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Encounters with Jesus #1
The Skeptical Student
Introducing the first essay in the 'Encounters with Jesus" e-book series from renowned pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, author of Every Good Endeavor. The Skeptical Student applies biblical wisdom to life’s biggest questions through the inspiring story of Nathanael’s life-changing encounter in the Gospel of John.
The Gospels are full of encounters that made a profound impact on those who spoke with Jesus Christ. In the first essay of his new series, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, shows how those encounters can still have a deep effect on us today. Through a lively examination of the biblical passage where Nathanael, the skeptical student, meets with Jesus, Keller reveals how this interaction is about life’s deep Who are we? Why are we here? Why be a good person? Why love instead of hate? This first essay in the ten-part series of Encounters with Jesus also includes an exclusive look at Timothy Keller’s new book on faith and Every Good Connecting Your Work to God’s Work.
The Gospels are full of encounters that made a profound impact on those who spoke with Jesus Christ. In the first essay of his new series, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, shows how those encounters can still have a deep effect on us today. Through a lively examination of the biblical passage where Nathanael, the skeptical student, meets with Jesus, Keller reveals how this interaction is about life’s deep Who are we? Why are we here? Why be a good person? Why love instead of hate? This first essay in the ten-part series of Encounters with Jesus also includes an exclusive look at Timothy Keller’s new book on faith and Every Good Connecting Your Work to God’s Work.
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2012
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518 people want to read
About the author
Timothy J. Keller
396 books5,740 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 27, 2013
Keller keeps turning out books and they are continually excellent. Is anyone else doing this? What I love about Keller’s writing is they have the perfect balance between theological rootedness, breadth of knowledge, and practical Christian living impetus. He’s not writing books about how many angels are dancing on needle heads.
This book might be more rightly called a pamphlet due its size (it’s about 20 pages). But Keller wastes no time and there’s no fluff. The book is geared for skeptics but Christians could glean a great deal from this book. Keller admonishes us,
Taking the time and effort to answer hard questions gives believers the opportunity to deepen their own faith while creating the possibility that doubtful people may become open to the joy of Christianity. (p. 8)
A lot of Christians I know are afraid of answering hard questions. They don’t see those kinds of conversations as faith-deepening experiences. This book will help you feel more comfortable. With this book you can sit back and learn from a skilled pastor who answers these questions frequently.
Keller employs a technique (which you may be familiar with if you’ve read his other stuff). He finds a common belief and then demonstrates how Christianity’s other beliefs connect to those common beliefs. For example,
By despising Christianity you sever the living taproot to what are probably many of your own core values. As we noted, Christianity originated one of the foundational ideas of peaceful civilization—that you should love your enemies, not kill them. Another idea foundational to our contemporary consciousness, as Luc Ferry points out, is the concept that every single human being, regardless of talent or wealth or race or gender, is made in God’s personal image and therefore has dignity and rights. Ferry says that without Christianity’s teaching that the Logos is a person and other doctrines, “the philosophy of human rights to which we subscribe today would never have established itself.” (p. 12)
He makes a distinction between Christianity and all other philosophies/religions (p. 13). He explains the Christian gospel is about what Christ has done for us whereas all other religions urge you to “do something to connect with God.” It’s these kinds of simple yet profoundly helpful insights you can expect from Keller.
If you’re looking for a book to read with someone who is skeptical or searching this should be the book of choice. It explores the big questions for life and will serve as a jumping point for further conversations. It will also deepen your faith along the way.
This book might be more rightly called a pamphlet due its size (it’s about 20 pages). But Keller wastes no time and there’s no fluff. The book is geared for skeptics but Christians could glean a great deal from this book. Keller admonishes us,
Taking the time and effort to answer hard questions gives believers the opportunity to deepen their own faith while creating the possibility that doubtful people may become open to the joy of Christianity. (p. 8)
A lot of Christians I know are afraid of answering hard questions. They don’t see those kinds of conversations as faith-deepening experiences. This book will help you feel more comfortable. With this book you can sit back and learn from a skilled pastor who answers these questions frequently.
Keller employs a technique (which you may be familiar with if you’ve read his other stuff). He finds a common belief and then demonstrates how Christianity’s other beliefs connect to those common beliefs. For example,
By despising Christianity you sever the living taproot to what are probably many of your own core values. As we noted, Christianity originated one of the foundational ideas of peaceful civilization—that you should love your enemies, not kill them. Another idea foundational to our contemporary consciousness, as Luc Ferry points out, is the concept that every single human being, regardless of talent or wealth or race or gender, is made in God’s personal image and therefore has dignity and rights. Ferry says that without Christianity’s teaching that the Logos is a person and other doctrines, “the philosophy of human rights to which we subscribe today would never have established itself.” (p. 12)
He makes a distinction between Christianity and all other philosophies/religions (p. 13). He explains the Christian gospel is about what Christ has done for us whereas all other religions urge you to “do something to connect with God.” It’s these kinds of simple yet profoundly helpful insights you can expect from Keller.
If you’re looking for a book to read with someone who is skeptical or searching this should be the book of choice. It explores the big questions for life and will serve as a jumping point for further conversations. It will also deepen your faith along the way.
May 10, 2025
One of the better sermonettes in this series.
January 18, 2013
Taking the time and effort to answer hard questions gives believers the opportunity to deeper their own faith while creating the possibility that doubtful people may become open to the joy of Christianity
Author Timothy Keller advises us that he has 20 years of experience as a pastor in Manhattan, a place full of young skeptics. He delivers a series of essays to students in Oxford in 2012, which is the basis of this series of e-books -- THE SKEPTICAL STUDENT, being the first.
