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monstera deliciosa by person

monstera deliciosa by person Large (Bigger) Monstera Deliciosa

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Description

monstera deliciosa by person Large (Bigger) Monstera DeliciosaDescription The Monstera Deliciosa has been capturing hearts for generations, and we completely understand why. This gentle giant brings such warmth and character to any space with those iconic split leaves that develop naturally as the plant matures. Originally from the rainforests of southern Mexico and Central America, she's perfectly adapted for indoor life and genuinely wants to thrive in your home. What makes her truly special are those

Description

The Monstera Deliciosa has been capturing hearts for generations, and we completely understand why. This gentle giant brings such warmth and character to any space with those iconic split leaves that develop naturally as the plant matures. 

Originally from the rainforests of southern Mexico and Central America, she's perfectly adapted for indoor life and genuinely wants to thrive in your home. What makes her truly special are those beautiful fenestrations (the fancy term for the natural holes in her leaves) that aren't just stunning to look at—they actually help her survive in windy conditions by allowing air to flow through. In nature, she's a climber who uses aerial roots to scale trees while drawing nutrients from the humid air around her. While many Monstera varieties exist, this classic Monstera Deliciosa remains the most beloved for good reason.



Care 

How do you care for an indoor Monstera deliciosa?

Caring for an indoor Monstera Deliciosa means providing bright indirect light near windows, weekly watering when the topsoil feels dry, and maintaining comfortable temperatures between sixty-five to eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year for optimal healthy growth.

The beauty of Monstera plant care is that once you understand her basic needs, she's wonderfully forgiving. Place her where she can enjoy filtered sunlight—think of the dappled light filtering through a rainforest canopy. Water when the top 2-3 inches of soil feel dry to your touch, and she'll show her appreciation with new growth. A well-draining potting mix with some perlite keeps her roots comfortable, and during the growing season, a monthly feeding with balanced Monstera fertilizer helps support those magnificent leaves.


Should I mist my Monstera deliciosa?

Misting your Monstera Deliciosa helps increase humidity levels around her gorgeous leaves, which she truly appreciates since she naturally thrives in humid rainforest conditions where moisture levels stay consistently high throughout the growing seasons for healthy development.

It’s not absolutely necessary, but gentle misting makes her feel more at home, especially during dry winter months when indoor heating can reduce air moisture. Think of it as a little spa treatment for your plant friend. You can also place a humidity tray nearby or use a humidifier if you want to create that perfect environment.


How often should I water a Monstera deliciosa inside?

Water your Monstera Deliciosa inside every one to two weeks during growing season, carefully checking that the top two to three inches of soil feel completely dry before giving her another thorough drink to promote healthy growth.

The key to successful watering is paying attention to what your plant is telling you rather than following a strict schedule. In brighter locations, she'll be thirstier and may need weekly watering, while in lower light she can comfortably wait longer between drinks. We always recommend the finger test—stick your finger right into the soil to check moisture levels. This personal approach works much better than calendar-based watering and helps you build that wonderful connection with your plant.


What does a Monstera need to thrive?

A Monstera needs bright indirect light from windows, well-draining nutrient-rich soil mixtures, moderate to high humidity levels, consistent moisture without sogginess, adequate room to grow and climb upward, plus warm stable temperatures year-round for optimal health and development.

Creating the right environment is about understanding her natural habitat and bringing those conditions indoors in a gentle way. She loves having space to spread those magnificent leaves and really appreciates a moss pole or trellis to support her climbing nature.


What do Monstera deliciosa like to be potted in?

Monstera Deliciosa like being potted in well-draining organic-rich soil blends with excellent drainage capabilities, typically combining high-quality potting soil with perlite and orchid bark chunks for optimal aeration and proper drainage throughout the root system for healthy plant development.

The perfect soil mix holds just enough moisture without becoming soggy—imagine the texture of a well-made chocolate cake that's moist but not wet. Adding perlite or bark chips creates those important air pockets that keep her roots breathing comfortably. Always choose a pot with drainage holes because good drainage is one of the most loving things you can provide for your plant.


Where is the best place to put a Monstera plant?

The best place to put a Monstera plant is near large windows that provide bright indirect light throughout the day, such as living rooms, bedrooms, or home offices with east or west-facing window exposure for optimal growing conditions.

Bathrooms and kitchens with natural light are also wonderful spots because of their naturally higher humidity levels, which makes her feel right at home. Avoid placing her directly in harsh afternoon sun from south-facing windows—think gentle morning light or filtered afternoon glow instead. 


