Van Til's Apologetic: Readings and Analysis

More than a simple Cook's tour of an influential apologist, Greg Bahnsen presents Van Til's theology as he actually wrote it, but with the added commentary necessary to bridge the gap between the perceived audience of the writer and the layman. Bahnsen doesn't oversimplify, but gives true commentary and context to spotlight the material in a way that even long-time Van Til readers will find refreshing.

Van Til didn't shy away from the difficult aspects of presuppositional apologetics (which uses Christianity as a starting point rather than nature or hard science), but embraced them, incorporating them into his presentation of the Christian worldview. Bahnsen molds much of the souce texts into a comprehensive treatise on Apologetics, and covers such varied ground as:

• The place of Apologetics in Theology
• The nature, necessity and aim of Apologetics
• Apologetics in relation to Epistemology (the study of the limits and validity of knowledge)
• Comparative apologetics
• The complexities and failures of unbelief

Table of Contents:

1. An Introduction to Van Til’s Apologetic
2. The Task of Apologetics
3. A Simple Summary and Illustration
4. The Epistemological Side of Apologetics
5. The Apologetical Side of Epistemology
6. The Psychological Complexities of Unbelief
7. The Presuppositional Apologetical Argument
8. Comparisons and Criticisms of Apologetical Methods
9. Concluding Summary: How to Defend the Faith

Endorsements

"This is the late Dr. Bahnsen’s testament to today’s defenders of the truth. It is an encyclopedic synthesis of the thought of Cornelius Van Til, who was arguably the most original apologist of the twentieth century. In the grand tradition of the Sentences of the fathers, this study will be a standard for years to come." — William Edgar

"You must have this book, if you are serious about trying to understand Van Til’s thought." — John M. Frame.

Author

Greg L. Bahnsen (MDiv, ThM, Westminster Theological Seminary; PhD, University of Southern California) was Scholar-in-Residence at the Southern California Center for Christian Studies in Irvine. A distinguished scholar, author, and debater, he wrote and lectured extensively in the areas of apologetics and biblical law.