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Presuppositional Apologetics

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[Covenantal apologetics] seeks to take the truth of Scripture as the proper diagnosis of the unbelieving condition and challenge the unbeliever to make sense of the world he has made, given that such a world is based on a fundamentally irrational construct ... Given any fact or experience, it asks the question as to the presuppositions behind that fact, and which make it possible. -K. Scott Oliphint

"...only the Christian worldview provides the necessary preconditions for the intelligibility of human experience.That is, only the Christian view of God, creation, providence, revelation, and human nature can make sense of the world in which we live. So, for example, only the Christian worldview can make sense out of morality since it alone provides the necessary presuppositions for making ethical evaluations, namely, an absolute and personal Law Giver who reveals His moral will to mankind. It does not make sense, however, for the atheist/materialist to denounce any action as wrong since, according to his worldview, all that exists is matter in motion. And matter in motion is inherently non-moral. That is, since the world according to the materialist is totally explicable in terms of physical processes, and since physical processes are categorically non-moral, moral considerations have no place in his worldview. Thus for the materialist to say that stealing is morally wrong makes as much sense as saying that the secretion of insulin from the pancreas is morally wrong. [This is not to say, however, that atheists never act morally. Atheists feed their children, give money to charity and often make good neighbors. But atheists cannot give a justification for their actions. In the words of Cornelius Van Til, they are living on "borrowed capital" from the Christian worldview. Thus they profess one thing, but their actions belie this profession].- Michael Butler

In defending the Christian faith, the most important question before us is "What sort of defense will best glorify our God (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31)?" God forbid that in seeking to defend the faith before others we should in that very act compromise it. The so-called "presuppositional" school of apologetics is concerned above all with answering this question. Among all the sources of divine revelation (including nature, history, human beings in God's image), Scripture plays a central role. Indeed, though the point cannot be argued in detail here, my view is that Scripture is the supremely authoritative, inerrant Word of God, the divinely authored, written constitution of the church of Jesus Christ. Scripture is therefore the foundational authority for all of human life including apologetics. As the ultimate authority, the very Word of God, it provides the foundational justifications for all our reasoning, without itself being subject to prior justification.
John Frame

