The following 6 minute video (although you get the point in about 2 minutes) exposes the difficulty that Calvinists have in defending an eternal hell consistent with their theology and end up responding like an Arminian. Keller’s explanation is followed by a young man who points out how Keller elsewhere answers true to his Calvinism as one who believes in a special election of a few leaving the rest of mankind to the fate of hopelessness, consigned to hell forever. This of course contradicts his former answer in which he said that hell is a place where sinners want to go and remain there of their own “free-will” or as C. S. Lewis described, “they are successful rebels to the end.”<\/p>\n
But you will see here how Keller struggles. Is the doctrine of predestination too difficult to defend in the public forum even by someone as brilliant and eloquent as Dr. Keller? Why did he veer from his professed Calvinism and borrow an Arminian explanation? \u00a0We have deep respect for Keller both as a believer and as scholar\/teacher. We have learned a tremendous amount from his ministry but the manner in which he answers this question exposes an underlying problem with this aspect of our so-called “Reformed theology,” especially if it can’t stand on its own and must be altered to sound more “reasonable.”<\/p>\n
From You Tube entitled “Tim Keller’s response to a questioner at the Veritas Forum shows a high regard for Arminianism”:<\/p>\n