In pp. 77–79 of The Defense of the Faith (first edition), Cornelius Van Til addresses the fundamental differences between Christian and non-Christian perspectives on ethics, particularly focusing on the role of the will of God as foundational to ethical systems. Van Til begins by asserting that God’s will is absolute and self-determinative. God is eternally good, not becoming good through a process, but being so by his very nature. Unlike humans, God does not have to achieve goodness; it is intrinsic to his eternal character. Therefore, God is both absolutely necessary and absolutely free.

Van Til introduces a key distinction between Christian and non-Christian viewpoints. Christians uphold the concept of an absolutely self-determinative God, who is the necessary presupposition for all human activity. Non-Christian ethics, however, assume that if the Christian God were real, he would stifle ethical activity. This is because non-theistic views perceive God and man as having wills conditioned by an environment, implying that God must also achieve goodness through a process.

Van Til critiques Platonic philosophy, noting that Plato’s conception of “the Good” was ultimate, but his god was not. For Plato, “the Good” was abstract and separated from a fully personal God, leaving the ultimate reality as dependent on the element of Chance. Thus, even if Plato spoke of the Good, it was not self-determined or sovereign in the Christian sense. Modern idealist philosophers tried to build on Platonic thought by proposing an “absolutely self-determinative Experience,” but ultimately failed, according to Van Til, because they made God dependent on the space-time universe, blending time and eternity. As a result, God became dependent on external processes rather than being sovereign over them.

The core ethical difference between Christianity and non-Christian systems is the acceptance or rejection of an ultimately self-determinative God. Van Til argues that without the presupposition of God as absolute, there can be no coherent or purposeful human experience, including ethics. The absolute sovereignty of God is not a hindrance to human responsibility but rather its foundation.

Van Til makes a point to distinguish Christian doctrine from philosophical determinism. While both affirm necessity, philosophical determinism is impersonal, suggesting that everything is determined by blind, impersonal forces. Christianity, in contrast, asserts that the ultimate reality is personal; God’s sovereign will underlies the possibility of genuine human freedom and responsibility.

Watch on YouTube and Vimeo.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:05:31 Ethics and the Christian Philosophy of Reality
• 00:11:45 The Christian Conception of God
• 00:18:02 The Absolute Contrast between Christian and Non-Christian Ethics
• 00:29:48 Contrasts with Platonism
• 00:47:18 Contrast with Idealism
• 00:52:10 The Central Ethical Distinction
• 00:55:22 Contrast with Philosophical Determinism
• 01:05:11 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

In this installment of Van Til Group, we turn to pp. 73–77 of Cornelius Van Til’s classic book, The Defense of the Faith. In this section, Van Til critiques both Roman Catholicism and certain strands of Evangelicalism for their approach to human autonomy and the nature of sin.

Van Til argues that Roman Catholicism, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, assigns too much autonomy to human consciousness, even before the Fall, which undermines the Scriptural notion of authority and total depravity. He contends that Aquinas views fallen man as not entirely different from Adam in paradise, thus diminishing the need for grace.

Similarly, Van Til criticizes C.S. Lewis, representing a segment of Evangelical thought, for conflating metaphysical and ethical issues and for not adequately emphasizing human disobedience to God as the root of ethical problems. Both perspectives, according to Van Til, fail to uphold the biblical doctrine that only through faith and complete reliance on the triune God of Scripture can true ethical behavior be achieved.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:04:48 Support Reformed Forum
• 00:10:35 A Christian Philosophy of Behavior
• 00:18:48 Roman Catholicism as Halfway between Christianity and Paganism
• 00:28:38 The Relationship between Natural and Special Revelation
• 00:41:36 The Natural vs the Supernatural End of Created Man in Thomistic Theology
• 01:02:45 Evangelicalism and C. S. Lewis’s Views
• 01:13:11 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

In this episode, we welcome Scott J. Hatch, author of Reformed Forum’s latest publication, Van Til and the Foundation of Christian Ethics: A God-Centered Approach to Moral Philosophy, to consider the profound relationship between theology and ethics as articulated by Cornelius Van Til. In addition to providing an original treatment of the subject, Hatch has also edited a critical edition of Van Til’s Christian-Theistic Ethics, which is included as a lengthy appendix in this volume. This never before been available, and anyone interested in the thought of Cornelius Van Til should surely get a copy for their library.

This insightful conversation illuminates Van Til’s unique approach to Christian ethics, emphasizing a God-centered moral philosophy grounded in the doctrine of the self-contained ontological Trinity. Hatch explores Van Til’s critique of moral relativism and how his theological framework offers a compelling solution to ethical dilemmas, contrasting with the perspectives of other ethicists and theologians.

The episode promises to enrich understanding of Christian ethics through the lens of Reformed theology, challenging believers to consider the foundational role of the Triune God in all moral considerations. Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of how Cornelius Van Til’s groundbreaking work continues to shape contemporary discussions on Christian ethics, offering a robust, God-centered approach that speaks to the challenges of modern moral relativism.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:04:12 Being Introduced to Cornelius Van Til’s Theology and Apologetics
• 00:09:54 Versions of Van Til’s Ethics
• 00:21:24 The Uniqueness of Van Til’s Ethical Approach
• 00:28:42 Ethics and the Doctrine of God
• 00:36:44 Alasdair MacIntryre and Critiques of Moral Relativism
• 00:45:11 Critiques and Misunderstandings of Van Til’s Ethics
• 00:53:29 Van Til’s Value for Future Generations
• 00:59:13 For Further Study
• 01:03:54 Conclusion

Links

• Purchase Van Til and the Foundation of Christian Ethics
• Purchase from Reformation Heritage Books for international shipping options

Participants: Camden Bucey, Scott Hatch

In this installment of Van Til Group, we turn to the section of Defense of the Faith (pp. 69–72), which begins the chapter titled “The Christian Philosophy of Behavior.” This section outlines the Christian perspective on ethics, drawing from the Reformed confessions to emphasize that human actions, or behavior, should aim to glorify God. It presents a confessional scheme focusing on three key aspects: the highest good (summum bonum) that humans should strive for, the criterion for achieving this good (which must be based on God’s revealed will in Scripture), and the motivation for pursuing this good, highlighting the necessity of faith and regeneration by the Holy Spirit for genuine ethical action.

The chapter then considers the relationship between ethics and the Christian philosophy of knowledge. It asserts that understanding God’s nature is fundamental to grasping the essence of Christian ethics, with God’s absolute personality serving as the ultimate interpretative category for human existence. This perspective contrasts with non-Christian views by emphasizing that the good is defined by God’s nature and will, rather than existing independently.

The section on “Man as Made in God’s Image” discusses the original moral perfection of humanity, created in the image of the Godhead, and underscores the derivative nature of human moral consciousness. Unlike non-Christian ethics, which may view moral consciousness as the ultimate arbiter of good, Christian ethics sees it as reliant on divine revelation. This foundational difference in epistemology between Christian and non-Christian thought underscores the Christian belief in a receptive rather than creative construction of moral knowledge, with humanity’s moral nature and external revelation jointly guiding ethical understanding.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:04:56 The Christian View of Ethics
• 00:21:06 Motive, Standard, and Goal
• 00:32:02 The Summum Bonum
• 00:39:44 The Euthyphro Dilemma
• 00:45:13 God’s Nature and Will
• 00:51:58 Man Made in the Image of God
• 00:55:53 Christian Epistemology
• 01:08:58 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Join us in this episode of Christ the Center, where host Camden Bucey engages in a free-flowing yet thoughtful discussion with Dr. Owen Anderson, philosopher and professor of religious studies at Arizona State University and pastor of Historic Christian Church in Phoenix. The conversation centers around the nuanced relationship between philosophy, religion, and the concept of free speech within academia and broader American culture.

The episode explores the current state of freedom of speech in higher education, highlighting its importance and the obstacles it faces today. Dr. Anderson shares his views on the roles of natural and revealed religion in American philosophical and legal traditions, and how these ideas have influenced the country’s development. Listeners will also appreciate the exploration of Common Sense Realism and its impact on the ideological framework of the American Founding Fathers. This episode provides a reflective look into the challenges of articulating and understanding truth in an increasingly complex age.

Listen in for a conversation that offers insightful perspectives on the intersections of philosophy, religion, and free speech in the modern era.

