the need to grant and to receive forgiveness cannot be ignored.
To understand the need and importance of forgiveness in our community, Keller explains the nature of God through a biblical survey. I believe that a crucial element to forgiveness is to understand what it is not. Culminating in the life, teachings and sacrifice of Jesus, Keller explains how the concept of forgiveness was revolutionary in Christianity. Ancient Greeks and Romans didn’t forgive – it was beneath them. To have the Son of God cry out, “Father forgive them ...” was countercultural back then, and is still countercultural today.
While the Church embodies forgiveness through our worship of Jesus and our teaching of the Bible, sadly it is sometimes also a place where forgiveness is hard to find. The very nature of sinners gathering together every week, rubbing shoulders and living together in a community, means forgiveness needs to be a part of a balanced diet in local churches.
There are too many stories where forgiveness is not granted or received. Or it is poorly executed and applied. Churches are filled with stories of broken people whose hearts are broken by other broken people. Yes, there is plenty of brokenness in the Church, not to mention the number of people who leave the Church due to lack of forgiveness.
This book helps me affirm a few things about forgiveness – that forgiveness is needed, forgiveness is revolutionary, forgiveness is hard, and forgiveness is costly. I hope this book can be a resource for anyone who needs to grant or receive forgiveness. Moreover, I pray this book can raise awareness of what forgiveness can do in God’s beautiful churches.
Available online and at Christian bookstores.
TANWIN TANOTO IS A MINISTER AT HURSTVILLE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN NSW.
Comments
No comments yet - be the first.