Exegetical Calvinism & Presuppositionalism

I discuss the relative essay of Dr. Richard Gaffin in Revelation and Reason: Essays in Reformed Apologetics.

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• van til
• gaffin
• craig
• alvin plantinga

[Julio2301]

@doctorh2005 I've heard of it but never really read it. I know I like his essay here though. It is likewise thorough. What he says about Van Til and his philosophical mind really allays a lot of the intellectual concerns I had growing up as a Christian. Even here, Dr. Gaffin is concise and thorough. I would like to read that too. Maybe I'll read it and do a review here on YouTube.

[Julio2301]

Oh great another Clark nutt.

[doctorh2005]

Richard Gaffin is great. I've read his book on Cessationism - "Perspectives on Pentecost".

Thorough and intense.

[MRKetter81]

@Julio2301 I'm vantilian myself, but the argument I'm making comes from R.C.Sproul. I think Blog regardless of wherever he derived his argument from is making a linguistic fallacy. Rationalism isn't altogether bad so long as it's confined to certain principles. The problem I see with it though is that it presumes all logic is cut, dry and paste in every case... nothing could be farther from the truth. The world we live in thoroughly transcends our perception of it, and this causes us to err.

[Julio2301]

@MRKetter81 I think what @Blogrich55 is trying to prove --trying being the operative word-- is that Van Til's paradox shows that his corollaries are ultimately contradictory, which is basically what you said. If I can use stark terms, I think Clark and his band of followers are more rationalists than earnest religious epistemologists. Paradox is not equal or commensurate to contradiction. Since you harp on logic a lot, it is non sequitur.

[MRKetter81]

@Blogrich55 By tangible I meant with in the realm of human experience.

[MRKetter81]

@Blogrich55 You hear the word "Paradox" and that triggers the thought contradiction... Mainly because most empiricists can't reason past a transcendental and thus can't reason past anything in that realm.

You just explained to me in so many words a transcendental.. that is that God's reason transcends our ability to comprehend. Paradox doesn't mean contradiction.

[MRKetter81]

@Blogrich55 "Whatever God does is GOOD! He has predestined ALL things including the fall and satan's rebellion. Just because we do not know WHY does NOT imply he has not done so OR done so for no reason.

Deut 29:29 should be written in LARGE letters on the walls of churches. God does NOT reveal ALL of His reasons to us"

Your preaching to the quire buddy... We are in no disagreement there.. the problem is your etymological understanding of the word paradox.

[Blogrich55]

@MRKetter81 Not to be repetitious but this comment was obviously removed:

Whatever God does is GOOD! He has predestined ALL things including the fall and satan's rebellion. Just because we do not know WHY does NOT imply he has not done so OR done so for no reason.

Deut 29:29 should be written in LARGE letters on the walls of churches. God does NOT reveal ALL of His reasons to us.

[Blogrich55]

@MRKetter81 IF by TANGIBLE you mean that which can be touched or felt, I have NEVER said knowledge was tangible. On the other hand if by tangible you mean definite or objective, are you SERIOUSLY going to deny the Bible gives us definite or objective truth??

Just because knowledge is not tangible does NOT imply paradox. Furthermore, I do not deny that there are SEEMING contradictions in the Bible but these can be resolved by LOGICAL analysis. There is nothing deeper than thought (logic.)

[Blogrich55]

@theembracedofgod WHAT paradox are you suggesting I should follow? Van Til's reputation as a debater sounds highly over rated. Did he seek to provide evidence for God?