SMACKDOWN: KELLER VS DRISCOLL

It is ages since I reviewed a book on this blog. Over the past few weeks my reading has been very slow anyway – distracted by the Olympics, playing with the children, mucking about with the boat, checking my tomatoes, attending conferences, and all the other stuff that goes to make up August – but I have managed to read The Reason for God by Tim Keller and Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears.

Theologically and missiologically Keller and Driscoll are coming from the same place, but they are from different generations and writing for a different kind of audience. Both are writing primarily for people in their 20’s & 30’s but Keller’s crowd is sophisticated New Yorkers while Driscoll’s is grungy Seattle-ites. Both books are doing the same kind of thing, but attempting it in very contrasting styles and while in my library The Reason for God will be filed under "Apologetics" Vintage Jesus will be under "Jesus Christ." The Reason for God seems directed more at non-believers, while being very helpful for Christians. Vintage Jesus is the other way around.

The similarity of content is evident in the subtitles; Keller’s is subtitled “Belief in an age of scepticism” and Driscoll’s “Timeless answers to timely questions.” The difference is seen in the writing style. For example, in addressing the subject of hell Pastor Tim deftly and subtly describes how our cultural location will shape how we respond to the idea of divine judgement: “If Christianity were the truth it would have to be offending and correcting your thinking at some place. Maybe this is the place, the Christian doctrine of divine judgement.” Driscoll is much less subtle, employing the example of a porn star who thinks she cannot be judged: “I pray she and others who share her peculiar illogic repent of their sin before facing [Jesus’] otherwise-certain hellish justice.”

Obviously, both these pastor/authors are American, and their language and illustrations reflect this. The closest recent British equivalent of these books I can think of is J. John’s The Life but Keller and Driscoll are both more detailed, more engaging and more punchy. (Tom Wright is probably doing something similar in Simply Christian, but I haven't got round to reading that yet.) I would give Keller’s book to an intelligent enquirer, someone who reads books for pleasure anyway. It wouldn’t suit a non-reader. Vintage Jesus has much more potential to offend, but would be a good choice to give to many students and 20’s. Keller uses many quotes from serious, substantial authors. Driscoll uses even more quotes, largely an almost bewildering selection of examples from pop culture. The footnotes for both are full.

When I listen to or read Keller I come away thinking, I wish I could express my thoughts so clearly, so reasonably, so logically. The man is brilliant. I have now heard a lot of Driscoll, but his directness still has the power to make me splutter. I remember once preaching on regeneration and using as an example the Marilyn Manson song ‘Born Again’ only to be basically shouted down by one of my fellow elders who was unhappy about me quoting pop culture from the pulpit; Driscoll is not in the least afraid to describe the most extreme examples of pop culture in getting his point across!

Both these books are worth buying, reading, and giving away.

To finish, a quote from each, representing their different approaches:

Keller:

Conservative writers and speakers are constantly complaining that the young people of our culture are relativistic and amoral. As a pastor in Manhattan I have been neck-deep in sophisticated twentysomethings for almost two decades, and I have not found this to be the case. The secular, young adults I have known have a very finely honed sense of right and wrong. There are many things happening in the world that evoke their moral outrage. There is a problem with their moral outlook, however.

Driscoll:

What I learned… is that some days on the earth stink. The other days on the earth really stink, no matter what stupid songs say. This tethering to reality has proven helpful to me over the years, which is why if I hear one more perma-grin motivational speaker on television tell me to have positive thoughts, be happy, or stay positive, I swear I will hunt them down and punch them in the throat while reading Lamentations aloud.

You pays your money, you takes your choice!