Impact University Book Club: Week 1 Study Notes

Pages ix -- 17

1. Timothy Keller begins his book by making the odd assertion that "The Enemies Are Both Right." Who are the enemies he references? What does he mean in saying they are both right?
2. He goes further on p. x, sayng that the world is "getting both more religious and less religious at the same time." This is causing the world to "polarize." Why?
3. As a young man Tim Keller wrestled with the inconsistencies on both sides of the debate between "progressives" who seemed passionate about social justice issues while being moral relativists and "conservatives" who while passionate about personal morality "didn't seem to care about the oppression going on all over the world" (p. xi). ("Christianity began to seem unreal to me"). This led him to "desperately" seek a "third camp" (a "band of brothers"). What is this "third camp"? Is it something you have also sought? Have you found it?
4. The polarization deepens because the two sides don't know how to debate with each other. They (we) are only good at denouncing each other. With that in mind, what is the meaning of the following statement? -- "Arguments depend on having commonly held reference points that both sides can hold each other to" (p. xiv).
5. What does Keller mean in saying that we should "listen patiently" to our own doubts and only discard them after long reflection." (p. xv)?
6. How do you interpret the following statements? A. "All doubts, however skeptical and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs."
B. "Every doubt, therefore, is based on a leap of faith." (p. xv).
7. When (and only when) is it "safe and fair to disagree" with an opponent in an argument (p. xvi)?
8. Do you think the following statement properly assesses a movement occuring in our cities? -- "The new, fast-spreading multiethnic orthodox Christianity in the cities is much more concerned about the poor and social justice than Repulbicans have been, and at the same time much more concerned about upholding classic Christian moral and sexual ethics than Democrats have been" (p. xvii).
9. Keller quotes a student who said of the "exclusivity" of the different religions (especially Christianity), "We will never come to know peace on earth if religious leaders keep on making such exclusive claims." (p. 4) This likely means that we will never know world peace. Why?
10. Keller freely admits that religion, generally speaking, tends to create a "slippery slope" which contributes to the tensions in the world. (p. 4 and p. 15). What slippery slope?
11. What is the "tragic irony" mentioned on p. 5?
12. What is the "largely discredited" "secularization thesis" mentioned on p. 5?
13. Keller says that the arguments used to discredit religion (today's atheists would say "reasonably") cannot ultimately succeed,..... because at (their) heart is a fatal inconsistency, even perhaps a hypocrisy" (p. 6). What is the inconsistency, the hypocrisy?
14. What is the irony of the argument that all major religions are equally valid and that divisive doctrines don't matter (p. 7)?
15. What is meant by the phrase, "the social conditionedness of all belief" (p. 8)? Why does the phrase itself discredit those who use it to say that religious beliefs are never independently held?
16. Why does Keller believe "Christianity can save the world?" (p. 15), that Christian faith should not have the effect of causing its adherents to "feel superior to those who don't believe and behave as they do" (p. 16)?

Week of Aug 31-Sep 6

Sunday, August 31, 2008
Mark 16:9-20
Acts 27:1-12
Psalms 148,149,150,114,115
Job 12

Monday, September 01, 2008
Luke 1:1-4
Acts 27:13-29
Psalms 25,9,15
Job 13

Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Lukw 4:33-44
Acts 27:30-44
Psalms 26,28,36,39
Job 14

Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Luke 5:1-11
Acts 28:1-14
Psalms 38,119:25-48
Job 15

Thursday, September 04, 2008
Luke 5:12-16
Acts 28:15-31
Psalms 37:1-18,37:19-42
Job 16

Friday, September 05, 2008
Luke 5:17-26
Philemon 1-25
Psalms 31,35
Job 17

Saturday, September 06, 2008
Luke 5:27-39
2 Corinthians 1:1-14
Psalms 30,32,42,43
Job 18

Week of Aug 24-Aug 30

Sunday, August 24, 2008
Mark 14:53-65
Job 6:14-30
Psalms 146,147,111,112,113
2 Kings 23

Monday, August 25, 2008
Mark 14:66-72
Job 7:1-10
Psalms 1,2,3,4,7
2 Kings 24

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Mark 15:1-14
Job 7:11-21
Psalms 5,6,10,11
2 Kings 25

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Mark 15:15-25
Acts 25:13-22
Psalms 119:1-24,12,13,14
Job 8

Thursday, August 28, 2008
Mark 15:26-41
Acts 25:23-26:11
Psalms 18:1-20, 18:21-50
Job 9

Friday, August 29, 2008
Mark 15:42-47
Acts 26:12-23
Psalms 16,17,22
Job 10

Saturday, August 30, 2008
Mark 16:1-8
Acts 26:24-32
Psalms 20,21,110,116,117
Job 11

Week of August 17-23

Sunday, August 17, 2008
Mark 13:14-27
Job 1:13-22
Psalms 118, 145
2 Kings 16

Monday, August 18, 2008
Mark 13:28-37
Job 2:1-13
Psalms 106:1-18,106:19-48
2 Kings 17

Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Mark 14:1-11
Job 3:1-26
Psalms 120,121,122,123,124,125,126,127
2 Kings 18

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Mark 14:22-31
Job 4:1-21
Psalms 119:145-176,128,129,130
2 Kings 19

Thursday, August 21, 2008
Mark 14:22-31
Job 5:1-16
Psalms 131,132,133,134,135
2 Kings 20

Friday, August 22, 2008
Mark 14:32-42
Job 5:17-27
Psalms 140,142,141,143
2 Kings 21

Saturday, August 23, 2008
Mark 14:43-52
Job 6:1-13
Psalms 137,144,104
2 Kings 22

Week of Aug 10-Aug 16

Apologize for late posting

Sunday, August 10, 2008
Mark 12:18-27
2 Peter 3:10-18
Psalms 66,67,19,46
2 Kings 9

Monday, August 11, 2008
Mark 12:28-34
Acts 24:1-9
Psalms 89:1-18,89:19-52
2 Kings 10

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Mark 12:35-37
Acts 24:10-21
Psalms 97,99,100,94,95
2 Kings 11

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Mark 12:38-40
Acts 24:22-27
Psalms 101,109,119:121-144
2 Kings 12

Thursday, August 14, 2008
Mark 12:41-44
Acts 25:1-12
Psalms 105:1-22, 105:23-45
2 Kings 13

Friday, August 15, 2008
John 2:1-12
John 19:25-37
Psalms 113,115,45
2 Kings 14

Saturday, August 16, 2008
Mark 13:1-13
Job 1:1-12
Psalms 107,108,33
2 Kings 15

Week of August 3 - August 9

Sunday, August 03, 2008
Mark 9:2-23
Malachi 4:1-6
Psalms 93, 96, 34
2 Kings 2

Monday, August 04, 2008
Matthew 17:1-13
2 Corinthians, 3:7-4:6
Pslams 80,77,79
2 Kings 3

Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Mark 11:27-33
2 peter 1:1-11
Pslams 78:1-29, 78:40-72
2 Kings 4

Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Luke 9:27-36
2 Peter 1:12-21
Psalms 2,24,72
2 Kings 5

Thursday, August 07, 2008
John 1:11-18
2 peter 2:1-11
Psalms 83, 119:97-20, 81,85,86
2 Kings 6

Friday, August 08, 2008
Mark 12:1-112
2 Peter 2:12-22
Psalms 88,82,91,92
2 Kings 7

Saturday, August 09, 2008
Mark 12:13-17
2 Peter 3:1-9
Psalms 87,90, 136
2 Kings 8