Should I put my Monstera in the window?

You should place your Monstera near a window with bright filtered light rather than directly in harsh afternoon sun exposure, which can easily scorch her delicate leaves and cause permanent brown damage throughout the foliage that ruins her natural beauty.


East or west-facing windows are perfect because she can enjoy gentle morning sun without dealing with those intense afternoon rays that are too much for her rainforest sensibilities. If you only have a south-facing window, position her a few feet back or use a sheer curtain to create that perfect filtered light she craves.


Is Monstera deliciosa a good indoor plant?

Monstera deliciosa is an excellent indoor plant choice because it adapts remarkably well to home environments, tolerates various indoor conditions gracefully, purifies air effectively, and creates absolutely stunning visual impact in any space while requiring minimal daily care.

She's genuinely designed for sharing our homes—forgiving when life gets busy, adaptable to different light situations, and grows at a thoughtful pace that won't overwhelm your space. Plus, those beautiful large leaves work hard to clean your air while creating that lush, peaceful atmosphere we all crave. For plant parents who want a meaningful relationship with a plant that gives back as much as it receives, she's truly special.



Pet-friendly?

The Monstera deliciosa is not pet-friendly, as all parts contain calcium oxalate crystals that are harmful to cats, dogs, and other pets if eaten. We always recommend keeping this beautiful plant safely out of reach of curious furry family members who might be tempted to explore with their mouths.


Is Monstera deliciosa toxic to dogs?

Monstera deliciosa is toxic to dogs because calcium oxalate crystals throughout the plant cause oral irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing if any of the parts are ingested, meaning you’ll need immediate veterinary attention for safety.


Is Monstera deliciosa toxic to cats?

Monstera Deliciosa is toxic to cats. It contains calcium oxalate crystals that can cause immediate mouth irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, and potentially even more severe symptoms if large amounts of it are consumed by your curious felines.


Factoids

Is Monstera deliciosa toxic to touch?

Monstera deliciosa sap can cause mild skin irritation or rashes in sensitive individuals due to calcium oxalate crystals in plant tissues, but it's generally safe to touch during normal handling and care. Always wash your hands after pruning or repotting.


Is it safe to have a Monstera in your bedroom?

Having a Monstera in your bedroom is completely safe for most people, provided pets and children can’t get access the plant. It also offers excellent air-purifying benefits, giving you better sleep quality while creating a beautiful ambience.

She actually makes a wonderful bedroom companion—those magnificent leaves work quietly through the night to filter toxins from your air while you rest. Just ensure she gets adequate light near a window and that curious pets or little ones can't reach her. Many of our customers find having plants in their sleep space creates a calming, nurturing environment that helps them unwind at the end of each day.


Are Monstera deliciosa air purifiers?

Monstera deliciosa is an effective air purifier that helps filter harmful toxins and improve indoor air quality. They’re popular choices for homes and offices where you need natural air purification solutions that also provide stunning visual appeal.

Those impressive leaves aren't just for show—they're working steadily to clean your air throughout the day and night. She's particularly good at removing formaldehyde and other common indoor pollutants that can accumulate in our homes. While she won't replace a mechanical air purifier, she definitely contributes to a healthier indoor environment while looking absolutely beautiful doing it. It's like having a living air filter that also brings joy to your daily routine.


What is the origin of the name Monstera deliciosa?

The name Monstera deliciosa is made up of the Latin words meaning "monstrous", referring to the dramatic split leaves with striking fenestrations, and "delicious", specifically referencing the plant's edible fruit when it reaches full ripeness in natural habitats.

It's a name that perfectly captures both her dramatic visual impact and her hidden culinary talents.


Is Monstera deliciosa known by any other names?

The Monstera deliciosa is known by many names, including Swiss cheese plant, split-leaf philodendron, fruit salad plant, delicious monster, ceriman, windowleaf, Mexican breadfruit, and Penglai banana, with names varying by different geographic regions and plant communities worldwide.

The "Swiss cheese plant" nickname is probably the most popular because of those distinctive holes that look like nature's own artwork. "Split-leaf philodendron" stuck even though she's not technically a philodendron—sometimes plant names take on a life of their own! 


Why does Monstera deliciosa have holes in its leaves?

