There are countless various books in the world, and each person can learn something new from most of them. Some books provide knowledge on different religions, such as Center Church, in which the author, Timothy Keller, talks about Christianity and modern ministry. Like many other sources of information, this work brings out discussions and disputes between those who support its main ideas and those who do not. As each person’s opinion is unique, one has to critically analyze a book to share their thoughts and make a point.
Summary
The first step in analyzing a book upon reading it is summarizing its contents and main ideas. Center Church starts with modern criteria for ministry, which are identified as success, basically meaning popularity, and faithfulness with the focus on ministers being competent (Keller 11). However, the author suggests that ministers these days have to be evaluated based on their fruitfulness implying that the ministry has to meet people’s demands (Keller 14). After the introduction, the book is divided into several sections and parts. The first section is about the gospel, in which the author shares his perceptions of the gospel, referencing various sources and connects it to certain aspects of life. The second section is called “City” and explains contextualization concerning Christianity, cultural differences, and the city with its dual nature. The last section is named “Movement,” and it talks about the mission, problems of the missional church, and how to overcome those problems. As Center Church represents an impressive work on religion, it is challenging to summarize briefly and requires further discussion.
Reflection
The book contains an intense amount of knowledge as the author refers to multiple various sources explaining his ideas, and some major takeaway points for me may seem not as serious. For example, the author tells how some sermons can be “biblically sound” but too monotonic, so they fail to engage people, which is an aspect that I have not thought as much about (Keller 89). Some other takeaways for me are related to contextualization and different cultures in relation to how to approach those cultures and especially how to challenge them properly (Keller 120-132). One more takeaway for me is based on the connection between globalization and religion, which can be seen in the example of “daughter churches” in New York City (Keller 159). Although I have learned new information, I think it is more important that I have noticed some gaps in my way of thinking and some aspects that I did not realize before.
Critique
I do not completely agree with some parts of the book, which may be due to some weaknesses in the execution of thoughts. For example, when Keller states that one is “either in Christ or not” and then says that “the gospel leads us to care for the poor,” I felt slightly perplexed (Keller 28). In my opinion, the former statement may be harsh as many people are yet to find God, but they will at some point in their lives, and they may be considered “poor” until they do. However, this idea made me think for a moment that the book could have shown more acceptance towards those who are only beginning their journey to Christianity which it does but closer to its end. It is important to mention, though, that I am not referring to “not very religious, but good people” example of whom is provided later in the book (Keller 32). I mean those who may be confused about their beliefs and genuinely want to understand God better and may be scared away if they do not feel supported.
In my opinion, the main strength of the book is how meticulous and comprehensive it is. As mentioned before, the author references numerous sources explaining his ideas and also brings out a lot of questions to which he then provides answers. For example, his discussion about changing culture or explanation of the problems of the missional church (Keller 226, 266-274). The strengths of this book are based on a detailed explanation of Christianity in the modern world with different examples.
Application
I can apply this book to my life currently by learning how to connect Christianity to various cultures. At the beginning of the second section, the author mentions distinctions between cultures (Keller 90). This mention made me think more about how I can explain religion to different people and also made me want to obtain more information which is provided further in the “City” section. I can apply this book in my future ministry by explaining Christianity to people the way Keller does by employing certain aspects to more common examples from life. For instance, how he compares Jesus’s sacrifice to A Tale of Two Cities or how he states that “the gospel is not just the ABCs but the A to Z of the Christian life” (Keller 33, 46). In my opinion, such comparisons and statements can be useful in my future ministry.
Conclusion
Upon reading Center Church, I can say that I was impressed with this work in terms of details and connection to life. Although for me there were some concerning points at the beginning of the book, as it progressed, my opinion of it was improving. Center Church can bring many thoughts and make people rethink their views on some aspects of religion in the modern world.
Work Cited
Keller, Timothy. Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. Zondervan, 2012.