On Birth by Timothy Keller

In this small, pithy book, the first in a three-part series called How to Find God—which includes On Marriage and On Death—renowned author Timothy Keller explains that his purpose is “to give readers the Christian foundation for life’s most important and profound moments.” Keller explains God’s role in physical birth and spiritual birth: “The first birth is ours because God is our Creator; the second birth can be ours because God is also our Redeemer. The Lord is the author of both.”

Keller asserts that “spiritual issues” surround both births and asks compelling questions to investigate what those issues are: “What does it mean to receive a new human life from God? What are the responsibilities of the family and the church to newborns? How can we help our children who are with us through the first birth come to experience the second birth?”

Repeatedly pointing to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, Keller invites readers into the mystery and majesty of both kinds of birth. Particularly comforting is his chapter titled “Growing in Grace.” Pastoral wisdom mirroring the patience and mercy of Jesus characterizes Keller’s insights. Readers learn that not only does Jesus give believers the gift they could not give themselves—spiritual birth—but through the Holy Spirit, he gives them his ongoing presence so they can become more and more like him. (Penguin Books)