Those distinctive holes are brilliant evolutionary adaptations that prevent wind damage by allowing air to flow through the leaves in her native rainforest environment, while also helping rainwater reach the forest floor to support the entire ecosystem around her.


Can you eat Monstera deliciosa fruit?

You can eat Monstera Deliciosa fruit only when it reaches full ripeness, as it tastes like a delightful blend of pineapple and banana, but unripe fruit contains irritating calcium oxalate crystals that cause mouth discomfort and should be avoided completely.


Buy a Monstera deliciosa

Your home is ready for this beloved classic that has been bringing joy to plant families for generations. This Monstera deliciosa offers you the chance to nurture a living piece of art that grows more beautiful with time, developing those iconic split leaves that make every space feel more alive and welcoming.

Through our live video shopping calls, you can meet your exact plant before she arrives—we believe in making sure you feel completely confident about welcoming her into your home. Point to the one that speaks to your heart, and we'll ensure that special plant arrives looking just as healthy and beautiful as when you first fell in love. Because choosing the right plant is the beginning of a wonderful, long-term relationship.

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Poole
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Excellent Read!
Format: Paperback
William Mounce always has a way with bringing things to light clearly, just read his Greek text books and you will see that. His new book “Why I trust the Bible” answers a very important question for Christians. We are to be people of the book, and today many try to cast doubt on God’s words. These attacks on the Word of God come from both the left and right of the issue, atheist and the KJV only crowd. Mr. Mounce handles the issues with clear and accurate facts. From the reality and deity of Jesus Christ to the reliability of canon we call scripture. Does he have a biased? If he does he tells you, but he also is very pointed at the goal, showing I CAN trust the bible. “Why I trust the Bible” is a great read if you want the facts but don’t want to spend hours reading the arguments in multiple books or websites. Mr. Mounce provides the evidence and the tools for you to dig deeper and see where and what was said for yourself. I would highly recommend this book as the issue is handled very concisely and with great clarity.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2021
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Jung
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
It argues for the reasons for helping the poor and provides ways to do so with helpful examples.
Format: Kindle
In Chapter 1 “What is Doing Justice?” Keller says just as tithe is the right or due of the priests, the poor and needy have rights to have their needs met. Any neglect shown to their needs is not called merely a lack of mercy or charity but a violation of justice. The Bible introduces God as a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows (Psalm 68:4-5). Giving justice and defending to the poor and weak is one of the main things he does in the world. He identifies with the powerless and takes up their cause. Because most of the oppressed are those who are poor and powerless, God gives them particular attention and has a special place in his heart for them. Justice is more than merely giving the poor small, perfunctory gifts, but turning the their life to a life of delight. Justice includes generosity. In Chapter 2 “Justice and the Old Testament” Keller says Jesus has fulfilled the ceremonial laws of Moses, including clean laws of touching, diet, dress; sacrificial system and temple worship ordinances. However, the basic principles in the Old Testament remain the same. Christ only changed the way in which Christians exhibit their holiness and offer their sacrifices. Today, people are required to offer God their entire lives as sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2), as well as the sacrifices of worship to God and the sharing of their resources with others (Hebrews 13:5). Although the Bible does not guarantee that no one will ever fall into poverty, God promises that He will richly bless His people so that if they are kind and good to the needy around them by being openhanded and freely lending everything he needs, there would not be a poor man among them, that no one will suffer from permanent, long-term poverty. The money we have is as much a gift of God as the manna was a gift to the Israelites in the desert. The Biblical laws for the use of land criticize the statism that disregards the precious treasure of personal rootage as well as the untrammeled individualism which secures individuals at the expense of community. The three causes of poverty, according to the Bible are oppression, calamity, and personal moral failure. Taken in isolation no one factor – government programs, public policy, calls to personal responsibility, or private charity – is sufficient to address the problem. In Chapter 3 “What did Jesus Say About Justice?” Keller says Jesus wants his followers to be profoundly generous to the poor, spending more money on them than on the rich and the friends. Genuine concern for the poor is not a means of getting salvation but rather the sign that you already have salvation. Whatever a person does to the poor is done to Jesus. The Bible sees sexual immorality and material selfishness as both flowing from self-centeredness rather than God-centeredness. Gospel preaching that targets some sins but not the sins of oppression cannot work among most people in the world, people who are poor peasants and workers. Our first responsibility is to our own families and relations (1 Timothy 5:8), and our second responsibility is to other members of the community of faith (Galatians 6:10). However, our responsibility also includes