Links

• Dr. Owen Anderson on Substack
• The Cambridge Companion to the First Amendment and Religious Liberty
• FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:02:19 Freedom of Speech in Academia and Current Events
• 00:07:07 Philosophical and Theological Considerations in Modern Culture
• 00:15:23 Natural Religion and Revealed Religion
• 00:22:35 The Role and Challenges of Free Speech in Universities
• 00:35:45 Interplay of Philosophy, Religion, and American Constitutional Principles
• 00:38:52 The Evolution of the Concept of God in American Thought and Law
• 00:44:19 Common Sense Realism and Its Impact on American Founding Fathers
• 00:52:29 Challenges of Communicating Truth in the Contemporary World
• 01:00:44 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Owen Anderson

In the latest episode of Christ the Center, we explore the fascinating intersection of science, faith, and philosophy through the life and contributions of Robert Boyle, the seventeenth-century chemist often dubbed the father of modern chemistry. Our guest, Dr. Edward B. Davis, Professor Emeritus of the History of Science at Messiah University, shares his extensive knowledge on Boyle’s experiments, the development of Boyle’s Law, and the broader implications of Boyle’s work on the relationship between emerging scientific disciplines and religious thought. We also delve into the historical context of Boyle’s era, his influence on the mechanical philosophy, and how his devout Anglican faith shaped his understanding of the natural world. Listen as we explore the complex relationship of how scientific inquiry and religious belief have related throughout history.

Links

• Edward B. Davis CV
• Edward B. Davis on ResearchGate
• Dr. Davis’ article, “Robert Boyle, the Bible, and Natural Philosophy“

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:02:00 Christianity and History of Science
• 00:12:45 The Philosophical and Methodological Awareness of Scientists
• 00:18:52 Gaining Humility through Historical Perspective
• 00:25:02 Robert Boyle in Historical Context
• 00:37:28 Boyle’s Scientific Pursuits
• 00:41:57 Robert Boyle and James Ussher
• 00:44:03 Natural Philosophy
• 00:51:33 Boyle’s Views Contrasted with Deism
• 00:54:24 Boyle’s Contributions
• 00:59:13 Dr. Davis’ Scholarship on Boyle
• 01:03:41 Researching Boyle
• 01:08:13 Reading Dr. Davis’ articles
• 01:10:21 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Edward B. Davis

After recording a course on the subject for Reformed Academy, Dr. Carlton Wynne comes to the podcast studio to discuss John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Topics covered include Calvin’s theology, the right ordering of knowledge, general and special revelation, the effects of the fall on human reasoning, natural theology, and comparisons to the thought of Thomas Aquinas and Cornelius Van Til. Carlton also shares about his experience as a pastor-theologian and his talk on maintaining true religion in a modernist world at the recent Reformation Worship Conference. The conversation touches on the legacy of J. Gresham Machen and the need for the church to guard the good deposit of faith.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:05:41 Introduction to Carlton’s Course on Calvin’s Institutes
• 00:13:56 The Church and the Academy
• 00:20:58 Approaching a Course on the Institutes
• 00:30:30 The Natural Knowledge of God
• 00:37:52 Natural Theology, Ethics, and “Formal” Truth
• 00:49:48 The Reformation Worship Conference
• 00:57:28 Machen 2.0
• 01:10:39 Calvin and the Threefold Office of Mediator
• 01:12:52 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne

Camden Bucey recently lectured on “The Importance of Van Til for Today” for the OPC’s Presbytery of Michigan and Ontario at Harvest OPC in Wyoming, MI. Jim Cassidy and Camden discuss the main points of the lecture before we turn to a recording of the lecture and its accompanying Q&A session.

Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987) has shaped the field of Reformed apologetics, drawing upon the strengths of Old Amsterdam and Old Princeton. But his impact extends beyond apologetics, affecting broader theological discussions and the identity of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In this lecture, we explore the enduring relevance of Van Til’s work and thought, analyzing his theological contributions against the backdrop of his historical context while tracing their resonance in our own.

Download the handout

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:03:13 The Importance of Van Til for Today
• 00:09:20 Previewing the Main Points of the Lecture
• 00:24:50 Darryl G. Hart Introduction
• 00:26:47 Camden Bucey Introduction
• 00:31:20 Confessional Faithfulness
• 00:50:28 A Distinctly Reformed Witness
• 01:02:47 Doctrine of God
• 01:29:09 Questions and Answers
• 01:47:13 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Bruce Baugus to our program to discuss his book, The Roots of Reformed Moral Theology, published by Reformation Heritage Books. In this comprehensive work, Dr. Baugus delves into the foundational elements that have shaped moral theology within the Reformed tradition. He provides both historical and theological contexts, covering a range of topics including the Old Testament’s influence on Reformed moral thought, the significance of the Ten Commandments, the Reformation’s impact on moral theology, and its evolution in the modern era. Additionally, Dr. Baugus explores the practical applications of Reformed moral theology for contemporary Christian living.

This conversation serves as a continuation of a dialogue that began during our online Symposium on Reformed Moral Theology, held in August 2023. In the symposium’s concluding session, Dr. Baugus and Dr. David VanDrunen each presented their perspectives on the role of law in the Gospels, with a particular focus on the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Book of Matthew. The session also featured an interactive discussion between the two scholars and T. David Gordon.

Dr. Bruce P. Baugus is Professor of Systematic Theology & Apologetics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He earned a PhD in Philosophical Theology from Calvin Theological Seminary (2009) and served on the faculty of Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, for fourteen years (2008–2022) prior to joining Puritan Reformed. He is also the editor of China’s Reforming Churches (RHB, 2014) and has contributed numerous chapters, articles, and papers.

Dr. David VanDrunen is Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:07:33 Moral Theology and Christian Ethics
• 00:12:49 Understanding the Roots of Moral Theology
• 00:15:10 Historical Developments in Reformed Moral Theology
• 00:18:38 A Distinctly Reformed Moral Theology
• 00:21:47 Moral Theology and Aquinas
• 00:23:51 The Law of Moses in the Reformed Tradition
• 00:33:53 Jesus and the Law
• 00:37:21 Jesus Showing the Climactic Character of His Coming
• 00:44:25 An Enduring Moral Law
• 00:51:51 The Redemptive-Historical Significance of Jesus’ Coming
• 00:54:46 The Law and the New Covenant People
• 01:03:01 The Natural Order and the New Creation
• 01:07:44 Conclusion

Participants: Bruce Baugus, Camden Bucey, David VanDrunen

Join us as we explore the increasingly overlapping spheres of artificial intelligence (AI) and pastoral ministry. Our discussion uncovers both the promising opportunities and the intricate challenges presented by this cross-disciplinary synthesis, offering listeners a space for thoughtful reflection and critical analysis.

We begin by considering the ways in which AI could influence scholarly and pastoral work, discussing its potential to revolutionize sermon preparation, theological interpretation, and pastoral responsibilities. From enhancing exegesis through computational analysis to automated pastoral care systems, the conversation paints a picture of a possible future in which technology and theology are closely entwined.

However, the integration of AI into such deeply human and nuanced fields raises a multitude of ethical and philosophical concerns. Can an artificial system genuinely contribute to a process so rooted in personal insight and spirituality? Would reliance on AI for intellectual tasks promote laziness or engender a culture of plagiarism within the realm of theological scholarship? Furthermore, we ponder the risk of losing the essence of pastoral care—the human touch—in the wake of automated systems.

We invite you to join a thoughtful, in-depth exploration of the role AI could play in scholarship and pastoral ministry. For those curious about the intersection of technology, faith, and ethics, this discussion offers a chance to engage with a deeply fascinating and increasingly relevant topic.

Chapters

• 00:07 Thinking about Artificial Intelligence
• 01:17 Jim’s Course on John 1–10
• 07:17 Thinking about Artificial Intelligence
• 13:58 A Laymen’s Understanding of How Large Language Models Work
• 20:55 Ethical Issues with the Use of AI in Scholarship and Ministry
• 27:15 How AI Relates to Current Publishing Practices
• 32:11 The Use of Research Assistants in Scholarship
• 35:25 Situating AI amongst Other Tools
• 41:45 AI in Ministry
• 46:59 AI and Psychology
• 54:57 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 63–67 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of the effects of sin and its curse upon human knowledge.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:05:07 The Effects of Sin
• 00:21:08 God Is Self-Sufficient and Self-Complete
• 00:37:24 Aspects of Non-Christian Thought
• 00:48:40 The Contradiction of a Developing Absolute
• 00:56:57 Three Types of Consciousness
• 00:58:49 Kuyper and Common Grace
• 01:03:23 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 58–63 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of man’s knowledge of the world.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 08:29 Review Up to This Point
• 12:59 Man’s Knowledge of God and of His Environment
• 19:29 Human Knowledge Is Entirely Dependent upon God
• 22:29 Theology Proper and the Image of God
• 33:27 Types of Knowledge of God
• 41:29 Human Knowledge Can Be True though Never Comprehensive
• 43:39 Realism and Anti-Realism
• 52:39 The Mysterious Depth Dimension to All Human Knowledge
• 56:09 The Full Bucket
• 58:52 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Join us on this episode of the podcast as we speak with Jim Zozzaro and Chris Byrd about the evangelism efforts of the Boardwalk Chapel in Wildwood, New Jersey. Established in the 1940s, the Boardwalk Chapel was founded with a vision to present the Gospel to the thousands of tourists that visit the Atlantic Ocean coastal resort town during the summer season.

