Today is publication day.
No, not for Uneasy Citizenship — though that manuscript is moving through production and is on track to be released later this year or early next year, just in time for the 2024 presidential election. No, I’m referencing QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross, a collection of essays on Christianity and conspiracy theories. I wrote a chapter (“Conspiracy Theories, Political Trust, and Christian Witness”), and I’m grateful to be featured in this volume alongside several admirable scholars and people.
Two of them are Mike Austin and Kaitlyn Schiess. Mike is a philosophy professor at Eastern Kentucky University, whom I had the pleasure of getting to know during my two years teaching in Richmond. And Kaitlyn is a doctoral student at Duke Divinity School and a leading voice on Christianity and public life, and with whom I have the pleasure of serving as a fellow with the Center for Christianity and Public Life.
I know it’s short notice, but tonight at 7pm CDT Mike, Kaitlyn, and I will be participating in a panel sponsored by the American Values Coalition about this new book. Sign up here to join us for what promises to be an informal yet informative conversation.
Lastly, you may have heard that Tim Keller died last week after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Keller was a pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America, the author of dozens of books on theology and Christian living, and a speaker whose ministry and public platform set the tone for what Christian engagement should look like in a pluralistic age. He was, by all accounts, generous, kind, and uncompromising on the truth of the gospel.
Not surprisingly, tributes and remembrances have been pouring in. Here are some of my favorites:
Collin Hansen of The Gospel Coalition—and the author of Keller’s definitive biography—reflects on Keller’s legacy and ministry
In a special edition of his podcast, Christianity Today’s Russell Moore shares excerpts of conversations he had with Keller over the years. On Twitter, Moore said Keller’s death was “an incalculable loss,” but continued, “He need no longer explain the reason for God, just to enjoy him forever.”
Writing for The Atlantic, Peter Wehner, a veteran of the George H.W. and W. Bush administrations, recalls the success of Keller’s ministry, which culminated in pastoring Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City: “One of the things that made Tim distinct,” Wehner said, “was his ability to bring an ancient faith into the modern city, into the lives of busy young professionals who might otherwise have dismissed it, and to do so with quiet confidence and not hostile defensiveness.”
The New York Times’ David Brooks remembers Keller as an intellectually gifted yet emotionally resonant communicator: “Tim could draw on a vast array of intellectual sources to argue for the existence of God, to draw piercing psychological insights from the troubling parts of Scripture or to help people through moments of suffering. His voice was warm, his observations crystal clear.”
In The New Yorker, Michael Luo recalls going to Redeemer to see Tim preach one Sunday, calling him, “perhaps the most gifted communicator of historically orthodox Christian teachings in the country.”
James Wood, a professor at Redeemer University and critic of overly winsome Christianity, highlights Keller’s influence on his Christian faith.
PCA pastor Chris Hutchinson recalls getting email from a man named “Tim,” asking if they could chat briefly. Chris and Keller—who, prior to this email, Chris had only “barely interacted” with—talked for 90 minutes.
I could go on. A man like Keller touched too many lives and formed too many faiths to count. Though the Christian community grieves the loss of this giant of evangelism and ministry, we take comfort that his faith is now sight, and that, upon meeting Jesus face to face, he heard the words all Christians long to hear. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Thanks for the alert on the new book. I'll look for it. I am grateful for people like Tim Keller, who modeled grace while still being grounded in orthodox faith. It can be done. God help us all.