doing good to all people, including strangers such as foreigners. In Chapter 4 “Justice and Your Neighbor” Keller says Jesus said that loving God and neighbor is the way to get eternal life. To this, the expert in the law asked who his neighbor is. Using the story of good Samaritan, Jesus says that anyone in need is our neighbor. We should not refuse to help others by saying that they are not yet in extreme poverty because we would not wait until we are in extreme poverty before doing something to alleviate our suffering. We should not say I cannot help anyone because we mean I cannot help anyone without burdening myself, cutting in to how I live my life. We should not refuse to help others because they are ungrateful and wicked because Jesus saved us not even though we are ungrateful and evil people. We should not refuse to help the poor who fell into poverty because of their own selfish, indolent, or violent behavior unless they continue in those evils. Even if they do persist in the same evil, we should still help the family members of those evil people. Jesus is the great Samaritan who came down and saved us out of his compassion on us, the spiritually dead. In Chapter 5 “Why Should We Do Justice?” Keller says two basic motivations for doing justice that the Bible gives are first joyful awe before the goodness of God’s creation and second the experience of God’s grace in redemption. The fact that humans are created in the image of God shows that every human being deserves respect. God gave to humans management and authority over the earth but not the ownership. God gave the poor the right to receive favor and good will from the rich as the rich have received favor and good will from God. A person who experienced of God’s grace can no longer have pride and haughtiness and aloofness toward the poor. In Chapter 6 “How should we do justice?” Keller says doing justice requires constant, sustained reflection and circumspection, thinking through how to do justice in every area of life.Vulnerable people need multiple levels of help. Keller call these layers relief, development, and social reform. Relief is direct aid to meet immediate physical, material, and economic needs. Development is giving an individual, family, or entire community what they need to move beyond dependency on relief into a condition of economic self-sufficiency. When John Perkins explained his philosophy of ministry, he always named three basic factors. One he called “relocation,” though others have called it “reneighboring a community.” This means the helper should live within the community and thus have firsthand knowledge of the needs of the neighborhood and real accountability to the residents. Perkins also spoke of “redistribution,” something others have called “reweaving a community.” This means that financial capital, social capital, and spiritual capital that are invested into the community should stay within the community for the benefit of the community. By “financial capital,” we of course mean the ability to attract businesses that not only provide goods for customers, but also keep wealth and financial capital in the community itself. By “social capital,” Perkins meant the training and retaining of local leadership. “Spiritual capital” refers to the spiritual and moral influence of the churches in the neighborhood. There is a third important factor in John Perkins’s strategy for rebuilding poor communities. He names it “racial reconciliation.” This includes empowering the resident of poor communities to control their own destiny as well as inviting professional helpers from outside to play a role. The new bonds with others in Christ are stronger than our relationship to other members of our own racial and national groups. The gospel gives believers critical distance from their own culture, enabling them to critique their own cultural idols. When these new insights are established in the consciousness of a Christian, a church, and a community, the resulting unity of relationships becomes both a means to reneighboring and reweaving and a direct witness to the world of the reality of the gospel. Besides relief and development (both individual and corporate) there is social reform. Social reform moves beyond the relief of immediate needs and dependency and seeks to change the conditions and social structures that aggravate or cause that dependency. Doing justice and generosity should not be the means to evangelism nor be considered the same thing as evangelism nor be considered something detracts from evangelism. Instead, they should exist in an asymmetrical, inseparable relationship. Doing justice and generosity is inseparably connected to preaching the gospel because the gospel produces love and concern for the poor and the deeds of justice and generosity give credibility to the preaching of the gospel. In other words, justification by faith leads to doing justice and generosity, and doing justice and generosity make many seek to be justified by faith. The most loving thing anyone can do for one’s neighbor is to help him or her to have a saving faith in God, to have a saving relationship with Him that will result in eternal life with Him. Christian church, like any other institution or organization, cannot do all things well, and thus should do the work of relief and some development inside and around its community for their own members, neighborhoods and cities and let its members to do the work of development and social reform through appropriate organizations and institutions. In Chapter 7 “Doing Justice In the Public Square” Keller says there is no consensus on what justice is. People assume the other side know they are simply being unjust, but the reality is nearly everyone thinks they are on justice’s side. Justice is not a matter of common sense because people have differing opinions about what freedom and equality, what things that define justice, are. The causes for which justice is invoked are always matters of