Cornelius Van Til argued that apologetics could not begin from common evidence or reasoning. To arrive at Christian conclusions, one had to begin from Christian presuppositions.
But in his new, thorough study and critique of Van Til, Dr. Keith Mathison argues that Van Til’s presuppositional apologetic does not follow from Reformed theology, nor even from Van Til’s theology. In his theology, Van Til acknowledged, with the rest of the Reformed tradition, that the antithesis between believers and unbelievers is not “unqualified” but qualified—by common grace, by human nature, by the image of God in man. But when he pivoted to apologetics, Van Til tacitly assumed an unqualified antithesis between the reasoning of Chrisitans and non-Christians.
In my interview with Dr. Mathison, author of Toward a Reformed Apologetics: A Critique of the Thought of Cornelius Van Til, we survey biblical, philosophical, theological, historical, and practical arguments against Van Til’s presuppositional apologetics. From our conversation, it emerges that “the Reformed apologetic” (if there even is such a thing) is perfectly consonant with natural theology.
Here are some choice quotations from my interview with Dr. Mathison:
“Van Tillians imply that the fall destroyed human nature and destroyed the intellect, something like what the more extreme Lutheran theologians held.”
“Van Til is not an apostle. He’s not Jesus. His writings are not scripture.”
“Our apologetics should reflect that every human being is created in the image of God.”
“If the goal is to make everybody feel like an idiot first, that I don’t know that that’s always helpful.”
Watch or listen to the interview here or on YouTube, or listen on your favorite podcast app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Dr. Keith Mathison is professor of systematic theology at Reformation Bible College. He is the author of many books including Given for You: Reclaiming Calvin's Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, and his latest Toward a Reformed Apologetics: A Critique of the Thought of Cornelius Van Til. He blogs at “Light in Dark Places.”
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:50 Exploring Keith Mathison’s Background and Influences
11:38 Understanding Van Til’s Theology
23:30 Communication and Common Ground in Scripture
33:43 Critiques of the Absolute Antithesis
40:46 The Impact of the Fall on Human Nature
45:45 Natural Theology: Definitions and Debates
51:45 The Influence of British Idealism on Van Til
1:07:33 Reformed Scholastics vs. Van Til
1:16:06 Van Til: A Radical Reformer?
1:21:52 Practical Concerns with Van Tillianism
1:29:37 Talking about v. Doing Apologetics
1:35:08 Constructive vs. Destructive Apologetics
1:48:04 Preparation for the Gospel
1:52:39 Dr. Mathison’s Current and Future Work
