Presuppositional apologetics is a school of Christian apologetics, a field of Christian theology that aims to (1) present a rational basis for the Christian faith, (2) defend the faith against objections, and (3) expose the perceived flaws of other worldviews.^[1] Presuppositional apologetics is especially concerned with the third aspect of this discipline, though it generally sees the trifold distinction as a difference in emphasis rather than as delineating three separate endeavors. Presuppositional apologetics was developed and is most commonly advocated within Reformed circles of Christianity.^[2] Christian apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of Christianity. ... Given the overwhelming influence exercised by Christianity, especially in pre-modern Europe, Christian theology permeates much of Western culture and often reflects that culture. ... It has been suggested that reasoning be merged into this article or section. ... A world view (or worldview) is a term calqued from the German word Weltanschauung (pronounced ) meaning a look onto the world. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ...

The key discriminator of this school is that it maintains that the Christian apologist must assume the truth of the supernatural revelation contained in the Bible (that is, the Christian worldview) because there can be no set of neutral assumptions from which to reason with a non-Christian, and apart from such "presuppositions" one could not make sense of any human experience.^[3] In other words, presuppositionalists say that a Christian cannot consistently declare his belief in the necessary existence of the God of the Bible and simultaneously argue on the basis of a different set of assumptions (presumably those of the non-Christian) in which God may or may not exist and which leave human experience unintelligible. Revelation is an uncovering or disclosure via communication from the divine of something that has been partially or wholly hidden or unknown. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... There is no universally accepted theory of what the word existence means. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Comparison with other schools of apologetics

Presuppositionalists contrast their approach with the other schools of Christian apologetics by describing them as assuming the world is intelligible apart from belief in the existence of God and then arguing exclusively on (purportedly) neutral grounds to support trusting the Christian Scriptures. Specifically, presuppositionalists describe Thomistic (also "Traditional" or "Classical") apologetics as concentrating on the first aspect of apologetics with its logical proofs for the existence of God.^[4] Presuppositionalists criticize this "block house" method for failing to start at the level of the controlling beliefs of worldviews and implicitly allowing non-Christian assumptions from the start.^{[citation needed]} Their goal is to argue that nonbelievers' assumptions require believing in some things about God, man and the world which nonbelievers claim they don't believe. Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... In logic, an argument is an attempt to demonstrate the truth of an assertion called a conclusion, based on the truth of a set of assertions called premises. ... Worldview is Chicago Public Radios daily international-affairs radio show, hosted by Jerome McDonnell. ...

Evidentialist apologetics, on the other hand, focuses especially on the first two aspects of the discipline by offering various archaeological, historical, and scientific evidence to support both the probable existence of God and the truth of the Bible, and refute the major objections to the same. While presuppositionalists don't believe that classical arguments are good enough on the grounds that they don't show enough about God, they also think evidentialists simply haven't given a strong enough demonstration, and have started out by granting the assumption that human experience is intelligible without appeal to Scripture, thereby defeating their own cause. Evidentialists demur from this assessment, claiming that presuppositionalism amounts to fideism. The evidentialist's conclusion is that the Bible is most probably accurate about what it reports, and thus the whole of Biblical revelation follows.^{[citation needed]} Evidential apologetics or evidentialism (not to be confused with epistemological evidentialism) is an approach to Christian apologetics emphasizing the use of evidence to demonstrate that God probably exists. ... Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... History studies the past in human terms. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... For other senses of this word, see evidence (disambiguation). ... Probability is the extent to which something is likely to happen or be the case[1]. Probability theory is used extensively in areas such as statistics, mathematics, science, philosophy to draw conclusions about the likelihood of potential events and the underlying mechanics of complex systems. ... In Christian theology, fideism is any of several belief systems which hold, on various grounds, that reason is irrelevant to religious faith. ...

