A review of Tim Keller, The Reason for God DVD and Workbook, Zondervan, 2010.  

The DVD is available here from amazon.com. The accompanying workbook is available here from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. The DVD is not yet available from amazon.co.uk though when it is, it should be available here.

Tim Keller’s The Reason for God is a great introduction to the Christian faith that begins by tackling the common objections that people have to faith in Christ. It made top ten in the New York Times non-fiction best-seller list.

You’ve read the book, now you can watch the DVD. A DVD and workbook have just been released by Zondervan.

Except that this is not quite the book in DVD form. Keller has take a more creative approach. The six sessions are not monologues in which Keller presents the idea in the book. Instead he takes six common objections to Christianity and debates them with a group of unbelievers. Each session in about 18-20 minutes long. Keller gets perhaps a quarter of the air time. So these videos do not attempt to deliver knock-down arguments. The participants are not persuaded by the end of each session. Instead, each movie opens a discussion which includes a positive and engaging Christian perspective, but without this perspective dominating the debate. Keller does finish each session with a closing thought. This usually follows – as do many of his interventions – a presuppositional apologetic line. In other words, he turns the discussion back on the doubters to reveal the nature of their ‘faith’ and show the assumptions in their presuppositions.

So the movies are not designed to give to an unbelieving friend to watch on their own. I would suggest they can be used in two ways. First, with groups of Christians to give them the confidence to discuss the questions of their friends in a generous manner. Second, with groups of unbelievers as a way of opening up a discussion on their objections to Christianity. The introduction to the workbook says, ‘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 about your faith. Rather you should start to become conversant with ways to sensitively, gently, humbly, and respectfully talk about the objections.’

The videos are beautifully produced. Each sessions is a 20-minute selection from a series of unscripted longer discussions supplemented by personal interviews with the participants. Sometimes the discussion is a little highbrow with terminology like ‘semantics,’ ‘reductionistic’ and ‘pluralism’ (though Keller’s contributions are always accessible). But I would not think this would get in the way unless someone has a chip about inaccessible vocabulary. Highly recommended.

Here is a trailer and here are the session titles ...

1. Isn’t the Bible a Myth?

2. How Can You Say There Is Only One Way to God?

3. What Gives You the Right to Tell Me How to Live My Life?

4. Why Does God Allow Suffering?

5. Why Is the Church Responsible for So Much Injustice?

6. How Can God Be Full of Love and Wrath at the Same Time?

Here are my reviews of Keller’s The Prodigal God DVD and workbook and Gospel In Life DVD and Workbook - both also highly recommended.