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Product Review Summary: The Message and Method of Apologetics Presuppositionlist scholar John Frame is a moderate Van Tilian and he delivers an apologetic work designed to clarify numerous apologetic and epistemic controversies.
He furnishes his notion of what is the essential presuppositional system and its application. The author answers the anti-Vantilian scholars who claim that Van Til's apologetic (VTA) ultimately offers a mere circular argument. All worldviews, Frame asserts, must reason in a circular fashion. But VTA is not a vicious circular and it provides the essential pre-environment for knowledge. Many will briskly read past his solution, but it is compelling to many who make the effort to comprehend his argument.
Frame discusses the notions of reason, faith, evidence, certainty, neutral ground and common ground, and proof. He, like Van Til, argues that VTA is not opposed to evidence for the Christian faith (or the classical arguments): nevertheless these truths must be contended for within the context of the a priori necessities that only Christian Theism can furnish.
The book contains chapters on:
- Definitions and Apologetic Basics
- The Message of Apologetics
- The Method of Apologetics
- Proof: Proving God and the Gospel
- Two chapters on the Problem of Evil
- Essay on Ligonier Apologetics
- Letter to Jay Adams
I do not affirm all Frame's epistemic resolutions, but I am delighted that I have this volume in my library. My favorite section is on God's Absolute Personality (p. 34). The two chapters discussing the Problem of Evil, alone, make this an important resource for a minister, evangelist, apologist, or the untutored.
By Mike A Robinson author of: "Presuppositional Apologetics Examines Mormonism" and other Christian books including:
One Way to God: Christian Philosophy and Presuppositional Apologetics Examine World Religions
Product Review Summary: Presuppositional Apologetics: Seemingly Pedestrian, but Actually Powerful A brief look at the essence of presuppositional apologetics may make one think that this approach will not go too far since those who have a different presupposition will most likely immediately say, "Well, you have your own presupposition and I have mine. End of the story. Good bye!" Another reason why one might think twice before applying this apologetic method is considering the circular nature, narrow and broad, of the presuppositional arguments. Yet another critique that is covered also in the Appendix from the so-called Ligoniers Group by Sproul, Gestner and Lindsey says presuppositional apologetics is irrational. In answering these objections, first, instead of stopping at the conclusion that each one has his or her own presupposition, even though it might be true, further steps need to be taken, which are the meat of this book. These steps involve laying out the arguments why a biblical presupposition is the most rational and corresponds to the truth of the realities we face everyday in the world, which Prof. Frame divides into three sections; the proofs, the defense and the offense; the latter involves exposing the irrationality and inconsistencies of non-biblical presuppositions resulting from the fallen human nature that resists divine revelation in conscience, nature, universe and the Scriptures and so consequently, embraces an autonomous self presupposition. In answering the charge of circularity, Prof. Frame correctly responds that every argument, even that given by classical or traditional apologetics, in the end is inevitably circular, though it may not be explicit due to the broadly circular nature of it. It eventually returns to a fundamental assumption or believe that one embraces; an ultimate presupposition, a basic heart commitment or an ultimate trust, as Prof. Frame calls it (p. 6).
These answers to the first two objections themselves to me are adequate to cover the Ligoniers authors' charge of irrationality as well. But Prof. Frame goes extra miles by exposing the weaknesses of evidentialism, particularly that promoted by the Ligoniers authors. The one that is most alarming is the argument of neutrality, the implied denial of the natural hostility toward God of the natural men, "the lack of seriousness in the application of the doctrine of depravity to apologetics" (p.235), considering these authors are modern day proponents of Reformed Theology. Prof. Frame rightly asks, "Seriously now, is this [the idea of natural men being sincere seekers after truth] a doctrine of depravity worthy of Calvinists?" (p.235).
What Prof. Frame is promoting in this book is a biblical presupposition as both apologetic and evangelistic methods since he has a high view of the Scriptures as inerrant, inspired and infallible divine revelations. Despite robust and compelling arguments to support the case for presuppositional apologetics, however, it doesn't mean that it has all the answers, including the answer to the problem of evil. None of the apologetic methods does. Nevertheless it teaches the right response and attitude toward the problem of evil, again, on the basis of biblical presupposition. Here is what Prof. Frame writes,
"My own verdict is that we are unlikely to find complete answers to all these questions (the problem of evil, pain and suffering) - answers which are not subject to further questions. But I do think we can provide answers in another sense. If what you want is encouragement to go on believing in the midst of suffering, Scripture provides that, and provides it abundantly (the best argument being the account of Job's interview with God). If you want help to go on trusting God despite unexplained evil, yes, we can help" (p.152).
