Restoring the full text of the original 1955 work, this annotated edition sets forth and explains a method of apologetics that is consistent with the nature of Christianity itself.
Attacks on Christianity have become more numerous and more pronounced in today's world. Cornelius Van Til's book The Defense of the Faith is a classic treatment on apologetics and endures for our time as crucial reading for the thinking Christian. Designed to stop secularists in their tracks, it is the kind of seminal work that serious defenders of the faith cannot afford to ignore. After laying a foundation in the Christian views of God, man, salvation, the world, and knowledge, Van Til explores the roles of authority, reason, and theistic proof, while contrasting Roman Catholic, Arminian, and Reformed methods of defending the faith.
They all walk toward the Abyss for different reasons, each of them carrying varying persuasions. Along the way, they meet the Evangelist, and as a result they face the Great Persuasion. Some of their conversations are recorded in this book.
All students of apologetics should read at least one book by arguably the most important apologist of the twentieth century: Cornelius Van Til. The single best point of entry into Van Til's writings is Christian Apologetics. Here Van Til presents the underpinnings of his uniquely biblical approach. He shows how Christian apologetics is rooted in a unified system of scriptual truth, a worldview that encompasses all spheres of knowledge. Noting the ultimate conflict between Christian and non-Christian systems, Van Til sets forth a method of argument that centers on an all-important, biblically defined point of contact with the unbeliever. In this the first typeset edition, William Edgar sheds light on Van Til's approach by adding a new introduction and explanatory notes.
In down-to-earth language Richard L. Pratt, Jr., has given us this helpful study manual on apologetics, the task of defending the faith. Far from a theoretical exposition, this training manual teaches how to answer nonbelievers and to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." Pratt shows how the biblical doctrines about humanity and our relationship to our Creator determine how we should do apologetics. Within this theological framework he examines the premises, attitudes, and specific steps involved in a genuinely biblical defense of Christianity. Illustrations and review questions help to make this a valuable tool for individual or group study.
More than a simple Cook's tour of an influential apologist, Greg Bahnsen presents Van Til's theology as he actually wrote it, but with the added commentary necessary to bridge the gap between the perceived audience of the writer and the layman. Bahnsen doesn't oversimplify, but gives true commentary and context to spotlight the material in a way that even long-time Van Til readers will find refreshing.
Van Til didn't shy away from the difficult aspects of presuppositional apologetics (which uses Christianity as a starting point rather than nature or hard science), but embraced them, incorporating them into his presentation of the Christian worldview. Bahnsen molds much of the souce texts into a comprehensive treatise on Apologetics, and covers such varied ground as:
The place of Apologetics in Theology
The nature, necessity and aim of Apologetics
Apologetics in relation to Epistemology (the study of the limits and validity of knowledge)
Comparative apologetics
The complexities and failures of unbelief
Although Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987) authored over 250 separate pieces of material, he never released an in-depth systematic overview. This volume distills his thought on presuppositionalism, giving space to fully illustrate this biblically-based type of apologetical argument.
In the universities, media, and workplace, Christian beliefs are undermined daily---can you fight for what's right? Outlining the history and fundamentals of apologetics, Sproul explains how reason and scientific inquiry offer strong allies for defending your faith. Great for group study, it equips you for more than just winning arguments, but for changing minds! 448 pages, softcover from Crossway Books.
Bulldozing "worldly nonsense" with biblical wisdom, Sproul's seasoned insight equips you with the necessary tools for opposing the non-Christian philosophies of our age. Tearing Down Strongholds reminds us that, as Paul put it, Christians are at war. Writing for both believers and non-believers, R.C. Sproul, Jr., does three things. He shows how each major non-Christian worldview is self-contradictory and thus self-refuting. He answers the criticisms leveled against Christianity, and he makes a positive case for the existence of God. He seeks not merely to expose falsehoods but to highlight the firm foundation on which our faith is built.
