Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Prodigal God summary
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
15 mins
Brief summary
The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller is a Christian non-fiction book that explores the Parable of the Prodigal Son, encouraging readers to understand the transformative power of grace and the true meaning of repentance.
Topics
Table of Contents
The Prodigal God
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
The parable of the prodigal son is an ancient tale of familial estrangement.
Anyone familiar with the Bible knows that Jesus didn’t discriminate. He broke bread with everyone: kings and Pharisees, sinners, refugees, sex workers, and the desperately poor. That stance garnered a lot of criticism at the time: How could sinners be treated the same as those who observed God’s laws to the letter?
In response, Jesus faced the critical religious leaders, and told them a story. This powerful parable, found in Luke: 15, is commonly known as the story of the prodigal son.
The key message here is: The parable of the prodigal son is an ancient tale of familial estrangement.
The parable tells the story of a wealthy father who has two sons. One day, he’s confronted by his youngest son who wants his share of his inheritance, and now! This was, for the time, a very unusual and disrespectful request to make of a powerful Middle Eastern patriarch. Essentially, the son was saying he wanted to be rid of his father and have the freedom to spend his wealth immediately, instead of waiting for him to die. A typical father might have violently kicked him out of the house with nothing but the clothes on his back. But this father concedes and sells enough of his estate to give the younger son his share.
The son takes the money and goes on a wild spending spree, frequenting brothels and partying until there’s nothing left. He’s left so broke he can't even afford to eat. He ends up working in a pigsty, so hungry that he envies the pigs for their feed. Thinking about what he’s done, he repents for his earlier actions and decides he’ll go to his father to try to make amends.
As soon as he sees him, his father throws his arms around the younger son. He covers him with hugs and kisses and tells his servants to dress him in the finest robes they can find. Then he orders them to prepare a feast to celebrate the son’s return, slaughtering the fattest calf for everyone to feast on.
When the older son hears about all of this, he’s furious. “I’ve been here for you all these years, obeying your every rule”, he says. “And you didn’t even slaughter a scrawny goat for me. Now my younger brother comes back after years of living in sin, and he’s treated like an honored guest?” He refuses to join the party, even after his father begs him to.
Want to see all full key ideas from The Prodigal God?
Key ideas in The Prodigal God
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The Prodigal God about?
The Prodigal God (2008) is a new interpretation of the classic parable of the prodigal son. Rather than focussing on the reckless rebellion of the younger son in the story, it focuses on the dutiful older brother who sins through obeying the rules for the wrong reasons. It shows us that we all have these problematic tendencies to be righteous and superior, but that’s not what the Christian faith is really about.
The Prodigal God Review
The Prodigal God is a thought-provoking book by Timothy Keller (2008) that delves into the well-known parable of the prodigal son and uncovers its deeper meaning. Here's why this book is worth your time:
- It challenges conventional interpretations of the story, offering fresh insights that provoke reflection and ignite discussion.
- The book explores the themes of grace, forgiveness, and redemption in a way that is both intellectually stimulating and deeply personal.
- Rich in biblical references and theological analysis, it provides a solid foundation for understanding the Christian message of love and acceptance.
Who should read The Prodigal God?
- Christians who’ve become alienated from the church but still believe in the gospel
- Anyone who feels like their faith is dead in spite of all their devotional efforts
- Bible lovers looking for an original interpretation of a classic parable
Categories with The Prodigal God
Book summaries like The Prodigal God
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
The Prodigal God FAQs
What is the main message of The Prodigal God?
The main message of The Prodigal God is that God's love and grace are available to all, regardless of their past mistakes.
How long does it take to read The Prodigal God?
The reading time for The Prodigal God varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Prodigal God a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Prodigal God is worth reading as it offers powerful insights on God's love and challenges our understanding of grace.
Who is the author of The Prodigal God?
The author of The Prodigal God is Timothy Keller.
What to read after The Prodigal God?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Prodigal God, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller
- God Here and Now by Karl Barth
- The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
- Forgive by Timothy Keller
- The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
- The Reason For God by Timothy Keller
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
- Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
- Read People Like a Book by Patrick King
- The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga