The Stories We Live By

Building on conversations Michael Keller had with his father, Timothy Keller, during the last years of Tim's life, The Stories We Live By unmasks the hidden cultural myths that shape our lives, often without our knowledge.

"This book is wonderful: deeply personal; irenic and pastoral; discerning and substantive, all at once. It will touch many, many people."--James Davison Hunter, author of Democracy and Solidarity and To Change the World

Every day culture tells us stories about who we are, why we are here, and what our future holds. Our current culture offers seven specific stories that shape our attitudes, our relationships, and our dreams:

Be true to yourselfLive free, just do no harmDo what makes you happyIt's all about powerBe on the right side of historyScience has all the answersMorality is relative, but justice mattersThese seven stories contain elements of truth, but they are built on flawed assumptions and internal contradictions that leave us feeling hollow, empty, anxious, and disillusioned.

But if we learn to recognize these stories when they appear, we can see the specific ways they make promises they can't keep. The Stories We Live By will give you language for conversations you've already been having. For questions you've been carrying. For tensions you've felt but couldn't name. And for the feeling that a better story exists in the face of suffering, trial, and grief.

Born from conversations between a father and son, The Stories We Live By is more than a work of cultural analysis. It is a guide rooted in personal experience to finding a truer, more beautiful, and far more satisfying story to live by.