Tim Keller on “The New Atheists” | Big Think
Tim Keller on “The New Atheists”
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The Pastor refutes aggressive atheism.
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Timothy Keller:
Timothy Keller is an American author, speaker, and the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in New York City, New York. Timothy is the author of The Reason for God and The Prodigal God.
He was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. However, he learned the most from his nine years as a pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in the small blue-collar town of Hopewell, Virginia. The congregation there loved him, suffered through his earliest days as a pastor, and taught an intellectual northerner to be clear. His second church was Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Tim Keller: One bad thing about “The New Atheists” books is they weren’t just saying that religion is wrong, they are actually saying that even respect for religion was wrong and that we shouldn’t even be courteous and respectful to religious believers, but we really just need to get rid of it all.
And for that’s I think it has a recipe for disaster. That certainly doesn’t bring about civil discourse at all.
The other thing is weird about “The New Atheists” was, most people in the last 30 years came to understand that knowledge is perspectival [sic]. We’ve seem that move away from this idea that you can have this objective view from nowhere, the old enlightenment, you know, scientism. And I’ve talked to a number of philosophers who are not Christian believers who are themselves atheist actually who told me it seems like all the guys who wrote “The New Atheists” books just refuse to take Philosophy 101. They just did not listen to what’s happened in the last 40 years about knowledge. They’re just so sure that if you can’t prove something, then we don’t have to believe it.
And so there’s a kind of epistemological naivete about the books, and there’s also something about them that I think really doesn’t help civil discourse at all.
I do hope that they all get passé, not because I don’t respect the people’s convictions; I just don’t think that they are all that helpful.
Question: What’s on your reading list?
Tim Keller: Frankly, I like C. S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, G. K. Chesterton is a Catholic. These are all people who wrote 80 to 100 years ago; smart British people. By and large, I would say they were more insightful for Americans now who are searching, because Britain began, they get more secular before America did. And so smart and thoughtful Christians back in the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s anticipated trends that now we’re seeing in America today.
That’s one of the reasons why I do like Lewis. And one of the reasons I do like a lot of the people around Lewis or people that Lewis like, like, G. K. Chesterton who is a great Catholic thinker, very acerbic and very funny.
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@geoffreylynch9462
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
One of the bad things about Bible is that is wasn't just saying some races were inferior, they were actually saying slavery is a positive good. Treating people like chattel is not great for civil discourse.
@sisyphushappy5200
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
I believe he's referring to the postmodern critique of rationality when he talks about knowledge being perspectival but my problem with that is this is not something you invoke in your day-to-day reality, so why start when the subject turns to ultimate reality. For example, no one starts this highfalutin philosophising about your hunger/ disease being perspectival.
@thurzaheim
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
I have so much respect for Keller! My understanding of scripture, who Jesus really is & what he did, and what it means to be a Christian has expanded greatly since I began reading his books and sermons. I loved The Reason for God!
@williamesselman3102
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
They are China. Stop Believing everything on social media.
@johannesbrahms9528
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
Wow! How can someone with nothing to back their shit up be so fucking arrogant?
@w.8424
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
He's got a point though. Nice guy
@dylpepper5857
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
They’re right. The universe has no purpose. Just as a dance has no purpose. That does not mean that the dance wasn’t carefully choreographed and executed with intention. I think “purpose” is defined with expectations of some grand endgame. But infinity has no endgame. Each of our purpose is to keep the wheel turning. Keep the light shining on the floor so the dance can continue.
@chandlersleziak6416
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
There is no such thing as "New Atheism". That was an idea invented by Theists so that way they can be able to Strawman all Atheists.
@munizsims6636
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
Atheists based on the comment section are easily the biggest hypocrites
@ambruskocsis6559
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
The New Atheists have only one minimal program: mocking religion. There is nothing besides it, not even school science dissemination. They are not interested in the subject of their hatred, so not only do they ignore the nearly 150-year-old literature on religious studies (historical, sociological, psychological, anthropological and philosophical approaches to religion as a phenomenon) but even more intellectual atheist philosophers. Why? After all, the goal is not cognition, not discussion, let alone discourse, only mockery. This is a unique trend, as even the wildest sects have, in addition to their hate program, some positive statement about the world, some cultural or social image to supplement and compensate for the destruction.
@flaviusvector1543
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
the modern rise of atheism has also seen the modern decay in the proggress of science
@wade5941
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
I really appreciate Keller's perspective. I probably fall into the agnostic box, but just do not understand where the atheists are coming from.
@Gaval_Nova
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
Verbally complex but ultimately redundant comment on the topic, with the aim to proof just how sophisticated an intellectual cybernaut i am. Please like and comment to give a sense of meaning to my life, i am only a lonely 37 y o living with his parents trying too hard to mean something to somebody else other than my chihuahua.
@plzenjoygameosu2349
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
huh, this was a surprisingly good video
@georgecorrea8530
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
I beg to differ with Timothy Keller relative to philosophy. Philosophy can only take you so far. It matters not what you say. What matters is what you can prove. Evidence is crucial.
@cherylsmith233
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
Wow, what a load of idiotic commenting on this. Too bad. More people need to meet Jesus, He's an intellectual giant! 👏😂
@vijayjagpaul459
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
Keller you had 2000 years and your Christianity failed.I means shit to me.
@yearight1205
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
I didn't actually care about religion until I saw New Atheism pop on the scene due to me abandoning religion decades ago. Now it's all I can ever think about, you realize how precious this thing has been for mankind when you start to see what happens when people start to take it away, and all of a sudden you get to see what human beings are like without religion. And it is a very ugly picture. People today are terrible, the way they talk to each other is more like they are attacking each other rather than conversating. It's all so insane.
@MegaMiir
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
This guy falsely equates respect for religion, with respect for Believers of that religion.
@bluemagic3533
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
The new atheist movement is no different that evangelicals they’re both so arrogant that they don’t realize no one gives a shit what they believe in
@droopyofthenorthwestmounted
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
I refute aggressive theism! Has anyone ever had an atheist come knocking on their door on a Saturday morning to push their flawed beliefs? Philosophy is just a respectable word for Religion both are based entirely on belief. One does not prove the other.
@pwoods100
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
I kind of both agree and disagree. I think if you take a look at Sam Harris and Daniel Dennet's way of debating, then they are pretty respectful to people of faith. After all, Sam Harris wrote a book with a moderate Muslim. They just can't respect some of the things in the Bible and Koran because they are insane, and harmful. I really wish I could respect everyone's religious beliefs 100% of the time, but it's not reality. I can't respect a particular belief when I know it's harmful. If the god of the Bible wants respect, then he needs to start by proving his existence to everyone by showing up once in awhile and explaining things.
@robertlight5227
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
Mister Keller should take Logic 101. It might help.
@foxmoulder7724
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
years later his legs gave out, and he decided to open a mutant school
@rstevewarmorycom
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
You're totally full of shit, "Philosophy 101" was WRITTEN by religionist forces!! You're a fucking religionist, no WONDER you only like ANTIQUE christian authors!! Abrahamic Religion MUST BE DESTROYED!! It's DANGEROUS!
@CHRISHADDON1010
April 26, 2026 at 12:48 am
Tim Keller why do you think people should carry on believing in a bible and its unreasonable quotes, adam eve and a talking serpent, big bang, noahs ark, on and on and on why believe this utter junk, you cant tell me you believe all that whats " gods word" ?