Cornelius Van Til

(This article is based so far on a translation of the English version. )

Cornelius Van Til ( born May 4, 1895 in Grootegast, The Netherlands, † 17 April 1987), Reformed theologian and founder of the so-called präsuppositionellen approach Christian apologetics.

Biography

Van Til had qualifications of Calvin College, Princeton Theological Seminary and Princeton University. He began his teaching career at Princeton, but soon joined the conservative group that founded the Westminster Theological Seminary. Here he taught for 43 years apologetics. He was also pastor of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church since the 1930s until his death in 1987. During this faith community he was involved in a violent dispute with Gordon Clark over God's incomparability, which became known as the Clark - Van Til Controversy.

Thinking

Van Til was based on the work of Dutch Calvinist philosophers such as DH Th Vollenhoven and Herman Dooyeweerd and theologians such as Herman Bavinck to call a novel approach to Christian apologetics into life, which the traditional methods of reasoning with non - Christians were " neutral ground " contrary to standing. He put no particular value to the name of this approach as präsuppositionell (ie: already a prerequisite outgoing), which strictly speaking rather describes the apologetic method of Gordon Clark. But he ( as well as his students) accepted it as a means of convention, because it is at least useful to classify methods into those that deny the neutrality and those who do not.

In Van Til: The Theologian breschreibt John Frame, a sympathetic critic Van Til, whose contribution to Christian philosophy than in its meaning comparable to the Immanuel Kant in the non-Christian philosophy. He points out that Van Til had identified the disciplines of systematic theology and apologetics as a positive assertion of the Christian faith and as a defense of this claim - " more of a difference in emphasis than in the cause." Frame summarizes Van Til's legacy together as a novel application of traditional beliefs:

Similarly, Van Til's led novel application of the doctrine of the depravity of man and the ultimate authority of God to his reformation of apologetics. In particular, he rejected neutrality in apologetics from the basis of the total depravity of mankind and of the infiltrating influence of sin to the reasoning faculty of man (according to the Calvinist understanding of the first chapter of Romans ). And he insisted on an unconditional trust in the Bible, which he regarded as a divinely inspired book, because he was convinced that the final obligation of a Christian must be based on the latest valid authority of God. How Frame noted elsewhere: "The basis of Van Til's system and its most compelling principles " is a rejection of autonomy as " Christian thinking, like all areas of Christian life, an object of Mr. One of God" ( " Van Til and the Ligonier apologetic, " p 282).

Many contemporary theologians are influenced by Van Til's thought, including John Frame, Greg Bahnsen, Rousas John Rushdoony and the instantaneous members of the Westminster Theological Seminary Vern Poythress, William Edgar and K. Scott Oliphint.

Writings

Some of the publications Van Til's ( sorted by importance by K. Scott Oliphint ):

  • A Survey of Christian Epistemology ( In Defense of the Faith, vol II,. Available for free online) ISBN 0-87552-495-8
  • Introduction to Systematic Theology ( In Defense of the Faith, vol. V) ISBN 0-87552-488-5
  • Common Grace and the Gospel ISBN 0-87552-482-6
  • A Christian Theory of Knowledge ISBN 0-87552-480 -X
  • The Defense of the Faith ISBN 0-87552-483-4
  • The Reformed Pastor and Modern Thought ISBN 0-87552-497-4
  • Christian - Theistic Evidences ( In Defense of the Faith, vol VI. ), Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1978
  • The Doctrine of Scripture ( In Defense of the Faith, vol. I), Copyright denDulk Christian Foundation, 1967
  • The Sovereignty of Grace: An Appraisal of G. C. Berkouwer 's View of Dordt, Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1975
  • The New Synthesis Theology of the Netherlands, Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1976
  • The Case for Calvinism ISBN 0-87552-476-1
  • Essays on Christian Education, ISBN 0-87552-485-0
  • Psychology of Religion ( In Defense of the Faith, vol. IV) ISBN 0-87552-494- X
  • The New Hermeneutic ISBN 1-112-86264-1
  • The Intellectual Challenge of the Gospel (brochure) ISBN 0-87552-487-7
  • Why I Believe in God ( brochure, available for free online), Philadelphia, Pa.: Westminster Theological Seminary, undated.
  • Paul at Athens (brochure), Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1978
  • Karl Barth and Evangelicalism (brochure), Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1964

In addition, edited by Eric Sigward: The Works of Cornelius Van Til, 1895-1987, CD -ROM ( ISBN 0-87552-461-3 ), a comprehensive collection of Van Til 's writings in digital form including pictures and detailed recordings of Van Til.

Books about Van Til

  • Van Til: defender of the faith: an authorized biography of William White, Jr ISBN 0-8407-5670-4
  • Jerusalem & Athens: Critical Discussions on the Philosophy and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til, a Festschrift, edited by ER Geehan ISBN 0-87552-489-3
  • Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought by John Frame ISBN 0-87552-220-3
  • Van Til 's Apologetic: Readings and Analysis by Greg Bahnsen ISBN 0-87552-098-7
  • For a Time Such as This: An Introduction to the Reformed Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til of Jim S. Halsey. (1976 ) Philadelphia, Penn: Presbyterian and Reformed.
  • By what standard? : An analysis of the philosophy of Cornelius Van Til of Rousas John Rushdoony, (1959 ) Philadelphia, Penn: Presbyterian and Reformed (Reprint by chalcedony Dec 2003) ISBN 1-879998-05- X
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