Timothy Keller

Timothy Keller may refer to:

See also

Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism which traces its origins to the British Isles. Presbyterian churches derive their name from the presbyterian form of church government, which is government by representative assemblies of elders. Many Reformed churches are organized this way, but the word "Presbyterian," when capitalized, is often applied uniquely to the churches that trace their roots to the Scottish and English churches that bore that name and English political groups that formed during the English Civil War. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures, and the necessity of grace through faith in Christ. Presbyterian church government was ensured in Scotland by the Acts of Union in 1707 which created the kingdom of Great Britain. In fact, most Presbyterians found in England can trace a Scottish connection, and the Presbyterian denomination was also taken to North America mostly by Scots and Scots-Irish immigrants. The Presbyterian denominations in Scotland hold to the theology of John Calvin and his immediate successors, although there are a range of theological views within contemporary Presbyterianism. Local congregations of churches which use presbyterian polity are governed by sessions made up of representatives of the congregation (elders); a conciliar approach which is found at other levels of decision-making (presbytery, synod and general assembly).

Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York City)

Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA), founded in 1989, is a church located in New York City. Its senior pastor is Timothy J. Keller. Christianity Today called Redeemer "one of Manhattan's most vital congregations."

History

Redeemer draws around 5,000 attenders to its services each Sunday at venues on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side and Downtown. According to the Hartford Institute's research the congregations membership draws around 5,200. In a 2006 survey of 2,000 American church leaders, Redeemer was named the #16 most influential church in America. Redeemer has attracted members of the public such as young professionals, doctors, bankers, lawyers, artists, actors, musicians, and designers, many of whom are in their 20s and 30s, such as Melanie Penn.

In 1998, Tim and Kathy Keller wrote to The New York Times in response to an article, explaining that Redeemer was neither "hardline" nor "fundamentalist." The couple argued that whereas fundamentalist churches stress political issues and are hostile to the surrounding secular culture, Redeemer focuses on the "character, ministry and work of Jesus" and promotes a "highly positive view of New York City with encouragement to live here as good neighbors." The Kellers claim that these qualities "set [Redeemer] apart from the conservative megachurch movement, from 20th-century fundamentalism or from modern mainline Protestantism."

Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan David Haidt (pronounced "height", born October 19, 1963) is a social psychologist and Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. His academic specialization is the psychology of morality and the moral emotions. Haidt is the author of two books: The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom (2006) and The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion (2012), which became a New York Times bestseller. He was named one of the “top global thinkers” by Foreign Policy magazine, and one of the “top world thinkers” by Prospect magazine.

Education and career

Haidt was born in New York City and raised in Scarsdale, New York, to a liberal Jewish family. He earned a BA in philosophy from Yale University in 1985, and a PhD in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He then studied cultural psychology at the University of Chicago as a post-doctoral fellow. His supervisors were Jonathan Baron and Alan Fiske (at the University of Pennsylvania,) and cultural anthropologist Richard Shweder (University of Chicago). During his post-doctoral appointment, Haidt won a Fulbright fellowship to fund three months of research on morality in Orissa, India. In 1995, Haidt was hired as an assistant professor at the University of Virginia, where he worked until 2011, winning four awards for teaching, including a statewide award conferred by the Governor of Virginia.