A LIBRARIAN’S ORIENTATION
What this book explores
Keller interprets the parable of the two sons as a critique of both irreligion and moralistic religion and a presentation of evangelical grace.
EDITORIAL NOTE
Why it’s in the Library
It represents an influential, approachable evangelical account of grace while turning critique toward moralism inside religion as well as life outside it. The book helps the shelf distinguish a tradition’s constructive center from its harsher public expressions.
Good starting place if…
You want a short, accessible Christian reading of Jesus’s parable that challenges both obvious rebellion and respectable religious self-righteousness.
Know before you begin…
Keller writes within Reformed evangelical Christianity and presents the parable through that theological lens. His account of grace is inviting, but readers harmed by evangelical authority or substitutionary frameworks may need other voices alongside it.