deeply held beliefs, rooted in particular view on matters of faith such as human nature, happiness, right, and wrong. There are competing visions of justice in our society which can fall into three categories: maximizing welfare, respecting freedom, and promoting virtue. Attempt to talk about justice in the supposedly neutral terms of freedom and equality that we can all agree on did not work because our ideas of justice are rooted in views of life that are nonprovable faith assumptions. The forbiddance to bring religious beliefs into public argument has made debate or discourse over normative matters barren, unsatisfying, and shallow. We can’t agree on what justice is because we are not allowed to talk about our underlying beliefs publicly. We are locked in endless disagreement, largely because we live with the illusion that we can achieve moral and religious neutrality. Many great political and influential figures in the past used religious language to argue for their cause. Prohibition of bringing personal morality into public policy is thus absurd. Our law is itself a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Although Christians should not be strident and condemning in their language or attitude, Christians should not be silent about the Biblical roots of their passion for justice. Christians’ work for justice should be characterized by both humble cooperation and respectful provocation. Common grace of God gives skills in science, scholarship, crafts, government, art, and jurisprudence to nonbelievers as well. Christians and non-Christians have common values that can form a connection between them. Believers should let their coworkers know of how the gospel is motivating them, yet also they should appeal to common values as much as possible. At the same time, they should be respectfully provocative with them, arguing that their models of justice are reductionistic and incomplete. Christians should talk about how their beliefs are different than those of non-Christians even if they have the same basic social goals. Valuing things is always based on beliefs about the purposes of life, human nature, right and wrong, all of which are moral and religious. As Aristotle and other Greek philosophers reasoned, unless we can determine what human beings are here for, it is impossible to determine how we should live. Many prominent thinkers and scientists say that human being does not have inherent worth. Therefore, even atheist and agnostic philosophers acknowledge that the concept of human rights requires a religious dimension. Many nonreligious people believe in human dignity and human rights. However, it is just that any such belief is religious in nature. In Chapter 8 “Peace, Beauty, and Justice” Keller says the Jewish description of the creation is unique in that God created the world as a craftsman or an artisan with much care and planning. God created all things in an interdependent, harmonious relationship to one another. Just as rightly related physical elements form a cosmos, so rightly related human beings form a community, and this interwovenness is what the Bible calls shalom, or harmonious peace. Shalom means peace resulting from right, perfect, and joyful relationship in all dimensions – physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. When there is crime, poverty, and family breakdown, there is no shalom in the society. However, when people share with others, work together for good and functional public services, school, and flouring businesses, the community experiences shalom. Broken relationship with God resulted in war, crime, family breakdown, oppression, injustice, hunger, sickness, aging and physical death. Doing justice means bringing shalom to the community, especially for the poor and the weaker members of the society. Perceiving the goodness of God in His sacrificial love makes doing justice and other things that honor and please God a delight to people. God identifies with the poor not only symbolically but also literally in the incarnation and death of Jesus. He had little the world valued and the little he had was taken. Though He was rich, for the sake of us He became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). In section titled “Justice Includes Generosity” in chapter 1, “What is doing Justice?”, the author seems to say that generous giving to the poor is a requirement from God. Mercy, compassion, or charity are not a requirement, but justice is. Therefore, generous giving must be justice, and justice unconditionally includes generous giving. Thus, the author equates justice with generosity or generous giving of time and resources. The author went further by saying that those who do not actively and generously share their resources with the poor are robbers. I must disagree with what the author said above. When generous giving to the poor or generosity becomes justice, it means the rich have the legal obligation to give to the poor, and the poor have legal right to demand goods from the rich or even take goods from the rich without their knowledge. When the rich accuse the poor of stealing from them, the poor would be able to say “It is justice for us to receive generosity from you. Therefore, it is not stealing but merely exercise of justice and practice of our rights.” Instead of calling generous giving to the poor justice, I believe generous giving to the poor is a righteousness. It is a righteousness that God demands from the rich. However, God did not give the poor the right to demand or steal from the rich. God merely gave the poor the right to ask for what they need from the rich, and the right to receive from the rich whatever the rich give them. If mercy, compassion, and charity to the poor by the rich are a requirement, an obligation on the part of the rich, some people may argue that generous giving to the poor can no longer be called mercy, compassion, or charity by the rich. I think they have a solid ground to argue that case, but