History of presuppositional apologetics

The origins of presuppositional apologetics are in the work of Dutch theologian Cornelius Van Til, a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, who began to adopt a presuppositional approach to defending the truth of his faith as early as the late 1920s.^[5] Van Til personally disliked the term "presuppositional", as he felt it misrepresented his approach to apologetics, which he felt was focused primarily on the preeminence of the Bible as the criterion for truth. He did, however, accept the label reluctantly, given that it was a useful way of distinguishing between those who deny a neutral basis for apologetics and those who do not. His student, Greg Bahnsen, aided in some of the later developments of Van Tillian Presuppositionalism, and the Bahnsen Theological Seminary continues to promote presuppositional apologetics in its curriculum. John Frame, another student of Van Til, also continues to advocate a presuppositional approach, although he is generally more critical of Van Til's thought than Bahnsen was.^[6] Cornelius Van Til Cornelius Van Til (May 4, 1895 - April 17, 1987), born in Grootegast, the Netherlands, was a Christian philosopher, Reformed theologian, and presuppositional apologist. ... Along with Westminster Theological Seminary, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) was founded by conservative Presbyterians who revolted against the modernist theology within the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) during the 1930s. ... Greg L. Bahnsen (September 17, 1948 – December 11, 1995) was an influential Christian philosopher, apologist, and debater. ... John Frame Dr. John M. Frame (born 1939) is an American philosopher and a Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics. ...

By 1952, presuppositional apologetics had acquired a new advocate in the Presbyterian theologian Gordon Clark.^[7] He embraced the label "presuppositional" since his approach to apologetics, following his Platonic epistemology, was more closely concerned with the logical order of assumptions than was Van Til. The differences between the two views on presuppositionalism, though few in number, caused a significant rift between the two men, and even after both Clark and Van Til had died, John Robbins (a theologian and former student of Clark's) and Bahnsen feuded often and publicly.^[8] Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Gordon Haddon Clark (August 31, 1902-April 9, 1985) was an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Meta-epistemology be merged into this article or section. ...

As of 2005, presuppositional apologetics has established itself securely as a legitimate perspective on apologetics, although its appeal remains largely limited to Christians whose theology is Calvinist in origin. In a recent book outlining the major schools of apologetics, the presuppositional approach was given equal time alongside much older and well-established schools of thought (the "classical" and "evidential" noted above, for example).^[9] In general, Van Til's approach is far more popular and widespread than Clark's. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In an unadorned church, the 17th century congregation stands to hear the sermon. ...

Varieties of presuppositionalism

Van Tillian presuppositionalism

Cornelius Van Til

Apologists who follow Van Til earned the label "presuppositional" because of their central tenet that the Christian must at all times presuppose (that is, assume from the beginning) the supernatural revelation of the Bible as the ultimate arbiter of truth and error in order to know anything. Christians, they say, can assume nothing less because all human thought presupposes (that is, requires by prerequisite) the existence of the God of the Bible.^{[citation needed]} They claim that by accepting the assumptions of non-Christians, which fundamentally deny the Trinitarian God of the Bible, one could not even formulate an intelligible argument. Though Van Tillians do, at one point, "put themselves in the shoes" of the opponent, "for the sake of argument", to demonstrate where that position would lead, they claim that they can only do so because this is actually God's world, and man is actually God's creature, made in God's own image, and as such can never completely shut God out (in living or thinking) -- hence there is always a common basis for dialogue, even though it is a basis which the opponent is not usually willing to acknowledge.  ©  This image is copyrighted. ...  ©  This image is copyrighted. ... For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ...

According to Frame, "[Van Til's] major complaints against competing apologetic methods are theological complaints, that is, that they compromise the incomprehensibility of God, total depravity, the clarity of natural revelation, God's comprehensive control over creation, and so on."^[10] Within their presuppositionalist framework, Van Tillians do often utilize foundational concepts for Thomistic and Evidentialist arguments (belief in the uniformity of natural causes, for example), but they are unwilling to grant that such beliefs are justifiable on "natural" (neutral) grounds. Rather, Van Tillians employ these beliefs, which they justify on Biblical grounds, in the service of transcendental arguments, which are a sort of meta-argument about foundational principles in which the non-Christian's worldview is shown to be incoherent in and of itself and intelligible only because it borrows capital from the Christian worldview. Van Til summarized the transcendental method thus: "(T)he only proof for the existence of God is that without God you couldn't prove anything." An example of this form of argumentation is found in the transcendental argument for the existence of God. Total depravity (also called total inability and total corruption) is a theological doctrine that derives from the Augustinian doctrine of original sin and is advocated in many Protestant confessions of faith and catechisms, including those of Lutheranism,1 Anglicanism and Methodism,2 Arminianism, and Calvinism. ... Creation (theology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In philosophy, transcendental/transcendence, has three different but related primary meanings, all of them derived from the words literal meaning (from Latin), of climbing or going beyond: one that originated in Ancient philosophy, one in Medieval philosophy and one in modern philosophy. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Van Tillians also stress the importance of reckoning with "the noetic effects of sin" (that is, the effects of sin on the mind), which, they maintain, corrupt man's ability to understand God, the world, and himself aright. In their view, as a fallen creature, man does know the truth in each of these areas, but he seeks to find a different interpretation -- one in which, as C. S. Lewis said, he is "on the bench" and God is "in the dock."^{[citation needed]} The primary job of the apologist is, therefore, simply to confront the unbeliever with the fact that, while he is verbally denying the truth, he is nonetheless practically behaving in accord with it. (Van Til illustrated this alleged inconsistency as a child, elevated on the father's knee, reaching up to slap his face, and Bahnsen used the analogy of a man breathing out air to make the argument that air doesn't exist.)^{[citation needed]} Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ...

