The Prodigal God

A short, powerful book that challenges everything you thought you knew about the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

In this transformative work, Timothy Keller takes one of Jesus’ most famous parables and uncovers a revolutionary message hidden in plain sight. Most readers focus on the "prodigal" younger brother who wastes his inheritance, but Keller shifts the lens to show that the story is actually about two sons and a father whose love is "prodigal" in the original sense of the word: recklessly extravagant.

Keller identifies two ways people try to find happiness and connect with God: through the "bad way" of rebellion and self-indulgence, or through the "good way" of moralism and self-righteousness. He argues that the elder brother, who stayed home and followed the rules, was just as lost as the younger brother who left. By exposing the danger of "religious" pride, Keller offers a fresh path toward a relationship with God based on grace rather than performance.

Whether you are a long-time believer, a skeptic, or someone who has felt burned by religion, The Prodigal God provides a clear and moving invitation to understand the true heart of the Christian faith.