Collin Hansen and A Library of Influences

Collin Hansen serves as vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition, as well as executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. His new book is a biography of Tim Keller titled, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. Today, Collin shares how studying theology shaped him, his grief at sin and struggle to grow, and the consolation of knowing Jesus as a friend. We also talk about his friend and mentor Tim Keller including his influences from a variety of traditions and writers. Learning from across Christianity’s traditions helps us grow to be more well-rounded, empathetic, and joyful. Collin’s story shows us that follow the steps of the greats of the faith leads to our growth, too.

Stories Collin shared:

• Growing up in South Dakota in a Methodist family
• The revival that changed his life
• Being thrust into leadership in youth group
• Going to college at Northwestern University and the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
• The theological development of seeing Christ in the Old Testament
• Pursuing rhythms and patterns of behavior for transformation
• How his perspective changed after conversion
• Experiencing grief at his own sin and trying to understand why nothing changes
• Going to therapy and how that helped him
• Jesus as a friend and the disciples
• Writing as part of his life as long as he can remember
• Getting to know Tim Keller through the Gospel Coalition
• Why he decided to write a book about Tim Keller’s spiritual formation
• Why it’s important to learn from diverse sources
• A Kingdom of God view of suffering in this life

Great quotes from Collin:

Unless I’ve tasted His goodness for myself, then clearly something has not happened.

None of us has a friend like Jesus.

If it’s not a faith that I’m willing to lose my life over, it can’t be the faith that’s in the Bible.

We’re more likely to see blind spots today if we’re learning from a hundred people than if we’re learning from two people from a specific era.

Resources we mentioned:

• Collin’s profile 
• Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen
• A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir by Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge

Related episodes:

• Marc Schelske and the Wisdom of Your Heart
• Phileena Heuertz and Christian Contemplation
• Tim Morris and How Your Heart’s Desire Unlocks Your Purpose