At first, presuppositional apologetics may seem pedestrian or even boring, but upon a deeper study, it is a more powerful argument than any apologetic methods. I am not saying it is more effective, but it is more powerful. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the apologetic method, whether it be used as a defense of the Christian faith or simultaneously as for an evangelistic purpose, does not depend on human effort or the type of approach one employs, but on divine influence. In other words, it is God who eventually makes the call how effective He would cause a particular apologetic endeavor to be; whether to the one "the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life" (2 Cor 2:16).
Product Review Summary: Very Good Introduction... This is the first book of John Frame's that I have read and I will have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is very well done and covers a lot of ground in a mere 250 pages. Although you can tell that Frame and Schaeffer have a lot in common, the way that they write is thoroughly different. Schaeffer focuses in on showing the historical understanding of thought and then showing the holes and practice of those in the past, while Frame skips all that and goes more general in thought and shows the holes in the thoughts of the atheist, the agnostic and the practical atheist. The former is one who says there is a god but lives like there is none.
I haven't read much of Van Til, but what I have read, I figured that Frame would be a lot like him and give him much praise. While I didn't find the direct opposite in Frame, Frame was very honest when he found Van Til to be lacking and where he found him to be strong. Van Til was known to stay mainly on the defensive and poking holes in the atheist's arguments, but rarely, if ever, went offensive with the atheist. Frame showed both, like Schaeffer did.
Frame's book is technical in parts but also very readable and very enjoyable. He opens up with showing the basics of apologetics and then he goes into showing what the apologist must show while writing or speaking to others. He, like Schaeffer and many others, points to the metaphysical (the study of being), epistimology (the study of knowledge) and ethics.
After giving this lengthy defense, he then shows the gospel as proof and then gives a lengthy answer to the problem of evil. Through this answer he shows that the previous answers to evil, although sometimes helpful, don't really give the final or most thorough answers in of themselves. What he does show is that they almost all have some of the answer, but not the complete answer to the problem of evil. I do like his honest answer in the end to evil though. He simply says that we can give some explanation to evil, but we really don't know the entirety of the answer of why there is evil.
After this section, the final section is devoted to showing why the gospel is true and he does so in a way that I have yet to see. He biblically walks one through the entirety of the Bible to show the problem of man and sin and the redemption of man through Christ. Through this he also dismantles other religions in a few sentences as though they were a mere sidebar to the discussion.
The final chapter is a mock conversation to guide the reader. Admittedly, Frame says this conversation is a bit simplistic and "perfect" in responses from both the defender of the gospel and the opposer. What I found to be helpful in this discussion is that it really served as a conclusion and recap to the entirety of the book.
I truly enjoyed this book and will be one that I continually go to, to aid in my discussions with others that oppose the faith. I will be now picking up some more Frame books to add to my collection and will put him in the top scholars of our era in regards to presuppositional apologetics. I highy recommend this book to any who are looking to answer the tough questions posed by the atheist or seekers of our Saviour.
Product Review Summary: The First Book You Should Read On Apologetics I have read almost a dozen apologetics texts over the last year, and in my estimation, Apologetics for the Glory of God by John Frame should be the first book you read on the subject. Let John Frame guide you as you learn the particulars of apologetic argument from other apologists. John Frame describes what principles should be guiding the use of any evidence or line of reasoning as the apologist seeks to reason with the nonbelieving skeptic. Frame's apologetics would rightly be characterized as presuppositional in nature; he is not shy to be aligned with Cornelius Van Til. However, for those who think that a presuppositional apologetic eschews evidence, you will be pleasantly surprised. I recommend that any reader of Apologetics for the Glory of God get a copy of Frame's masterpiece The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God (A Theology of Lordship) as frequent reference is made to it and you will find ideas hinted at fully expounded in that larger volume. All of Frame's thinking is influenced by his tri-perspectival way of looking at things (which DKG goes into much detail), where he realizes the helpfulness of considering truth from different angles. His apologetics is no different; the perspectives into which he breaks the apologetic task (and the chapters of the book) are:
Apologetics as Proof
Apologetics as Defense
Apologetics as Offense
Classical apologists seek to find commonground between the believer and the nonbeliever and work from there to convince the skeptic of the plausibility of existence of the God of the Bible; therefore, the classical apologist argues, the Bible is not the appropriate place to start in apologetic encounters. The presuppositionalist argues on the other hand, that the unbeliever is acting in rebellion to God as manifested by his desire to think autonomously and place himself as the ultimate criterion of truth. The apologist should not encourage this thinking; neither should the apologist adopt it. The skeptics basic heart commitment is that Jesus is not Lord; the apologists basic heart commitment is that Jesus is Lord. "Our argument must be an exhibit of that knowledge, that wisdom, which is based on the 'fear of the Lord,' not an exhibition of unbelieving foolishness. Therefore apologetic argument is no more neutral than any other human activity. In apologetic argument, as in everything else we do, we must presuppose the truth of God's Word....Even if neutrality were possible, that route would be forbidden to us" (p. 9).
