“Right in Keller's Sweet Spot”
While I've never read or heard anything from Keller that wasn't a homerun, Romans 8-16 features topics that are right in Keller's sweet spot: law versus the gospel, how to overcome sin by the Spirit, God's sovereignty and human freedom, Christian engagement with the world and government, and practically living in community as people transformed by the gospel.
Right out of the gates the 8-16 volume nourished my soul and challenged me as it unpacked some of my favorite portions of Scripture. The three chapters on Romans 8 are worth the price of the book.
In a way, I felt like Keller was my tour guide that led me to the top of Mt. Everest and then looked out over the vast world, explaining the God's glorious plan of the gospel and how He has equipped us to live the Christian life transformed by His grace. Keller's clear explanations and powerful illustrations puts sometimes difficult to understand theological concepts at a reachable level for readers, and real life applications drive the transformation home. Throughout the book, Keller shares quotes and explanations from the likes of Augustine, Lloyd-Jones, Calvin, and Luther, showing the rich history the church has in studying such an important book.
One of the surprising elements of both volumes was the appendices Keller shares. Each volume includes a detailed structure of the chunk of Romans being covered and also goes deeper on certain theological topics (in 1-7 it is idolatry and the New Perspective on Paul, while in 8-16, Keller dives into sovereignty and election that arise from Romans 8-11). Each appendix provides a thorough, thoughtful, and accessible treatment of their subjects as possible in less than a dozen pages.
