Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?

by Timothy Keller

Overview

Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller outlines the reasons why forgiveness has to be a central part of everyone’s lives.

“To err is human, to forgive divine,” has long been aspirational. But our complicated modern world has questioned the benefits of forgiveness. Timothy Keller passionately defends the central role forgiveness has to play in our lives, and shows readers how and why forgiveness is the only way forward in an imperfect world.

Forgiving anyone in a meaningful way is one of the hardest things a person can do. If you do not forgive, resentment and vengeance consume you. It is impossible to move past transgression without forgiveness, but few people have the resources and the tools to forgive others fully and move on with their lives. Forgiveness is an essential skill, a moral imperative, and a religious belief that cuts right to the core of what it means to be human. In Forgive, Timothy Keller shows readers whyit is so important and how to do it, explaining in detail the steps you need to take in order to move on without sacrificing either justice or your humanity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525560760
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	53,439
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Timothy Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He was first a pastor in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1989 he started Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons. Today, Redeemer has become a network of sister churches and church plants. After stepping out of the pulpit, Dr. Keller worked with Redeemer City to City to help affiliate networks around the world to plant over 750 churches worldwide. He taught at Reformed Seminary NYC. Also the author of Every Good Endeavor, The Meaning of Marriage, Generous Justice, Counterfeit Gods, The Prodigal God, Jesus the King, and The Reason for God, as well as many others, Timothy Keller lived in New York City with his wife until his passing on May 19th, 2023.

Editorial Reviews

People in all walks of life can find value in this book about spiritual forgiveness. Keller is a well-known pastor and author, and his insights into the true meaning of living in forgiveness will spark discussions and motivate action.”
—Forbes

“Pastor Keller delivers a thorough and eloquent apologetic for forgiveness... All will appreciate Keller’s lucid prose and gift for succinctly summarizing biblical wisdom. The result is a thought-provoking take on how to forgive.”
—Publishers Weekly

“The author presents a solid defense of Christian forgiveness theology within a modern, relevant context, quoting sources as varied as Augustine, Adele, Kafka, and Clint Eastwood....Refreshing, accessible work on the basics of forgiveness from a Christian perspective.”
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

09/05/2022

Pastor Keller (Hope in Times of Fear) delivers a thorough and eloquent apologetic for forgiveness. Keller anchors his study in the Christian parable of the unforgiving servant, in which a king forgives the debt of a servant who later refuses to remit a smaller debt owed to him by another servant and is punished for his hard-heartedness. Keller outlines the elements of forgiveness, which include being humble, wishing the offending party well, and understanding that “human forgiveness is dependent on divine forgiveness.” He pushes back against the rise of a contemporary “shame-and-honor culture” in which forgiveness is thought to weaken accountability and forestall justice, instead arguing that justice and forgiveness are yoked and that unity is enacted in Jesus’s crucifixion and request that his persecutors be forgiven. Parsing the teachings of Paul, Keller urges readers to pray for and maintain a relationship with evildoers because “evil wins when it distorts your relationship with others.” Christians whose theological understandings of the crucifixion differ from that of the author might not be persuaded by his arguments around the intersection of forgiveness and justice, but all will appreciate Keller’s lucid prose and gift for succinctly summarizing biblical wisdom. The result is a thought-provoking take on how to forgive. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

2022-10-12
Promoting the Christian concept of forgiveness to an unforgiving world.

Pastor and theologian Keller, author of The Reason for God, The Meaning of Marriage, Hope in Times of Fear, and many other bestselling Christian-focused books, introduces forgiveness through the biblical parable of the unforgiving servant. Using this story, the author concludes that forgiveness, as understood in Christianity, has three dimensions: “First there is the vertical— God’s forgiveness to us. Second there is the internal—our granting forgiveness to anyone who has wronged us. Third there is the horizontal—our offer to reconcile. The horizontal is based on the internal and the internal is based on the vertical.” Keller contrasts these teachings with modern culture, which is a “reverse honor culture—also called ‘cancel culture’—that ends up valuing not strength but fragility and creates a society of constant good-versus-evil conflict.” Such a culture “sweeps away the very concept of forgiveness and reconciliation,” leaving us with a view of forgiveness as being anti-justice and anti-victim. Under such an ethos, forgiveness must be earned. After these introductory concepts, Keller goes on to explain how Christian ideas of forgiveness do indeed provide for justice, allow healing for victims, and promote a healthier society. He notes that God’s offer of forgiveness for us, a motif found throughout the Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament, is the basis on which we can forgive others. In other words, one’s ability to forgive begins with an acknowledgement that all people need forgiveness. Keller also explains that forgiveness is at its best in the context of reconciliation with another. If that is not possible, then it can still be a meaningful tool in finding peace and controlling anger. The author presents a solid defense of Christian forgiveness theology within a modern, relevant context, quoting sources as varied as Augustine, Adele, Kafka, and Clint Eastwood.

Refreshing, accessible work on the basics of forgiveness from a Christian perspective.

Kirkus Reviews