The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Timothy Keller (1950-2023) was the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, a leading figure in his denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America. He was also a co-founder of both The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer City to City, parachurch ministries devoted to the union of like-minded churches and the training of pastors around the world.

Although he had been well-known in New York City since the 1990s, he emerged to national prominence with the publication of The Reason for God in 2008, followed by many other books in the subsequent years. As a Presbyterian, he was a major figure in the contemporary Calvinist theological tradition (also called the Reformed tradition), which had experienced a resurgence of popularity in Evangelical Christian circles in the first two decades of the 21st century.

Keller was raised in the Lutheran tradition but only fully experienced a conversion to personal Christian faith during his college years at Bucknell University. He pursued graduate studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and doctoral studies at Westminster Theological Seminary and began serving in pastoral ministry at Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1989, Keller was invited by his denomination to undertake the founding pastorate of a new church plant, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City’s Manhattan borough, a role in which he flourished.