The Boardwalk Chapel provides an excellent opportunity for evangelism training for those who seek to share the Gospel with others. During the summer months, the Boardwalk Chapel offers evangelism training to college-aged young people and paid summer interns. The training provides practical tools and strategies for sharing the Gospel with others effectively.

There are numerous opportunities to serve, attend, and be involved at the Boardwalk Chapel. From attending weekly services to participating in evangelism efforts, there is something for everyone to be involved in. The Boardwalk Chapel is a welcoming and supportive community that is committed to sharing the Gospel with others.

Pray for the leaders, staff, and evangelism efforts of the Boardwalk Chapel. The Boardwalk Chapel has several needs, including more staff for the summer and more people coming to the training weeks, specifically for the School of Evangelism.

Rev. James Zozzaro is pastor of Christ the King OPC in Cape May, NJ and director of the Boardwalk Chapel in Wildwood, NJ. Rev. Christopher Byrd is evangelist of Grace OPC in Westfield, NJ.

Links

• The Boardwalk Chapel
• Feature article, “The Boardwalk Chapel“

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 02:34 Becoming Acquainted with the Boardwalk Chapel
• 09:14 Painting a Picture of Ministry on the Boardwalk
• 17:21 Les Dunn and the Beginning of the Boardwalk Chapel
• 27:22 Recent Changes to the Ministry at Boardwalk Chapel
• 33:30 Evangelism and Apologetics Training that Extends to Other Fields
• 46:10 Confirming a Sense of Call
• 49:39 Current Needs at the Boardwalk Chapel
• 52:57 How to Get Involved
• 57:17 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chris Byrd, Jim Zozzaro

On the heels of teaching a course on Cornelius Van Til’s interpretation of the theology of Karl Barth, Lane Tipton speaks with Camden Bucey about Barth’s theology and the surprising architectonic similarities with features of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:11:59 Van Til and Barth
• 00:15:16 Including Barth in an Apologetics Curriculum
• 00:22:00 Learning More about Barth This Time Around
• 00:29:52 Ecumenical Possibilities between Barth and Post-Vatican II Catholicism
• 00:47:15 Definitional vs. Systemic Agreement on Justification and Thomas Aquinas
• 00:55:16 Wood, The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus the Confessor
• 01:02:47 White, Trinitarian Theology
• 01:07:25 Machen, the Presbyterian Conflict, and the Afscheiding
• 01:22:27 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Since 2008, we have been taking a beat around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have several great clips lined up for you today.

This was another encouraging year for us at Reformed Forum. We published four new courses. We also hosted our first two in-person courses (on Zephaniah and 2 Peter) and increased our online student base to 4,210 people (+11% over last year) in 84 countries (+13%).

But perhaps the highlight of the year was the publication of Lane G. Tipton’s book, The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til. We believe this work is a significant advance in Reformed apologetic scholarship and will be read for decades to come.

Every Person Mature

Our mission is to support the church in her charge of presenting every person mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). In order to continue producing resources that benefit local churches at home and around the world in accord with this mission, we have launched the Every Person Mature campaign. Our goal is to raise $150,000 by the end of 2022 so that we may continue to provide free theological resources for your congregation and others like it around the world.

The good news is that we are nearly halfway there! A generous donor has committed to match all donations toward this cause up to $75,000. By donating to the Every Person Mature campaign, you will fund essential resources for believers who are hungry for confessionally Reformed resources.

Top Episodes

• Episode 745 — Van Til, Thomas Aquinas, and the Natural Knowledge of God with Lane Tipton
• Episode 764 — A God-Centered Approach to History with Vern Poythress
• Episode 761 — Van Til Group #8 — The Christian Philosophy of Knowledge with Carlton Wynne and Lane Tipton
• Episode 736 — John Owen, Jeremiah 31, and the Old Covenant with Carlton Wynne and Will Wood
• Episode 780 — 1689 Federalism and the Old Covenant with Jeremy Boothby, Carlton Wynne, and Lane Tipton
• Episode 762 — The Extra Calvinistic from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy with K. J. Drake
• Episode 746 — Natural Theology and the Effects of Sin with Lane Tipton, Rob McKenzie, and Ryan Noha
• Episode 748 — Van Til Group #7 — Creation, Sin and Its Curse with Carlton Wynne and Lane Tipton
• Episode 772 — A Tale of Two Trees with Scott Wright
• Episode 752 — The Two Ages in Scripture with Adam York

Chapters

• 00:00:06 Introduction
• 00:05:32 Lane Tipton — Van Til, Thomas Aquinas, and the Natural Knowledge of God
• 00:11:35 Vern Poythress — A God-Centered Approach to History
• 00:20:01 Van Til Group #8 — The Christian Philosophy of Knowledge
• 00:26:14 Carlton Wynne — John Owen, Jeremiah 31, and the Old Covenant
• 00:34:20 Carlton Wynne, Jeremy Boothby, and Lane Tipton — 1689 Federalism and the Old Covenant
• 00:45:38 K. J. Drake — The Extra Calvinistic from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy
• 00:51:16 Lane Tipton — Natural Theology and the Effects of Sin
• 00:56:23 Van Til Group #7 — Creation, Sin and Its Curse
• 01:09:09 Scott Wright — A Tale of Two Trees
• 01:14:15 Adam York — The Two Ages in Scripture
• 01:20:59 Conclusion

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Dan Ragusa, Jeremy Boothby, K. J. Drake, Lane G. Tipton, Rob McKenzie, Ryan Noha, Vern Poythress, Will Wood

Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn speak about Gospel Shaped Marriage: Grace for Sinners to Love Like Saints (Crossway, 2022). While many books on marriage cover the same well-trod ground and even follow a common formula, this book is distinct. Drawing from Scripture and the writings of Puritan minister William Gouge, Augustine, and others, they provide a brief assessment of the biblical design for marriage and offer real-world advice on married life from a grace-filled perspective.

Chad Van Dixhoorn (PhD, Cambridge) is professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary and an OPC minister. He is the author of Confessing the Faith and God’s Ambassadors and editor of The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly (1643–1652).

Emily Van Dixhoorn (MAR, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a stay-at-home mom who leads and loves Bible studies and women’s retreats. Her first publication was a study guide to the book Confessing the Faith, a commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith. Chad and Emily have five children.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 01:38 Introducing Gospel-Shaped Marriage
• 09:08 What to Look for in a Spouse
• 15:53 Growing with Your Spouse
• 19:36 Marriage and the Fourfold State
• 28:28 The Early Morning Orange Juice Incident
• 32:07 Gouge and Biblical Submission
• 42:33 Serving Others Together
• 52:37 Hopes for the Books
• 55:01 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chad Van Dixhoorn, Emily Van Dixhoorn

Ryan Noha and Camden Bucey speak with Lane Tipton on the heels of recording the sixth course in our Fellowship in Reformed Apologetics: “Christology and Redemptive-Historical Hermeneutics.”

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 09:00 Van Til’s Christology and Hermeneutics
• 12:53 The Great Debate Today and Other Books on the Subject
• 20:58 Going Deeper than Evidences
• 30:36 Modern Christologies
• 36:41 Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology
• 45:14 Christology and Hermeneutics Informing Apologetic Method
• 52:41 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton, Ryan Noha

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 54–58 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of God’s knowledge of the world and then man’s knowledge of God.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:28 God’s Knowledge of the World
• 07:41 The Plan of God to Create the World
• 13:13 The Pantheistic Switch
• 24:31 God’s Free Knowledge Does Not Imply an Eternal Creation
• 35:32 Refusing to Concede to Rationalism
• 43:10 Man’s Knowledge of God
• 49:46 Devotional Thoughts on the Creator-Creature Distinction
• 56:45 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

In another video, we spoke about the antithesis, the sharp distinction between believers and unbelievers. That distinction is covenantal, absolute, and ethical. We also spoke about how that distinction is not ontological. That is, believers and unbelievers all are still human beings.