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Title Notes
Justifying Non-Christian Objections Douglas Wilson & Farrell Tillicon
Let God Be True: A Brief Defense of the Christian Faith Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.icon
Apologetics John M. Frame - This article was originally published in Kevin Vanhoozer, ed., Dictionary for the Theological Interpretation of the Bibleicon
Is Christianity Good for the World? Atheist Christopher Hitchens and Theologian Douglas Wilson Debateicon
The Complete Wilson-Hitchens Debate (.pdf) Douglas Wilson (theist) & Christopher Hitchens (Atheist)icon
Certainty John M. Frameicon
Presuppositional Apologetics John Frame - from IVP Dictionary of Apologetics.icon
Epistemological Perspectives and Evangelical Apologetics John M. Frameicon
Cornelius Van Til and Romans 1:18-21 David L. Turner (pdf) - A Study in the Epistemology of Presuppositional Apologeticsicon
Transcendental Arguments John Frame - from IVP Dictionary of Apologetics.icon
Unbelievers and the Knowledge of God: Biblical Warrant for a Presuppositional Apologetic K. Scott Oliphinticon
Old Princeton Apologetics: Common Sense or Reformed? Tim McConnel - Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (Dec 2003)icon
Approaching Cults and World Religions from A Presuppositional Apologetic Perspective Jeff Downsicon
Reason, Evidence and Presuppositional Apologetics Rev. Brian M. Abshireicon
Presuppositional Procedure Greg Bahnsen.icon
Van Til: His Logic, Epistemology, and Apologetic Nathan Pitchfordicon
A Christian Appraisal of Contemporary Philosophy Gordon H. Clarkicon
"The Heart of the Matter: Knowing and Believing," Dr. Greg Bahnsen - An introduction for beginners in apologetics.icon
Presuppositional Apologetics Mark Duncanicon
A Defence of Christianity C. VanTilicon
Apologetics and the Heart Douglas Wilsonicon
Presuppositional Reasoning With False Faiths Dr. Greg L. Bahnsenicon
Presuppositional Apologetics - Well-Written explanation from Wikipediaicon
Presuppositional Apologetics and the Moral Government of God Jay Wegtericon
Van Til's "Presuppositionalism Dr. Greg Bahnsenicon
Van Til and the Ligonier Apologetic John M. Frameicon
A Critique of the Evidentialist Apologetical Method of John Warwick Montgomery Dr. Greg Bahnsenicon
Is Non-Christian Thought Justifiable? A Debate among Douglas Jones, Michael Martin and Keith Parsonsicon
Jesus’ Sacrifice: a Dialogue between Ra McLaughlin and Various Members at Infidels.org IIIM Magazine Online (.pdf)icon
Biblical Rationalism vs. Psycho Assertionism An informal email debate between Christian Vincent Cheung and atheist Derek Sansoneicon
The Martin-Frame Debate The Transcendental Argument for the Non Existence of Godicon
Why I Believe In God Cornelius Van Tilicon
Van Til and Plantinga: A Brief Comparison James Andersonicon
The Presuppositional Apologetic James M. Harrisonicon
The Crucial Concept of Self-Deception in Presuppositional Apologetics Greg L. Bahnsenicon
At War With the Word:The Necessity of Biblical Antithesis Greg L. Bahnsenicon
Van Til's Most Succinct Synopsis This the second excerpt from Dr. Bahnsen's book: "Van Til's Apologetics". A synopsis of his critique of the "traditional method" and a synopsis of the presuppositional apologetic that he feels is the best method to defend theicon
A Primer on Presuppositionalism S. Joel Garvericon
The Apologetic Programme of Van Til as an Assault Against the Apologetic Tradition Bob Brentonicon
An Apology for my Theology: The Inseparable Link Between Reformed Theology and Presuppositional Apologetics Bryan Neal Bairdicon
Apologetics at Westminster Seminary John Frameicon
Bahnsen at the Stein Debate John Frameicon
Cornelius Van Til John Frame - from IVP's Dictionary of Apologeticsicon
How to Believe in God in the 2000s John Frameicon
Infinite Series John M. Frame - from IVP Dictionary of Apologeticsicon
The Message of Cornelius Van Til John Frameicon
Ontological Argument John Frame - from IVP Dictionary of Apologeticsicon
Reply to Don Collett on Transcendental Argument John M. Frame (Westminster Theological Journal)icon
Self-Refuting Statements John Frame - from IVP Dictionary of Apologetics.icon
Triads for Apologetics John Frameicon
Van Til: A Reassessment John Frameicon
Van Til: His Simplicity and Profundity John Frameicon
Van Til and the Ligonier Apologetic John Frameicon
A Van Til Glossary John Frameicon
Van Til on Antithesis John Frameicon
Van Til, The Theologian John Frameicon
Prolegomena to Apologetics Dr. Greg Bahnsen - How to deal with being assaulted from every side by unbelief.icon
"On Worshipping the Creature Rather Than the Creator," Dr. Greg Bahnsen - On Romans 1 and unbelieving thoughticon
"Van Til and Self-Deception," Dr. Greg Bahnsenicon
Starbucks: The Land of Opportunity! James (Jay) Wilson - a fictional encounter I had with Ed while studying in Starbucksicon
Why is Secularism Exempt from the Separation of Church and State? John Hendryxicon
The Relevance of Presuppositions and Evidence Carmen C. DiCelloicon
Hope's Reason: The Apologetic Significance of 1 Peter 3:13-17 DiCello, Carmen C.icon
Lo, the Bombasticator Cometh Doug Wilson Reviews - "God Is Not Great" by Christopher Hitchensicon
I Can’t Repent Ichabod S. Spencericon
Almost Lost – But Saved And Almost Saved – But Lost C. F. Boerkoel, Sricon
The Epistemology of Pascal’s Wager: A Christian Presuppositional Argument Joel Esalaicon
Presuppositions and Rational Belief Keith Weltonicon
Jesus’ Sacrifice: a Dialogue between Ra McLaughlin and Various Members at Infidels.orgicon
A Defense of Reformed (biblical) Apologetics Cornelius VanTilicon
Impossible Neutrality: An Analogy from Humanistic Geography Jimmy Liicon
A Brief Outline Against Religious Neutrality Jimmy Liicon
Apologetics for Hipsters & Other Secularists J.W. Hendryxicon
Monergism Interview with Dr. Tim Keller J.W. Hendryxicon
Richard Dawkins Snookered for Jesus? Steve Haysicon
The Reason for God: A Critical Interactive Review David Robertsonicon
Schools Are Religious Robert R. Boothicon
The Charge of Hypocrisy, Violence and Oppression John Hendryxicon
Circularity and Christian Apologetics Jay Wegter - Do we prove the Bible from the Bible? Are Christians using circular reasoning when they employ an internal defense of Scripture?icon
Covenantal Apologetics K. Scott Oliphinticon
Caution - Depraved Minds at Work Don Craigicon
Christian Civilization is the Only Civilization Michael H. Warren, Jr.icon
Jonathan Edwards: Reformed Apologist Scott Oliphinticon
TAG vs. TANG Michael Butlericon
The Fountainhead of Presuppositionalism Dr. James Oliver Buswell, Jr.icon
Old Testament Vs. New Testament God by John Hendryxicon
Atheists Suck at Being Atheists Christopher Hitchens and Pastor Douglas Wilsonicon
Presuppositionalism and Frame’s Epistemology (.pdf) James N. Andersonicon
A Proposal on the Occasion and the Method of Presenting Evidence within a Van Tillian Framework Jimmy Liicon
Presuppositional Apologetics Q&A Douglas Wilsonicon
Why & What: A Brief Introduction to Christianity Douglas Jonesicon
Win the Man, Not the Argument Douglas Wilsonicon
What Is Presuppositionalism? William Edgaricon
Answering Objections to Presuppositionalism K. Scott Oliphinticon
How Pastors Can Make Time to Talk with Skeptics Daniel Strangeicon
Taxonomy of Logical Fallacies http://www.fallacyfiles.orgicon
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