Another important aspect of the Van Tillian apologetical program is the distinction between proof and persuasion. According to the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, man has ample proof in all of creation of God's existence and attributes but chooses to suppress it.^{[citation needed]} Van Til likewise claimed that there are valid arguments to prove that the God of the Bible exists but that the unbeliever would not necessarily be persuaded by them because of his suppression of the truth, and therefore the apologist, he said, must present the truth regardless of whether anyone is actually persuaded by it. (Frame notes that the apologist is here akin to the psychiatrist who presents the truth about the paranoid's delusions, trusting that his patient knows the truth at some level and can accept it—though Frame would say the action of God in the Holy Spirit is also required for the unbeliever to accept ultimate truths.^{[citation needed]}) An implication of this position is that all arguments are "person relative" in the sense that one non-Christian might be persuaded by a particular argument and another might not be, depending on their background and experiences. The Epistle to the Romans is one of the letters of the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh; also called the Holy Ghost) is the third consubstantial Person of the Holy Trinity. ...

Clarkian presuppositionalism

Gordon Clark

Gordon Clark and his followers treat the truth of the Scriptures as the axiom of their system. The axiom cannot be proven or disproven; rather, the worldview that results from the axiom may be tested for consistency and comprehensiveness.^{[citation needed]} Testing for internal contradiction exemplifies Clark's strict reliance on the laws of logic. (He famously translates the first verse of the Gospel of John as "In the beginning was the Logic, and the Logic was with God, and the Logic was God."^{[citation needed]} By contrast, some Van Tillians have suggested that God might be "above the laws of logic" in some sense.) Thus, in order to invalidate non-Christian worldviews, one must simply show how a different presupposition results in necessary logical contradictions. Image of Gordon Haddon Clark is (c) John W. Robbins, 1989. ... Image of Gordon Haddon Clark is (c) John W. Robbins, 1989. ... Gordon Haddon Clark (August 31, 1902-April 9, 1985) was an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... These laws of classical logic are valid in propositional logic and any boolean algebra. ...

However, Clark allowed that there could be more than one apparently coherent worldview and that one could not test all the implications of any worldview without omniscience.^{[citation needed]} Nonetheless, he believed that this method was effective in many practical cases (when arguing against, for instance, secular humanism or dialectical materialism) and that, in the end, each of us must simply choose (that is, make an informed selection) from among seemingly consistent worldviews the one that most adequately answers life's questions and seems the most internally coherent. (Some Van Tillian critics suggest that the concept of coherence itself must be defined in terms of Christian presuppositions but is instead being used by Clark as a "neutral" principle for discerning the truth of any proposition.^{[citation needed]}) Secular humanism is a humanist philosophy that upholds reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects the supernatural and the spiritual as warrants of moral reflection and decision-making. ... It has been suggested that Marxist philosophy of nature be merged into this article or section. ...

Using this approach, Clark labored to expose the contradictions of many worldviews that were in vogue in his day and to defend the Christian worldview by proving its consistency over and against those who attacked it. His unflagging use of logic sometimes led him to what most Reformed theologians consider rather unorthodox ideas on such topics as the problem of evil -- topics which are most often treated by theologians as paradoxes or apparent contradictions not resolvable by human logic. But Clark famously rejected the idea that Scripture teaches paradoxes and notion of "apparent contradiction", asking "apparent to whom?". He described an alleged biblical paradox as nothing more than "a charley-horse between the ears that can be eliminated by rational massage."^[11] In the philosophy of religion and theology, the problem of evil is the problem of reconciling the existence of evil or suffering in the world with the existence of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent god or gods. ...

