Prominent Christian Theologian and Author Tim Keller Dies at 72 After Cancer Battle, Christians Pay Tribute

- May 19, 2023
Prominent Christian Theologian and Author Tim Keller Dies at 72 After Cancer Battle, Christians Pay Tribute

The religious world is mourning the loss of renowned theologian and best-selling Christian author Tim Keller, who passed away at the age of 72 following a fight with pancreatic cancer, according to his church. Keller was the founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in May 2020.

Redeemer Network Leadership Team representative, Bruce Terrell, shared the sad news, stating, "It is with a heavy heart that I write today to inform you that Tim Keller, the founder and long-serving senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, breathed his last this morning at the age of 72, resting in the firm belief of resurrection." Terrell added, "His leadership, compassion, and dedication to spreading Christ's love will be profoundly missed. While his physical presence will be sorely missed here, we take solace in knowing he is now rejoicing with his Savior in heaven."


Michael Keller, Tim's son, informed via a tweet on Thursday that his father was being discharged from the hospital to receive end-of-life care at home. He later tweeted on Friday that "Timothy J. Keller, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend, pastor, and scholar passed away this morning at home." Sharing the emotional final moments, Michael said, "Dad waited until he was alone with Mom. She gave him a final kiss on his forehead, and he passed away. His last words, 'There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest,’ provide comfort to us."


In the two years since Keller's cancer diagnosis, he had been receiving chemotherapy and was also part of an immunotherapy drug trial at the National Institute for Health in Bethesda, Maryland, as recently as January. Despite the treatment's success in eliminating 99% of his cancerous tumors, Keller disclosed in a Facebook post in March that new tumors had emerged, requiring a different form of immunotherapy. He said, "The tumors are in some fairly inconvenient places, leading doctors to recommend a repetition of the treatment, this time targeting a different genetic marker of cancer."

In April, Keller mentioned that he was in recovery, indicating it would be a "long and slow process back." Notably, Keller was previously diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, from which he recovered.


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