indisputable truth that remains unchanged is that the generous giving to the poor through the rich is mercy, compassion, and charity by God. The author said, “We do justice when we give all human beings their due as creations of God.” It is equally true to say, “God does justice when He gives all human beings their due as creations of God.” Then when the poor receive goods, or rather when human beings receive life, health, wealth, and peace from God, are they receiving their due from God? If so, human beings do not have to give thanks to God because they are only receiving their due from God and God merely doing what His Justice requires Him to do. I agree with what Keller said regarding what Christians should do to help the poor. I could feel the enthusiasm he has for helping the poor while reading the book. I also give due respect to the efforts he has made. It seems to me he has done appropriate research for writing on this subject. He has proposed well-thought-out ways to help the poor. His mention of inputs from many other people, particularly those from Abraham Kuyper and John Perkins, were especially helpful. These various inputs helped considering the task of helping the poor in a more balanced and multifaceted way. Most importantly, he has a first-hand experience of helping the poor which gives him invaluable knowledge and know-off from which he can draw and helps him critically assess the benefits and shortcomings of inputs from others. I believe more improvements can be made upon the helping ministry that he and others have built upon. However, due to lack of first-hand experience, it is difficult for me to propose any valuable improvements.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
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Fr. Charles Erlandson
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Marries God's Grace, Orthodox Theology, and Social Justice
When I ordered Timothy Keller's "Generous Justice," I thought I was buying a book about God's justice (in condemning sinners), which has been assailed by so many recently. Never have I been so pleasantly and emotionally surprised by a book. What Keller has done instead is to wed a theology of God's grace to us, and one that is fully orthodox in nature, with a biblical emphasis on social justice. Keller's main thesis is this: God's "generous justice" to humans who are poor in spirit and in great need is a motivation for our administering social justice - as well as an evidence that we have truly received the grace of God. This is truly a mind-blowing, heart-rending thesis - and it's hit me like a ton of bricks! The very night I read this book, I read (from the Book of Common Prayer) the prayer for Social Justice in our Evening Prayer service at church. Obviously God is trying to teach me something, and I think He's trying to teach you all the same thing. That something is that Christians are to be involved in social justice not only because it's a commandment but because it's a response to a life that's received the grace of God (His "generous justice"). Keller cuts across the great conservative/liberal divide in this book. He has something that most of you will at first disagree about, but when you truly consider it, you'll find that he's probably right. Social justice is about caring for the poor and alienated, both as individuals and as communities. To conservative Christians he preaches that social justice does indeed involve changing entire communities and that real oppression and social injustice still exists in the U.S. To liberal Christians he preaches that much of poverty really does come from the personal moral failings of individuals. In fact, he outlines 3 possible causes of poverty: oppression, calamity, and personal moral failure. He believes that the biblical emphasis is especially on the larger structural factors (although I don't necessarily agree with him here.) Perhaps most importantly, Keller is putting his money where his mouth is: his Redeemer Presbyterian Church is located in Manhattan. What Keller does best, beginning with the Old Testament and continuing through the teachings of Jesus and the Epistles is to show God's concern for social justice. You cannot read this book without being challenged to want to be more involved in correcting social injustice, whether at the individual or social level. This book hit me like a ton of bricks because years ago I had read Ron Sider's Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger while in college. I was originally moved by the book but then became aware that Sider had made a lot of errors in his theology and thinking. For years, I allowed this and the liberal emphasis on the social gospel as opposed to the true gospel to shield me from the biblical message of the need for justice. This book has been like a sledgehammer to my soul, and it will take me months and years to sort out what God would have me do next. In addition to providing the biblical and theological rationale for caring for the poor and disadvantaged, Keller turns towards a more practical approach towards the end of the book, which was exactly what I needed. He answers questions I and many others have, such as "What if I don't live by an area of poverty?" (then look for the disadvantaged, abused, neglected, sick, single parents wherever you are!) He discusses 3 levels of help that need to be offered: relief (direct aid to immediate needs), development (giving a family or community what they need to move beyond dependency), and social reform (changing the conditions and social conditions that cause dependency). Keller divides his book up this way: Introduction: Why Write This Book? Chapter One - What is Doing Justice? Chapter Two - Justice and the Old Testament Chapter Three - What Did Jesus Say About Justice? Chapter Four - Justice and Your Neighbor Chapter Five - Why Should We Do Justice? Chapter Six - How Should We Do Justice? Chapter Seven - Doing Justice in the Public Square