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isleofsnow's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Amazing book for self reflection and repentance, and understanding God's amazing grace.
joshuaray's review
5.0
Excellent exegesis, explanation, and application of the book of Jonah. Practical, filled to the brim with Scriptural insights, and accessible. Keller at his best. (BTW: he has LOTS to say about justice, good deeds, and how this story of the prophet who ran away from God applies to how we should work for the good of our neighbors and our world as Christians)
rliu793's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book (as always by Keller) on the idols in our hearts as well as how our relationship to God's Word should transform our relationships to His people and His grace, all — of course — using the book of Jonah as the foundation.
Keller emphasizes how with both the pagan sailors and the Ninevites, the Gentiles' response to Jonah's preaching was more appropriate than Jonah's response to God's call, once again driving home the point that because of common grace, (in New Testament terms) Christians aren't any better than non-Christians and ought to have compassion for the lost - regardless of differences in race, political party, sexual orientation, social status, or any other grouping - rather than look down at them self-righteously or excluding them as "Other". After all, we were all very much "the Other" to Christ, and yet he still came down from heaven to save us.
Along the same lines, he also reasons that any tendency to write people off as "Other" begins with an insufficient rooting of one's identity in Christ and that even finding our identities in the "amount of love [we] have in Jesus" instead of the love God has for us is unstable (175). (So of course, problems of excluding individuals or groups as "Other" can apply even within Christian circles, which I know I've certainly been guilty of even if somewhat subconsciously, oof.)
Keller does also point out positive responses and hints of heart change from Jonah, along with sooo many other great observations and analyses - would recommend this book to just about anyone!
Keller emphasizes how with both the pagan sailors and the Ninevites, the Gentiles' response to Jonah's preaching was more appropriate than Jonah's response to God's call, once again driving home the point that because of common grace, (in New Testament terms) Christians aren't any better than non-Christians and ought to have compassion for the lost - regardless of differences in race, political party, sexual orientation, social status, or any other grouping - rather than look down at them self-righteously or excluding them as "Other". After all, we were all very much "the Other" to Christ, and yet he still came down from heaven to save us.
Along the same lines, he also reasons that any tendency to write people off as "Other" begins with an insufficient rooting of one's identity in Christ and that even finding our identities in the "amount of love [we] have in Jesus" instead of the love God has for us is unstable (175). (So of course, problems of excluding individuals or groups as "Other" can apply even within Christian circles, which I know I've certainly been guilty of even if somewhat subconsciously, oof.)
Keller does also point out positive responses and hints of heart change from Jonah, along with sooo many other great observations and analyses - would recommend this book to just about anyone!
carriedoodledoo's review against another edition
5.0
Simple, clear preaching directly out of the book of Jonah. HIGHLY recommend, the applications are far beyond what you thought they were.
jlsjourneys's review against another edition
5.0
Such an important book for this political age. Faith is not about “us” and “them” - it’s about worth and acceptance, freely offered to all people. This should shake you up in the best way. If you’re not Christian, and think all Christians are bigots (a fair conclusion if your main exposure is cable news), read this to see something more of the true heart of the faith.
roswall's review against another edition
4.0
Typical for Keller, this is a concise and meaningful book. By focusing on the story of Jonah, Keller goes through some of the cornerstones of the Christian faith and does so by drawing on both contemporary cultural sources and older theological ones.
I appreciate Keller's teaching a lot, even though a come from a slightly different theological point if view.
This is a great book that I will return to, and I've used an excerpt from it while explaining why my wife and I named our son Jonah.
I appreciate Keller's teaching a lot, even though a come from a slightly different theological point if view.
This is a great book that I will return to, and I've used an excerpt from it while explaining why my wife and I named our son Jonah.