Presuppositional apologetics is a school of Christian apologetics that assumes the truth of the Bible as an axiom. It claims that the Christian faith is the only basis for rational thought and that all other worldviews are internally inconsistent. Here is a more in-depth overview of presuppositional apologetics:
Core Tenets
Presuppositional apologetics is based on several key tenets:
- The truth of the Bible and the existence of the Christian God are axiomatic and cannot be proven or disproven. These are presupposed as true.
- All knowledge and rational thought require presuppositions. Non-Christian worldviews have presuppositions that are inconsistent and undermine rational thought.
- Christianity alone provides the necessary presuppositions about God, humanity, and the world for rational thought. Only the Christian worldview is internally consistent and makes human experience intelligible.
- The apologist should not attempt to prove God’s existence or the truth of Christianity. Instead, he/she should challenge the unbeliever’s presuppositions and show how only Christian presuppositions lead to rational thought.
- Unbelievers know the truth of God innately but suppress it in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-21). Apologetics aims to expose this suppression.
History
Presuppositional apologetics has its roots in the reformational tradition, building on the ideas of John Calvin and his emphasis on the noetic effects of sin. Several key figures helped develop presuppositional apologetics:
- Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987) – Regarded as the founder of presuppositional apologetics in its current form. Taught at Westminster Theological Seminary.
- Gordon Clark (1902-1985) – Christian philosopher who advocated presuppositional apologetics. Differed from Van Til on some issues.
- Greg Bahnsen (1948-1995) – Student of Van Til who popularized and expanded on his teachings through public debates and writing.
- Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) – Influential presuppositional apologist, founded L’Abri community in Switzerland.
- Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987) – Taught presuppositional apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary for over 40 years.
While founded in the Reformed tradition, presuppositional apologetics has influenced apologists from many Christian traditions.
Distinctives from Other Approaches
Presuppositional apologetics contrasts with other Christian apologetic schools in a few key ways:
- Evidentialism – Attempts to prove Christianity through historical evidence and rational arguments. Presuppositionalism denies the neutrality of reason and evidence apart from Christian presuppositions.
- Classical Apologetics – Tries to demonstrate God’s existence philosophically before turning to the evidence for Christianity. Presuppositionalism denies that belief in God can be established independently of Christianity.
- Fideism – Believes faith cannot be supported by reason and evidence. Presuppositionalism engages reason and evidence but recognizes their dependence on Christian presuppositions.
Methodology
The presuppositional apologetics methodology typically involves several components:
- Critique of Non-Christian Worldviews – Exposing irrational presuppositions, internal contradictions, and inability to account for human experience, knowledge, logic, morality, etc.
- Transcendental Argument for God’s Existence – Argues that all human thought and experience require God to make sense. Non-Christian worldviews cannot account for the preconditions of intelligibility.
- Critique of Neutrality – Challenging the myth of neutrality or common ground between believers and unbelievers. All reason and evidence is inevitably colored by one’s presuppositions.
- Appeal to Innate Knowledge of God – Arguing that unbelievers actually do have knowledge of God within them that they are suppressing (Romans 1:18-21). The apologist aims to expose this.
- Argument from Scripture – Presupposing the truth of the Word of God (special revelation) as the ultimate authority and standard.
Strengths of Presuppositional Apologetics
There are several strengths of the presuppositional approach that make it compelling:
- It is Biblically-grounded, emphasizing the noetic effects of sin and the absolute authority of God’s revelation.
- It directly engages worldviews rather than treating apologetics as merely abstract arguments.
- It avoids arbitrariness by presupposing the necessity of Christianity for rationality and meaningful experience.
- It argues for Christianity as a comprehensive, cohesive worldview rather than a collection of proofs.
- It puts the unbeliever on the defensive by critiquing his/her own presuppositions.
Criticisms of Presuppositional Apologetics
There are some common critiques leveled against presuppositional apologetics, including:
- It is seen as fideistic since it presupposes Christianity rather than giving independent reasons for it.
- Some argue it uses circular reasoning by assuming what it is trying to prove.
- It minimizes the value of historical evidences for the faith.
- Some view its apologetic claims as arrogant and ineffective with unbelievers.
- It underestimates the common ground between believers and unbelievers.
