Random Recommendation: Tim Keller

I'm a big Tim Keller fan. Ever since I read his "The Prodigal God" as a fresher, I've devoured his output both written and audio voraciously. Keller, in my mind, is a brilliant representative of biblical, informed, compassionate evangelicalism. Every book of his that I've read I have enjoyed, appreciated, and been impacted by. Fortunately, he's written a fair few! One of the things I especially like about Kellers books is, oddly, the design. Having a good cover is not that important, but I really like the simplicity and design of the book covers, for the most part. The less well known books by Keller tend to have slightly random covers, but the main ones have a great common theme, and are helpfully all in different colours!

Seriously, though, I can heartily recommend everything by Tim Keller that I've read, and so here follows a cluster of recommendations of some great books.

The first of them I love is "The Prodigal God", a slim and powerful book where Keller uses the story of the Prodigal Son to focus on Jesus. Its a worthwhile read wherever you are in relation to faith and Jesus, regardless if you've been following him for 80 years or hadn't given him a second thought. My review can be found here.


Secondly I love - as does my wife - his superb "The Meaning of Marriage", a book on marriage that Tim collaborated on with his wife Kathy. This excellent book is a brilliant restatement of the Christian vision for marriage, with a multitude of valuable and useful observations. My review can be found here.

Thirdly is a topic dear, or estranged, from many Christian hearts. Work. In "Every Good Endeavour", Keller has provided us with an excellent, comprehensive and readable biblical understanding of work. I'd recommend it to final year students as well as the unemployed, in addition to the more obvious market of those currently working! My review can be found here.


One of Keller's best known books is "The Reason for God", which is a brilliant introduction to the arguments for the existence of God, forceful yet graceful, from a man who is the pastor of one of the largest churches in one of the largest cities in the world. Highly recommended for sceptics, cynics, and those who love them. My review is forthcoming.

At the heart of Christianity is the Cross, and Kellers book "Kings Cross" engages that story beautifully. It is a very helpful look at the way this intriguing heart of the Christian story impacts and engages us today. My review can be found here.



Christians, and the God we worship, are also incredibly interested in issues of Justice and Compassion. Or at least, we should be. Keller has written a powerful book, "Generous Justice", on this subject, bringing it back to an understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and a useful discussion of how God's Kingdom is advanced and the implications of the Gospel. My review can be found here.

Slightly less well known, perhaps, is Tim Keller's "The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness". Nattily subtitled "The path to true Christian Joy", this is a helpful little book about what it means to be a truly free, truly joyful person. My review is forthcoming.




Finally, at least for now, is one of Kellers resources for Churches, "Gospel in Life", which is a very useful and powerful 8-session course on the Gospel and how it applies to the whole of our lives. My review is forthcoming.

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