Evil Quote by Timothy Keller
““the city, while an accumulator of the energies of culture, is also an accumulator of potencies of evil (Amos 3:9; Micah 1:5).”15 Sometimes these seats of culture making can be established to bring glory to God’s name (1 Cor 10:31) and therefore be a means of serving God and neighbor (e.g., Bezalel in Exod 31:3 – 5), or they can be erected to “make a name for ourselves” (Gen 11:4), resulting in a culture of human pride, self-salvation, violence, and oppression (Gen 4:17 – 24). Vos adds that what makes the human city fallen is not its density of population (indeed, this is what makes it an “accumulator of the energies of culture”), but its “spirit of rebellious self-dependence over against God.”16 A horse is a more valuable animal than a mouse, yet a crazed horse is capable of far more damage than a crazed mouse; so too a city’s strengths under sin can unleash more destructive evil. As the Genesis narrative unfolds, we see that warring with the city’s great potential is a profound bent toward corruption and idolatry. For most of the rest of Genesis, the city is seen in a negative light. The city is mentioned in connection””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Reason for God, Timothy Keller, 2008
Cities gather both cultural energy and potential for evil, driven by pride and self‑reliance against God.
In simple terms: Cities can amplify good or evil, depending on motives.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate humility and purpose in community life.
Themes
culture
pride
spirituality
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- church planting
- community development
- urban policy
- education programs
Key Concepts
theology
urban sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities balance cultural achievement with spiritual humility?
- What safeguards prevent city power from becoming idolatrous?
A Different Perspective
Human pride can corrupt even the most vibrant societies.
![“24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: [Alexis de] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a special salience today — because while we have gotten very good at deconstructing old stories (the religion that was the subject of my first chapter…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85a/timothy-keller-240_sad_24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the_25320.jpg)
![“Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to [be] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is in play. Society has no obligation to try to rehabilitate evil.” quote by Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b89/bill-o-reilly-1019_destroyed_evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be_3597.jpg)