With regard to other schools of apologetics, Clark suggested that the cosmological argument was not just unpersuasive but also logically invalid (because it begged the question), and he similarly dismissed the other Thomistic arguments.^{[citation needed]} As a staunch critic of empiricism, he did not tend to make much use of evidential arguments, which yield likelihoods and probabilities rather than logical certainties (that is, either coherence or incoherence). The cosmological argument is a metaphysical argument for the existence of God, traditionally known as an argument from universal causation, an argument from first cause, and also as an uncaused cause argument. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In philosophy generally, empiricism is a theory of knowledge emphasizing the role of experience in the formation of ideas, while discounting the notion of innate ideas. ...

Circularity

The chief criticism of presuppositionalism is that it uses circular reasoning, which is generally considered a logical fallacy. Many opponents of presuppositional apologetics would characterize the presuppositional argument as resting on a belief in the Bible as the source of truth because it is inspired by God, in whom we can believe because the Bible affirms it and the Bible is the source of truth.^{[citation needed]} This charge seeks to subsume presuppositionalism within fideism, which holds that belief in God cannot be justified by reason at all, but must be accepted or rejected wholly upon faith. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fallacy. ... Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself. ... In Christian theology, fideism is any of several belief systems which hold, on various grounds, that reason is irrelevant to religious faith. ...

Van Tillians insist that all worldviews are ultimately circular and cannot justify their foundational principles except by that principle itself. Therefore, while presuppositionalists agree that circularity makes for an invalid argument in some circumstances, they contend that in the case of ultimate presuppositions, there is no other option. So when considering worldviews, the concern must not be for vicious (or "small") circularity, but for internal coherence ("large circularity"). In other words, presuppositionalists believe that the question to be asked is not, "Do I begin with my ultimate presupposition?" but rather, "Do my beliefs and practices comport with my ultimate presupposition?"^{[citation needed]} A world view (or worldview) is a term calqued from the German word Weltanschauung (pronounced ) meaning a look onto the world. ...

For example, presuppositionalists will point out that a secular scientific worldview is built on the core presupposition that only what is incorrigible, that which can be observed, and that which can be immediately inferred from what is observed can be known with certainty. However, that core presupposition is not incorrigible, cannot be observed, nor can it be immediately inferred from that which is observable. Therefore, it involves large circularity.^{[citation needed]}

Van Tillians insist that the alleged fact of ultimate epistemological circularity does not mean that the apologetical endeavor is reduced to a philosophical "standoff," where one simply chooses a set of presuppositions by a voluntary act (fideism) and then uncritically holds on to them despite all arguments to the contrary or in lieu of any in favor.^{[citation needed]} They endorse an approach that looks for internal consistency of a system wherein the initial premise (the existence of the Biblical God) is also the culmination of all knowledge. To extend an analogy of Van Til, if one starts with the belief in the existence of the Sun, and then all of the tests one can perform because of the light of the Sun confirm the initial belief, then the belief is sound. This is not vicious circularity as demonstrated in the inference pattern "A because B, B because A". So, they claim, even though all arguments may be considered to be circular in one sense, not all are circular in the same sense, and not every sense involves logically fallacious reasoning.^{[citation needed]} It has been suggested that Meta-epistemology be merged into this article or section. ... This article is 58 kilobytes or more in size. ... In Christian theology, fideism is any of several belief systems which hold, on various grounds, that reason is irrelevant to religious faith. ... Vicious Circle is an album released in 1995 by L.A. Guns. ...

Clarkians, on the other hand, believe that all philosophical systems start with axioms, which by definition are not capable of proof. Clarkians choose the propositions of Scripture as their axioms. Circular reasoning (of the fallacious sort) involves trying to prove premises from their conclusions, while axioms are not to be proved at all. Clarkians claim to deduce theorems from the axioms of Scripture.^{[citation needed]} This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Look up theorem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Presuppositionalists posit that there is a logical necessity that attaches to a certain set of presuppositions (the ultimate of which being the existence of the God revealed in the Bible) and that one simply cannot reject that set of presuppositions without destroying the very foundations of knowledge, science, and ethics. That is to say, presuppositionalists argue that without the Christian-Theistic circle, human experience would be unintelligible, and the very objection to "circular reasoning" would be nothing more than a random, disconnected, and ultimately meaningless utterance, not in principle different from any other utterance. Like the man in Bahnsen's analogy who breathes out air to make the argument against the existence of air, by raising the "circular reasoning" objection the unbeliever is thereby demonstrating the truth of Christian Theism, according to presuppositionalists.^{[citation needed]}