That leads us to the question of the point of contact. Some people might wonder: if there’s such a distinction an absolute ethical and covenantal antithesis between believers and unbelievers, what do we have in common? How could we even speak with one another? How could a believer communicate with an unbeliever in the hopes of engaging them for the sake of Christ, sharing the gospel with them, praying for them, and hoping that the Lord would come and send his Spirit to work in their lives to redeem them from their sins and to regenerate them?

The point of contact is a theological principle or a concept that we use in Reformed apologetics to speak about the place where the believer and the unbeliever may meet. Quite simply, the point of contact is found in the image of God. All human beings are image bearers. That’s not just something that they have but it is something that they are. We are made in the image of God, and that image is ineradicable. It cannot be removed. It cannot be destroyed. If someone is a human being, they forever will be made in and continuing in the image of God.

Of course, when Adam fell into sin, he and all mankind were damaged. He was condemned and corrupted, and that corruption extends to the full man. We are not as corrupt as we could be, but we are corrupted fully throughout us. We are totally depraved, though not as some would say, utterly depraved.

Nevertheless, there is still an image of God and God’s word still touches and communicates to all who are made in God’s image. Every person retains a measure of moral and ethical faculties in their heart of hearts. They have a conscience, and they know what is right and wrong. Even in Romans Paul writes how the Works of the law have been written even on the hearts of Gentiles.

So no matter what people might do, how they might live their lives, how they might profess with their mouth, what they might say, or how much they might try to suppress the truth in unrighteousness, there’s always a point of contact. As Christian apologists, we need not be ashamed when seeking to provide a defense for the reason for the hope that we have within us. We need not fear because we know so long as we’re speaking with the human being and that there is a point of contact even though we may find ourselves on the other side of an absolute ethical antithesis.

You should have no hope in being able to defend the faith to dogs or cats (certainly not cats!) or other types of animals. But with human beings made in the image of God (and every human being is made and persists in the image of God) we may find this point of contact. That should give us great hope in terms of honoring the Lord with our apologia, that is, with our defense.

In 1904, the same year Herman Bavinck published Christian Worldview, Bavinck published a book titled Christelijke wetenschap (Christian Science) in which he commented on a movement to “build science . . . on the foundation of the Christian faith.” Cory Brock joins us to speak about this book and Bavinck’s views on the subject.

Dr. Cory C. Brock is assistant minister of St. Columba’s Free Church and part-time lecturer in theology at Edinburgh Theological Seminary. He is the author of Orthodox yet Modern: Herman Bavinck’s Use of Friedrich Schleiermacher and co-author of Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 06:22 A Different Type of “Christian Science”
• 15:38 The Antithesis and Scientific Presuppositions
• 19:42 The Trinity and Creation
• 23:58 The Image of God and the Hope of Christian Science
• 31:12 Theology as Queen and Servant of Science
• 38:40 Science in the New Heavens and New Earth
• 43:14 Sin, Knowledge, and the Christian University
• 49:01 Non-Christians and Science
• 59:03 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Cory Brock, Ryan Noha

In the field of Reformed apologetics we sometimes speak about the antithesis. The antithesis is a theological principle that is meant to describe the difference between believers and unbelievers. There are many ways that we could describe that difference, but we must at the very least describe that difference covenantally. That is, it describes a distinction between those who are in Adam and under the terms of the covenant of works and those who are in Christ—those who Christ has redeemed and brought into the covenant of grace. There is a covenantal distinction between these groups.

But we should also recognize that not only is this antithesis covenantal, it is absolute in the sense that there are no other categories of human beings. There is no one who is in some third group. We have those in Adam and those in Christ; there are none others. There is no middle ground. There is no neutrality. There are the two groups of people: those who are still children of wrath and those who have been redeemed by God’s grace and brought into the covenant of grace by the Holy Spirit applying the life death and resurrection of Christ unto them.

The antithesis is covenant and absolute. The antithesis is also ethical. We should not in other words understand this drastic divide between believers and unbelievers as an ontological difference. We should not understand the antithesis as meaning believers are human beings while unbelievers are something other than human beings. Certainly, we recognize that the Holy Spirit works in the hearts and minds of believers. He enlightens their minds and renews their wills so that they would embrace Jesus Christ as he is offered to us in the gospel. We also know that all those born in sin have had their minds darkened. Their hearts are turned against God, and they serve in active rebellion against God, seeking to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Those are legitimate and significant differences—not merely a figure of speech or words used to describe something that isn’t actually there. Nevertheless, all humans are indeed still humans after the fall into sin.

Still, once Adam fell into sin there’s a great divide, an absolute ethical antithesis that is covenantally determined between those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ. In other words, there is a distinction between those who are children of wrath and those who have been redeemed, are being sanctified, and will arrive at the final day to meet their savior. Christ will bring them as fully sanctified and holy people, fully redeemed, consummate, and glorified people into the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 48–54 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of the relationship between a theory of reality and the theory of knowledge and how for orthodox Christians, the absolute God of Scripture is identical with his knowledge while finite creatures are fundamentally dependent upon him.

We also announce the arrival of Lane Tipton’s book, The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:02:16 New Book: The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til
• 00:12:28 Reviewing Chapters 1–2 of the Book
• 00:23:38 A Christian Theory of Being
• 00:35:30 The Bible and Christian Experience
• 00:37:50 Ontology and Epistemology from the Garden of Eden
• 00:42:59 Epistemological Authority
• 00:48:35 Satan’s Tactic in Temptation
• 00:55:16 God’s Knowledge and Being are Coterminous
• 01:00:52 Pantheism
• 01:06:04 Consequences of Saying that God’s Knowledge Changes
• 01:15:44 Biblical Examples of God’s Knowledge in Relation to Creation
• 01:21:00 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 43–47. Van Til addresses the unity and diversity within creation before covering the fall into sin and the curse.

Throughout this chapter, Van Til reminds his readers of the categorical difference between God and creation while maintaining creation’s dependence upon God for its very existence. The answers to these fundamental questions distinguish orthodox Christianity from all other philosophies and religions.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:03:52 Thoughts on Learning Van Til
• 00:12:32 Temporal Unity and Plurality
• 00:24:30 Non-Being
• 00:36:56 Reformed vs. Roman Catholic Conceptions of Nature and Sin
• 00:49:58 The Mystery of the Fall into Sin
• 00:56:49 Created Laws and Facts
• 01:03:42 Van Til the Evangelist and Van Til the Theologian
• 01:06:33 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

The Dutch Reformed thinker and poet Willem Bilderdijk recalls in a letter to a friend in 1822 what his former teacher once said: “When examining the truth of Christianity, you must be as much a heathen as a Christian in order to judge freely.”^[1] This troubled Bilderdijk for the simple reasons that it failed to honor Christ, first and foremost, and to account for the antithesis between believers and unbelievers. He writes,

This beautiful sounding precept, which then dismayed me, is indeed of the evil one and seduces whoever accepts it: because it contains [1] unfaithfulness to God and the Savior to whom we are sanctified in baptism and [2] a fundamental apostacy. — No, we must cling with all of our soul to the Savior, value and hold fast with our heart the Grace that has called us, and fight Unbelief in God’s might and not under the Banner of Reason.

By the “Banner of Reason,” Bilderdijk has in mind not reason in itself but reason understood specifically as an autonomous source of knowledge that can function independent of God and his revelation. And so, he recognized that if believer and unbeliever alike fight under the Banner of Reason, then (autonomous) reason must triumph in the end. For the believer to raise the Banner of Reason is for him to desert his Commander; it is “a fundamental apostacy.” Bilderdijk continues,

Then it will not be difficult to see the falsity of the feigned refutations [of God]. They gleam in the eye, but one must not let himself be moved into the standpoint of those who cannot see the light of truth from their standpoint. I must not close my eyes with the blind man in order to debate with him whether or not the sun shines. If someone denies that I have a good library or a well-stocked cellar, I must not shut up the room or cellar, but bring him in there with me. Or, if he is too crippled to go up and down the stairs with me, then let him talk, and I will enjoy my privilege in gratitude toward God who gives me these refreshments for soul and body. — If I can refute the unfortunate by the communication from there, so much the better; but to set aside my possession and consciousness of it in order to refute his arguments from those arguments themselves would be folly.

Believers and unbelievers view all things from different “standpoints” or “worldviews,” as Bilderdijk speaks of elsewhere. For the believer to adopt the unbeliever’s mode and position of seeing in order to debate with him would be as foolish as someone debating a blind person as to whether or not the sun is shining by closing his own eyes. He deprives himself of that which alone can recognize the thing in question. The Christian must not set aside his “possession,” graciously given to him by God, in order to refute the arguments of unbelievers by the unbeliever’s own arguments. Is it not telling that it is typically those fighting for the faith who are lured under the “Banner of Reason” and not the other way around? Neutrality is a myth.

Bilderdijk realized that someone could object to this as simply begging the question (petitio principii). He responds,

All feeling is petitio principii and cannot be disproved or proved by reason. And so it is with the Feeling of Grace [Genadegevoel], that is, with Religion. It is of God, it is the working of God’s Spirit in our heart, and the mind must receive it from our heart. Without this, intellectual Religion is a mere Historical or Philosophical view, nothing more, and does not prove Christianity but Paganism.

This Romantic version of “faith seeking understanding” is basic to the Reformed theology that Bilderdijk sought to defend and promote. A test case is the believer’s reception of the Bible’s sixty-six books as holy and canonical and his undoubted belief in all things contained in them. The Belgic Confession, which Bilderdijk affirmed, states that the believer receives these books and believes all things in them “above all because the Holy Spirit testifies in our hearts that they are from God” (article 5). As Bilderdijk said, “[I]t is the working of God’s Spirit in our heart, and the mind must receive it from our heart.” The mind is not independent, but dependent upon the heart and the Spirit.

In apologetics, the believer must not set aside “his possession and his consciousness of it” in order to argue from the unbeliever’s resources. Rather, “we must cling with all of our soul to the Savior, value and hold fast with our heart the Grace that has called us, and fight Unbelief in God’s might and not under the Banner of Reason.”

And so Bilderdijk did. As Herman Bavinck writes of him, “Against the Revolution, he raised the banner of the Gospel.”^[2]

^[1] Willem Bilderdijk, “Aan Mr. Samuel Iperuszoon Wiselius,” in Brieven 3 (Amsterdam, 1837). All quotations in this article are taken from here. All translations are my own.

^[2] Herman Bavinck, Bilderdijk als denker en dichter (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1906), 216, my translation.

It’s that time of year again. Since 2008, we have been taking a beat around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have a bunch of great clips lined up for you today.

Throughout 2021 we continued to develop Reformed Academy, our online learning platform. We doubled our student base from last year to more than 3,800 people in 73 countries. These brothers and sisters are taking our on-demand courses in Reformed theology, and many of their churches are using these resources in study groups and Sunday school courses.

We are committed to having each of our courses translated and subtitled in languages where we have established relationships with Reformed missionaries and indigenous churches.

Over the last two years, we have had many wonderful opportunities but not enough people and time in the day to complete many of these projects. We have grown significantly in terms of our reach, but we need to mature in terms of our ministry’s staff and infrastructure.

Please consider supporting us prayerfully and financially in these efforts. Visit https://www.reformedforum.org/donate

Top Clips from 2021

1. Episode 689 with Christopher Watkin — Foucault on Sexuality and Identity
2. Episode 689 with Christopher Watkin — Foucault on Power
3. Episode 695 with Bruce Pass — Bavinck and Supralapsarianism
4. Episode 706 with Jim Cassidy — Comparing PCA and OPC General Assemblies
5. Episode 687 with Benjamin Gladd — Israel and Dispensationalism
6. Episode 712 — Van Til Group #5 with Lane Tipton and Carlton Wynne — Natural Theology, Experience, and Reason
7. Episode 699 with G.K. Beale and Benjamin Gladd — Inaugurated Eschatology
8. Episode 713 with Danny Olinger and John Muether — Premillennialism among Presbyterian Fundamentalists
9. Episode 709 — Listener Questions with Ryan Noha and Jeff Waddington — Thomas, Van Til, and Classical Theism
10. Episode 696 with Crawford Gribben — Christian Reconstruction and the Religious Right
11. Reformed Forum Hot Ones

Episode Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:01:13 2021 in Review
• 00:10:19 Foucault on Sexuality and Identity
• 00:16:18 Foucault on Power
• 00:20:32 Bavinck and Supralapsarianism
• 00:23:55 Comparing PCA and OPC General Assemblies
• 00:28:45 Israel and Dispensationalism
• 00:31:35 Natural Theology, Experience, and Reason
• 00:36:16 Inaugurated Eschatology
• 00:44:14 Premillennialism among Presbyterian Fundamentalists
• 00:49:54 Thomas, Van Til, and Classical Theism
• 00:55:09 Christian Reconstruction and the Religious Right
• 00:59:56 Reformed Theology Meets Spicy Wings
• 01:06:14 Looking Ahead to 2022

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Bruce Pass, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Christopher Watkin, Crawford Gribben, Danny Olinger, Greg Beale, Jeff Waddington, John Muether, Lane G. Tipton, Ryan Noha

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 40–43, in which Van Til describes the Christian philosophy of reality. While to some degree it is necessary to use categories of God, man, and universe common to unbelievers in order to engage them apologetically and to evangelize, Christians must clearly set forth the distinctly Christian philosophy of reality. Van Til commences that work in chapter two and promptly addresses eternal unity and plurality with regard to the problem of the one and many.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:03:39 The Christian Philosophy of Reality
• 00:09:36 The Infection and Rejection Theses
• 00:14:49 The Belief that God Is Identical with Reality
• 00:28:25 The Reality of God as Self-Sufficient
• 00:31:42 Applying the Philosophy
• 00:34:01 The Problem of the One and the Many
• 00:40:19 Practical Considerations of Particularity
• 00:45:15 The Self-Contained God and the One and Many Problem
• 00:52:32 Equal Ultimacy Precludes an Abstract Essence
• 00:59:41 Bavinck on Diversity and Unity
• 01:02:20 Perichoresis
• 01:05:50 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Roman Catholicism entered the mainstream of American national life the morning following the November 8, 1960 election when John F. Kennedy won and became the president. While it may seem strange to people who did not grow up in the era, Protestant voters were wary of a Roman Catholic potentially serving as president of the United States. Yet the Vatican may have been even more wary of “Americanism.” While it did not necessarily inhibit Catholics from being Catholic it also was a form of exceptionalism that potentially risked the expansion of Christendom as understood by Catholics.

In this episode, D. G. Hart revisits the arguments of his book, American Catholic: The Politics of Faith during the Cold War, explaining the historical reasons why the relationship between Roman Catholicism and Americanism changed in the 1960s and how it continued to develop in subsequent decades.

Darryl G. Hart is Distinguished Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. He is a host of the Paleo Protestant Pudcast with Korey Maas and Miles Smith as well as the Religious Nationalism podcast with Crawford Gribben.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:04:47 Roman Catholicism and Politics in 2021
• 00:07:34 Religion in the Public Square
• 00:11:14 The Literature on American Politics and Catholicism
• 00:16:07 Writing on Roman Catholicism as a Protestant
• 00:20:55 Catholicism and the Conservative Movement
• 00:27:19 Protestant Fears about a Catholic President in 1960
• 00:33:02 Catholic Antipathy toward Americanism
• 00:45:49 John Courtney Murray and Catholic Thinking on Church and State
• 00:56:29 Catholic American Public Intellectuals
• 01:01:56 The Limits of Americanism
• 01:08:56 Neo-Americanists and a Modern Faith
• 01:18:21 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Darryl G. Hart

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 33–39 wherein Van Til discusses the doctrine of salvation. Van Til is insistent to maintain the incommunicable attributes of God in all aspects of theology, even here in soteriology. Throughout this section, Van Til refuses to admit any form of mutualism or correlativism in the God-man relation. He writes, “If we refuse to mix the eternal and the temporal at the point of creation and at the point of the incarnation we must also refuse to mix them at the point of salvation.”

If God is omnipotent, for example, and he desires to save, it is not possible for man to frustrate that plan. This carries through in the doctrine of church as well as the doctrine of last things, wherein the absolute sovereignty of God is maintained at every point throughout history.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 32–33 wherein Van Til discusses the doctrine of Christ. These are the fundamental building blocks of the consistent Christian apologetic.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Rob McKenzie speaks about the Christian life and a variety of apologetic encounters he has woven into his book Seeker’s Progress. In this novel, McKenzie explores the world that John Bunyan created in his classic book, The Pilgrim’s Progress. There is another man from the City of Destruction who follows after Christian also seeking to find truth. With the help of Evangelist, Seeker follows the King’s road on his way to the Celestial City. Along the way, he visits many of the same places that Christian visited and meets several of the same people that Christian met all the while trying to catch up to his friends, Christian and Faithful. His experiences are very different than his predecessors. His journey takes him to some places that Christian never went, such as the towns of Morality and Fair Speech. Seeker wrestles with the questions, “Don’t all roads lead to the Celestial City?” “If the King loves everyone, wouldn’t He save everyone?”

Rob McKenzie is a ruling elder at Westminster OPC in Indian Head Park and co-host of the podcast, Theology Simply Profound. He is the author of Identifying the Seed: An Examination and Evaluation of the Differences between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology and its corresponding study guide. You may buy both as a bundle through our online store.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Rob McKenzie

Ryan Noha brings his collection of Van Til books to the studio for show-and-tell. Join us for a surreal Reformed home shopping network experience. This was recorded in the summer of 2020 along with our course Introduction to the Theology and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton, Ryan Noha

Dr. Christopher Watkin joins us to speak about his book, Michel Foucault, published by P&R Publishing in the Great Thinkers series. Michel Foucault (1926–1984) was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic. Although he was widely influential during his lifetime, Foucault’s philosophy has come to even greater influence and applicability in recent years within the contemporary cultural and political discourse regarding sexual ethics and identity.

Dr. Watkin is a lecturer at Monash University in Melbourne. He is the author of a number of academic books in the area of modern European philosophy. Over the past few years he has written four books published by P&R Publishing, including Thinking through Creation: Genesis 1 and 2 as Tools of Cultural Critique and three books in the Great Thinkers series: Jacques Derrida (2017), Michel Foucault (2018) and Gilles Deleuze (2020).

Links

• Christ the Center episode 598 on Thinking through Creation
• Michel Foucault, History of Madness
• Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish
• Michel Foucault, The Order of Things
• Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality, Vol. 1: Introduction

Participants: Camden Bucey, Christopher Watkin

Camden Bucey reviews Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters (IVP Academic, 2020) by Dr. Sandra L. Richter, the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. In this book, Dr. Richter addresses humanity’s role as stewards of creation—those entrusted to care for that which God has placed in their charge. In exploring this theme, Richter addresses issues such as the ethics of sustainable agriculture, the consumer’s role within the supply chain, and even mining practices and pollution in light of Scriptural examples and biblical-theological themes.

Richter speaks about the old covenant people of God and their relationship to the land as renters or lessees rather than landlords. She addressees the land grant aspects of their covenant relationship to Yahweh in Deuteronomy. She then moves to a discussion of their tithing and offering practices, developing their responsibilities and dependence upon the Lord. The Sabbath rest required in and of the land is also an indication of practices that encourage sustainable agriculture (Exod. 23:10–12; Lev. 25:4–7). This may add dimension to the Lord’s statement to the people that by abiding by these laws, they shall prolong their days in the land (Deut. 5:33; 30:18; 32:47). This statement may refer to the Lord’s allowance for them to remain. In other words, by obeying the Lord, he would not exile them. Even though that may be the primary dimension, perhaps there is a secondary dimension referring to the viability of the land itself. If these laws have practical application for sustainable agriculture, then the people may not be “exiled” because they destroyed the fruitfulness of the land (p. 24).

Chapter three is titled “The Domestic Creatures Entrusted to Adam.” The author enters into a discussion of the Sabbath and its role in organizing and in a sense, restricting, man’s task. The Sabbath prevents man from becoming totally absorbed in the task of subduing creation (p. 30). This is placed within a larger discussion of the supply chain and the ethical responsibilities of producers and consumers within that economy. Old Testament law established and required a close connection between the Israelites and their livestock for example, particularly when it came to slaughter. They were allowed to slaughter the animals they raised, but according to Leviticus 17, they were required to consider the animal’s life and bring the animal before a priest first. In support of this point, the author references Jacob Milgrom, who commented that the method of slaughter in ancient Israel ensured the animal would be rendered unconscious and die a swift, humane death. Animal death always confronted the Israelites, but they were never to take it lightly. Most people today never give a thought to the lives and deaths of their food. I would venture to say that many young people might not even know their food was alive in the first place.

Richter then turns to the wild animals that God has entrusted to Adam. Responsibilities include the protection of habitat for species. She points to Deut. 22:6–7 as warrant for protecting native species. It demonstrates the principle of preserving the means of life and thereby upholding sustainability. Even during wartime, the Israelites were to consider the long-term effects of their treatment of creation. For example, Deut. 20:19 does not permit the Israelites to cut down the trees of a city or region they are besieging. They were permitted to each of the trees but not to cut them down. Many of the fruit-bearing trees of the region (e.g. olive, date) take as many as twenty years to reach full production. Destroying the trees in warfare would have implications for generations to come. One thing I greatly appreciated is the author’s skill in studying biblical examples such as these while prompting further thought for our contemporary context.

Overall, this is an important contribution to the theological communities served by publishers such as IVP Academic. Readers who prefer books that connect the dots on practical matters will appreciate the many case studies and examples the author provides throughout its pages. Some readers may experience a knee-jerk reaction to various portions of the book. Perhaps that reveals a greater issue: that we may be taking our cues on creational stewardship from the talking points and news cycles of our political parties and media outlets of choice rather than from Scripture. Whether or not you agree with the author’s conclusions on specific matters, you may be provoked to think more deeply about your principia and why you hold your specific views on these issues, if you hold any at all.

Participants: Camden Bucey

On pages 29–34 of The Defense of the Faith, Cornelius Van Til continues to describe the basic Reformed doctrines that lay the foundation for his apologetic. It is evident even in this introductory material how he considers his project. He is neither seeking to be idiosyncratic nor original (in the sense of developing something foreign or external to confessional Reformed theology). Rather, he is developing a method of apologetics that is thoroughly consistent with the Reformed creeds and confessions.

Having addressed the doctrine of God, and particularly the doctrine of the Trinity, Van Til continues to the doctrine of man before moving to Christology and the rest of the traditional theological loci. In his introductory treatment of anthropology, Van Til focuses on the God-man relation, man’s creatureliness, the aspects of the image of God, the doctrine of sin, and how each of these relate to Roman Catholic, Arminian, and Lutheran theology, and the discipline of apologetics.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Dr. Carl R. Trueman joins us to speak about his significant new book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution (Crossway), in which he addresses the factors undergirding modern culture’s obsession with identity. Sexual identity in particular has dominated public discourse since the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision in 2015. Tracing influential thought from Augustine to Marx and beyond, Trueman explains the historical and intellectual phenomenon of the modern conception selfhood. Trueman writes,

My aim is to explain how and why a certain notion of the self has come to dominate the culture of the West, why this self finds its most obvious manifestation in the transformation of sexual mores, and what the wider implications of this transformation are and may well be in the future.

Dr. Trueman is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is an esteemed church historian and previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative, Luther on the Christian Life, and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman

In the spirit of our Vos Group episodes, we begin a concurrent venture into Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith. Carlton Wynne joins Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey to discuss the theology and apologetics of this significant twenty-first century Reformed apologist.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Jim Cassidy speaks about Karl Barth and his relationship with idealism. On the heels of Lane Tipton’s recent course, Introduction to the Theology and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til, the panel compares and contrasts Barth’s ontology and doctrine of revelation in the Christ-event with Van Til’s critique of idealism and warnings of correlativism.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, Lane G. Tipton

In this episode, we discuss a new online course wherein Dr. Lane G. Tipton teaches a thorough introduction to the theology and innovative apologetic method of Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987), a pioneer in a distinctly Reformed approach to defending the faith.

This course investigates the context, structure, and significance of Van Til’s theology and apologetics. It is designed to introduce students to the main influences and fundamental concerns of Van Til’s theological approach to apologetics. Topics include a general introduction, Trinity, image of God, covenant, revelation, worldview, antithesis, common grace, and idealism. Special attention is given to the programmatic deep structures of Van Til’s thought, distinguishing his views from Roman Catholicism, Barth, and Evangelical approaches to theology and apologetics.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Lane G. Tipton

Dr. James N. Anderson speaks about the philosophy of David Hume, one of the foremost thinkers of the Western tradition. Hume is well known for his influential system of philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism. Throughout his work, Hume developed a naturalistic science of man that examined the psychological basis of human nature.

Dr. Anderson is the Carl W. McMurray Professor of Theology and Philosophy and Academic Dean (Global and New York) of Reformed Theological Seminary. He is the author of David Hume (Great Thinkers) published by P&R Publishing, What’s Your Worldview: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions, and Paradox in Christian Theology.

Participants: Camden Bucey, James Anderson, Jim Cassidy

The Synod of Dort (1618–19) not only produced the famous Canons of Dort and a church order, but also the first translation of the Bible into Dutch from the original languages, known as the Statenvertaling. Along with this translation, marginal notes (kanttekeningen) were added to aid in the study of God’s Word. You could say it was one of the earliest “Study Bibles,” though the Genevan (1560) has historical priority.

Why are these notes significant? First, while no office bearer in the church was required to subscribe to these marginal notes, like as to the Three Forms of Unity, they still provide a window into the biblical interpretation of the architects of the Canons of Dort.

Second, these notes soon gained international recognition in keeping with the international nature of the synod. In 1645 the Westminster Assembly commissioned Theodore Hank to translate them into English, which he later published in 1657. An English translation of the annotations can be found here.[1] The notes on Colossians 2:8 briefly distinguish between a true and false philosophy and posit the proper use of philosophy as an instrument to better understand or explain God’s Word.

Kolossensen 2:8

Colossians 2:8 reads,

Ziet toe, dat niemand u als een roof vervoere door de filosofie, en ijdele verleiding, naar de overlevering der mensen, naar de eerste beginselen der wereld, en niet naar Christus

Beware lest any man carry you off as spoil through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the first principles of the world, and not after Christ.

Marginal Note on Ziet toe (“See to it”)

Hier begint de apostel het verhaal der dwalingen, waar hij hen tegen waarschuwt, namelijk wijsbegeerte, menselijke inzettingen, en vermengingen van de wet der ceremoniën, die hij de een voor, de andere na, wederspreekt.

Here the apostle begins the account of the errors against which he warns them, namely, philosophy, human ordinances and mingling of the ceremonial law, which he, the one first, the other after, opposes.

Marginal Note on als een roof (“as spoil”)

… namelijk van Christus en Zijne waarheid tot andere leringen of middelen ter zaligheid buiten Christus; ene gelijkenis, genomen van rovers, die niet alleen de goederen, maar ook de mensen zelf tot een roof wegvoerden, om hen tot slaven … te maken. Zie een voorbeeld, 1 Sam. 30.

… namely, from Christ and His truth unto other doctrines or means of salvation outside of Christ. A similitude taken from such robbers, who used to carry away not only goods, but also the persons themselves for a prey, to make them slaves …. See an example, 1 Samuel 30.

Marginal note on de filosofie (“philosophy”)

Hierdoor wordt de rechte filosofie niet verstaan, die ene gave Gods is, en zelfs een instrument of middel is, dienstig om Gods Woord beter te verstaan en te verklaren; maar de sophisterij of bedriegelijke schijnwijsheid van enige heidense filosofen, gelijk de volgende woorden ijdele verleiding verklaren, en gelijk Paulus hiervan spreekt, Rom. 1:21, 22, welke filosofen in deze hunne schijnwijsheid enige dingen van God en van den weg tot het opperste goed hadden voorgesteld, die deze leraars met het Evangelie wilden vermengen, gelijk ook de scholastieke leraars in het Pausdom doen, waardoor de eenvoudigheid en oprechtheid der zaligmakende leer van het Evangelie merkelijk is verduisterd en vervalst.

Hereby is not understood the true philosophy, which is a gift of God and is even an instrument or means useful for the better understanding and explaining of the Word of God, but the sophistry or specious discourses of some pagan philosophers, as the following words vain deceit declare, and as Paul speaks hereof in Rom. 1:21, 22, which philosophers in this their apparent wisdom had propounded some things concerning God, and concerning the way to the highest good, which these teachers wanted to mingle with the Gospel, as the scholastic teachers also do amongst the Papists, whereby the simplicity and sincerity of the saving doctrine of the Gospel is notably obscured and falsified.

Revelation and Philosophy according to Groen van Prinsterer

Groen van Prinsterer cites this marginal note in his Proeve over de middelen waardoor de waarheid wordt gekend en gestaafd (1834) in support of his claim: “Revelation alone is the foundation of a complete philosophy; it contains the highest, the only true philosophy.”[2] This statement comes in the context of a larger discussion on Christianity and philosophy:

Man is related to the spiritual and the material world. No human reasoning teaches how spirit and matter are united in him; the philosopher has preferably devoted himself to one or the other component, so that one has either spiritualized the dust or materialized the spirit. Spiritualism and materialism emerged.[3]

For man, if he does not know the first cause of universal corruption, then there is no more enigmatic being than he himself. He feels a pull toward a higher existence; but he also feels that he is at every turn led by inclinations and impulses in the opposite direction.  How great and also how miserable; how earthly, and also how heavenly![4]

Christianity solves the riddles that cannot be solved by philosophy, insofar as this is necessary for wisdom about life [levenswijsheid] and eternal happiness. By faith, the harmony of feeling and reason is restored. Revelation teaches how the self-consciousness of greatness and misery can be explained. She gives firmness to principles while she allows freedom of opinions. She gives what philosophy promised.[5]

Christian philosophy … contains the life principle [levensbeginsel] of knowledge and science. She is the sun, which spreads over the field of human investigation brightness, warmth, and life. Every science, properly practiced, bears witness to the truth of revelation; not properly practiced, they glorify, by deviations and misunderstandings, the highest truth nolens volens. Accurate study leads back to the universal source of light and life.[6]

1. Thank you to Slabbert Le Cornu for bringing this English translation to my attention. May the Lord bless your efforts in translating these notes into Afrikaans.
2. De Openbaring alleen is de grondslag eener volledige wijsbegeerte; zij bevat de hoogste, de alleen ware filozofie.
3. De mensch is aan de geestelijke en aan de stofflijke wereld verwant. Geen menschelijke redenering leert hoe geest en stof vereenigd in hem zijn; de wijsgeer heeft zich bij voorkeur aan het eene of aan het andere bestanddeel gehecht, zoodat men óf het stof vergeestelijkt, óf den geest verstoffelijkt heeft. 
4. Voor den mensch, zoo hij de eerste oorzaak der algemeene verbastering niet kent, is geen raadselachtiger wezen dan hij zelf. Hij gevoelt een trek naar hooger bestaan; doch gevoelt ook dat hij telkens door neigingen en driften in tegenovergestelden zin wordt geleid. Hoe groot en tevens hoe ellendig; hoe aardsch, en tevens hoe hemelschgezind!
5. Het Christendom lost de voor de wijsbegeerte onoplosbare raadselen, voor zoo ver dit tot levenswijsheid en eeuwig geluk noodig is, op. Door het geloof wordt de harmonie van gevoel en rede hersteld. De Openbaring leert hoe de zelfbewustheid van grootheid en ellende kan worden verklaard. Zij geeft vastheid van beginsels terwijl ze vrijheid van meeningen laat. Zij geeft wat de wijsbegeerte belooft.
6. De christelijke wijsbegeerte … bevat het levensbeginsel van kennis en wetenschap. Zij is de zon, die op het veld van menschelijk onderzoek helderheid, warmte en leven verspreidt. Elke wetenschap, wel beoefend, legt van de waarheid der Openbaring getuigenis af; niet wel beoefend, verheerlijkt zij, door afwijking en wanbegrip, de hoogste waarheid tegen wil en dank. Naauwkeurige studie brengt naar de algemeene bron van licht en leven terug. 

David VanDrunen speaks about his forthcoming book, Politics After Christendom (Zondervan Academic), reflecting upon the status and responsibilities of Christians in their contemporary pluralistic political communities. Dr. VanDrunen presents a biblical-theological model of political engagement and exploring themes such as race, religious liberty, justice, authority, and civil resistance.

David VanDrunen is Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California. He is the author and editor of several books, including Aquinas Among the Protestants, God’s Glory Alone: The Majestic Heart of Christian Faith and Life, Natural Law and the Two Kingdoms: A Study in the Development of Reformed Social Thought, and Divine Covenants and Moral Order: A Biblical Theology of Natural Law.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David VanDrunen

Dr. Jordan J. Ballor, senior research fellow and director of publishing for the Acton Institute, joins us to speak about Abraham Kuyper’s public theology. Dr. Ballor is a general editor of Abraham Kuyper’s Collected Works on Public Theology published by Lexham Press. Kuyper was something of a polymath/renaissance man. Along with being an influential theologian and also a journalist, he served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which upon its foundation became the second largest Reformed denomination in the country behind the state-supported Dutch Reformed Church.

Jordan J. Ballor (Dr. theol., University of Zurich; PhD, Calvin Theological Seminary) is a senior research fellow and director of publishing at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion & Liberty. He is also a postdoctoral researcher in theology and economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam as part of the “What Good Markets Are Good For” project. 

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, Jordan Ballor

Shawn Ritenour, Professor of Economics at Grove City College, speaks about the basics of economics and the Christian principles upon which the study must be based. Dr. Ritenour is the author of Foundations of Economics: A Christian View (Wipf & Stock).

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Shawn Ritenour

Since Christ the Center began nearly twelve years ago, we have taken time to look back on the highlights of the year. Given that we now post highlights from each episode every week we have taken an analytic approach. These are this year’s top ten clips from Christ the Center as determined by YouTube views.

1. Episode 614 — Bracy Hill, Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter
2. Episode 600 — Glen Clary, Praying in Tongues
3. Episode 580 — Camden Bucey, Liberation Theology
4. Episode 603 — Cornelis Venema, Karl Barth and the Doctrine of Election
5. Episode 600 — Glen Clary, What Is Cessationism?
6. Episode 598 — Christopher Watkin, The Problem of the One and Many
7. Episode 603 — Cornelis Venema, Augustine and Pelagius
8. Episode 578 — Carl Trueman, Luther and Zwingli at Marburg
9. Episode 619 — Alan Strange and Brian DeJong, The Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the United Reformed Churches in North America
10. Episode 613 — Will Wood, Schools of Biblical Criticism

Participants: Alan Strange, Bracy Hill, Brian DeJong, Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, Christopher Watkin, Cornelis Venema, Glen Clary, Will Wood

James Eglinton, Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, and Cory Brock speak about Herman Bavinck’s book, Christian Worldview. Sutanto, Eglinton, and Brock together have translated and edited this work and Crossway has brought it to print for the first time in English.

In the book, Herman Bavinck deals with pastoral concerns that arose within a culture that exchanged modernistic certainty for an appreciation of the unrecognizable and unknowable. Apart from the triune God revealed in Scripture, the culture was grasping for meaning.

Christian Worldview marks a new phase in his theological development. He spent the 1880s and 90s in Kampen wherein his main dialogue partners were liberal Protestants or materialist atheists. In 1900, two years before Bavinck moved to the Free University in Amsterdam, Friedrich Nietzsche died and something of a cult of his ideas developed in the Netherlands. Bavinck sought to address these new theological concerns. He developed a wholistic vision of all things and a wholistic way of living. He situated science and wisdom under a broader category of “worldview.”

Nathaniel Gray Sutanto is a teaching elder at Covenant City Church in Jakarta, Indonesia, and an adjunct faculty member at Westminster Theological Seminary. He is the author of God and Knowledge: Herman Bavinck’s Theological Epistemology.

James Eglinton is the Meldrum Lecturer in Reformed Theology at New College, University of Edinburgh. He is the author of Trinity and Organism, Herman Bavinck on Preaching and Preachers and Bavinck: A Critical Biography (forthcoming from Baker Academic).

Cory C. Brock serves as minister of young adults and college at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi, and is an adjunct professor of theology at Belhaven University.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Cory Brock, James Eglinton, Jim Cassidy, Nathaniel Gray Sutanto

Jim Cassidy discusses two recent publications from Lexham Press. In Challenging the Spirit of Modernity: A Study of Groen van Prinsterer’s Unbelief and Revolution, Harry Van Dyke places Groen van Prinsterer’s foundational work into historical context. Van Prinsterer addressed the inherent tension between the church and secular society, and Van Dyke demonstrates how this work still speaks into the fractured relationship between religion and society. Abraham Kuyper’s Collected Works in Public Theology was created in partnership with the Abraham Kuyper Translation Society and the Acton Institute. It marks a historic moment in Kuyper studies.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Leonardo De Chirico speaks about evangelical responses and assessments of Roman Catholicism post-Vatican II. Vatican II was an ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church held from 1962–1965 and widely interpreted as bringing the Catholic Church into a new relationship to the world and other religions.

De Chirico analyzes the several prominent evangelical scholars, including G.C. Berkouwer, Cornelius Van Til, and John Stott, in order to identify various strengths and weaknesses in evangelical perspectives on modern Roman Catholicism. De Chirico concludes that evangelicalism typically misses how two foundational aspects of Catholic theology (the relationship of nature to grace and a Christological ecclesiology) serve to undergird an entire theological system.

Leonardo De Chirico planted and pastored an Evangelical church in Ferrara (northern Italy) from 1997 to 2009. Since 2009 he has been involved in a church planting project in Rome and is now pastor of the church Breccia di Roma. He earned degrees in History (University of Bologna), Theology (ETCW, Bridgend, Wales) and Bioethics (University of Padova). His PhD is from King’s College (London) and it was published as Evangelical Theological Perspectives on Post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism (Bern-Oxford: Peter Lang 2003).

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, Leonardo De Chirico

Christopher Watkin speaks about his book Thinking through Creation: Genesis 1 and 2 as Tools of Cultural Critique. Watkin looks to the early chapters of Genesis for foundational doctrines about God, the world, and ourselves. In so doing, he advocates for a robust engagement with others about contemporary culture and ideas.

Dr. Watkin completed his Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees at Cambridge University. He lectured at Cambridge for a couple of years before moving with his family to Australia, where he now works as a lecturer at Monash University in Melbourne. He is the author of a number of academic books in the area of modern European philosophy, including Difficult Atheism (2011) and French Philosophy Today (2016), both with Edinburgh University Press. Over the past few years he has written four books published by P&R Publishing. Three of them are in the Great Thinkers series: Jacques Derrida (2017), Michel Foucault (2018) and Gilles Deleuze (forthcoming).

Links to Thinking through the Bible

• Main site: https://thinkingthroughthebible.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thinking-Through-the-Bible-455889715164228/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thinking_bible

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Christopher Watkin

J. V. Fesko has written Reforming Apologetics: Retrieving the Classic Reformed Approach to Defending the Faith (Baker Academic, 2019). In the book, Dr. Fesko criticizes, among others, Cornelius Van Til. In this conversation, we interact with the book and compare its claims with those of Van Til. A central claim of Dr. Fesko’s is that Van Til rejects “common notions.” He writes:

in the middle of the seventeenth century, philosophers such as John Locke (1632–1704) rejected the idea of common notions. In the twentieth century, this rejection made its way to liberal and conservative Reformed theologians alike, including Karl Barth (1886–1968) and Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987).”[1]

He draws particular attention to Van Til’s discussion of authority and reason on pages 168–169 of Defense of the Faith (3^rd edition).[2] On those pages, Van Til makes an important distinction:

A word must now be said about the idea of ‘common notions’ referred to in the quotation given above. The present writer made a distinction between notions that are psychologically and metaphysically, that is revelationally, common to all men, and common notions that are ethically and epistemologically common.[3]

Van Til continues, “All men have common notions about God; all men naturally have knowledge of God.”[4] So, what is Van Til getting at? There are notions common to all men, but there are some things common to believers and others common to unbelievers. Van Til explains what is also common to natural man as a consequence of total depravity:

It is this actual possession of the knowledge of God that is the indispensable presupposition of man’s ethical opposition to God. There could be no absolute ethical antithesis to God on the part of Satan and fallen man unless they are self-consciously against the common notions that are concreated with them. Paul speaks of sinful man as suppressing within him the knowledge of God that he has. . . . It is these notions of human autonomy, or irrational discontinuity and of rationalistic continuity that are the common notions of sinful or apostate mankind.[5]

[1] J. V. Fesko, Reforming Apologetics: Retrieving the Classic Reformed Approach to Defending the Faith (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019), 24.

[2] Fesko, 24n56.

[3] Cornelius Van Til, Defense of the Faith, 3rd ed. (Philadelphia: P & R Publishing, 1967), 168.

[4] Van Til, 168.

[5] Van Til, 168.

[6] Van Til, 168.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

We gather around the table in Wimberley, Texas to discuss the authority of the self-contained Triune God of Scripture. The absolute, self-sufficient God nevertheless established a covenant with man by an act of special providence. In that act, the authority of God’s word is diplayed—entirely independently of man’s response. Whether Adam obeyed or disobeyed, God’s infallible word would be proved.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane G. Tipton