![]() It is our responsibility to renew the biblical teaching on forgiveness and to show the world the unique resources both Christian belief and Christian community give us for it. The fact that he made this discovery in a religious context and articulated it in religious language is no reason to take it any less seriously in a strictly secular sense.’ Arendt is right that secular people can use forgiveness to great benefit, but Christian faith provides many more resources for it. Arendt goes so far as to say that ‘the Discoverer of the role of forgiveness in the realm of human affairs was Jesus of Nazareth. “The most obvious contribution that the church could make,” Keller says, “is to recover its own theology and practice of forgiveness and become a true counterculture that can serve as a witness to the world. And he concludes with an overview of the Christian view of justice that includes forgiveness. He identifies two cultural influences (our therapeutic culture & religion without grace) and counters with three voices that argue for the necessity of forgiveness (Hannah Arendt, Martin Luther King, Jr. The new human community that the Bible requires cuts across all cultures and temperaments. True forgiveness comes at a cost and is pursued intentionally within a community of believers. Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (Manhattan) begins by noting that the new generation of political activists intentionally dismiss forgiveness as part of the struggle for justice. TIMOTHY KELLER On both a theological and a practical level, forgiveness is at the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. “The Fading of Forgiveness: Tracing the disappearance of the thing we need most” by Timothy Keller in Comment (May 6, 2021). “Christians are able to love our enemy in this way because our enemy does not define us. “Forgiveness,” Richardson argues, “is one of the ways that Christians enter into engagement-one might even say conflict-with their enemies… Forgiveness is not a denial of history: it looks directly at the need for forgiveness and engages directly those who have committed and perpetuated social, political, systemic, and personal evils.” Richardson brings Coates ideas into engagement with Christian theologian Stanley Hauerwas’s ideas of Christian peacemaking. In this essay, the author argues that the fight for justice in a fallen world is essential but by itself is insufficient. Richardson, who is pastor of Cornerstone United Methodist Church (New Orleans) responds to Ta-Nehisi Coates rejection of forgiveness in his highly influential book, Between the World and Me (2015). Richardson in The Christian Century (May 5, 2021). “Forgiveness that Matters: The witness of peacemaking by a forgiven people” by Johnathan C. Here are two articles on forgiveness and public justice that I commend to you. Even when we disagree, in part or in whole, the opportunity to creatively and fearlessly hash through an issue addressed in an article is both bracing and life-giving. We need to interact with ideas within community, because it is a great way to grow in understanding on the process of deepening relationships. For one thing, they are short enough to be read and discussed with friends. ![]() 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.I find reviews, essays, and thoughtful opinion pieces in magazines to be essential reading. ![]() Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. ![]() Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 25 languages.Ĭhristianity 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.”ĭr. ![]() He also works with CTC's global affiliates to launch church planting movements.ĭr. Keller transitioned to CTC full time to teach and mentor church planters and seminary students through a joint venture with Reformed Theological Seminary's (RTS), the City Ministry Program. He is also the Chairman & Co-Founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC), which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environment. For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000. Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. ![]()
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