It should not be thought, however, that all presuppositionalists repudiate empirical or rational evidences in favor of heavily philosophical argumentation about the nature of conceptual schemes, the nature of arguments and the like. Van Tillians in particular utilize evidence from many other disciplines (physical sciences, archaeology, philosophy, etc.) -- as understood according to the Christian presuppositions -- to argue in even "broader circles," seeking to demonstrate that all the universe, when understood correctly, plainly declares the wonders of the Creator.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

1. ^ John Frame (1994). Apologetics to the Glory of God. P & R Publishing, p. 2. ISBN 978-0875522432. 
2. ^ R. C. Sproul, John Gerstner, and Arthur Lindsley (1984). Classical Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, p.183. ISBN 978-0310449515. 
3. ^ John Frame. (2006). "Presuppositional Apologetics". New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics. Ed. W. C. Campbell-Jack, Gavin J. McGrath, and C. Stephen Evans. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 978-0830824519. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
4. ^ However, Aquinas never speaks of “proofs” for God’s existence; rather they are demonstrations of the inner coherence of belief in God. He also insists that many crucial truths can only be known through scripture, and none of his arguments are intended to show the entire Christian picture. See Alister McGrath The Dawkins Delusion?
5. ^ K. Scott Oliphint (1991). "Cornelius Van Til and the Reformation of Christian Apologetics", in B. J. van der Walt: Die Idee Van Reformasie: Gister En Vandag. 
6. ^ Phil Fernandes (1997). Cornelius Van Til.
7. ^ David P. Hoover (1984). Gordon Clark's Extraordinary View of Men and Things. ISBN 0-944788-22-X. 
8. ^ See, for instance, Bahnsen response to Robbins, Flood's response to Bahnsen, and Bahnsen's response to Flood - all from Journey magazine.
9. ^ John Frame. "Presuppositional Apologetics", in Steven B. Cowan: Five Views on Apologetics. ISBN 0-310-22476-4. 
10. ^ John Frame. Van Til: The Theologian.
11. ^ W. Gary Crampton (November/December 1990). Does the Bible Contain Paradox?. The Trinity Foundation.

John Frame Dr. John M. Frame (born 1939) is an American philosopher and a Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics. ... R.C. Sproul Dr. Robert Charles Sproul (born 1939 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American, Calvinist theologian, and pastor. ... John H. Gerstner (1914-1996) was a Professor of Church History at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Knox Theological Seminary and an authority on the life and theology of Jonathan Edwards. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (72nd in leap years). ... Alister E. McGrath (b. ... The Dawkins Delusion? is a non-fiction book by the biochemist and Christian theologian Alister McGrath and Joanna Collicutt McGrath, written as a critical response to Richard Dawkins book The God Delusion. ... ...

References

• Albrecht, Tom. What is Presuppositionalism? Retrieved on November 22, 2004.
• Van Til, Cornelius (1970). My Credo. Retrieved on November 22, 2004.

Resources

Books

• Bahnsen, Greg (1998). Van Til’s Apologetic: Readings and Analysis. P & R Press. ISBN 0-87552-098-7
• Clark, Gordon (1998). A Christian View of Men and Things, 3rd edition. Trinity Foundation. ISBN 1-891777-01-7
• Clark, Gordon (1995). Religion, Reason, and Revelation, 3rd edition. Trinity Foundation. ISBN 0-940931-86-9
• Frame, John (1994). Apologetics to the Glory of God. P & R Press. ISBN 0-87552-243-2
• Frame, John (1995). Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought. P & R Press. ISBN 0-87552-220-3
• Van Til, Cornelius (1980). The Defense of the Faith. P & R Press. ISBN 0-87552-483-4

