APRIL 2024

Many Christians associate apologetics with arguments over rational, philosophical proofs. It’s a matter of the head instead of the heart, a debate over facts instead of feelings. But no matter what kind of apologetics you practice, you’re arguing according to a certain set of rules, in a particular language, attuned to what you expect to resonate in your time and place. In other words, it’s always cultural, never purely timeless. And it’s never purely rational.

We need to recover apologetics as a matter of the heart and hands as well as the head. We need to recover apologetics as a project for the whole church and not just for those who enjoy arguing. Cultural apologetics isn’t a new academic discipline. It’s a means to reconnect the church to the best biblical and historical resources for presenting and defending the faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

As Christians in Western countries face a strange mixture of apathy and antagonism toward the gospel, we hope this new book will help. The Gospel After Christendom aims to help you discover theological, pastoral, and practical resources that define and shape cultural apologetics. Along with editors Skyler Flowers and Ivan Mesa, I have convened leading scholars and practitioners who serve as fellows at the Keller Center. Those contributors include:

Chris Watkin
Rebecca McLaughlin
Bob Thune
Gray Sutanto
Sam Chan
James Eglinton
Trevin Wax

It’s been wonderful to interact with endorsers as they’ve reviewed the book. William Edgar of Westminster Theological Seminary said, “This anthology introduces us in a superb manner to the need for the vindication of the Christian faith in a post-Christendom world. It is a must read for anyone concerned to explain the faith to outsiders and insiders alike in these perplexing times.” James Anderson of Reformed Theological Seminary said, “This book helpfully covers the what, why, how, and where of cultural apologetics with material that is fresh, insightful, and eminently practical.”

From thick books to thin veneers of social graces, cultural apologetics helps Christians live what we believe and proclaim: the gospel that is true for all and good for individuals in unique ways. Please join us in praying that God would use this book to foster spiritual renewal in our day.

COLLIN HANSEN

Vice President for Content and Editor in Chief

FEATURED CONTENT

Peculiar, Yet Not Peculiar Enough: My Reflections on ARC 2025

Keller Center fellow Dan Strange reflects on the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London earlier this year. He’s still struggling to know what to make of the experience, with “wows” both good and bad. How many cheers should we give ARC and the cultural trend it represents?

The Great Novel That Almost Wasn’t

Sometimes evangelism is about taking the first, most obvious step. For example, read this compelling book for yourself and buy some copies for your neighbors, family, and friends. Then follow up with a conversation about the impression it made on them.

Is This REVIVAL? 10 HUGE Shifts in Britain's Spiritual Temperature

Keller Center fellow Glen Scrivener comments on the bombshell new report from a Bible Society survey. Compared to 2018, they found a significant increase in church attendance, especially among those aged 18 to 24 (and particularly among men in that group). I guess the decline of religion in the West isn’t inevitable after all!

FURTHER RESOURCES

Do you want your gospel witness to be deeper but also more engaging for today? A new cohort exploring the neo-Calvinist tradition will help you develop methods that are both orthodox in theology and modern in application. Tim Keller’s own theological development built on the long tradition of such neo-Calvinist teachers as Herman Bavinck.

In this cohort from The Keller Center, two of the world’s leading scholars in neo-Calvinist thought will guide participants through key texts that introduce the tradition’s theological contributions and principles for cultural apologetics.

The cohort will be styled as hour-long lectures, with discussion to follow. Topics include general revelation, the creator/creature distinction and analogical reasoning, antithesis and common grace, and the catholicity of Christianity.

Standard registration closes on May 17. If you have questions, financial need, or seek significant group discounts we want you to email us at kellercohort@tgc.org.