I had begun to read Van Til in college, seeking help in dealing with the philosophical problems I encountered at Princeton. I had earlier read C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and Miracles. Van Til was very critical of Lewis, but Lewis actually prepared me for Van Til. The Miracles book was especially helpful to me. There, Lewis showed that naturalism and Christianity were two distinct and incompatible worldviews, and that arguments against miracles typically assume that naturalism is true.
Lewis seemed to me to be entirely right, and that readied me to believe Van Til's assertion that the Christian faith is a worldview unto itself, with its own distinctive metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Lewis also prepared me to accept Van Til's view that opposition to Christianity is not based fundamentally on factual discovery, but rather on presuppositions that rule out Christianity from the outset of the discussion.
Van Til became the greatest influence on my apologetics and theology. In my view, although I have been subjected to some derision for saying this, Van Til was the most important Christian thinker since John Calvin. His message is precisely what people of our time need most to hear: that the lordship of Jesus Christ must govern our thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) as well as every other area of life.
Every problem of theology, apologetics, biblical studies, science, and philosophy takes on a very different appearance when we reject non-Christian presuppositions and seek to think consistently according to Christian ones. Certainly, nobody who has not spent time with Van Til can understand well what I am about.
- John M. Frame, Backgrounds to My Thought in John J. Hughes (ed.), Speaking the Truth in Love
"There are two kinds of presuppositionalists: those who admit it and those who don't." - D. A. Carson quoting Carl F. H. Henry
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
Incidentally, C. S. Lewis is my favourite author and 2 Corinthians 10:5 is one of the motivations for this blog. I started this blog during my army days (hence the web address) in Sep 05, sometime before I became a Christian (which was probably in late 05/early 06). But since becoming a Christian, and especially since starting university in Oct 07, 2 Corinthians 10:5 has been something of a guiding light to me.
My past two years or so at York has been a season of 'tak[ing] captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ' (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV), and studying philosophy in particular has enabled me to 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' (2 Peter 3:18, NIV).
The Philosophy of Philosophy
Philosophy, like most other disciplines, is neutral and can be applied either to the glory of God or to the dishonour of His name. If anything, philosophy points us towards Christ. As the saying goes, theology is the queen of the sciences and philosophy is the handmaiden of theology. In fact, we could even say that theology is philosophy with Christian presuppositions.
The problem with the postmodern pursuit of philosophy is not a problem with philosophy as a discipline, but with the conflation of philosophy and humanism. When we conflate philosophy and humanism, we make man the measure of all things and turn the quest for God's truth into the quest for man's truth.
Reason and Revelation
Reason is not opposed to revelation. On the contrary, reason is founded on revelation.
Peter's Confession of Christ
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."
- Matthew 16:13-17 (NIV)
We reason not because reason replaces revelation. Rather, we reason precisely because revelation requires that we respond to it in the only reasonable manner - faith.
Faith and Reason
Faith is not opposed to reason. On the contrary, faith is founded on reason.
Faith is "blind" in the sense that we put our faith in something we do not see. After all, 'faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see' (Hebrews 11:1, NIV). However, faith is not blind in the sense that we are not certain of what we do not see. We ARE certain of what we do not see.
My faith that England will win the World Cup in 2010 is a blind faith because I cannot be certain of it. Indeed, my faith that England will win the World Cup in 2010 is a blind faith even if England does end up winning the World Cup in 2010.
In contrast, my faith that
1. "Jesus died and rose again and... God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." - 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NIV)
2. "We who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep." - 1 Thessalonians 4:15 (NIV)
3. "The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV)
4. "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." - 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV)
is not a blind faith because I am certain of it. More importantly, it will certainly come to pass - whether or not I am prepared for it!
Knowing About God vs Knowing God
Of course, we can know God as a proposition without knowing God as a person.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" - Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." - James 1:22-25 (NIV)
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." - James 2:19 (NIV)
It is possible to know about God without knowing God, but it is not possible to know God without knowing about God. In other words, knowing about God is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for knowing God.
"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time." - Deuteronomy 4:39-40 (NIV)
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
"Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." - Hosea 6:3 (NIV)
You know it. So do it!
Links: Why Theology Matters (11 Apr 10), I think, therefore I am (10 Aug 10), Scripture and the Interpretation of Scripture (4 Sep 10)
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