Websites

• VanTil.info - writings by and about Van Til and his apologetic.
• The Trinity Foundation - the shorter writings and audio of Gordon Clark and his disciples for free as well as printed books and audio for a fee.
• The Works of John Frame and Vern Poythress
• Reformed Perspectives' Apologetics - a number of papers and books by John Frame.
• The Hall of Frame - papers by students of John Frame as well as material for Frame's courses at Reformed Theological Seminary.
• The Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics - many articles and books about the presuppositional approach to apologetics.
• Monergism's Apologetics Articles - extensive collection of essays on presuppositional apologetics
• Covenant Media Foundation which offers a variety of audio resources related to presuppositional apologetics by Greg Bahnsen, Douglas Wilson, and some by Van Til himself.
  • "Presuppositional Procedure", by Greg Bahnsen.
  • "The Crucial Concept of Self-Deception in Presuppositional Apologetics" by Greg Bahnsen.
• First Word - articles about Van Til's apologetic.
• Reformation Ministries International e-books espousing a Clarkian presuppositionalism

Gordon Haddon Clark (August 31, 1902-April 9, 1985) was an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian. ... John Frame Dr. John M. Frame (born 1939) is an American philosopher and a Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics. ... Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) is a non-denominational, evangelical Protestant seminary dedicated to training current and future leaders (especially its Presbyterian and Reformed branches) to be pastors, missionaries, educators, and Christian counselors. ... Greg L. Bahnsen (September 17, 1948 – December 11, 1995) was an influential Christian philosopher, apologist, and debater. ... Douglas Wilson is a conservative Reformed and evangelical theologian, pastor, faculty member at New Saint Andrews College, and prolific author and speaker. ... Greg L. Bahnsen (September 17, 1948 – December 11, 1995) was an influential Christian philosopher, apologist, and debater. ...

Debates utilizing a presuppositional approach

• "The Great Debate: Does God Exist?" A formal debate between Christian Greg Bahnsen and skeptic Gordon Stein from the University of California, Irvine. (A transcript is available in PDF here, an MP3 audio file here, and RealAudio file here.)
• The Martin-Frame Debate A written debate between skeptic Michael Martin and Christian John Frame about the transcendental argument for the existence of God.
• The Drange-Wilson Debate A written debate between skeptic Theodore Drange and Christian Douglas Wilson.
• "Is Non-Christian Thought Futile?" A written debate between Christian Doug Jones and skeptics Keith Parsons and Michael Martin in Antithesis magazine (vol. 2, no. 4).
• "Biblical Rationalism versus Psycho Assertionism" an informal email debate between Christian Vincent Cheung and atheist Derek Sansone

Greg L. Bahnsen (September 17, 1948 – December 11, 1995) was an influential Christian philosopher, apologist, and debater. ... The University of California, Irvine is a public research university primarily situated in suburban Irvine, California; a significant portion of the campus falls into the neighboring community of Newport Beach. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... A portable MP3 player MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a popular digital audio encoding, lossy compression format, and algorithm, designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent audio, yet still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio... RealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks. ... Michael Martin (born 3 February 1932) is an analytic philosopher at Boston University as professor emeritus. ... John Frame Dr. John M. Frame (born 1939) is an American philosopher and a Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics. ... Douglas Wilson is a conservative Reformed and evangelical theologian, pastor, faculty member at New Saint Andrews College, and prolific author and speaker. ... E-mail, or email, is short for electronic mail and is a method of composing, sending, and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. ...

Debates and discussions on apologetic method

• "Presuppositional or Evidential Apologetics?" An audio debate in MP3 format between Gordon Clark (who speaks first) and David Hoover. (Warning: 25 MB download; no streaming available.)
• "Van Til and the Ligonier Apologetic" An article by John Frame from the Westminster Theological Journal analyzing the book Classical Apologetics by R. C. Sproul, John Gerstner, and Arthur Lindsley (ISBN 0-310-44951-0), which itself includes "a friendly refutation of Cornelius Van Til's presuppositional apologetics."
• "A Critique of the Evidentialist Apologetical Method of John Warwick Montgomery", an article by Greg Bahnsen.
• "The Resurrection of Thomism" An article by Doug Erlandson critiquing Thomistic apologetics.
• "Presuppositionalism vs. Evidentialism", a question-and-answer from Creation Ministries International that takes a semi-Clarkian approach to apologetics.
• "Agnostic asks whether biblical Christians commit circular reasoning: role of axioms, internal consistency and real world application", a semi-Clarkian question-and-answer from Creation Ministries International.