There is no common ground apart from mutual knowledge of God of which Romans 1:19ff way. The thing that the apologist is most sure is true is that which God has told him in the Bible. Therefore, the apologists argument will be based on Scripture. Frame writes, "The preacher-apologist is to present the word...to expound it, to apply it to his hearers, to display its beauty, its truth, its rationality. [He] seeks to combat the unbeliever's false impressions and present to him the word as it really is. It is to this testimony that the Spirit also bears witness" (p. 17). This does not mean, however, that natural evidences or rational argumentation are out of line, just that they must be submitted to Scripture, "The obedient Christian apologist will show the unbeliever the various ways in which nature reveals God, without claiming neutrality and without allowing the use of non-Christian criteria of truth" (p. 25). The main attack against this line of reasoning is that it is circular; the teachings of the Bible are true because the Bible is true. We must recognize the truth of this statement but recognize that every system of thought is circular when it seeks to defend its ultimate presupposition: the Bible, reason/logic, sense-experience, relativism, or otherwise.
Frame spends the rest of the book working his presuppositional line of reasoning out as it relates to proving Christianity to be true, defending Christianity's truth, and attacking the irrationality of all other belief systems. Frame includes very little actual argumentation, with the exception of the problem of evil in the world. He admits this. His goal in this book is to provide the framework into which all other arguments or lines of reasoning will fit, and he does so masterfully. It is for this reason that I recommend that you read Frame before any other apologists, because fit into this framework the apologist can use any true line of reasoning or evidences (whether it comes from a presuppositionalist or not) and use it in a way that recognizes Jesus and not man as Lord.
Finally, the book ends with an exceptional transcript from a faux dialogue between Frame and a man on an airplane where Frame demonstrates how each item he has discussed throughout the book might work itself out in actual apologetic discussion with a real life person.
I do not recommend that this is the only apologetics book you read, but I do recommend that it is the first. When you are finished, I recommend you move on to Busenitz's Reasons We Believe: 50 Lines of Evidence That Confirm the Christian Faith and/or Pratt's Every Thought Captive: A Study Manual for the Defense of Christian Truth.
Product Review Summary: An excellent apologetic Resource Professor Frame introduction to Apologetics has attempted to pull off the near impossible: appeal to the in depth theological student and the general Christian reader. He nearly pulls it off. His ultimate goal, providing reasons for thinking and explaining the reasons of a Christian's hope is done well enough. The general reader who is not as familiar with debates within the apologetic community or in some of the philosophical and theological concerns may find some of the material hard to follow.
The nine chapters of this 200+ page book can be divided into three sections: a Christian theory of knowledge, historical and contemporary views of the apologetic method and topics in apologetics. Frame is a presuppositional apologist. That is, he is not neutral, nor does he believe anyone else is neutral in how they understand reality, or the Christian faith. Particularly Frame's view, that men are unable to understand, much less accept the Christian faith without an external, supernatural change in their life.
The book makes the claim that it aims to clarify the relationship of reason, proofs and evidence to faith, biblical evidence and the lordship of Christ. Frame does this without relying on circular reasoning, and by showing that faith is reasonable and with evidence from the pages of scripture.
For the general reader, even among the evangelical community, Frame's work will encourage and challenge them to see just how much personal autonomy in life compares to an understanding of divine sovereignty. Frame's argues that the Biblical position that nature and specifically the Bible are sufficient in of themselves to bear testimony about the work of God are only obscured by the direct denial of their affects.
Of particular importance in this book, is just how Frame emphasizes the importance of mystery and faith in aspects of the Christian believer. Understanding that academic thought can often be severely limited by the autonomy of the individual, Frame is comfortable saying that at times we just don't know. His explanation of the mysteries of sovereignty are particularly helpful in regards to his discussion on the problem of evil, atheistic relativism and idolatrous rationalism.
If the general reader can get past debates that seem unfamiliar to them, they can benefit greatly by understanding the breadth and depth of Christian apologetic thinking. The lay leader, the teacher, or even someone just wanting to be more educated about the Christian faith will find Frame's discussion on Apologetics as Offense, Defense and Proof quite useful.
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