- Some argue it misuses the noetic effects of sin as an apologetic argument.
Notable Apologists
Here are some notable apologists who used or advocated the presuppositional approach:
- Cornelius Van Til – Founder of modern presuppositional apologetics. Taught at Westminster Seminary for decades.
- Greg Bahnsen – Prominent student of Van Til who popularized presuppositionalism through debates and books.
- Francis Schaeffer – Influential 20th century apologist who opened L’Abri ministry in Switzerland.
- John Frame – Philosopher who succeeded Van Til at Westminster Seminary.
- James White – Reformed Baptist apologist who employs presuppositionalism in debates with atheists and skeptics.
- Douglas Wilson – Pastor and theologian who advocates presuppositional apologetics, associated with Credenda/Agenda magazine.
- Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987) – Pioneering Reformed theologian who taught presuppositional apologetics for over 40 years at Westminster Theological Seminary.
Application
There are several ways presuppositional apologetics can be applied in evangelism and apologetics:
- Asking probing questions to expose the irrationality of unbelieving worldviews.
- Pointing out internal contradictions and inability to account for morality, logic, etc. within other worldviews.
- Challenging alleged neutrality and autonomy in reason apart from Christian presuppositions.
- Arguing that intelligibility and meaningful experience require the God revealed in the Bible.
- Appealing to the unbeliever’s innate knowledge of God that they are suppressing.
- Calling people to repent of sin and submit to the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life.
The presuppositional apologist aims to challenge the unbeliever’s presuppositions, expose the rational necessity of the Christian worldview, and call people to repent and submit to Christ as Lord.
Key Issues and Debates
There have been many internal debates within presuppositional apologetics, including:
- Noetic Effects of Sin – Exactly how sin affects human reasoning. Total inability vs. functional inability views.
- Transcendental Arguments – Formulation and scope. Do they constitute proofs? Are they useful or necessary?
- Common Ground – Whether any common ground exists between believers and unbelievers that can be appealed to.
- Proof and Persuasion – The degree to which presuppositionalism relies on proof vs. persuasion.
- Evidentialism – The use of evidences within a presuppositional framework. Should evidences precede presuppositional arguments or not?
- Idealism vs. Realism – Gordon Clark’s extreme rationalist approach vs. Van Til’s inclusion of factual evidences within the system.
There is actually diversity within presuppositionalism on many of these issues while still sharing the same foundations.
Comparisons with Other Worldviews
Presuppositional apologetics contends that only the Christian worldview can account for human experience, reasoning, and knowledge. It argues that other worldviews are ultimately irrational when their presuppositions are exposed. Here are some brief comparisons with other worldviews:
- Naturalism – Cannot account for immaterial realities like logic, morality, and human consciousness based on its materialist presuppositions.
- Postmodernism – Relativistic view of truth leads to self-refuting claims and the inability to know anything definitively.
- Pantheism – Makes rational thought impossible by equating God with His creation.
- Islam – Islamic doctrine of God undermines the basis for morality and inductions from the uniformity of nature.
- New Age – Subjectivism about truth and ethics fails to provide basis for meaning, communication, and moral outrage at injustice.
Only Christian theism with its doctrine of creation, truth, and human nature gives the preconditions necessary for knowledge, ethical judgments, and rational thought.
Key Bible Passages
Here are some key Bible passages that inform and support the presuppositional approach:
- Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…”
- Colossians 2:3 – “In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
- Romans 1:18-23 – Unbelievers suppress their knowledge of God and worship created things.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 – The gospel is foolishness to unbelievers; God’s wisdom confounds the wise.
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 – Natural man does not accept the things of God’s Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 10:5 – Take every thought captive to Christ.
- John 14:6 – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”
These and other passages emphasize that true knowledge comes only through Christ and is impossible without starting from Christian presuppositions.
Conclusion
In summary, presuppositional apologetics is a school of Christian apologetics that argues the truth of the Christian worldview is the necessary precondition for intelligibility. It holds that all logic, morality, rationality, and knowledge depend on biblical presuppositions and sees the apologist’s task as challenging unbelieving worldviews rather than providing independent evidence. While not without criticism, presuppositionalism offers a biblically-grounded approach to apologetics that engages worldviews and calls for obedience to Christ as Lord.