Chapter Eight - Peace, Beauty, and Justice There are still things I disagree with about the book, and I have a few areas where I think Keller could have been clearer or more forceful so as not to mislead. My 1st objection is that Keller seems to emphasize justice in terms of structures more than the justice we seek for individuals (for example, the many ways I seek justice among my kids at home). Keller didn't talk about this side of things enough. He also, in my opinion, doesn't adequately take into account the moral failings that are the cause of so much of American poverty since the 20th century. It's not that he isn't aware of this side of things: I just think he understates it. Second, while Keller's clearly aware that our contemporary situation is not a theocracy like that of ancient Israel, too much of the time he seems to assume that the social justice we seek is out in the world at large, as opposed to the social justice we seek specifically in the Church. The New Testament letters are clearly more heavily weighted toward how we seek justice specifically in the Church, which is to model social justice for the world, even as the justice of national Israel was to be a model for the nations. He also doesn't address the problem that in ancient Israel and the first century Church, Christians knew who the poor were because there was little social mobility. They knew who was really lame and who was faking; they knew who had fallen on hard times; and they knew who was merely lazy or malicious. It's much more difficult for Christians today to discern this, and Keller makes no (or at least inadequate) reference to the traditional Christian distinction between the deserving and the undeserving poor (an issue that several books by George Grant discuss more adequately). In spite of these errors or exaggerations, "Generous Justice" is still a book every church should be discussing. Read it, and see if it doesn't break your heart and make you more aware of God's grace to you, as well as your need to do justice to those around you!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2010
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Verified Purchase
Joshua Reich
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
How the Gospel & Justice go hand in hand
Anything by Tim Keller is worth reading and re-reading. His book Generous Justice is no different. I worked my way through it last week as I prepped my sermon on James 2. Here is the main idea of the book: "If a person grasped the meaning of God's grace in his heart, he will do justice. If he doesn't live justly, then he may say with his lips that he is grateful for God's grace, but in his heart he is far from him. If he doesn't care about the poor, it reveals that at best he doesn't understand the grace he has experienced, and at worst he has not really encountered the saving mercy of God. Grace should make you just." One of the more interesting things I found in the book was how Keller weaved through Scripture and looked at the various places that justice, poor, widows, orphans, etc. are talked about in the Old and New Testaments. He also pointed out how God is introduced in Scripture as "the father to the fatherless and defender of the widow" almost more than any title. Which strikes me because God is often associated with suburbia. If the church and his followers are to be like him, what does that mean our lives should be like? What would we have to do so that we are identified as "the father to the fatherless and the defender of the widow?" Keller answers, "If God's character includes a zeal for justice that leads him to have the tenderest love and closest involvement with the socially weak, then what should God's people be like? They must be people who are likewise passionately concerned for the weak and vulnerable." But what does doing justice mean? It has become a polarizing word and idea. Often, "doing justice" is associated solely with left wing politics or liberal Christianity, the social gospel. In fact, after spending the last 2 weeks talking about loving the overlooked at Revolution I was asked by someone if we were getting political as a church. While the question is misguided, I understand where it comes from. Evangelical Christianity is more focused on souls and eternity, which we are called to and incredibly important, but we are also called to love people and meet practical needs at the same time. I don't think you can separate the two (or at least we shouldn't separate the two), even though lots of people do. Justice is intricately associated with the gospel. Keller says, "We do justice when we give all human beings their due as creations of God. Doing justice includes not only the righting of wrongs (the gospel), but generosity and social concern, especially toward the poor and vulnerable. This kind of life reflects the character of God. It consists of a broad range of activities, from simple fair and honest dealings with people in daily life, to regular, radically generous giving of your time and resources, to activism that seeks to end particular forms of injustice, violence, and oppression." Here are a few things that jumped out: -A true experience of the grace of Jesus Christ inevitably motivates a man or woman to seek justice in the world. -God loves and defends those with the least economic and social power, and so should we. That is what it means to "do justice." -The Bible gives believers two basic motivations for doing justice - joyful awe before the goodness of God's creation, and the experience of God's grace in redemption. I highly, highly recommend picking up this book. Every Christian needs to wrestle with what it means to be changed by the gospel and the implications on how we live and what that means in terms of the overlooked and "doing justice" in our world. For more, check out [...]
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Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2011
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★★★★★ 4
Good Book; Slightly Biased
I liked Tim Keller's book quite a bit. He makes a strong, biblical case for the necessity for christians to do justice. This part of the gospel has been lacking in conservative, evangelical circles. So, Pastor Keller performs a real service, as a conservative evangelical, in speaking out on the issue. However, there is a slight, conservative, bias in the book. He seems to try to bend over backwards to be fair, but still ends up missing and misstating a few things. As a conservative, he de-emphasizes the important role of government in social justice and the necessity for christians to actively promote justice in the public sphere. Yes, he mentions this, and even gives some examples where christians should be involved in promoting justice in the public sphere. But, the instances he cites are small cases like when we see injustice in local law enforcement or building inspector corruption. Those sorts of things. That's fine as far as it goes, but it's the tip of the iceberg. The things that can make a big difference in our society in promoting justice are national policies involving health care, housing assistance, education assistance, food stamps, etc. Mr. Keller avoids talking about those things because they are inconsistent with the politics that conservative christians almost universally support. So, he doesn't want to alienate his supporters. And, perhaps he himself opposes things like national health care. Of course, obviously, that position is inconsistent with what Jesus taught about caring for the poor and sick. Mr. Keller, and other conservatives, would say it's not the government's role to provide health care to the poor; rather the role of the church. And, he would cite some small example of some church that maybe offers free health screenings. Give me a break. Tell me the church I can send a homeless person to where he can live and receive the cancer or heart treatment he needs and then I'll agree with Mr. Keller and the conservatives. Until then, the government MUST play a role in this area and christians should be leaders in promoting that. But, Mr. Keller, rather predictably, mostly ignores this issue of the actual, true role of modern government in justice -- which necessarily, for better or worse, has to be quite large. We see this conservative slant to the book other times as well. For instance, when talking about the Sermon on the Mount, Keller says that both conservatives and liberals miss part of Jesus' message. He says conservatives ignore Jesus' words about social justice and liberals ignore his words about personal morality. I just don't think that's fair because I think liberal christians care just as much as conservatives about private morality. It's possible to point to an issue here or there where that's not true; but then it's possible to point to others that point in the other direction. The bottom line is that supporting social justice requires private morality (unselfishness). Mr. Keller cites the private/individual morality issues that Jesus discusses as sexual lust in the heart, adultery, divorce and overwork and materialism. Yet, there is no evidence that liberals are more guilty of these issues than conservatives; in fact, I'd suggest the opposite may be true (certainly with respect to overwork and materialism). I wish Keller would simply admit the obvious which is that liberal christians are much more on board with the Sermon on the Mount and generally with Jesus' message of promotion of Justice and God's Kingdom on earth. That message is at the heart of christian liberalism. But, rather than simply admitting that this is an area that liberals generally get right and conservatives get wrong; instead Keller reaches for straws that don't exist. We see this again when Keller says in the introduction to the book that Walter Rauschenbusch (a "father" of liberal christianity) "rejected the traditional doctrines of Scripture and atonement." As evidence for this serious and broad criticism, Keller provides a footnote which fails to provide any quotes, rather it simply references Rauschenbusch's book A Theology for the Social Gospel, Ch. 19 and says that Rauschenbusch therein "rejects the theory of penal substitution." Yet if one reads Ch. 19 of Rauschenbusch's book, one will find he clearly does NOT reject the theories of atonement or penal substitution. In fact, on page 244 Rauschenbusch states: "As Christian men we believe that the death of our Lord concerns us all. Our sins caused it. He bore the sin of the world. In turn his death was somehow for our good. Our spiritual situation is fundamentally changed in consequence of it." Then on pg. 273, Rauschenbusch says: "The cross is the monumental fact telling of grace and inviting repentance and humility." Furthermore, Rauschenbusch on numerous occasions in all his books specifically states that his ideas of social justice take nothing away from traditional christian theology; rather they add important things to it. The very things Keller talks about. Again, Keller provides no detailed information about why he thinks Rauschenbusch denied the theory of atonement -- he simply says he did and in a footnote cites a book that seems to not say what Keller thinks it says. This kind of unfair and misleading criticism of "liberal" christians is just wrong and we see it too much. Liberal christianity does not deny any of the essentials of the faith (at least the liberals that Keller talks about); but adds the "do" and "God's Kingdom" parts of the gospel that conservative christians too often miss. Keller does a great service in pointing this out. I just wish he was fair to liberal christians who have long been exactly where Mr. Keller has now arrived. But, again, very good book. And, one that I hope many christians (conservative and liberal) will read.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2011

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