Book Review: King’s Cross

Keller, Timothy. King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, New York: Dutton, 2011.

I’m going to cut past the suspense and say outright that this is a good book. I’ll tell you why at the end but I wanted to get that out of the way. In King’s Cross author Timothy Keller sets himself the rather imposing goal of telling the story of the world in 230 pages. And remarkably, this book does succeed in effectively communicating the only story about the world ultimately worth telling. It does so by offering a selective journey through the gospel of Mark. According to the introduction the raw material for the volume consists of a number of sermons on the gospel Pastor Keller has delivered over the years. Thus the book has a pastoral rather than a scholarly appeal, and I think that is a good thing.

The book is divided into two sections corresponding to the narrative of Mark’s gospel: the first part dealing with the first eight chapters of Mark wherein Jesus is revealed as King, the second part addressing the last eight chapters of the gospel focusing on the work of the Cross. There are a number of threads that weave their way through the narrative including three I’m going to focus on in this review. The three are a comparison of Christianity with other belief systems, the importance of the historical accuracy of the gospel story, and underlying everything the constant and consistent focus on the importance of the cross.

Keller states in the beginning of the book that he hopes to write for believers, seekers, and non-believers all at once. This in itself is tricky but I think it succeeds. I say I think because I am happy to find myself in the ranks of the fortunate who count themselves in the first category; I don’t know what this book might say to me if I was not a believer already. I suspect there are many who would scoff at the arguments presented but I doubt if someone who was very hostile would even bother. That being said, I think any who are truly curious about Christianity will find an accurate apologetic that appeals to reason but doesn’t downplay what some might consider the harder truths.

The first distinction Keller makes is not with any other religion but with religion itself, making the claim that the difference between religion and Christianity is the difference between advice and news. Religion, he says, advises individuals on the proper actions they must take to achieve the aim of religion, presumably a good life on earth and perhaps eternal life after. This lays the burden of salvation, or whatever the burden is, on the individual because it is based on proper adherence to the given advice. On the other hand, Keller points out that the gospel is ευ-αγγελιον (eu-angelion, from whence comes the English evangelize) – which literally means good news. It’s more than good news actually; it’s news of a major victory or some other great joyful event. And what is this news? Men are no longer responsible for their own salvation. Jesus has completely accomplished the impossible by satisfying all that is required for men to enjoy intimacy with God; hence there is no need for advice. Jesus already did what needs to be done. The purpose of the gospel, then, is to invite people to the fullness of life available as the consequence of Jesus’ mission.

This theme is carried throughout the book, accompanied by an occasional comparison of Christianity with other world belief systems including no belief system, showing how Christianity is not only unique among all of them but can as well lay a unique claim to truth. If the reader finds this offensive I would suggest reading Keller’s arguments and then considering whether he has made the case. From my point of view he has done so more than adequately, but I already admitted I’m biased. Concurrently, as Keller weaves his way through Mark’s narrative he points out reasons why the account can and must be considered an accurate chronicle rather than a fairy tale. Again I’m not going to detail the arguments but I believe they deserve serious consideration by anyone who is honestly curious.

I have the good fortune of being exposed to gospel-centered preaching on a consistent basis so I found Keller’s constant and consistent focus on the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ mission to be almost redundant. I was tempted to say (not out loud of course) “I already know that, let’s move on already.” But of course that’s just pride and I don’t think Keller can be faulted for reminding the reader on nearly every page (if not on every page) that Jesus died for the reader’s sins; that without that sacrifice nothing else would matter because without the work of the cross there is no life for anyone. That is, in fact, the story of the world that Keller set out to tell at the beginning.

I found the book to be enlightening enjoyable. The story is accurately and intelligently related and the arguments worthy of serious consideration. I believe it is a book that is accessible by the full range of the target audience Keller set out to address. I found myself marking a number of pages containing insights I had not previously thought of. And when I got to the end, where Keller was explaining the significance and the magnitude of the cross and the resurrection, I wept. That’s why I think it’s a good book. Because any book that can make a hardened old cynic weep must truly be special.