• The Reason for God

  • Belief in an Age of Skepticism
  • By: Timothy Keller
  • Narrated by: Timothy Keller
  • Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (4,220 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Reason for God  By  cover art

The Reason for God

By: Timothy Keller
Narrated by: Timothy Keller
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The End of Faith. The God Delusion. God Is Not Great. Letter to a Christian Nation. Best seller lists are filled with doubters. But what happens when you actually doubt your doubts?

Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and potent reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. To true believers he offers a solid platform on which to stand their ground against the backlash to religion created by the Age of Skepticism. And to skeptics, atheists, and agnostics, he provides a challenging argument for pursuing the reason for God.

©2008 Timothy Keller (P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"It is easy to understand [Timothy Keller's] appeal." (The New York Times)

"In a flood of best sellers by skeptics and atheists...Keller stands out as an effective counterpoint and defender of the faith. The Reason for God makes a tight, accessible case for reasoned religious belief." (The Washington Post)

"It's a provocative premise, in pursuit of which Keller...takes on nonbelievers from evolutionary biologists to the recent rash of atheist authors." (The Boston Globe)

What listeners say about The Reason for God

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,620
  • 4 Stars
    420
  • 3 Stars
    98
  • 2 Stars
    43
  • 1 Stars
    39
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,783
  • 4 Stars
    509
  • 3 Stars
    136
  • 2 Stars
    24
  • 1 Stars
    20
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,938
  • 4 Stars
    324
  • 3 Stars
    86
  • 2 Stars
    29
  • 1 Stars
    42

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unrivaled Apologetics

Any additional comments?

I know.. a good child of God should never compare, but this is far superior to any defense I've ever read by Stroebl, Piper, or Yancey (my favorite writer). As the pages were being read, I became overwhelmingly sad.. sad that I couldn't possible retain all the points being made to memory.. sad that I had so many audiobooks on my wishlist and couldn't just listen to this one over and over again.. sad that not even a meaningful fraction of this planet's inhabitants will ever read or listen to this book.
Having read all that Hitchens and Dawkins (atheist writers) have to say, this sub-6-hour listen puts every major argument to rest with the subtle efficiency of Keller's brilliant prose.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

73 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

For the reasonably atheist.

I am a 25 year old banker. Never believed in God, although I was raised in a Christian family. I must say the most important premise in this book, is that when we believe that there is no God, Who or what are we believing? Not ourselves, that's certain. We are believing ideas and thoughts generated by science or what we call common sense. However when we look at things even from a reasons point of view, it makes more sense, even scientifically, to believe in God rather than not to. Listen to this book, you will not be disappointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

56 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Rocky Balboa of Apologetics

Keller is masterful at conveying the heart of Christianity. Entrenched in ministry in NYC, he's certainly the seeker's saint. He does an EXCEPTIONAL job of defending his faith in a way which would not (in my opinion) make others defensive about theirs. While not dumping anything down, he delivers a message which is concise, meaningful, effective and ENGAGING.

A GREAT listen filled with anecdotal stories, high theology and historical facts. Would recommend it to both battle-hardened apologists who have forgotten WHY they do what they do, and to seekers who have no basis for Truth. Not the biggest or most comprehensive evangelistic works out there, but certainly the one with the biggest heart!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

52 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

WOW!

WOW! I am (almost) speechless! This has got to be my FAVorite read in the last year!! Tim Keller is the strong bridge between the dichotomy of super intelligent (head) and super lover (heart)! Listening to him read his own words made it so personal - I felt as though we were having a deep and meaningful conversation over coffee in a comfortable cafe somewhere in the city. Again, I say, "WOW!" - ANY person, regardless of creed or religion would benefit from diving into the "deep-end" with this very thoughtful, very intelligent man! Thank you, Mr. Keller - you are well-read, respectful, and incredibly gracious!! And thank you, Audible, for making this so accessible! It is one I will listen to over and over again - and suggest to ALL my friends!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

C.S. Lewis for the Postmodern

Lewis wrote to deal with Modernism, Keller writes for postmodernism. Keller offers a unique and loving approach to explain the conflict of theism and atheism.

Keller is not as deep as C.S. Lewis but makes up for it with heart. A most excellent read!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

I had to stop listening

One of the premises of this book from the start is the notion that the Bible is infallible. I don't buy into that premise. I had to stop listening and wish I could get my money back. I should have done more research on the author before I downloaded this audio.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Soli Deo gloria!

Tim Keller does an excellent job in this book. His love for the congregation clearly comes out. I only disagree on some doctrines that I do not consider critical to one's walk as a Christian. Read his chapter on forgiveness - excellent. It has helped my wife as well as myself with family struggles.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Great narration of logical fallacies!

I agree with some of the other reviewers that Mr. Keller does a great job of narration. However I was very disappointed in the arguments for God. I was expecting some real evidence and this book is full of logical fallacies and uses the Bible to prove the Bible. I am less a believer now then prior to reading this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Insightful material

Timothy has an excellent reading voice. Also I appreciated his ability to take complex material with a clear, critical eye. His philosophy education was shown throughout the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

For You, Wherever You Are on the Spectrum of Faith

This book is excellent. Exactly what I needed to read right now.

If you are a nonbeliever with questions or issues with Christianity, then I recommend this. Keller (one of my heroes) gives clear and logical attention to seven common questions non-Christians have about God, the Bible, and faith. If you are a believer and have never taken a moment to examine your faith and address your questions and doubts or if you have struggled to talk about hard theological questions with nonbelievers, I also recommend this to you. It's important to have faith grounded in truth and not in tradition or comfort.

For me personally, Keller's explanation of the Gospel and why Jesus had to die was life-giving and powerful to my long-standing faith. I find myself mulling over some of these words and ideas in my day-to-day life of mothering and writing. He reminds us that the Gospel is valuable and necessary and powerful for even the most mundane tasks as well as in the great heroic actions. It is applicable in the here and now as well as in eternity. But he uses crisp intellectual and philosophical explanations that cut through a lot of the emotionalism that accompanies many books on faith.

Keller reads his own book with simple, clear narration that is not overly performed but still draws you into the content and leaves you wanting more. I highly recommend this audiobook.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful