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 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

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

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

Dr. Nathan Shannon, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Torch Trinity Graduate University in Seoul, Korea, talks with us about his new book, Shalom and the Ethics of Belief: Nicholas Wolterstorff’s Theory of Situated Rationality. Dr. Shannon is joined by Nathan Sasser, PhD student in philosophy at the University of South Carolina.

Participants: Jared Oliphint, Nate Shannon, Nathan Sasser

In discussions surrounding Old Testament ethics—Canaanite “genocide,” imprecatory Psalms, etc.—I have found Meredith Kline’s article “The Intrusion and the Decalogue” to be tremendously helpful. The problem of evil, and this ethical dilemma in particular, was perhaps the biggest stumbling block to me when I was an unbeliever in the church. It may not be helpful to everyone, but if it’s helpful to a few then I think it’s worth the time to highlight it. The points at issue within Christian circles do not necessarily involve an express denial of God’s omnipotence, his omniscience, or his goodness. I might argue the case below very differently as an apologetic to an unbelieving audience. To those Christians who struggle with Old Testament ethics, the point of contention is often one of consistency—given that God calls murder evil, how can he then command his people to do what is evil? If moral laws reflect his character, what does it mean when those laws circumstantially change (and do they lose their status as laws)? The whole article by Kline is well worth reading and presents a valuable biblical-theological complement to systematic approaches. I’ll offer some choice statements as a teaser and as Cliffs notes. On eschatology:

• “Creation is not eschatological. But it does provide the pattern for eschatology.”
• “Eschatology antedates redemption.”
• Eschatological delay and common grace are coterminous.
• Eschatological consummation and common grace are mutually exclusive.
• There is an eschatological intrusion of the power, principles, and reality of the Consummation into the covenant of grace, both in the OT and the NT.
• The Consummation is the permanent core, manifested but veiled through earthly, temporary patterns.
• “Christ and his kingdom is still in the category of Intrusion rather than perfect Consummation, as is signalized by the fact that the New Testament age is still characterized by Common Grace, the epitome of the [eschatological] delay.”
• Some OT types find their antitype in the NT, others find their antitype in the not-yet world to come.

On typology:

• Typology is primarily eschatological and secondarily pedagogical.
• “There is a marked difference between the relevance of the Intrusion concept in the application of the first and second tables of the decalogue.”
• Under the theocratic intrusion in the OT and looking ahead to the Consummation, death is prescribed for violations of some moral laws, unlike in the non-theocratic NT.
• “The ordinary state had no more authority in the OT than in the NT period to enforce the first table.”
• “The laws of the second table are subject to change in their application because the relations they govern are subject to change.”
• “The unbeliever is the believer’s neighbor today; but the reprobate is not the neighbor of the redeemed hereafter for the reason that God will set a great gulf between them.”

On Imprecatory Psalms:

• Regarding imprecatory Psalms, the welfare of man is not the chief end of man; the prayer itself is altogether proper since it is divinely inspired.
• “During the historical process of differentiation which Common Grace makes possible, before the secret election of God is unmistakably manifested at the great white throne, the servants of Christ are bound by His charge to pray for the good of those who despitefully use and persecute them.”
• “What is required is that we cease stumbling over this as though it were a problem and recognize it as a feature of the divine administration of the Covenant of Grace in the Old Testament which displays the sovereign authority of the Covenant God.”

On the conquest of Canaan:

• “It will only be with the frank acknowledgment that the ordinary standards were suspended and the ethical principles of the last Judgment intruded that the divine promises and commands to Israel concerning Canaan and the Canaanites come into their own and the Conquest can be justified and seen as it was in truth — not murder, but the hosts of the Almighty visiting upon the rebels against His righteous throne their just deserts — not robbery, but the meek inheriting the earth.”

On the command to sacrifice Isaac:

• “As God gave a special meaning to one of the trees of the garden, which it did not possess according to the ordinary constitution of things, making it the tree of forbidden fruit; as God gave a peculiar significance to certain meats in the ceremonial of the Old Testament, making them unclean; so now God effectively redefined the life of Isaac, making it the life to be sacrificed.
• God had not intended to interpret Isaac’s life as the life which must actually be sacrificed, but only to try Abraham, whether he would by faith recognize God’s right to do so.

On the command for Hosea to marry a prostitute:

• In this case there is intruded the principle operative when a Bride formed from a multitude of defiled sinners is received by Christ as His own.

In each of these cases, the abstract ethical principle revealed to us by God himself must not trump his revelatory, express command. Finally, these issues should spur us to evangelize our present neighbor: “The recognition that the hour cometh when it will be our duty to hate the unbeliever must not diminish and ought to intensify our efforts to show him the love of Christ in the hour that now is.”

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Skeel, James Sweet

Christ the Center comes to you from the floor of The Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference in Chicago, IL. In this episode, the hosts welcome several guests to speak about a variety of issues. Bob Doll speaks about Christian business ethics. Bob Doll is Chief Equity Strategist for Fundamental Equities at BlackRock a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services. Mr. Doll will be a speaker at the upcoming business ethics conference organized by the Center for Christian Business Ethics. [0:48] Chris Brauns speaks about his books Unpacking Forgiveness and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. Chris is the pastor at the Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, IL and writes frequently on his website. [12:40] Pastor Scotty Smith visits to speak about the unique congregation at Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN as well as his interesting practice of writing daily prayers. [28:51] David Powlison explains the deep connection between biblical counseling and Van Tilian apologetics. David is a faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, a board member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and teaches courses at Westminster Theological Seminary. In this illuminating segment, Dr. Powlison helps to unpack the latent philosophical frameworks in secular psychology. [38:27]  

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chris Brauns, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Links

• Bioethics: New Questions to New Technologies by David VanDrunen
• Office Hours, a podcast of Westminster Seminary California

episode graphic from Frabuleuse

Participants: Camden Bucey, David VanDrunen, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Nick Batzig