Keller uses an interaction between Jesus and Nathanael, from the Gospel of John, as a model for handling skepticism, both in one's own mind and in conversations with those who may be hesitant towards Christianity. He draws a distinction between a prevalent mindset of intellectual snobbery -- which he described as dismissing and ridiculing people and concepts without careful consideration, and genuine willingness to question and consider those same things carefully and thoughtfully before formulating an opinion.
Keller states that Christian distinguishes itself as a belief system that is open to all, regardless of intellectual capacity, because unlike those lifestyles have philosophical contemplation and intellectual pursuits as the necessary core and driver of life, Christianity allows anyone to engage in a relationship with Jesus and to allow themselves to be transformed. He states that even those who are skeptical or entirely dismissive of Christianity still possess underlying foundations for their own answers to the questions of life's ultimate meaning or purposes, and advises that Christianity be extended in terms of compelling reasons for believe versus an unshakeable system of proof, which cannot wholly be obtained.
He uses Nathanael's interaction with Jesus as an example of a person turning from intellectual snobbery to an openness to accepting Jesus and his core teachings. He says that the passage in John demonstrates that a skeptic is still one who is ultimately searching for a foundational system of beliefs but advises that openness on the part of the thinker as well as those who present the Gospel, is the key to creating an environment for an open dialogue.
This was certainly an interesting essay, but I guess I was just expecting more. Skeptics should be open and those who speak to them should focus on communicating appealing reasons for considering a religion that is not dependent on intellectual capacity? Was that the point here?
Author Timothy Keller advises us that he has 20 years of experience as a pastor in Manhattan, a place full of young skeptics. He delivers a series of essays to students in Oxford in 2012, which is the basis of this series of e-books -- THE SKEPTICAL STUDENT, being the first.
Keller uses an interaction between Jesus and Nathanael, from the Gospel of John, as a model for handling skepticism, both in one's own mind and in conversations with those who may be hesitant towards Christianity. He draws a distinction between a prevalent mindset of intellectual snobbery -- which he described as dismissing and ridiculing people and concepts without careful consideration, and genuine willingness to question and consider those same things carefully and thoughtfully before formulating an opinion.
Keller states that Christian distinguishes itself as a belief system that is open to all, regardless of intellectual capacity, because unlike those lifestyles have philosophical contemplation and intellectual pursuits as the necessary core and driver of life, Christianity allows anyone to engage in a relationship with Jesus and to allow themselves to be transformed. He states that even those who are skeptical or entirely dismissive of Christianity still possess underlying foundations for their own answers to the questions of life's ultimate meaning or purposes, and advises that Christianity be extended in terms of compelling reasons for believe versus an unshakeable system of proof, which cannot wholly be obtained.
He uses Nathanael's interaction with Jesus as an example of a person turning from intellectual snobbery to an openness to accepting Jesus and his core teachings. He says that the passage in John demonstrates that a skeptic is still one who is ultimately searching for a foundational system of beliefs but advises that openness on the part of the thinker as well as those who present the Gospel, is the key to creating an environment for an open dialogue.
This was certainly an interesting essay, but I guess I was just expecting more. Skeptics should be open and those who speak to them should focus on communicating appealing reasons for considering a religion that is not dependent on intellectual capacity? Was that the point here?
January 2, 2015
Timothy Keller has a book entitled Encounters With Jesus that has this entire book as a chapter in it. I assumed this book would be an expansion of the chapter and was disappointed to find it was an unnecessary purchase. The material is good - but just a duplication of a chapter in a book I already had read.
August 29, 2015
Nathanael in John chapter 1 is the skeptic, does anything good come from Nazareth? Shortly after that Nathanael is convinced Jesus is the Messiah. This is a very short essay based on this encounter and looks at Nathanael's problem, his need, and his prescription. I enjoy Keller's books but I didn't care for this one as much.
February 27, 2013
This is a great book for skeptics and/or people who have relationships with skeptics. Keller does a great job writing in an easy to read and concise manner. I didn't realize it was as short as it actually is. It's a great and easy read.
April 28, 2013
Short essay from Keller regarding the disciple Nathaneal and skepticism. He's such an excellent teacher, easy to read with solid exegetics and application. Looking forward to the next 4 in the series.
April 10, 2016
I'm reading this series in hopes of being better able to share my faith with those who for one reason or another have rejected God. This essay dealt with skepticism and has definitely provided me with some insights on how to help other skeptics in a search for purpose and meaning to life.
January 2, 2015
Great little book on Jesus' interaction with Nathanael.
January 12, 2013
Classic Keller. Addressed to skeptics and covers Jesus' interaction with Nathaniel. .
May 26, 2013
I like the reminder that all of us have a God-designed purpose! Great-read!
February 7, 2013
Brief ebook about Jesus' interaction with Nathanael. Good stuff.
April 7, 2017
Just a short essay, as all the ones in this "series" are. It an intro to the series and not worth the $1.99 I had to pay for it. Sorry Pastor Keller.
December 20, 2013
A fresh look at an old story: Nathanael's brief initial encounter with Jesus.
May 25, 2013
Love the blend of depth and clarity in Keller's stuff.
July 11, 2013
Short read that focuses on Nathaniel as prototypical of skeptical inquiry into Jesus. It is the usual quality you expect from Keller.
June 26, 2015
Incomplete
only downloaded the introduction
and a sample of
his next book
the introduction was very interesting
wished there was more
only downloaded the introduction
and a sample of
his next book
the introduction was very interesting
wished there was more
August 6, 2013
I appreciate learning with tactic that leaves me curious for more.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews